Category: midwest

you are with me

opened my eyes
some time at the gym
took a look inside
silence and stillness with Him
and the eastern sky
beckoned with colors
and i don’t know why
at times i want to hide
and don’t want to discover
i’d rather not uncover
the true that’s in me
i need to confess
these silhouettes
that i present as real
why do i fight
why can it be so hard
to walk towards the Light
and be healed
and stand in His grace
i know shame goes away
don't have to hide my face
in the welcome of His mercy
shine
oh please shine in me
i do what’s old in me
and don’t do
from what i claim is new
so please shine
and let this new day
remind my heart
my soul
my mind
that you are with me
you are beneath me
before and behind me
you are all around me
i’ll take another step
toward the light
not by sight
by faith
i’ll wait
because
you
are
with
me

ransom illinois morning

It was a beautiful start to the day in wind farm country, otherwise known as, Ransom, Illinois.

be still love well

do you see the beauty
all around you
a dazzling sunrise
colors and clouds
singing out loud
abandoned joy
dancing across the sky
are you stilled in wonder
at the edge of forever
as melodious crashing waves
meet the coarse sand beneath your feet
when the morning sky
touches your soul
and you do
and don’t know why
tears appear
and for a moment
it’s all okay
and when you say goodbye
to another day
are you at rest
is there peace in your mind
as the sun meets the sea
are you free
are you free
to feel all your sorrows
make space for your pain
see the hope of tomorrow
when colors and clouds
will see unending days
that chase all the shadows
of your heart away
and all the loose ends
of your crazy life story
will end
in the glory
of lux aeterna
so be still
love well
just take
another step
away from the shame
eternity covers your soul
breathe into your worth
abandon the lies
confess your wrongs
step into every sad song
and just be willing
to make space
for the Way
the Truth
the Life
lux aeterna
will come for you
so be still
and love well

tension

the tension between
my past and my present

the tension between
making earthbound choices
and setting my heart on things above

the tension between
reputation protection
and other-centered living

the tension between
my anger and grace

the tension between
forgiveness and revenge

the tension between
my faith
and loss
and pain
and my restless soul

the tension between
being an image bearer
and my shame

the tension between
my title and my actions

the tension between
crossing the bridge
and playing it safe

the tension between
myself
and myself

the tension between
the darkness and the light
inside this heart of mine
i fall
i soar
take flight
only to stumble
and cry for healing
and why is it feeling
like nothing makes sense
at least sometimes
nothing makes sense
for there is a time
for everything
under this radiant sun
time to take a step of faith
He is not done
i’m not at home
so
sometimes
it doesn’t make
sense

when sunday said “see ya!”

A beautiful end to a beautiful day. Hope you have a wonderful week!

when tuesday said goodbye

Enjoying an unusually mild February and some beautiful skies. Thanks for stopping by.

beautiful new day

A peaceful dawn. The dam on the Illinois River in Marseilles, IL. Then somewhere between Marseilles and Seneca, IL. Midwest beauty is a thing. :)

tranquil morning

A peaceful start to the day over the Illinois River.

goodbye friday ransom illinois style

I don’t have any specific stats, but it feels like the cloudiest winter ever to march across this part of the Midwest. This past week the sun was able to out maneuver Mr. Gray Skies and make an appearance.

sometimes i wonder

sometimes i wonder
where it all came apart
where the promises and love songs
withered and sighed
the radio station
otherwise known as our lives
just plays static
the noise of our brokenness
the crackle of our selfishness

sometimes i wonder
where all that love went to hide
where the feelings and tryings
the caring that was dying
before our once hope filled eyes
is that love buried
beneath the winter of our self-protection
will there ever be a springtime of affections
sunshine to melt the hardness
to take back all the words
that tore apart the fragile fabric
otherwise known as our lives
do shreds of tenderness remain
i see tattered threads of holding hands
i think i can make out a long lost embrace

sometimes i wonder
if all these thoughts colliding in my mind
can make sense of anything at all
why did i say that
why didn’t i tell you
why did i hide
why didn’t i leave you alone
why did i remain silent
why did i scream
i have so much on repeat in my head
longing to find that clue
that tiny missed detail
to unlock the best of us

i love you
i said it
but you saw through
all i insisted was true
and i couldn't carry the weight
of what it meant to be we
us
together
our true selves
as one
in the story otherwise known as our lives