It has me clinched it its fist,
The evil that covers me.
It marked me off of its list,
It has won more than victory.

I'm down on the floor.
I'm buried in emptiness.
I'm conquered for sure.
My chest filled with building stress.

Why am I tired and lost?
It just happens again, again.
And now I suffer the cost,
The pain of uncovered sin.

I feel like I'm already dead.
My breath is avoiding me
Because I already said
Everything that there is to say.

I hope that you understand
The darkness inside of me.
Now please just take it away,
No, I don't want it to stay.
There cant be a chance that
I'll keep feeling this way,
Just take it away.

I need a new place to land,
A place full of bright white light.
Digging my feet into the sand
Never felt so good, so right.

I want to sleep on your shore,
The waves sweeping over me
Until I remember no more
The ache of my agony.

But now its dark in this room.
It's hard to strike up a light.
Will you do it for me?
Keep it burning throughout the night.

Now come close to my side,
Take my heart, hold it in your hands
And remove all dirt
To give it back to the land.

Please remember my name
When I climb the last stair to you.
Let me enter into your glory
To claim you as my story
And to know that I don't have to worry,
Let me enter your glory.

Life's Not The Same, Dear

Life's not the same, dear
As it used to be
I'd fall on my face
To keep you near me
Things keep on changing
As far as I can see
Yeah, life's not the same, dear
As it used to be

We twist and we move, dear
As life drifts along
We walk in the hope
We hadn't got it wrong
So let's sing it together
This time-tested song
We twist and we move, dear
Our entire lives long

Life's not the same
No-no, not at all
Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we fall

Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we....

Politicians

As I have gone about my days I have had a recurring thought working its way through the twists and turns of my mind. See, it’s my first time to vote in a general election this year and I have been troubled about who to choose for President. See, just like many of you, many ideas and opinions have been pounded into my head by numerous people. One says “Vote McCain, he is pro-life!” Another says “Vote O’Bama, he will bring the troops out of Iraq!” A father says “Vote McCain, he will keep taxes low!” A mother says “Vote O’Bama, he will save the economy and give tax breaks to the middle class!”
See, I’m all for ending the Iraqi war, low taxes, and a healthy economy. I would love to see the U.S. having better relations with foreign nations. I am in favor of America. Yes, I am in favor of all of that, but there is an issue beyond that that hovers over all of the minor issues we face as a nation. The real problem is the division that these issues cause in our homes, in our schools, and in our states. Wasn’t it Washington, the first leader of this fine nation, who said something about not creating divisions in the form of political parties? Why didn’t we take his advice? Honestly! People have been advising others against political parties for a long, long time. It was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a man of the 18th century, who said “It is important...in order to have a clear declaration of the general will, that there should be no partial association in the State, and that every citizen should express ONLY his own opinion,” meaning, not conforming to the opinions of the political party. This guy knew what he was talking about, too, because the repercussions are very evident today.
See, because of these divisions on the national level we have divisions in our communities, in our churches, and in our own families. The community, and more so the family, should be the one thing that keeps us knit together, but because of opinions, because of differences, they are divided. No wonder the majority of students in the U.S. are turned off by politics! All we see is differences of opinion, division, and chaos created by the convoluted ideas and notions presented as to how this country should be run. Maybe the reason for some of our generations’ apathy is that we haven’t been introduced to and brought up in the atmosphere of meaning and purpose that our relatives have past experienced. Whatever the cause may be, the minority of us who actually care (and yes, we do exist) have our minds pressed with the decision to choose sides, to draw battle lines, and to fight against other Americans for what we think is right.
So after all of the struggle, all of the pressure, I now have come to a final conclusion about everything. Our job as Americans is not to tow the party line. Our job is to act on what we believe in and vote that way, and not conform to what others are trying to impress upon us. Our job is to do our research on who we should vote for and then vote for that person. It is time to abandon our silly ideas about government and political parties and vote for what we believe in. We are the ones who decide what the future holds and I hope and pray we make that future happen by thinking independently.

Within You by Ray LaMontagne

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love

Oh God

Oh God, in the right light
We fall face down into a soft darkness.
The timing is mostly not right.
Maybe we should think it over more than twice.

Oh GOD, it's a blinding moment
When one looks directly at it.
The Word is left closed on the floor,
I hope no one comes through that door.

OH GOD! The blood on my hands
Is definitely the wrong color,
But the deed is done, the sword penetrates
And destroys your heart, again.

Nathan Beck and The Palestinian Problem

Walking into the Cardwell Lecture Hall I really wasn’t expecting so many people to be sitting in the rows of seats before me. I hadn’t heard many people say they were going, but it was a wonderful surprise to see the place packed full of people. The seats were full and there were even people sitting on the floor and standing against the walls. Around the room were maps of Palestine and in the front a slide show was playing, showing picture from the experience that Nathan Beck had undergone for the time he was there. As Nathan got up to speak, the room got silent and he began into what I now know to be the explanation of a serious problem that has been going on in the Middle East for a long, long period of time.
I could go into great detail about what he said but I thought, in view of my limit of space, a few facts would suffice for now. I hope this sparks your interest, especially if you weren’t at the forum:
1. Altogether, 622 people were killed in 2006 due solely to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
2. Roughly 40% of the male Palestinian population is currently in prison.
3. Thousands upon thousands of Palestinians have fled the country in order to escape the cruelty being administered in their home country.

Those are just three of the statistics that Nathan presented at the forum and there were many more interesting facts passed along during that time, like the wall being built between Palestine and Israel, Jewish settlements in Palestine, and the many issues concerning the Israeli military presence in Palestine.
One story that really stood out to me, and a story that I will end on, was one of a boy Nathan met there in Palestine. Nathan asked the boy what he would say if he had the chance to tell the world anything. The boy thought for a minute and then let out a piercing scream. When Nathan asked him what he meant by screaming like that, the boy said, “For me to scream, they must have ears.”
I hope we, as American citizens, open our ears to listen for the sound of the screams echoing across the globe. I pray that we hear them, whoever and wherever they may be, and we act accordingly. Nathan did a wonderful job describing to us the cry of the Palestinians and I hope to soon hear others rise up on LCU’s campus to tell us of other issues, other shouts, that are reverberating around our world.

On a Common World View

Iran. Iraq. Saudi Arabia. Palestine. What do these four countries have in common? The obvious answer, of course, is that they are all in the Middle East, but there is another answer to that question that most Americans conjure, though they push it to the back of their minds. It’s more than an answer, it’s a mentality, a stereotypical worldview. It is a barrier, a brick wall that hinders many of us Anglo-Saxons when it comes to our global vision. And it’s dangerous, very dangerous.

Terrorism. When most of this nation thinks Middle East they also think terrorist.

Now it’s time to take a closer look, to think a little bit deeper about this perception we have. Reason with me. Let’s start with a good question: Why do we regard them as terrorist? “That’s easy!”, one may say. “It’s because of the destruction they caused in New York, in Washington D.C.!” Well, that is very true, but let’s take it to another level. Yes, they did cause destruction, yes, they took lives, but when people start pointing fingers in that direction I tend to think, “But hey! What about us?” and that is when the conversation gets heavy, because people don’t think about what we, the represented United States of America, have done. And it gets tricky because God-forbid we say anything contrary to the cause of the USA! But put that all aside for now and just think about how much destruction we have caused. Remember with me Vietnam, Korea, the Suez Canal, even our own Civil War. Yes, we go about and say that we dish out only what is deserved, that our cause has only been noble, but that is where we stumble...
Because they are thinking the same exact thing. Their cause is noble. As a Christian one could even argue that their cause may be more noble than ours! We fight for “justice” which is all well and good, but they are still fighting for God. They don’t believe in Him in quite the same way we do, but “Allah” is still translated “God”. Sure, one may think they are only doing it for the virgins promised them in paradise, but you know, we aspire to something similar. Our view of heaven is different, but we all want to end up in paradise, don’t we?
Then one may say, “But listen! Our religions aren’t the same! We are not like them!” and I beg to differ. True, our faiths are not the same, but where in either scripture (meaning the Koran and our Holy Scriptures) does it say that one person is at a more elevated state than another? To put it bluntly, where does it say that white Christians are any better than dark-skinned Muslims? There is no evidence on earth that constitutes the difference. We are all one whether we like it or not. No prejudice can truly come between our races. We all descend from the same line. Though we are not all brought together in the body of Christ Jesus or in the dedication to the prophet Muhammad we are all still brothers and sisters as a human race. We all bleed in the same color.
In conclusion, I would like remark that I, in this argument, am not trying to justify the death of those who suffered on that fatal day in our nation’s history, or on any memorable day similar, but that I am only trying to consider the overarching truth that says “We are all one”. So before the decision is made to go about labeling people groups as “terrorist” or before our religions are pinned up in comparison with theirs, and most definitely before judgement is passed in any way, just remember that that judgement is on your brother, your sister, your friend, your blood, and in the end, yourself.

Let’s Have a Word, Shall We?

I am officially a part of my college's newspaper! I will now be posting my articles here on my blog so be looking out for that!





Imagine a time in life where you had an epiphany, a realization. Not a realization like when you found yourself accidentally walking out of your house without pants on, or when you, on many occasions perhaps, realized that you dropped mayonnaise on yourself and there is no time to go change clothes. No. I’m talking about that real life, world-rocking, mind-altering awareness that sticks with you for the rest of your life. That thing inside of you that suddenly bursts forth with force and takes your mind captive. For a while you can think of nothing else. You are consumed by its passion and its intrigue. Are you catching my drift? These moments shape us. They make us new all over again. And one of these moments happened to me not long ago.
The reason this thought even came to me was because, in short, my faith means a lot to me. It is the cornerstone for everything I do, so when I learn something new about it, I get really excited. On the other hand, however, when I hear or sense something negative, something contrary to what should be true, I get frustrated and want to say something about it.
This is where my realization comes in. See, I opened my eyes one morning to find a generation of Christian young men and women walking around with eyes wide open and mouths sealed shut. I looked around and saw them all scurrying here and there fixing, building, giving, even teaching, but there was no sound! The only time I saw a mouth open was when the the Truth was being given out, but even that went sour within them. The only words to hear were the words of our lost brothers and sisters calling out for the same Truth that was making our belt buckles burst, but it was as if no one could hear them.
I see this picture and I desperately want it to change. We as Christians have lived on the message of “if I just live in a way that honors Christ people will notice” for too long. It is time for us to go beyond that! Our lives as a picture of Christ is a brilliant foundation for our declaration, but speaking out about the Gospel of Christ is the capstone of the example we give as believers and followers. In the Word, those who are lost are most frequently described as “blind”. If those who do not know Christ are supposedly “blind” then it would make more sense for us to speak for them to hear! Where are our voices? When the opportunity comes along to share the Truth with someone, one can almost see the words of our mouths retreating to hide behind the barrier we put up to keep ourselves from feeling vulnerable. It is now time to call on Christ to break those walls down and to supply you with the words that you have avoided for so long.
I challenge you now, brothers and sisters, to take off the mask you have formed from your Christian education, your reliability on a “action-only” doctrine, and your fear of rejection (for fear is the basis for all of our hesitancy), and let your voice go along side your deeds to declare that Jesus Christ is King. If our Father is on our side, who can stand in our way, right?

The Tree of a Time in Life

A tree branch
And we sat still
We couldnt move but
We hadnt will
Looking around we couldn't believe our eyes
In a trance we fell silent by ourselves

A break of quiet
And words come out
Soaring to other worlds
In Holy Form
Marching on to wage war against the foe
We almost float away in the breeze it renders

A big ordeal
And we clamber down
To face the music
And we trudge so willingly back to whence we came
Unhindered by the barrier, the barrier that is right in front of us
One we don't surpass before we part in a frenzy.

The End

Into the land the traveler went
Where the rain always pours and the wind wont relent
He pressed on to reach the unreachable end
O prolonged journey! Our lives it does bend!

Why was there no sign to let this poor man know
That there is no reward at the end of the road?
He must have been blinded by the snow and the sleet,
And just couldn't back down, couldn't accept a defeat.

So solemn he stood, weary and broken-hearted
He found that the end was the place that he started.

Sanctitatis by Future of Forestry

Vere Sanctus es
Domine Fons omnis sanctitatis
Domine

Sanctitatis by Future of Forestry

Your Lips Are Scarlet

A powerful song
Flows straight from your lips
But I cant make out all the words
Dont get me wrong
Yeah, I've come to grips
But what I saw was almost absurd

What can you say
When its already been said
Plain words can not possibly work
Ill go on my way
And Ill try not to dread
Those phrases that make my heart jerk

Your lips are scarlet
Your lips are scarlet
They move like the springtime
Even when there is no rhyme
To utter, not breath to be had
Your lips are scarlet

And you move
Like the rhythm
Of the wind and the rain
And there's silence
In the hard times
When there's nothing to gain

But there is one thing that is always the same
One t

Your lips are scarlet
Your lips are scarlet
They move like the springtime
Even when there is no rhyme
To utter, no breath to be had
Your lips are scarlet.

Your lips are scarlet.

It is a problem when one cannot do what one loves to do. When the singer can't sing, when the drummer can't drum, and most of all, when the writer can't seem to write. What happens to one's being when the desire is there but the ability, or better yet, the inspiration, is gone? And what is it that steals such a thing as inspiration? Maybe the single answer to this question will never be known but there are many answers that apply to a single person's situation. For one person it may be that something horrible happened to them. Something painful...traumatic enough to be able to yank out the life one once lived and twist it into something dark and empty. For another person it may be that they let their inspiration get out of hand and let it hurt them, or even worse, hurt someone else whom they loved. One can hardly see that happening, but it does. One must reign in their thoughts, feelings, etc and use them for their own true purpose. If one doesn't and lets their thoughts and feelings do exactly what they want then you potentially will end up causing a kind of "war of mind" which pillages and sometimes burns the sanctity of one's relationships and one's own ability to interact efficiently with one's own self. Some people call that "going nuts" or in some extreme cases "losing touch with reality".

But really the number one reason for a loss of inspiration is an infliction of unintentional blindness. Blindness not to physical objects or light but to one's own true self. It can be inflicted by many different things. It can happen when one thinks one has found something or someone that will make their life better but actually distracts or even intentionally removes inklings and ideas from one's soul. Sure, this removal can be caused by a person but usually its caused by other things. Your new big screen television. Your brand new convertible. You new and improved video camera. A sparkling 2.1 carat diamond(s). Your high tech computer. Even your new pair of 100 dollar shoes.
Or how about your collection of movies. Or music. Or video games.
Or your magazines. Seventeen. Vogue. US Weekly. Maxim.

Things. Things are the number one reason for blindness.

So...to continue to be inspired one must become aware.
See your surroundings and understand your situations. Look for yourself instead of getting lost in the emptiness of other people's fantasies. For one to truly be inspired, and in turn inspire others, one must, MUST, escape the vacuum of popular culture, break free from the vice of modern technology, and make oneself able to handle entering into our new and improved world without being trapped by it. If a person can do that then that person is freer than a lot of people on this crazy train named Earth.

And also don't forget, true freedom is found only in the one we call Father. He invented inspiration and creativity. He created everything. We owe it all to Him.

A photo of photos
A blinking shudder
Indecency
Would make anyone shudder

A shot in the dark
A hit or a miss
Savagery
Its a home that we miss

A long ride back
A dive and a ditch
Helplessness
A memory we would ditch

A slob in a house
On the couch, doesn't move
Indolence
Solid hearts won't move

I was wrong today. I was not Christ-like. Let me tell you what happened.

I work at a swell company called National/Alamo Rent-a-Car. They have been good to me so far and have not put too much stress on me, which is good. I do, however, have to work the late shift until 12 on the weekends. What I do for the company is simple; i wash the cars that are brought in after the customer has finished using the vehicle. This is a simple yet time consuming job. (and you should see all of the nastyness that people leaving in those cars...its horrifying sometimes)

Tonight was just like any other night except we had an excess of cars on the lot that needed to be cleaned because of this festival thing that the company had on Friday. this is where the trouble started. The morning shift guys (bunch of bums if you ask me) decided that many of them wouldn't complete their 40 cars (our quota). so in the end we were left with 38 extra cars and one guy to do them, that one guy being me. So, the MOD (manager on duty), james, started to wash cars too. By 1130 i had completed my 40 cars (30 min early you morning shift slobs!) and needed that 30 extra minutes to close up but ole james was determined to finish the cars. "We must close clean!" he said with a downcast yet dignified look on his face. so long story short, I left him there with about 20 cars to clean at 12 o clock a.m. What is wrong with me? I should have stayed and helped him finish! He is probably still working out there and im sitting here in bed typing! I am so selfish. I didn't even think about him. All i was thinking about was myself. Hopefully I can earn my respect from him again somehow. Poor fellow.

Oh, and I took a hot pocket from the fridge that wasn't mine. And a Dr. Pepper. And a couple burritos. And someone else's water. Not at the same time, mind you...but over time I've done these things. and I owe Sam a dollar.

Father,
I am a sinner. In seriousness, my heart has moved from your presence. I have missed you and I pray that you have missed me too. Please forgive my sinful existence. I dont deserve your love and mercy.
Please be with Robbie as he is overseas fighting others. Keep him safe. Be with all of my missionary friends and all of the missionaries in our world. Including those who belong where they started. So i guess i pray for all true Christians then. Be with our body. I pray that it sticks together and never falls apart.
YOu are great and glorious my Lord and I magnify your name with all of my heart for as long as I live, whether in valley or mountain top. Whether in the desert or in the oasis. You are our God and we praise you in wheatever state we are in. We love you. Thank youf or your son dying for us. We never will deserve that blessing and honor. In Your Son's Name,
Amen

Take Some Time

If I had time
I'd watch the sun
Wake with the dawn
And go back to sleep
Where it began

If I had time
I'd take it in
I'd see the stars
Sparkle like crystal
And twitter to daybreak

I must make time
To live my life
To live for Him
And smell the flowers
Because He made them.

A/Muse

I will love more
I wont keep score
I will aid the poor
He will open the door.

We will give life
He will end strife
They will bend the knife
They will protect the wife

Read our moving lips
The tide turning tips
It falls, generation slips
To Him the true hand grips

And the body in which that hand is connected, lives.

End of the Foolishness

I had an epiphany. At least I think I did...or I just remembered something that had been forgotten. I was sitting here at the computer, minding my own business, reading some blogs, ya know, the usual, and it hit me. What hit me, you ask? Did the over usage of commas hit you? No. Did redundancy hit you? Not quite. Ill tell you, but i must start by giving you some background...do doo do doo(music from Twilight Zone)...
I, Landon Shuman, as you can see from my blog, love the literary arts. I love poetry and prose with equal amounts of intesity. I would say that I have a passion for it. To prove this, I am currently reading "Going After Cacciato" by Tim O'Brien. And it's not for school, it's because I want to. And because Tim O'Brien is the most incredible writer from the Vietnam War era.
Anywho, I also, for some time now, have been pondering on a subject matter for a novel. Yes, I want to write a novel. And here comes the problem.
Also for some time now I have not had Father on the forefront of my mind. Oh, he's definitely in there, it's I've been a positively horrific mess in my order of priorities. To put it simply, I am selfish, judgemental, and critical. And I also have been putting myself first, which, as we all know, and as I have recently been reminded, is a bum deal.
So, the connection of my novel with my distance from Father is clear. I have been thinking of writing things like how the rich are just as devilish and nasty as the poor except they are better at it because they can hide behind their money or the story of a man whose life is a distraught INCOMPLETE mess and no one knows it. A sort of Great Gatsby, but not really.
So the statement that finally came into my silly little mind just now was this: (our Father speaking) You, for one, are not connecting with Me. You know, you can include me on this. I am the Author of Life after all. It makes sense to, really. And two, you need not be incomplete. Or even feel that way. People's feelings come out in their thoughts, and for writers, in their written words. So now it's time to remember Me. I am in you and you know it, just put Me first for crying out loud. It's not so hard, or bad, and it won't cramp your style. You can even write about the sorts of things you want to, just include me, ok? This world was made so that you could do what you are attempting to do, so just invite Me, ok? I can help you out and you will be filled too so you get a bonus package along with My Presence. You need Me. So just have Me. Agreed?

Of course I agree. I have been so silly. Maybe even foolish. I could go on and on now, but i really think the most appropriate thing to do right now would be to pray.

Father,
I agree. I am so simple. Thank you for being our holy and merciful God. The one who knows our inmost being. The Ruler of His Children. The Author. The Maker. Thank you for revelation. Thank you for epiphany, its really a useful thing. Thank you also for granting us with passions and loves. I pray that we share those things with others and not keep them to ourselves. Thank you for being relevant and helpful, even when you don't have to be. You could be doing anything but you desire to stand with us. You are unbelievable, but i believe in You. Thank you, God. Thank you, our inconcievable Father.
It's in your fully human and fully divine Son we pray,
Amen

Why Not?

Be my absolution
Be my absolution
Be the one who changes my ways
My ears are cinder, just add water

Make a resolution
Make a resolution
Ancient are the months, the days
Not at all mine, she's your daughter

End my destitution
End my destitution
Locked in a never-ending maze
Walking endlessly, sway and totter

and in a way we can't escape, but do we really desire such a fate? No, we don't. Because we die daily, and we mistake pain for pleasure. Maybe we will get a clue and turn our pain and suffering into His glory. Because that is what it was meant to be in the first place.

Enough Said

I will use my words to speak a silence.
A silence that not many understand.
Something that can shake the world
without even the lift of a hand.
The crowds shake in its aurora
and tremble when they hear nothing
coming from unquivering lips.
And we will know who we really are
down in the deep, dark fullness of our hearts.
We will share a crown
when before we couldn't even share a handshake.
And when we wear it so
we will finally see a sad display,
the one we actually were.


Selah.

Lullaby

Go to sleep and ill be there
All wrapped up in your dreams
Where my life fall short here
Ill make up for it all there
I wish there was a better way
To tell you...

Im in love. With you.

Sleep now and don't awaken
Until your heart is full again
The sun will change your life
But not in the same way
There must be a way
To say...

I love you.

I am new
I am old
I am weak
I am bold
I've been hot
You've been cold...

You are just
You aren't fair
You don't laugh
You don't care
I just stop
You just stare...

I'm made up
You are real
I am numb
And you can't feel
I just hide
You just conceal...

I am tired
So are you
I dont know
I know you do
We both care
We'll get a clue...

Faith is good
Give it a try
I can't speak
I don't know why
This is no joke
I will never lie...

I am black
You are blue
It all fits
Just like a shoe
Pressing on
Like real people do.

Also:

God is good
Like crazy glue
Sticking to me
Stuck on to you
Stuck together...

It's what we want to do.

Warriors

Death do us part
is what we said
Right through my heart
A piece of lead
Wheeled in a cart
I am half-dead

We kill to win
And do attack
There goes my friend
To a piece of flak
No, not again
His eyes go black

We fly so well
We go so high
Hit by a shell
Oh no, oh my
I am so young
Don't want to die

Continue on
Because he said
Berlin by dawn
Is what I read
But he's not the one
Whose as good as dead

Been fifty years
Since that last fight
But I still cry tears
And sweat in the night
Instilled with fears
'til I loose my sight

War

We start out bright and then we fall
There's not a way to cure it all
Another tough break is what we need
Another dead and pointless deed
We walk a lot, to no avail
The water is warm, the bread is stale
Eat it up with a smile on
Even when we feel all hope is gone

The ground is soft just like a bed
Surrounded by small beads of lead
Don't act surprised, just let it go
We'll make sure your parents know...

What's left of you in on some stone
Dirt and rock, not flesh and bone
They always stop and wonder who
You wonder what those slobs will do
But they just stare and move along
Like there was nothing ever wrong

...So there you are, eyes pale and fading
Beads sure are good at eliminating

Sideshow

A clown came by
saw the look on my face
and laughed
i guess i cant pull off the mask

A magician came by
told me i was a disgrace
and laughed
I didnt even try to ask

An emo kid came by
saw the tear in my eye
and laughed
i guess the hair in my face doesnt work

A demon came by
even he started to cry
but laughed
he knows in what depths i lurk

What ever will I do?

Repent.

A minister came by
into his heart i did see
i laughed
He has the same sin as me

I didnt laugh at him
I laughed at us
We are the wretched poor
the entire human populous

Lets go now
To an Eden not of earth
Free from evil
Free from mirth

The time is now
and we must go
removed from this
endless freak show

The circus is gone
our performance is done
lets live our lives
in the light of the Son.

Orchestra

The pointer is up
And conductor is poised
And isn't expecting
This type of noise
His plans were so simple
But now covered in sweat
As the "musician" blares on
His awkward trumpet

The cymbals now clash
The crowd jumps with a start
It seems just as if
They all forgot the first part
Of the beautiful music
They were all meant to play
I guess it just slipped their minds
To practice that day

A painful disturbance
The pianist is making
The crowd now stands up
Such a beating they're taking
It is terrible enough
To make a grown person cry
As the flutist suddenly groans
And immediately dies

But one musician remains poised.

He waited patiently still
Without the ruckus distracting
He wouldn't react
To the others contracting
Then the pandemonium ceased
The crowd leaving, was staying
As the lone violinist
Began with his playing

It was a pouring of heart
Some just wont understand
The precision, the beauty
The moving of his right hand

One cant help but just listen
If you don't want to, you must
Because it's the only true way
To be free and to trust

The people were moved
clapping in awe, very loudly
And the violinist bowed
And gave thanks to them proudly.

In the end was applause
For the performer, a win
Because he didn't give in
To the myriad of sin.

Forgive

I will continue on with a similar thought from Linley Jones.

Forgiveness, in certain circumstances, does not involve a "Man A" and a "Man B". In many scenarios there is but one party, and that is YOU and YOURSELF. Forgiving oneself is a difficult thing to do. There is no one else that knows your innermost thoughts but you and Father so it becomes rather hard to relay to yourself what needs to happen within yourself. It is difficult for one to put oneself outside of the body and see the true crisis going on inside.

So stop. Think. What is making you unable to look into the mirror? What is making your heart feel this way?

Once one finds out what the plague is, the only way to end the battle within is to let God forgive you. Let Father forgive you. Ask Him. Ask Him passionately. Only then will you be able to forgive your own self.

If HE takes it then you dont have it anymore, do you? So give it and be free. Please.

For your own sake, for ours, let your heart be clean again.

We are dirty, perverted thieves without it. I want a clean garment.

Lord,
I pray that were released from our self-inflicted suffering. we lift our broken and filthy hands to be cleansed. I know we dont deserve it, but please, forgive us. We are wrong without your presence. Your love. Clean us, Father, our skin is black with earth. Free us from captivity. Us Israel. You YAHWEH.
In your sons name,
Amen

His son.

Help

The LORD is our Rock, our strong fortress. We shall dwell in Him just as He dwells in us. Our Father comforts us in times of sorrow and woe. My heart burns with pain but the LORD, YAHWEH, restores me with oil and water. I cry out, and He hears me. Our God is YAHWEH and He watches over His lambs. My soul runs dry but He fills it with living waters that rush out like a mighty river. I bow down and you touch my head with your healing hand. Save us, and save us again. We fall into the raging sea again and again yet you calm the waters for us every time. Be with us in our hard times. Perseverance is our hope and prayer.

We love you Father for our hope is in you. I pray for a creditless return on my part, and that all glory is Yours my Father.

Who is God but YAHWEH? No one. That's who.

Sunday is soon.

In the good times and the bad, your helpless son,
Landon

The March

As the crowd marches on in my heart i move on to one thing after another.
I look around and my friends are not gone but i find myself still undercover.

A low profile i keep as a wander about and i look for You day after day.
I notice my feet, they are stuck to the ground and i pray that i dont go astray.

The march, it moves forward and im caught in the middle, i see light but i hope it grows brighter.
I stand still in the crowd and it makes me feel little, if i had one i would hold up a lighter.

And maybe i do, its just deep in my soul, if i reach i will most likely feel it.
its the effort that counts, its what will make me whole, those who march will most definately see it.

To them, maybe nothing as i atand here exposed, but to you I AM complete.
You move in my heart and im collect and composed, with You i am not obsolete.


In Him,
landon