Currently Touching Godliness through Submission By K.p. Yohannan see related

The Song of The Bride and Groom

 Awake, O thou that sleepest
 and sing into the night.
 Arise, thou virgin daughter
 and dance 'til morning light.
 Sing of sweet salvation.
 Dance for all to see.
 Because you hear my music,
 all dark from you must flee.

I'll sing for you, beloved.
You've pledged to me your love
and given me, in token,
a soothing turtle dove.
More like the Phoenix flies he
but gently does he coo.
I keep him always near me
in everything I do.

 Hurry now, my darling.
 You must before daybreak,
 o'er every hill and valley
 sing the world awake.
 You'll see me in the sunrise
 when morning light is near.
 'til then I will be building
 a home for you, my dear.

For you I'll dance, my love.
You've given me new grace.
I'll dance the world over
until I see your face.
I'll sing your name the sweetest
because your love is best.
'til all have seen your goodness
my feet shall never rest.

 My song may leave you breathless.
 Your feet may tread on coals.
 Can you still love me
 though for love they hate your soul?
 Your mother may disown you.
 Your sisters mock and jeer.
 Will you still love me
 though for love they hate you dear?

My mother ever hated me.
She bound me with a rope
and sold me into slavery
but you have given me hope.
She traded me for pleasure
but you my freedom bought.
I must love you dearly.
This is my lovely lot.

 I know that you will love me.
 You know I love you too.
 soon we'll be together
 when the day is bright and new.
 Please keep a holy vigil
 lest the darkness overwhelm.
 You are a burning candle
 amidst a black'ning realm.

The darkest night is coming.
I can see the stars are dimmed.
I am becoming weary
of blowing against the wind.
Where is the joy of our great love?
Your song is faint and broken.
Can it be I'll fall asleep
so soon since I have woken?

 That's why I gave my mighty dove.
 Listen to his call.
 You'll see me through his glis'ning eyes.
 'neath his strength you'll never fall.
 He'll bear you up on silver wings
 when you feel you can't go on
 and lighten your heavy heart at times
 with an early glimse of dawn.

You are right. Your gift is precious;
not an entertaining pet
but a window to your very heart
on which my heart is set.
How can my soul have faltered
or ever felt forlorn?
You said I'd never be alone.
That, by your name, you've sworn.

 Wake your sisters quickly now.
 The light is close at hand.
 I want our wedding to be known
 all across the land.
 As many as would join your train,
 teach to sing our tune
 and keep your eyes eastward bent
 because I'm coming soon.

Currently Come, Let's Reach the World: Partnership in Church Planting Among the Most Unreached By K.p. Yohannan see related

Wow! It has been a long time since I have been on Xanga and boy has it changed. Of course I have changed alot too so the dagger cuts both ways. Anyway, I am just writing briefly to announce that I have decided, after a bit of deliberation, to publish all of my poetry to date here on Xanga.  I am really hoping I can begin writing again but the L_rd has not given me any inspiration lately.  I think it is partly to do with the ammount of time I have been spending with Him - or lack of it.  Anyway, my next entry should be the first poem I wrote from my fantasy land.  May G_d bless you all.

Tim - Art_of_Living

Currently Listening Good Monsters By Jars of Clay see related

Hey Guys, I am sorry it has been sooooo long since I have blogged. I have been out of touch in many ways lately (except with my fiance, of course!) Here is the quick scoop: I fly to the UK tomorrow and the next day. I will be staying with my future inlaws until I can find a place for Judi and I to rent in York. on 17 February (46 days?) I will be married to THE  most lovely creature in the world. I have been reading a great book called Wild at Heart and of course saying good bye to my native soil. This has proved harder than I thought it would but what man, having put his hand to the plow, ever looks back? I know that I was born for the UK and that I am called by my Lord to be an emmissary there. Such joy fills my soul! I know the road will be rocky and at times I will despise the very rain that blesses me but A. I am fulfilling my life's purpose. B. I am obeying my Lord and thus taking part in something much grander than myself. and C. There is SO much suffering in the world and no one is doing anything about it. I want, more than anything to be the point where God's wealth meets man's poverty, where God's power meets man's helplessness, where God's love meets man's emptyness. This is what Christians are called to do. If our purpose on earth was to know God then we would be gone as soon as we first believed. No, our purpose is that others may know God. This world is a sinking ship and we have no reason to stay except that others might be saved. I pray that God may stamp eternity on my eyes, that whether I am awake or asleep the centre of my attention would be always on three things: God's strength, my weakness, the world's need.

This is what God did for Isaiah. In chapter six of his prophecy we read that Isaiah saw the Lord in His Glory. Then his response (woe is me for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips...) shows that he saw his wretchedness. Then he saw the wretchedness of his people (...and I dwell among a people of unclean lips). Then he heard God's response to the need of the people (Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?) Isaiah responds, "Here am I send me!" This was God's intention all along but one more thing had to be done: An angel came to Isaiah with a hot coal and touched his lips. When Israel was camped at the Jordan river God said, "cleanse yourself today for tomorrow I will do wonders among you." There is a great work to be done and God wants to unleash all of the power of Heaven to do it but he needs humble vessels, broken vessels, upright vessels. Israel suffered some four hundred years before she inheritted her homeland. Moses suffered fourty years of exile before the first plague fell. David was a fugitive many years before he gained the throne. Jesus suffered thirty-three years of misunderstanding and hatred and then an excruciating death before he saw one convert. The God of Heaven and earth who was and is and always will be (blessed is His Name) has suffered an adulterous bride for six thousand years but soon, very soon He will triumph! Will we stand with Him? Will we allow ourselves to suffer over the cruelty of our world? will we break our hearts over our own sin and cry out to our only Salvation that we as a race might be healed. God is love and Love only wants a companion. What does it mean to be the bride of Christ? It means we stand with Him in His sickness, in His poverty, in His pain so that we may also take His name on us and with His authority conquer this world by His love. Please pray with me and the apostle Paul that we may know the fellowship of His sufferings that we may be joint heirs with Him.

Tim

Wow it has been a long time since I posted! I am sorry that I never finnished my last post. The thought is long gone now. There is so much to tell!

I am currently living in a small vacation town in the north of Wales called Porthmadog. It is a big change of pace from York. I am working at a bed and breakfast/ cafe which is owned by my future brother-in-law. That is right. For those of you who do not already know, I am engaged, now, to a lovely English girl named Judy. I met her at church about five months ago and we became engaged on 5 May 2006. It has all moved so fast! Many of you may be tempted to be critical but I am sure it is the will of God.

 First of all, before we even began dating we agreed that if we did begin dating it would be with a view to marriage. In other words, we would discover that we were incompatable on some level or we would get married. As we began dating we talked as if we were engaged; for example, on our first official date we discussed how many children we wanted, where we would like to live, and what we felt G-d's calling on our lives was. As time went on and we became more familiar with one another(though we are still strangers, relatively speaking.) I was amazed time and again how she fulfilled every desire I had for a wife. For example, she told me that she had thought it would be nice to adopt a child with some deformity like cleft lip/pallette. She did not realise at the time that I had a cleft lip and pallete when I was born and that one of my concerns was that my wife would be able to handle raising a like baby. That is one of possibly hundreds of examples.

At the suggestion of a few church friends I began praying weather God wanted me to propose to Judy or not. On the morning of the 3th one of the students read from Psalm 127 in his devotional address. I was not really thinking about anything in particular but I felt that God wanted to speak to me through that psalm. So I spent the whole day meditating on it between classes and every spare moment. G-d first challenged me by reminding me that my efforts are futile unless He is doing the work before me. I had been trying hard to find a balance between my sleep, my work(which I was desparately behind in), and Judy. I was closely regulating my sleep and what I bought so as to maximize my time. G-d said that this is useless without Him. He also spoke of my family in the same way: "Unless the L-rd build the house they labour in vain that build it." So I had to be sure that the L-rd was building my house lest I be found striving after vanity. Then very pointedly G-d said "for so He giveth His beloved sleep." I was very tired but I had enough energy and determination that day to not take a nap(remember I was regulating, or rather limiting, my sleep). I found it very hard to obey, even on such a small matter as taking a nap. Well I cried a little(proof that I really did need a nap) and fell asleep with the hope that G-d would somehow reveal the rest of His message to me by the time I woke up. Well, I slept deeply but not very long and when I awoke my first thought was toward the last part of the psalm and I knew that G-d was saying that it was time. He was building my house. He did want to begin providing a heritage for me. I suddenly realised that the only reservations I had about proposing to Judy were that I had nothing to provide to her: no money, career, house, transportation, clear ministry calling, nothing. I now know that I do not need them to be obedient to the L-rd. He will provide them in His own perfect time. He has given me a blessing beyond my dreams, certainly beyond what I deserve. How can I let little circumstances get in the way of me recieving what comes from Heaven? I want to assure you that G-d loves you and is taking care of you. What ever you think you need He knows what you really need and He WILL provide it to you.

There is so much more to say but it will have to wait until next time. May the L-rd bless you and keep you. May the L-rd cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the L-rd lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Timothy

Discipline