Assumptions are not Truth
Yet narratives are created
Lines are drawn
Walls are built
On the shaky foundation
Of what someone thought
Misunderstandings and offense
Fueled by the unknown
When all one had to do was
Just Ask
-LAS
Just Ask
poetry
One
Just wanted to start off the week with a little marriage & husband appreciation. I’ve been married for almost 17 years. No, it has not been all sunshine & rainbows. Yes, every step has been and continues to be worth it. I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.
We dream
To reach beyond what we know
Trusting the Dream Giver
Accepting the risks
Savoring the victories
Building on the failures
Ever learning
Ever growing
Together
One
-LAS
The Truth & a Lie
Justified lies still lie
Selfishly protecting comfort
Desperately hoarding acceptance
Necessary truths left unsaid
Denying their power to set free
-LAS
“Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.” – Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)
Promise
Let’s hold fast to the promise of
redemption and restoration,
grace and growth,
purpose and provision,
a hope and a future.
God’s transforming power and enduring love are at work. Don’t lose heart.❤️
A New Thing
Understanding what was
The gift of hindsight
The wisdom of experience
At peace with what is
Reconciling expectations
Forgiving what can’t be known
Hopeful for what will be
Buoyed by promise
Walking by faith
Envisioning endless possibilities
A New Thing.
-LAS
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”- Isaiah 43:19 NLT
She Thought of Suicide
She thought of suicide today
No dark obsession
No detailed plan
Just a fleeting moment
With the weight of the world on her shoulders
Her mind teetering on the edge
“What if?”
She thought of suicide today
And felt ashamed
Comparing her plight
A life seemingly uncomplicated
Despising her weakness
She thought of suicide today
For just a fleeting moment
And then…
She reached out for help.
–LAS
You are not alone. There is Hope. There is Light in the darkness. Hold on. Reach out.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
Inspiration
The dance is familiar
Though she can’t place the song
The gentle back and forth
The explosion of vision
A steady flow
It is inspiration
The Creator breathing into the created
To reflect His glory and make Himself known
-LAS
Do You Know?
Perfection makes impossible demands
Leaving you parched
Thirsting for drops of validation
Begging to be understood
To be seen
To be heard
But, dear one, do you know how lovingly you were formed?
Every hair numbered
Your life purposed
Your very existence a reflection of God’s glory
You are the apple of His eye
In His image created
Fully Known. Deeply Loved.
—L.A.S
Show Up
Step by step, day by day
Imperfect progress is still progress
Poetry Love
It’s that time of the year again to celebrate all things poetic. I’ve been celebrating all month with the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day. And as I’ve begun to diligently work on my own book of poetry, I can’t let the month end without paying homage to a poet who has inspired me.
I’ve been in awe of Maya Angelou since I was a teenager reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. And I made it my mission to memorize her affirming Phenomenal Woman, regularly performing it in front of my bedroom mirror. So imagine my excitement, reading Cicely Tyson’s memoir (Just As I Am, a breathtaking read full of history and wisdom) and coming upon a quote from a poem by Ms. Angelou with which I was unfamiliar. This poem resonated deeply as I thought of my Gran Gran and all of the great souls who have passed.
Barnabas Blessings 