There is a treasure island that lies before us
Across the sea of faith there is dry land
A place of refuge to strengthen and restore us
A wondrous place with riches, God has planned
For, in God's word, I find a precious treasure
Far greater than one could ever measure
It is His heart's desire that we have a fire
That would burn brighter, hotter and higher
More precious than silver, more costly than gold
More beautiful than diamonds, is the sight that we behold
The riches and treasures; it is priceless in its value
And to the King of all Creation you are priceless too
Some days there are wild storms that try to bar the way
But we have a Northern Star to help us not to stray
Trust in Him and do not fear and you will soon see the light
And when you are scared and alone, He will hold you tight
We can get to treasure island any time we take a look
Into the word of God and open up His good book
Learn to take the treasure into your heart of hearts
To help you out when trial and challenge starts
You can bring it with you wherever you may go
To lift someone up who might be feeling kinda low
Or a reminder: you are precious, loved and His
And nothing else matter more in the final analysis

Thank you Lord for giving us such a precious treasure in your Word, in your Love, in Us Lord! You gave the most valuable thing you had because you treasured us so much. You gave us your very life! There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for a friend, and yet, you laid down your life when we had fallen out of your friendship! Help us remember the value of our lives and the value of all life, especially the most vulnerable: the elderly, the unborn, those who have special needs. You have given us your Holy Living Word to read and what treasure there is when we take the time to see what is just below the surface, waiting for us to find. May Heaven and Earth rejoice together when we realize what it is we really have and may we share that treasure with others so that, they too, may be richly blessed. Amen

The Poet says, “weeping,
may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.”

I look and see, their weeping.
Listening, I hear their cries.
I offer them hope after their storm,

'It is not for nought, this weeping.
And though it tarries beyond this night,
eternal joy comes with the mourning.'

This man he is writing, writing in the sand
But the what and the why, I cannot understand
They condemn me and he bends down in the dirt,
Does he even care that I'm going to be hurt?
"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone"
I look around and not one rock has been thrown
Once more he gets down and starts to write
I can't explain it, but somehow I feel like I'll be alright
One by one they start to leave, their stones left untouched
Stopped by a man whose only response was writing in the dust.
The elders leave first, and slowly, each go home
Until it is He and I standing there all alone.
What could he write that caused them to leave?
Here was a story none could explain and few could believe
He rose, turned to me, and said:
"Where are they who would have you dead?"
"They are left. They are no longer here"
The wind came and whatever he wrote had disappeared
"They do not condemn you. Neither, my child, do I.
Go now and sin no more in the grace of the Most High"
This man has given me a new life, a second chance
The man who looks at me with such a loving glance
I know not what he wrote or why he even cared
But from a stranger's kindness, my life was spared
So here I stand this day, this very moment
To witness to the power of atonement
So let me live as his word commands
And pay the price that true love demands
The wisdom of a stranger's writings in the sand

I am Israel

I am he who wrestles; (Selah)
With sin
And lust;
With pain
And pleasures;
With hatred
And joy;
With solitude
And Chaos;
With father
And mother;
With man
And God.
Selah

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,”—

—But who is to say that is so?
Because all of these things strike with a heavy blow.
And this “good” is sometimes painful at best,
Cutting away at these things in my chest.
And the truth is my “good” only benefits me.
It keeps me comfortable, that much is plain to see.
God asks if he could remove the darkness from my heart
But my heart, only knowing darkness,  it cries out not to part.
So, I must soon decide
Whether to flee or to abide.
I hear the sound drum
I think, am I to become—

—“to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Fast headlong I now fell ,
a hole in dark night sky ,
through diverse strange emotion ,
left alone , outside of Time .
☆
Stranded , unveiled and motionless ,
a searing red blinding light ,
rendered my chest torn apart ,
by a figure in black , out of
sight .
☆
Though feeling no base
emotion ,
there was a demon of fear ,
so prayed I sought my deliverance ,
from this being of anguish and tears .
☆
Was I summoned to awaken ?
have access to these works ,
by one lone hidden blind eye
and a chariot of thunder and verse .
☆
But something stood behind this
temple of judgement and pain .
The Sun , the Moon and a field of wheat ,
marked where that hidden door lay .
☆
Symbols rose up from the sea ,
a vision of numbers and sound .
World shifted from black , red to white ,
overwhelmed as the first scroll unbound .

The Bible says not to judge anyone, but does that apply to yourself?
The Bible says to love thy neighbor, but am I my own neighbor if I live alone?
The Bible Says to forgive others, but is their a limit I need to reach?
The Bible Says to love thy enemies, but what if I am the enemy to myself?
The Bible says not to lay with a man, but am I even a man?
The Bible says to not ******, but would I still go to hell if I was the victim?

On the church steps sits a boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
A book lies on the skirt of the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
"Why are you not inside?" I ask the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
"They kicked me out" Replies the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt

The church has "All are welcome" on its doors, refuses the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
"What's your name?" I ask the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
Nothing is said by the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt
I adjust my skirt and button up my shirt, as a girl in pants and a blouse welcomes me, the boy in a skirt and a button up shirt