Incoming Poetry

Starting tomorrow, I hope to post some of the poems that came out of a poetry challenge I participated in this past November. While I didn’t stick to the schedule as diligently as I’d hoped to, I really enjoyed the prompts and ended up with a handful of poems I hope you’ll like.

The theme of this past November’s challenge was “Poems of Place.” As with the previous year’s challenge, these prompts stretched me, leading me to write on topics I might not have otherwise considered. The result are some poems I’m pretty proud of (and some others that reveal I’m still learning). Again, I hope you enjoy them!

Update, 3/15/21

Hey y’all,

I decided to take today’s blog post down. As I was reading the Bible this morning, I realized my treatment of a passage in the post was wrong, and I couldn’t in good conscience keep the post. I’m sorry about that. I should have been more sensitive to the Spirit in the writing process than I was committed to having something to post. I’ll work to do better from here on out.

Count the Cost

This post from a friend of mine is definitely worth reading and considering. I was encouraged and challenged by it. Check it out!

austind90's avatarAustin's Blog

1922362_10201558996516806_1379901703_nI preached at Crescent City Christian School this past Friday for middle and high school chapel. Every time I get the privilege of preaching, I always try to choose a text that is relevant to the audience as well as my own life. Friday’s sermon was for the students and faculty but it was also for me. The call to “count the cost” or “pick up your cross and follow me” is always timely in my own life. Many times I don’t want to pick up my cross. Cross-bearing hurts. It is hard. We don’t get to pick our crosses.

Many times I want to pick the way and method of dying to myself and following Jesus. But, of course, it does not work like that. I want to avoid suffering. I want comfort. Suffering is having what you don’t want and wanting what you don’t have. I want neither…

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