Quieting the voices inside us

Inside Out’s a brand new movie
that portrays a little girl
who’s uprooted when her folks decide to move.
And the things she packs go with her
clothes and playthings and her moods.
It describes how little Riley lost her groove.

Riley’s moods reside within us.
They’re emotions we know well.
Joy and sadness, fear and anger and disgust.
When we move these moods move with us
making waves and causing stress.
It’s not easy to control them, but we must.

As they jockey for position
these five wrestle for the lead.
Fear begins in front and sadness lags behind.
But soon anger gains momentum
with disgust a distant third
while joy holds back with thoughts of being kind.

With God’s help joy overtakes them.
Faith stands up and feelings fade.
By God’s Spirit we can show our moods who’s boss.
While emotions hold us hostage,
there’s a ransom that’s been paid
by the Prince of Peace who died upon a cross.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Out_(2015_film)

Why ignoring Biblical truth is dangerous

It’s more than a text book.
It’s more like a map
that’s guiding the journey we’re on.
It points out the dead ends,
and routes to avoid
and detours that keep us from wrong.

But sadly the road map
we’ve followed so long
is being maligned and replaced.
They say it’s not needed,
that all roads lead to
a world where there’s no need for grace.

A world where WE choose
what is wrong or what’s right
affirming what most think is fair.
We proudly attest
we’ve at last come of age
believing the road map’s in error.

How silly! How foolish
to travel through life
and fly by the seat of our pants.
Discarding the road map
God gave us in love
means leaving our choices to chance.

Remaining hopeful when hope seems gone

Our baseball team is struggling.
But that is nothing new.
This is the time of year they usually swoon.
In April we have cause to cheer.
In May they win and lose.
But then we know what happens come mid June.

It’s tough remaining faithful
to a team that breaks your heart.
You can’t stay up when they keep falling down.
Just when we start believing
that their bats will catch on fire,
our lofty hopes come crashing to the ground.

And yet somehow we don’t give up.
Against all odds, we dream.
Our loyalty’s indicative of more.
In spite of how life falls apart,
we never call it quits.
We will not be defeated by the score.

Knocked down, we find our feet again
convinced that we can win.
The will to persevere is in us all.
Refusing to cash in our chips,
we play another hand
in cards, in life or in a game of ball.

Lessons from the NAACP leader from Spokane

She said that she was really black,
but she is very white.
When questioned, Rachel Dolezal turned red.
Embarrassed (yet defiant)
she’s transracial (so she claims).
But transparency would help her case instead.

Bill Clinton didn’t tell the truth
and Nixon flat out lied.
Lance Armstrong cycled through the facts like dew.
Playing fast-and-loose with details
undermines integrity.
And Eden’s Garden proves it’s nothing new.

Yes, deception can be deadly.
It can kill more than your job.
It can rob you of the life you love with friends.
When you shade the truth (or bend it),
trust is buried six feet down.
There’s a price tag to the game of “Let’s Pretend!”

Here’s hoping he finds his voice again soon

Hastert the Speaker has dirt in his past.
The Speaker has little to say.
By hushing accusers, the Speaker’s been hushed
as he prays that his plight goes away.

We, too, should be praying for one who’s been shamed.
The shame that he bears must be great.
His character blemished, his status reduced
not to mention the pain for his mate.

His long-hidden secret no longer is hid.
Once buried, it now is unearthed.
Integrity suffers and trust takes a hit
not to mention the drain to his worth.

Let’s hope that the Speaker will soon find his voice
confessing and making amends.
And may we forgive him with grace in our hearts
acknowledging everyone sins.