Where would we be without Hope. The Bible talks about Faith, hope and Love, these three things are so important to our lives. For me hope walks very closely with faith, because it is my faith in Jesus that allows me to hope. To have hope in the midst of Death, pain and suffering. My hope is in Jesus that in His time all will be made right. That which is lost will be restored and all our tears will be wiped away. Where is your hope today?
Hope like the morning sun does rise
upward, upward to the sky.
Burning through the foggy mist
bring peace and rest in Thee.
Though earth still trembles
Though skies still pour
In you my heart is sure
For in the clamor of this life
I hear your still calm voice.
Fear Not! You say and I believe
For lo your Spirits near me
It guides me into a quiet port
and anchors me securely
(C)2005, Tom Allen
Friday, February 25, 2005
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Grief
Grief is a hard thing to deal with. To admit such pain and allow it the freedom to be is difficult. Even as a Christian, grief is a part of our lives. The wonderful thing about it though is that as we grieve over all that is not as it should be healing comes. As followers of Jesus we are not immune to pain and suffering but we do have the promise that one day, all will be made right. Grief is not the absence of hope, it is simply Acknowledging that their is deep pain and hurt in each of our lives. The following poem came out of a post I read from some people dealing with grief in their lives. It brought me back to August of 2002 when we lost our un born baby. This poem is dedicated to that precious child that we will see again.
Total silence fills the room
not a sound is heard.
The words no parent should ever hear
have sadly just been said.
"Your baby has no heart beat"
her little life is gone. The life you held is gone away
back to heavens home.
A love so true, a grief so deep whatever will we do?
I do not know the answers, I do not understand
This world can seem so dark so cold, only You uphold.
With us You grieved, with us You cried,
Your promise you did give
We would see our little girl
one day whole again
(c)2005,Tom Allen
Total silence fills the room
not a sound is heard.
The words no parent should ever hear
have sadly just been said.
"Your baby has no heart beat"
her little life is gone. The life you held is gone away
back to heavens home.
A love so true, a grief so deep whatever will we do?
I do not know the answers, I do not understand
This world can seem so dark so cold, only You uphold.
With us You grieved, with us You cried,
Your promise you did give
We would see our little girl
one day whole again
(c)2005,Tom Allen
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
What Kind of Story Have we fallen into?
This post is a copy of an email I sent to a group of men in whose lives I have been blessed to be a part of. They are brave, strong and holy men who live life for all they can in spite of all that this world and our enemy may throw at them. I wanted to post it as an encouragement to you all. We are not alone, and God has not abandoned us.
"As I read the posts and hear the struggles that each of us are facing, I am again reminded of the scene from Lord of the Rings, where Sam and Frodo are walking and begin to think about the larger story. Sam asks, "what kind of story have they fallen into?"
As I think about that, I can not help but ask that question of us as individuals, as a fellowship. What kind of story have we fallen into? If we look at the smaller story of our struggles it is so easy to lose hope. Finances are in shambles, friendships are attacked, marriages are on rocky ground and we wonder if we are alone. But then as we cry out to God, share our struggles with him and each other; we see the movement of the kingdom. We see the desperation of the enemy. The army of God is moving across the land, recapturing the territory held by the enemy. It’s happening in small bands of freedom fighters that are moving out of darkness and declaring the light. We have herd the call of God and have answered it. Some of us started down this path by ourselves, others with a group of others. Along the way we have met with other fighters who have walked with us, battled with us and charged the fields of the enemy. We have also taken wounds. We have felt the arrows pierce our sides, the sting of the enemy’s blade. We have cried tears of pain and sorrow as some of our comrades have fallen in battle. Through the pain and struggle though we see we are moving forward, not always running, but slowly step by step we see the light of our King and we follow him. My heart leaps at the thought that we are involved in the epic struggle. Something so much bigger than us, but something that we have a major role in. We are part of the last great battle. The time when once and for all the enemy of our soul will be sent down to the fires of Hell for all eternity. The war may last beyond our time, but as we take our rest from the battle, God will rise others up in our place. These new recruits will look back and recount the battles already won. I pray that we will all see the battle around us for what it is. We are in a war for the freedom of men, and the return of the true King. How wonderful to be part of that. What kind of story have we fallen into? The kind we all dreamed of when we were young. One that requires all of our hearts, and on in which we are truly needed. Take heart my brothers, we will be victorious. To quote a brother of mine.
God has Chosen us
Evil will hunt us
A fellowship will protect us!
"As I read the posts and hear the struggles that each of us are facing, I am again reminded of the scene from Lord of the Rings, where Sam and Frodo are walking and begin to think about the larger story. Sam asks, "what kind of story have they fallen into?"
As I think about that, I can not help but ask that question of us as individuals, as a fellowship. What kind of story have we fallen into? If we look at the smaller story of our struggles it is so easy to lose hope. Finances are in shambles, friendships are attacked, marriages are on rocky ground and we wonder if we are alone. But then as we cry out to God, share our struggles with him and each other; we see the movement of the kingdom. We see the desperation of the enemy. The army of God is moving across the land, recapturing the territory held by the enemy. It’s happening in small bands of freedom fighters that are moving out of darkness and declaring the light. We have herd the call of God and have answered it. Some of us started down this path by ourselves, others with a group of others. Along the way we have met with other fighters who have walked with us, battled with us and charged the fields of the enemy. We have also taken wounds. We have felt the arrows pierce our sides, the sting of the enemy’s blade. We have cried tears of pain and sorrow as some of our comrades have fallen in battle. Through the pain and struggle though we see we are moving forward, not always running, but slowly step by step we see the light of our King and we follow him. My heart leaps at the thought that we are involved in the epic struggle. Something so much bigger than us, but something that we have a major role in. We are part of the last great battle. The time when once and for all the enemy of our soul will be sent down to the fires of Hell for all eternity. The war may last beyond our time, but as we take our rest from the battle, God will rise others up in our place. These new recruits will look back and recount the battles already won. I pray that we will all see the battle around us for what it is. We are in a war for the freedom of men, and the return of the true King. How wonderful to be part of that. What kind of story have we fallen into? The kind we all dreamed of when we were young. One that requires all of our hearts, and on in which we are truly needed. Take heart my brothers, we will be victorious. To quote a brother of mine.
God has Chosen us
Evil will hunt us
A fellowship will protect us!
Praise
Today's post comes simply from the joy in my heart. I am so grateful to God for the work he has done in me.
My heart, the place wherein your glory dwells
It grows it beats it lives in You!
For you my Lord, my Savior my friend
have ransomed me form death and sin
My heart is good, it's clean and pure
I am one with you forever more.
No sin no stain can come between
Your love for me it does endure.
My heart was broken,half not whole
Till your gentle arms they did in fold.
You took two halves and made them one
Through the precious blood of your only Son.
And now with you forever more
I am alive and all will be restored.
Abundant life to me you give
I am so blessed to with you live.
(c)2005, Tom Allen
My heart, the place wherein your glory dwells
It grows it beats it lives in You!
For you my Lord, my Savior my friend
have ransomed me form death and sin
My heart is good, it's clean and pure
I am one with you forever more.
No sin no stain can come between
Your love for me it does endure.
My heart was broken,half not whole
Till your gentle arms they did in fold.
You took two halves and made them one
Through the precious blood of your only Son.
And now with you forever more
I am alive and all will be restored.
Abundant life to me you give
I am so blessed to with you live.
(c)2005, Tom Allen
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Truth vs Lies
For me at least it seems that for each truth I learn, there is a lie that comes against it. It is often hard to tell the difference sometimes. Often the lie is just a distorted version of the truth and can seem so real. I must chose to believe the truth even if it does not always feel so true. It was this thought that lead me to write the following.
A Truth, A lie
The two do battle.
One brings Life, the other Death.
Open my ears that I may hear
Your Truth and hold it near.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
A Truth, A lie
The two do battle.
One brings Life, the other Death.
Open my ears that I may hear
Your Truth and hold it near.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
The storms of life
I woke up yesterday morning just feeling overwhelmed with life and all that needed to be done and taken care of. The usual concerns finances, time and family where all weighing heavily on me. So I decided to put my thoughts to paper and see what truth God would reveal to me and as He as done a lot lately, I wrote this short poem. I just want to share it with you all and hope it offers some truth and encouragement as we travel on this journey of life.
"Life like a storm tossed sea does roar.
The wind, the rain and fog they do obscure.
I fear I faint and worry the cost
and grasp to hold that which is lost.
But one word from you and my heart is calm,
though the storms of life they do blow on."
(c)2005,Tom Allen
"Life like a storm tossed sea does roar.
The wind, the rain and fog they do obscure.
I fear I faint and worry the cost
and grasp to hold that which is lost.
But one word from you and my heart is calm,
though the storms of life they do blow on."
(c)2005,Tom Allen
The Trail of Life
Life is a journey that is much like following a trail in the woods. Sometimes it is flat and open at other times it is dark and rocky. I sometimes lose my way on this journey, and Jesus always calls me back. He is my compass and my guide through this journey.
The trail of life moves ever onward,
Each step a battle fought.
The way is steep and fraught with peril
But your light guides me forward.
And though I sometimes lose my way and stumble on the
rocks
Your mighty arm it reaches out and your voice calls me
homeward.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
The trail of life moves ever onward,
Each step a battle fought.
The way is steep and fraught with peril
But your light guides me forward.
And though I sometimes lose my way and stumble on the
rocks
Your mighty arm it reaches out and your voice calls me
homeward.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
A Prayer
I wrote this one morning after waking up and just struggling with trying to live in my identity in Christ. As a Christian, I am a new creation, my heart has been made new. So how come it is so hard to remember that. This is as much a prayer as it is a poem. We desperately need to remember who we are.
Oh that I would simply remember the one in whose image I was formed,
That I would breathe the breath that He breathed in me.
Stand with the strength He put in me,
And rest in his arms, the arms that hold me tight.
If I could but remember this, I would know who I am, the one He made me to be.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
Oh that I would simply remember the one in whose image I was formed,
That I would breathe the breath that He breathed in me.
Stand with the strength He put in me,
And rest in his arms, the arms that hold me tight.
If I could but remember this, I would know who I am, the one He made me to be.
(c)2005,Tom Allen
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