Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
 ³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
 ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

This Season

Chill bumps blanketing my body from head to feet,

While I am traveling along the eastern sea.

Uncertain if they result from the gusting breeze,

Or developed from burden and anxiety.

Idealizing the future to the extent,

That I live out of the present, never content.

But why escape reality and live in dreams,

When before me lay the most breathtaking of scenes? 

Enveloping the shoreline the waves moving in,

Tipped with ashen lace, the most glorious of trim.

Lovelier than the most elaborate of crown,

As beautiful as a bride in her wedding gown.

Forever changing, never of a constant pace,

At times so furious, as if falling from grace.

Yet from grace they shall never escape, never fall,

For they have a given purpose, just as us all.

Turning to walk the path I once already took,

Enjoying the season as if it my first look.

Eyes finally open I distinguish a glint,

The tooth of a shark lay in my former imprint. 

Christmas :)

Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
        Of the increase of His government and peace  
There will be no end

 

Birth of Christ

La Segrada Familia

Barcelona

Designed by the brilliant Gaudi

For You

You say you don’t understand me

You say I’m the reason you feel this way.

You say I am the roadblock and I am too closed off to you.             

And you keep trying to prove

That I’m always running from you

        

It’s just I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings

I’m so scared I’m so scared of you leaving

Because I’ve been hurt before

And I remember the feeling of a heart that’s torn

That’s why I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings for you   

He said he really cared for me

He said I was the girl he wanted.

He forced me to bare my soul while he kept his closed

And all he wanted to do

Was make me into someone new

                

That’s why I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings

I’m so scared I’m so scared of you leaving

Because I’ve been hurt before

And I remember the feeling of a heart that’s torn

That’s why I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings for you

His recklessness has been my excuse

But he is nothing compared to you

And now I’m tired of being the roadblock
and off being closed off to you

When all I want to do

Is build a road from me to you

            

It’s just I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings

I’m so scared I’m so scared of you leaving
Because I’ve been hurt before

And I remember the feeling of a heart that’s torn 

That’s why I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings

I’m so scared I’m so scared of you leaving

Because I’ve been here before

And there’s echoes of pain I can’t ignore. 

That’s why I’m so scared I’m so scared of these feelings for you  

For you

All The Time

 In time of trial, in times of need,

You never desert me.

In times of joy, in times of jubilee,

You’re still close to me. 

For I’m in You and You’re in me,

A declaration of divinity.

A Love That Will Ever Last

Changed forever,

Our past is in the past.

Only looking forward,

To a love that will ever last.

Now time, it’s of no concern, the pressure of living is gone.

The path to where you’ve gone wrong has been erased,

So slow your pace, slow your pace. 

Changed forever,

Your past is in the past.

Only looking forward,

To a love that will ever last.

Now time, it’s of no concern, the pressure of living is gone.

The path to where you’ve gone wrong has been erased,

So slow your pace, slow your pace.

Your wrongs have been forgotten,

Only by grace, only by grace.

Your sins have been forgiven,

Only by grace, only by grace.

Now time, it’s of no concern, the pressure of living is gone.

The path to where you’ve gone wrong has been erased,

So slow your pace, slow your pace.

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ 
who strengthens me." 

Grace

Afloat in the ocean he ever goes,

the water elapsing over his face.

The waves traveling in orderly rows,

moving like they are in a deadly race.

Through out the rise and fall he braves the storm,

pain saturates as the wake takes its toll.

Until at last a warmth begins to swarm,

his fear dissipates as peace fills his soul.

But what is this hand that covers and shields,

that moves the water and gives him a will,

to survive and live his strength at last builds.

His numbness relieved he can again feel.

Eyes open as he awakes along the shore, 

               Proving grace fights when we can fight no more.

Rooted

Rooted

God you freely gave your love,

what was it all for?

We were broken sinner,

but still you wanted more.

So you made us your children and revealed your face.

In awestruck we enter into your holy grace.

Designer of our souls, restore all that the flesh has stole.

Make our hearts anew, God we’re desperate for you.

You’ve stood where we stand,

and you’ve felt all we feel.

Despised and emptied on this Earth,

You act as our shield.

So you made us your children and revealed your face.

In awestruck we enter into your holy grace.

Designer of our souls, restore all that the flesh has stole.

Make our hearts anew, God we’re desperate for you.

This world has nothing for me

This world will not define me

This world has nothing for me

This world will not define me

Philippians 2

Crossbridge is doing a series called "Inversion." They are going through the book of Philippians and the series title is based on the metaphorical concept of reversing or inverting the world and our lives. If God created a perfect world, then when sin came along, that perfect world was flipped upside-down. So we as Christians now have to walk against the force of gravity, swim up-current, push when the world says pull, etc. Basically what the world needs is an "inversion," it needs to be flipped right-side-up. We are called to go against the flesh. These ideas are counter-intuitive to the way we normally look at things. Are our desires and ambitions based on helping us or helping others? Are we more concerned with elevating ourselves or do we have the faith to do God's will knowing He will do the elevating? Do we take the glory or do we give it to God?

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." -Philippians 2:1-4

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." -Matthew 19:30

Inversion

What if we’ve been upside down?

We were born with our feet in a cloud.

We require an inversion, a reversal of our ways.

What if our hearts are overturn?

We need the opposite of what we yearn.

We require an inversion, a reversal of our ways.

What if our thoughts are backward?

We follow falsehoods leaving truth torn.

We require an inversion, a reversal of our ways.

What if our views are inside out?

We crave for more while others go without.

We require an inversion, a reversal of our ways.

What if we chose the wrong path?

We seek to be first yet become last.

We require an inversion, a reversal of our ways.

Be different,

Be contrast,
Be change,

Be abnormal,

Be inverted,

Be of another world. 

Ephesians 5:8

“For you were once darkness, 
but now you are light in the Lord. 
Live as children of light.”

Living in the Light

Where I am is shallow and sparse,

Where I am is death ridden,

Where I am there’s merely darkness,

My house knows only night.

Where You are looks plentiful,

Where You are there is life,

Where You are is void of darkness,

You house the children of light.

Pull me out of this darkened depth,

I want to be with you.

Soaking in all your liveliness.

I want to be with you.

HOME

Ephesians 4:10

"And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself."

Pride

We are called to be prideful, just not prideful of ourselves. We are called to have pride in our God, in His work in our lives, and in the person we are through Him. Our pride becomes sinful when we make it about us. When we become prideful of our accomplishments. However we cannot have humility without pride. We cannot lay down our pride to be humble, if we are proud of nothing. Jesus knew He was God. His pride was really confidence in His heavenly father. He knew He was the king of kings, Lord of lords, alpha and omega; but even with the knowledge of who He was He still laid His pride down and was humbled to death on the cross. His example represents humility in its purest state. We are called to find pride in ourselves through Christ. This is the very same pride we are then called to lay down in order to be the humble servant that Jesus modeled for us in the Word. If Jesus is not in it, pride is a sin and so is humility. 

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

 ⁷ The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. ⁸ Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? ⁹ If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! ¹⁰ In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. ¹¹ So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
 ¹² Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. ¹⁴ But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. ¹⁵ Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
 ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
 

 Restoration

Looking through windows, never on the outside.

Snow envelops the figures before me, Its chill never sweeping my face.

My body is enclosed by warmth, But my emotions are frozen, never changing,

My core full of dissatisfaction, unhappiness. Where is the joy I once felt?

Unrevealed, my heart lies covered, unexposed to feeling, to You.

How do I stop faking apathy, knowing it is not where I should be?

Knowing the problem is I feel too much I use apathy as my escape.

But it is a dangerous place for a person to live, a residential cage.

I sit in constant torment, with the fear that it will become my norm. 

Slowly I watch as all of the emotions I once fought, no longer form.

With the passing and turning of time my life has been remolded,

Transformed into a lethargic ennui of days in and out.

But like a bride on her wedding day You unveil me to your glory, to your countenance. 

My emotions flood, reminiscent of a child’s before the dike of society’s indifference set in.

Your Spirit liberates my heart to sing out, to feel all that I’ve pushed aside.

You are God and in You my joy is restored.

John 7:38

"Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! 
For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Samaritan Woman

Who am I that you would speak to me?

Who are you that you would care for me?

You say that you’ll give me living water.

And you say that I will thirst no more.

And you say that I’ll receive eternal life.

If I just believe.

So create in me a fountain, bubbling with Your truth,

And fill me with Your spring of salvation,

That I might pour out all I have for You.

Who am I that you would accept me?

Who are you that you would die for me?

You say that you’ll give me bread of life.

And you say that I will hunger no more.

And you say that I’ll receive eternal life.

If I just believe.

So create in me a fountain, bubbling with Your truth,

And fill me with Your spring of salvation,

That I might pour out all I have for You.

My living water,

My bread of life,

My nourishment is You

So create in me a fountain, bubbling with Your truth,

And fill me with Your spring of salvation,

That I might pour out all I have for You.

Unconditional

"The idea of unconditional love is unfathomable. It can’t seem to penetrate the boundaries we set around our minds and around our hearts. We were born yearning for it, but the flesh of this world has hurt and bruised us. We see flaws where God sees opportunities to strengthen us. We see a battered painting, but God sees His creation and He desires to restore us into the masterpiece He envisioned from the beginning. We are undeserving, but we are not unloved. We are not uncared for. When we are broken God uses us to display His glory. But we must humbly receive His love. The sacrificial love that He displayed on the cross. Let Him fill your heart with the love that He longs to pour into you. It may seem unfathomable, but it is truth."