TOXICITY (RVD)

DON'T LET TOXIC PEOPLE

RUIN YOUR LIFE.

YOU KNOW THE KIND?

THE ONE'S THAT WANT TO RAIN ON YOUR PARADE?
JUST BECAUSE THEY MAY BE FAMILY
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DON'T BRING TOXICITY
INTO YOUR RACE TO ETERNITY.
GOD TELLS US TO GUARD OUR HEARTS DAILY,
AND IT TOOK ME A LONG, LONG TIME
TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT ONE SMALL WORD OF LOVE.
AFTER ALL, I'VE ALWAYS WORN MY HEART ON MY SLEEVE.
"YOU'RE TO SENSITIVE," I WAS TOLD DAILY,
UNFORTUNATELY,
TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S INGRAINED
INTO AND WRITTEN ON MY SOUL.
BUT,
PRAISE THE LORD,
HIS SCRIPTURE AND WORDS OF
AGAPE LOVE,
ARE DEEPER IN MY SOUL,
AND THOSE TOXIC WORDS WILL NEVER GAIN CONTROL
OF ANYTHING THAT MATTERS
BECAUSE I KNOW
WHO REALLY LOVES ME.
JESUS DOES.

PROVERBS 4:23 - ABOVE ALL ELSE,
GUARD YOUR HEART,
FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO
FLOWS THROUGH IT.

I KNOW YOU KNOW (COMPLETELY REVISED)

LORD,

I KNOW

YOU KNOW

I HAVE BEEN BROKEN
TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT,

BOTH IN BODY AND SPIRIT.

I WRITE ABOUT IT SO VERY MANY TIMES.

SHOULDN'T I HAVE ALREADY MOVED ON?

I LET THE DIRTY SECRET

OUT OF THAT DUSTY INSIDE-LOCKED CLOSET,

WHY,
OH WHY
I SIGH
 IS MY TASK YOU SET BEFORE ME YOURSELF
NOT YET COMPLETED,
BECAUSE I AM
EXHAUSTIVELY DEPLETED.
I ONLY FEEL THIS WAY, THOUGH,
WHEN I AM ALONE,
NOT LOOKING TOWARD YOUR THRONE.

LORD,
I KNOW
YOU KNOW

 THAT I AM SO TIRED OF HAVING TO PROVE MYSELF

OVER AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.

I WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH,

I WILL NEVER BE SMART ENOUGH
FOR THEM.

AND,
DARE WE MENTION THE FACT

THAT I CONSIDER MYSELF (shrug) AN ARTIST?

BUT, JESUS, YOU MADE ME
IN YOUR IMAGE.

I AM YOURS.

I WOULD NEVER HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
JESUS,
I KNOW

YOU KNOW

THAT MOST DAYS I HOPE

I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TIME LEFT

BECAUSE JUST THE OTHER DAY

 I WAS PRETTY SURE
 I MAY HAVE JUST CAUGHT A GLIMPSE

OF THE FINISH LINE.

YES.

I KNOW.

I'M NOT DONE YET.

DON'T COUNT ME OUT.
NOT TO BE SNIPPY,
BUT
I KNOW
YOU KNOW
I'VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE.
(OR MAYBE NOT.)

I'VE STEPPED THROUGH THIS FIRST DOOR,

THE COATROOM

SO TO SPEAK,

AND I CAN SEE A LARGER DOOR
BEYOND THIS PLACE.

AND,
HONESTLY,
I REALLY DON'T THINK
 IT'S THAT FAR.

SO I WILL STEP OUT IN FAITH,

KNOWING
ASSUREDLY
YOU WILL LIGHT MY WAY.

I TRUST IN ONLY YOU

AND YOUR WORD.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?

BECAUSE
I KNOW
YOU KNOW

HOW VERY MUCH YOU LOVE ME SO.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

WE LIVE BY FAITH,

NOT BY SIGHT

GOODBYE MAMA JAN

I QUIETLY GLANCED
AROUND THE HUSHED ROOM

AT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
LOVINGLY

SURROUNDING
OUR MOTHER'S DEATHBED

AS SHE TOOK HER 
TWO LAST PEACEFUL BREATHS,
I LEANED DOWN TO TELL HER 
HOW VERY MUCH I LOVED HER
AND HOW VERY SORRY
I HADN'T BEEN A BETTER DAUGHTER.
AND AS I KISSED HER CHEEK FOR THE FINAL TIME,
 I NOTICED SHE HAD A SMALL TEAR IN HER EYE.
SHE HAD BEEN LISTENING
TO A CLOSE FRIEND

SING SWEET HYMNS
OF THE SWEET BY AND BY

AND THEN
 HER SOUL LEFT HER QUIETLY,

LIKE A WHISPER OR THE SOUND OF AN ANGEL'S  WINGS.

I MAY HAVE SADNESS IN MY HEART FOR NOW

BECAUSE I WILL MISS YOUR SWEET SMILE

THAT BROUGHT A GLITTER TO YOUR SOUL AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL EYES,

BUT I WANT TO REJOICE AND BE HAPPY FOR YOU,

KNOWING YOU ARE A PART OF GOD'S FAMILY.

NOW REST IN OUR FATHER'S ARMS,

REUNITED WITH YOUR LOVED ONES,

EXACTLY WHERE YOU BELONG.
SEE YOU SOON.

2 CORINTHIANS 8


...TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY
IS TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD.