Hope - (Haiku)

In my home state of Washington, we see several large fires blazing hundreds of acres every summer. The wind rips and stirs the fires into angry flames that consume both forest and brush. The blackened charred ground looks devastating beyond all hope. Not a sign of life remains.

But rains fall and up through charred soil come tiny green shoots, new life in response to heated trial. That is a picture of the Christian walk – when faith holds out hope, despite the bleak circumstances.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life –
For your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
(Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

Hope

Blackened by blazes
Life’s trials would consume me -
Were it not for hope

© J. Ellen, 2007

Rhyme Light – part inspiration, part verse

Precious - (Poem)

Many things in life are precious, and if we look at what has been precious throughout time, at what is precious now, and at what will be precious in the future, we will see a common thread. God’s creation, our salvation, and our eternal hope are precious beyond compare.

My poem, Precious, describes what is priceless in our history past, our current present, and the promise of our future .

Precious

Precious was…
Man’s sinless state,
Atonement great,
Death’s stolen fate.

Precious is…
A rebirth date,
A washed clean slate,
The bridegroom’s wait.

Precious will be…
Heaven’s gate,
A banquet plate,
The end of hate.



© J. Ellen, 2001, 2007

Rhyme Light - part inspiration, part verse

Grateful (Haiku)

When daily worries and concerns occupy too great a place in our minds, we risk losing our attitude of gratefulness for the provision and care of a wonderful God. It doesn’t take much to become ungrateful - a burned dinner, a disobedient child, traffic buildup, a serious headache, or an unpaid bill.

These daily worries and annoyances can steal our gratitude and appreciation for the blessings that we currently experience.

Worries and concerns will pass, but God’s blessings and love will continue. For that reason, we ought to begin each day with praise for a night well slept, for meals prepared, and a home to house us.

On our beds at night, we ought to close our day with praise for His protection and abundance, for the songs He sings over us while we sleep in safety, and for the hope we have of eternal life with Him.

Clap your hands, all you people; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. (Psalm 47:1-2 (NRSV)

Truly we are rich in blessing, and our wealth is worthy of an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude

Overflow of praise
Bubbles up from thankful heart –
Because God is good

© J. Ellen, 2007

Rhyme Light - part inspiration, part verse

Waiting - (Haiku)

How difficult it is to wait, when I really want to jump in with both feet. Waiting takes patience and a certain trust that God is working all things out for my good, weaving into my tapestry of life, beautiful gold cords and precious stones.

Often I have moved rather than waited. It usually cost me in time and money. It may also have cost in opportunity. Something chosen meant something else left behind.

When I sense a struggle happening inside me, an unsettled feeling making its way across my reality, it is then I know my plans are probably not in the center of His will, and my actions are probably misguided. Peace is a resting peace. It does not lift its head with wonder or question if I did things right.

Waiting takes patience and patience takes trusting. But waiting for God’s timing makes all the difference.

Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1 (NKJV)

Abraham and Sarah had waiting issues. Moving ahead of God produced great trial, but waiting produced Isaac.

Waiting

Impatience grieves but
Doors swing wide and Heaven rains –
When I wait His lead

(c) J. Ellen, 2007


Rhyme Light – for more inspirational verse

Bottle of Tears - (Haiku)

God has counted every tear I’ve shed for loss, grief, suffering and pain. In fact, scripture tells me He stores my tears in a bottle. That speaks to me of a caring Father, who knows my every struggle, who has heard my every prayer and pleading. But that is not all, the same scripture tells me God records them in His book. Every tear is stored and accounted for.

How awesome is that?

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Psalm 56:8 (KIV)

David, writer of this Psalm was running for his very life when he wrote it. His cry was heard and not one tear was wasted.

Although I am not running for my very life, I do struggle with loss of loved ones, physical pain, relationship issues, and broken dreams. It’s comforting to know my Heavenly Father hears and cares about my hurts and He accounts for and stores every tear.

Bottle of Tears

Teardrop by teardrop
Numbered for eternity –
Kept by my Keeper

(c) J. Ellen, 2007

Rhyme Light - part inspiration, part verse

Clinging - (Haiku)

One plant I refuse to plant in my garden is ivy. Why? It takes over the garden and refuses to die. Pull as I might, rarely can I yank every bit of it from the soil or easily dislodge its tendrils from what it invades.

Through our rainy season in the Pacific Northwest and our usual rainless August, ivy clings to life and seems to thrive. Ivy up a brick wall can literally rip mortar out. Ivy can climb tree trunks and choke the life out of tall plants.

But one thing about ivy, it grows despite adverse conditions, thriving in sunny mellow days, hanging on in rainy overcast ones. That’s how I want to be – determined to thrive, grow, and cling to hope, no matter the conditions. One verse of scripture that speaks to this hope is Psalm 74:14 (NIV).

As for me, I will always have hope, I will praise you more and more.

In life, no matter what comes my way, whether sunny-day blessing or rainy-day trial, I will always have hope. My praise will increase as I grow in Him.

Clinging

Come sun or dark days -

Like ivy green clings well, I

Too in hope shall thrive

© J. Ellen, 2007

Deliverance - (Haiku)

One ministry worth checking out is Celebrate Recovery. A Christian form of the more familiar AA groups, Celebrate Recovery offers those delivered from hurts, hangups, and addictions, a place to call home and to grow in the Lord and in fellowship with others of similar experience.

Deliverance from habits and lifelong held addictions is freeing. Those who have been held in the grips of food addiction, sexual addiction, drug and alcohol addiction, and co-dependency issues, not only find deliverance in such a program, but find support and strength to live day by day in recovery. What a wonderful ministry available for churches today.

I have been serving the Lord for over 30 years, but being involved with Celebrate Recovery for the past several years has been extremely rewarding. I have grown in my understanding of how addictions steal the very life from believers and nonbelievers. For most of my life, I have battled addictive behaviors with food and it is only in Christ Jesus, true recovery is possible.

As a writer, I believe every feeling and emotion can be expressed in poetry or song. This haiku is a revelation of what deliverance from my life's hurts, hangups, and addictions has meant to me. It's simply entitled: "Deliverance."

Tight-fisted grip gone

New living breath rushes in -

Grace to run the race

(c) J. Ellen, 2007


Celebrate Recovery