Where is God?

Where is God,

 When the Twin Towers fell,
When pain is unending,

 When people go through hell?

 Where is God, 

 While suffering prevails, 

 While cancer rules the wards, 

 While physical strength fails? 

 Suffering comes from will,

 Which we are free to choose, 

 Which made in our self interest, 

 Will cause us to lose. 

 Pain comes from life, 

 While beauty surrounds us, 

 While our own breath confounds us, 

 Which is the effort of strife. 

 God does not act, 

 Within lights and in shows, 

 Behind the canvas of life, 

 Is the magic he sows. 

 Where are God’s miracles?

 Do not look to the skies, 

 They are closer than you think, 

 Look into my eyes. 

 Now look all around you, 

 Is it part of a plan? 

 God’s love shines the brightest, 

 When through human hands. 

 Suffering is a stage, 

 Unlike any other, 

 Yet the miracle from God, 

Is He gives us each other.

 We are creatures of effort, 

 Love’s acts  prove this true, 

 When I am looking for God, 

 I need just look at you. 

The Quiet Before The Storm

 The dark clouds approached, 

 Like a freight train coming, 

 Riding a cold wind,

 Taking away the light, 

 Riding a cold wind,

 Taking away the sound. 

 The birds have stopped singing, 

 As they feel the monster, 

 Hiding behind the hills, 

 They feel it coming, 

 Hiding behind the hills, 

 They know it is there. 

 Rearing its head with a flash, 

 Lightning announces its presence, 

 Flooding the land with vengeance, 

 The monster releases its rage, 

 Flooding the land with vengeance, 

 As thunder embraces the heart. 

 The storms will come, 

 Taking away our strength, 

 Yet God brings us through them, 

 While building up our souls, 

 Yet God brings us through them, 

 Strengthening our hearts. 

 After the storm has passed, 

 We return to open the window, 

 To see the light stream through the clouds, 

 Bathing the land in color, 

 To see the lifestream through the clouds, 

 Rearranging beauty within the song.

 It is God who brings the storms, 

 Bringing energy back into life, 

 The rains come down upon us, 

 And wash away our tears,

 The rains come down upon us, 

 So we may come into full bloom. 

The Bible and The Banjo - for the people affected by the fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

I wrote this inspired by a situation that was experienced when my neighbors home in the mountains went up in flames. May people far and near come together in love, prayer, and action in helping the people affected by this tragic situation in the area of Gatlinburg.


I saw the flames from through the trees,
It was my neighbor's home,
Within the dark and near his loss,
His face looked so alone.

Bright orange fire light in his eyes,
In silence he just cried,
Surrounded by friends and fire crew,
Underneath the ashen sky.

His family safe and in and his arms,
Only two things more survived,
With banjo and Bible from the flames,
He kept his faith held high.

We came together in days to come,
Us neighbors far end is near,
To help a friend who was in need,
His family we held dear.

We each had skills to put to use,
To build that home again,
From our hearts we brought our skills,
Back home to help a friend.

For love from God flows through the heart,
As dark times sure will show,
We gathered in joy by the new front door,
With his Bible and banjo.

With over 700 homes and buildings destroyed, and a rising death toll, these folks need help.  Click below if you want to help them.

http://dollywoodfoundation.org

The Test of Faith

I have often heard pastors and others look at someone going 

through a trial and say, "His faith is being tested."  It suddenly occurred 

to me that perhaps our faith is being tested in how we respond.

Her eyes have seen many miles,

Her lips have spoken wisdom,

With decades of marriage behind her,

 And children far away,

Alone she lives upon a hill,

While illness slowly claims her love,

Visiting him when she is taken,

As time slowly ticks away.

His eyes have seen bloodshed,

In defense of his nation’s pride,

He traveled overseas,

As there was conflict to be,

And over fallen friends he cried,

While at home the picture changing,

Financial patterns rearranging,

His own home no longer to see.

In a young woman’s eyes lived laughter,

In this young woman’s eyes lived joy,

Until the day turned the page,

An old enemy of health reappeared,

Taking her rest away,

Taking away all of her peace,

Not able to put her battle to words,

Her eyes speaking volumes of fear.

I have been told such are trials,

With pastors speaking of the tests of faith,

I would wonder why they are being tested,

With conflicts and pain like I never knew,

Some with friends and family of support,

Others sitting alone in the darkness,

I realized those witnessing the trials are tested,

All of us who see and hear are being tried,

With those we do or do not know,

Be it a stranger leaving a store to go,

Alone with tears in the eyes,

Leaving us each a faith question I ask you,

If your faith is strong,

What will you do?

Nothing Left - Nepal Earthqake of 4/25/2015

In the first days it was a time where you would realize that family members
were buried in debris, along with most of the equipment which could help you free them.

Now comes the time when more deaths will occur due to lack of food and clean water contributing
to the effects of exposure and disease that will spread due to all of the dead in this terrible tragedy.

I wrote this to encourage each of you to reach out through the 

Red Cross, through your churches, and through prayer to help the 

people of Nepal and surrounding areas in this most devastating of tragedies.

Reality in ruin,

All that we are,

All that we were,

Now just a dream,

For we have awaken,

To the cold light of day,

With nothing to say,

For all is now gone.

With bare hands I dig,
With family cries fading,
Inside the tomb of rubble.

Family and friends,

Now brought to end,

Wandering the streets,

Nothing left to eat,

No roads left in,

There is no way out,

Now left alone,

With no place called home.

With my hands I dig,
With family cries fading,
Inside the tomb of destruction.

We are what we were,

You are what you do,

We all need each other,

And now we need you,

From the dawn of time,

All hands each in kind,

For we will rise above,

Through your acts of love.

Make The Change - Earthday 2015

Rhythm is the blood of souls,

Music is the flow from the heart.

The beat comes from long ago,

Long before time got its start.

The changes which come our way,

Can only see the light of day.

When singing souls join as one,

There’s nothing which cannot be done.

Resonate,

Invigorate,

Retaliate,

Its not to late.

Rearrange,

See the long range,

Its in your hand,

To make the change.

The death of hope is in the news,

Where details paint in darker hues.

And right back home upon the street,

Confirming scenes where eyes don’t meet.

Where apathy is king today,

Its chaos children will run and play.

For change to come you make the start,

Believe it first inside your heart.

Resonate,

Invigorate,

Retaliate,

Its not to late.

Rearrange,

See the long range,

Its in your hand,

To make the change.

True miracles are not by God’s hand,

They come by his power through human hands.

And the miracle comes through this song,

Knowing in our weakness we are made strong.

It is love that overcomes any odds,

Changing the face of Earth where we may trod.

So make this day glow with your power bright,

By believing first things are made right.

Resonate,

Invigorate,

Retaliate,

Its not to late.

Rearrange,

See the long range,

Its in your hand,

To make the change.

Stripped Away

When things strip away,

Vision becomes clear,

Time becomes precious,

As we see life in truth,

With all who are near.

I do wonder why,

When people do suffer,

Why it must be,

Where it will go,

And when will be me.

For pain does exist,

All things have a purpose,

And pain joins our souls,

As we each reach out,

In the bond of love.

Circumstance fades,

And differences cease,

And all of our souls,

No matter where,

Become all that is real.

As we see life in truth,

With our borrowed breath,

Within physical illusion,

Of an energy image,

Perspective we test.

We are the gift,

We give to each other,

Each passing moment,

Another chance,

Another treasure.

Take joy in all pain,

Take joy in all pleasure,

Make joy being together,

For this is the magic,

That flows in life’s song.

Altar of the Heart

Upon this desert I walk,

Where each man walks alone,

Amidst the towering waves,

Born of an endless storm,

Within an ocean of sand.

Each day I see your face,

Behind the images before me,

Striving for your temple in heart,

And when sanity is lost in darkness,

I am safe within your hand.

May my offerings honor your soul,

Though my pockets may be bare,

My tears are incense on your fire,

Where pain shines as jewels of hope,

Giving birth to joy to impart.

I cannot reach your physical temple,

Lost in time where I am out of place,

While joy’s tears bring stars upon my face,

For as a son you called me from the start,

From your love I will never depart.