on fifty shades

when did the umbrella of humanity

shade our eyes to fifty

doves lighting then falling still beside watery brooks

bathed in milk

fragrant with spices and balsam

tender like banks of sweet herbs

stained fifty shades of bloodred

yearning to inhale the scent of fifty unspoiled lilies distilling sweet myrrh

two in union

only

male and female

husband and wife

hands and body

pure

as ivory innocence strong

as steady as pillars holding

faith and trust and gentleness

upon fine respect and harmonious submission

to the Maker of the gift

Who creates the

exclusive

and excellent state

majestic

as the cedars

speech sweet and prose gentle

never foul four letters

never cursing the altogether

lovely of his beloved and friend

how very fair

the

unbound

the

unchained

the

free

eyes trusting

protective as the doe

lips like a thread of scarlet

mouth lovely

tongue tamed

hearts ravaged by courage

I looked for him among the debris of fifty million broken souls but could not find him

I went to the cities and into the streets and broad ways and sought the pure original gift

but I could not find

amidst the shades of gray

black and white

wrong and right

blurred

by whom and what our wretched insatiable souls seek

lost hands groping through fifty shades of self

consuming and consummating

fifty shades of demise

until at last I returned to the Watchman

the Watchman who went into the city, pushing past fifty shaded alleyways

and fifty chains that bound me

loosing the violence causing irreverent slips of the soul

and when the Watchman found me and gave me

my one love

I held him and would not let him go

until the pureness stirred

awakened

restored

shades and shadows

bowing to light

illuminated

and

right

lovely

and

good

and worth the

fight

*****

poem contains excerpts from the Song of Solomon

and is

dedicated to survivors

of sexual abuse and trafficking

who know too well how words on pages, images on screens and actions of those who would control contribute to the destruction and devaluation of the gift God meant to be pure and good and true and safe

*****

may the Lord continue to break chains and bring light and peace and hope to infinite shades of wrong, evil and injustice everywhere

*****

artwork by Dena Lowery

consider. a photo blog.

*****

“How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

~Psalm 119:103

*****

*****

“The desert and the parched land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;

it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”

~Isaiah 35:1-3~

*****

*****

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,

and I will bring you back to this land.

I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

~Genesis 28:15~

*****

*****

“Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers.

They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?

. . . If God gives such attention to the wildflowers. . .

. . . don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?”

~Luke 12:25-28 TMV ~

*****

*****

“I am the vine; you are the branches.”

John 15:3

*****

*****

“If you remain in me and I in you,

you will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.”

~John 15:4-5~

*****

*****

~selah~

~amen~

*****

~all photos are from my home garden, a bouquet for you today~

Celebrating a broken Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day.

Every woman’s favorite holiday, right?

Well, if you’re like a lot of women, Mother’s Day can be downright difficult. So I recorded some (hopefully) encouraging thoughts for you.

If you remember nothing else from this post, remember that ultimately Mother’s Day is about new beginnings.

Birth and rebirth.

If not of physical children, then of dreams . . . of hopes . . . of your heart stories.

Whatever is laboring in your heart this weekend, celebrate that.

Share it with courage.

Believe in the beauty of you.

Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied:
I’m about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
Lay your foundations with sapphires,
construct your towers with rubies,
Your gates with jewels,
and all your walls with precious stones.
All your children will have God for their teacher—
what a mentor for your children!
You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness,
far from any trouble—nothing to fear!
far from terror—it won’t even come close!
If anyone attacks you,
don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them,
And if any should attack,
nothing will come of it . . .
. . . no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged.
Any accuser who takes you to court
will be dismissed as a liar.
This is what God’s servants can expect.
I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.
Isaiah 54:13 TMV