O Father, let me never be
A hindrance to your plan for me,
But grant me, Lord, the eyes to see
The roads you’d have me travel.
And strengthen me to follow thee
By sun or star, by land or sea
Until the day I fin’lly flee
This world of grit and gravel.
Frodo could not have made it to Mount Doom without the help of the fellowship. Sure, he wasn’t completely helpless on his own; he showed surprising resilience and courage throughout the journey. In fact, the strength of hobbits continually surprised the peoples of Middle Earth throughout the story of The Lord of the Rings. But the truth remains that the fellowship, that band of nine commissioned to carry the ring of power to its destruction, were crucial to Frodo’s success. The fellowship challenged Frodo to grow beyond what he had once thought possible for himself, and, because of their influence, he was able to complete his mission.
Why do we find such follies fun
And magnify the madness?
The filth from which we ought to run
Fills us with giddy gladness.
So should we not expect to find
That love for God is lacking?
And in the church we are not kind
But are ourselves attacking?
Oh can we not reject the dross
And seek sanctification?
Do not, for “fun,” reject the cross
Nor bask in your damnation.
For Christ has saved our souls from sin
That we might sin no longer.
Embrace his grace, his nail pierced skin,
And in his love grow stronger.
“You choose a thankless job, you can’t be upset when nobody thanks you. Don’t start chasing applause and acclaim. That way lies madness.”
– Ron Swanson
The syllables I share with you are such
As cannot be conceived by mortal men.
These words of wisdom hold a holy touch;
When heeded, hell-bound souls are saved from sin
So that they are no longer bound for hell
But are, before the judge’s throne, redeemed.
Those who are parched are pardoned at the well
By one who was not very much esteemed.
This revelation of the only way
Requires that we would a decision make.
The son that rose to shine the light of day
Has dawned that darkened souls might now awake.
Do not now spurn this love he came to give;
Choose you this day to turn to Christ and live.
I’m throwing in a bonus post this week because I’m trying something new, and I could really use some feedback. Let me know what you think of this, and be brutally honest! Your critique will help out tremendously!
To the praise of His glory,
Joe Continue reading
A cup of coffee.
A quiet corner of a coffee shop.
Poetry.
This has all the makings of a great night.
Oh let me never set my foot
Into this hellish place again,
This cesspool of the vilest strain,
This fountain of the blackest soot,
For I would sooner face my death
Than dare depart into the deep
Where devils in the darkness sleep
In wait for any sound of breath.
Alas, this place is never far,
For scorching fire doth walk with me,
Subverting any good I see,
Revealing this, my hidden scar,
The fatal wound within my heart
That came when I chose to rebel
And, left unhealed, will lead to hell
This soul who seeks to just depart
To freedom from the curse of sin.
O Jesus, can you save this wretch?
Can you before damnation catch
My soul and make my life begin?
Forgive me for my wicked ways
And rescue from temptation’s snares;
Keep me from loving what impairs
And make me yours for all my days.
In college, I hung out with a pretty tame crew. We were all heavily involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. We knew the party scene existed, but none of us had much experience in that realm. Alcohol was a foreign concept, with the only shots we ever took being administered by nurses during doctor’s appointments. Some of us, according to a spiritual gifts survey, even had the spiritual gift of celibacy. A wild night for us consisted of road trips to the city for Buffalo Wild Wings and a movie. We were on the verge of “Christian cliche,” and we loved it.
I bid you by God’s mercies to
Present yourselves as sacrifice,
A living offering unto
The One who paid your ransom price.
Be wholly pleasing to your Lord,
Be holy in your heart and soul,
For Christ is now your great reward,
And God in Christ will make you whole.
Do not adopt this earthy mold,
But be renewed in mind and will.
You now belong to heaven’s fold;
Embrace the Shepherd and be still.
Put to the test so to discern
What is the perfect will of God,
And learn to love, and love to learn,
As you with your Creator trod.
as i learn to walk 