In deepest mire
In shallowest pride
Holy Spirit, be Thou near
My Friend, Guardian and Guide.

Walk with me through flame and fire
And on waters deep and wide
Let us enjoy Thy heart's desire
And together, forever abide.

Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at Thee His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.

Isaiah 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so He opened not His mouth.

When creating masterpieces,
artists do not hesitate
to smear their bodies
with paint and clay.

So also God,
when He had decided to make me
stooped to the ground He had made
and smeared Himself
with clay.

Same God,
when I bowed to corruption,
stooped to the ground,
and smeared Himself
with blood.

Oh how could the Immortal
put on mortality for my sake and yours?
how could the All Powerful,
for a man so little
humble Himself so much?

But He would not forbear
to see His child in Sheol
And He would not suffer
His holy one to see corruption.

He smeared Himself with clay-- my weakness,
that I may put on His Strength.
And He smeared Himself with blood -- my sin,
that I may become His Righteousness.

He broke the bars of death
that I may be delivered from the grave:
This is My God!
And He is Mighty to Save.

It all began with Love. 

Love beheld our frame; 
He looked upon our wretchedness and saw beauty.
He looked upon the hatred in our hearts,
And saw Love.

Said Love, "I will shower my affection upon my beloved";
Then Love gave
His most treasured possession
—His only Son.

So Love humbled Himself; 
He minded not the frailty of our frame,
Nor the vainness of our nature.
But He robed Himself in flesh,
And came.

Love sent not an angel,
No, not even a cherub or seraph did He delegate.
He sent the best resource there ever was;
He came Himself.

Then Love took our hurt, 
suffered our pain,
experienced our rejection,
endured our death on the Cross,
and paid for our sins.

So Love repaired the breach,
and atoned for our misdeeds;
Himself the Sacrifice,
and Himself the Priest.

Love broke our chains,
that we may experience the Father's Love
—undying, unbridled, and unrestrained.

Then Love returned in the Person of the Holy Spirit;
and Love stayed.
Love taught,
and Love played.

Love sought,
and Love found;
Here is Love
— Love Unbound.

I feel sober
or am I sore?
I just don't want
to hurt You anymore

it's no surprise
I'm used to the motions now
how I go on a binge
and end up anyhow

then I sober up for a while
till the cravings return
till I need another shot
till I crank up and burn

Dear Lord, I really don't
want to hurt You anymore
please help me to heal
and stay sober, not sore.

Amen

Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone:
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own.

God will not seek thy race,
Nor will He ask thy birth:
Alone He will demand of thee
'What hast thou done on earth?'