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.

BELIEVE. EASY BREEZY

I OPENED THE DOOR,

I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME

THAT SOMEONE STOPS LYING,

IT'S BEEN DECADES NOW

AND ONE OF THE PARTIES RESPONSIBLE

HAS PASSED OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE.

AND I REFUSE TO LIE,

TO SMILE THROUGH THE PAIN,

THE AGONY,

THE SHAME.

I AM NO LONGER INVISIBLE,

I HAVE A VOICE,

AND I WANT TO LET OTHERS KNOW

THAT THEY HAVE A CHOICE.

OPEN THE DOOR,

LET JESUS IN,

HE WILL NEVER TURN AWAY FROM YOU,

HE FORGIVES YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SINS.

YOU HAVE BEEN WASHED IN THE BLOOD,

SAVED BY GOD'S ONLY SON.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY,

TRUST IN THE LORD

AND MOVE ON.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

ON THOSE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD LOVE YOU THE MOST

CAN'T TAKE THE TIME.

LEARN EARLY ON

THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE

THAT KNOWS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,

AND GIVES IT FREELY

AS LONG AS HE IS ASKED.
OPEN YOUR HEART,
HE IS THE KEY.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS JUST ASK.
BELIEVE.
EASY
BREEZY.

JOHN 1:12

YES TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD.

HEALED (REVISED) (AND NOW WITH SCRIPTURE)

MY TOO SOFT OF A HEART

HAS BEEN BROKEN APART.
SHATTERED
INTO A MILLION PIECES

SO MANY TIMES,

TOO MANY TO COUNT,

NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO HEAL
IN BETWEEN.

BUT HERE I KNEEL,

PRAYING TO MY LORD,

FEELING INSPIRED.

I LONG TO WALK IN THE GARDEN,

HAVE HIM HOLD MY HAND,

BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DEEP DOWN

HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO TRULY UNDERSTANDS.

I WANT TO BE TAKEN UP IN THE SKY
IN A CHARIOT

IN A BLAZE OF GLORY,

NOT ASHAMED FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE,
NEVER ASHAMED TO SAY

HOW MUCH I LOVE MY LORD.

AND IF I WASN'T BROKEN

HOW COULD I EVER TELL ABOUT HIS GLORY,
LET ALONE SHARE HIS STORY?

PSALM 34:18

THE LORD IS CLOSE

TO THE BROKENHEARTED

AND SAVES THOSE

WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT

SO GRATEFUL AND NOTHING BUT BLESSED

THE PAIN IS SO MUCH LESS

THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY,

HOW CAN I NOT FEEL ANYTHING BUT GRATEFUL AND BLESSED?

HAVEN'T FELT LIKE WRITING ANYTHING IN FOREVER

.MOST DAYS THE PAIN

HAS BEEN MUCH MORE THAN OVERWHELMING.

BUT, AS MY HUSBAND  HAS REMINDED ME MANY TIMES

(YES, SOME DAYS I REALLY DO LISTEN)

SOMETIMES GOD MAKES LEMONADE,

ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CLOUDS ARE DARK

AND IT IS MUCH MORE THAN GLOOMY,

IT IS RAINY.

BUT ISNT IT JUST THOSE TIMES

WHEN WE SHOULD BE THINKING UP THOUGHTFUL RHYMES

FOR PEOPLE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW CLEAR ACROSS THE GLOBE,

IF ONLY JUST TO MAKE 

SOMEONE, ANYONE ELSE'S DAY

JUST THAT MUCH MORE HAPPY AND SUNNY

KNOWING SOMEONE THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW

CLEAR ACROSS THE GLOBE

IS PRAYING FOR THEM.

MAY WE ALL LIVE IN PEACE.

WHY? (RVD)

SITTING IN MY WHEELCHAIR

AT THE LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM,

I TOOK A CHANCE AND GLANCED AT THE CLOCK

AND REALIZED I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR HELP

FOR SIX HOURS.

MY BODY WAS IN EXCRUTIATING AGONY,

SHARP FIRE LIKE PAINS SHOOTING UP AND DOWN MY SPINE,

TRYING  SO HARD TO HIDE MY CRYING.

WE DIDN'T GET HOME UNTIL FOUR THIS MORNING.

SO WHY AM I SO GRATEFUL NOW?

BECAUSE I KNOW GOD WAS WITH ME THE ENTIRE TIME,

AND I HAD A CHANCE TO TESTIFY JUST BY OTHERS WATCHING ME PRAYING.

I AM NOT ASHAMED.

I DO WONDER WHY, THOUGH, WHY I HAVE NOT YET BEEN HEALED.

I ASK MYSELF DAILY IS IT A QUESTION OF FAITH?

IS THIS BACK PAIN THE THORN IN MY SIDE?

AM I HELPING ANYONE BY LETTING THEM KNOW THERE IS HOPE AND A REASON FOR THEIR VERY EXISTENCE

AND THAT GOD CAN USE ANYONE, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE?

I PRAY SO,

SO AS MY OWN SUFFERING WOULD NOT BE IN VAIN.

JESUS SAYS THAT HE WILL NEVER PUT US THROUGH ANYTHING HE HASN'T BEEN THROUGH HIMSELF

OR NOTHING THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE.

BUT DON'T YOU SEE?

IF WE ARE TRULY WHO WE SAY WE ARE,

WE ARE NOT HANDLING A THING.

OUR LIFE BELONGS TO OUR SAVIOR AND KING.

AND SOME DAY SOON, THERE WILL BE NO MORE PAIN.

I AM GRATEFUL I'M A CHILD OF GOD,

AND I PRAY THAT WHATEVER I WRITE IS A COMFORT TO AT LEAST ONE PERSON IN THIS SMALL WORLD

AND HELPS THEM SEE THE TRUE NATURE OF GOD

AND DOES NOT GIVE UP

ON HIM OR HIS AGAPE LOVE.

NOT A GOOD TESTIMONY:  ARRIVED HOME FROM ER EARLY YESTERDAY AFTER BEING THERE FOR NEARLY 24 HOURS.  I HAD TO GO BY AMBULANCE, AND PRAISE GOD FOR ALL SUCH WORKERS.  BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A BUSY DAY FOR EMERGENCY ROOMS CUZ THEY WERE RE-ROUTING ALL AMBULANCES TO COUNTY.  NOT THAT I DON'T MIND COUNTY, BUT, PLEASE, AND I CAN SAY THIS CUZ I WORKED IN THE MEDICAL FIELD FOR ABOUT A SECOND:  PLEASE, IF YOU DO WORK IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AT ALL, IN ANY CAPACITY, THEN DO SO OUT OF EMPATHY.  GOOGLE IT.  OKAY, I'LL GET OFF MY SOAPBOX NOW.