A Basketful of Weakness  

Posted by Tiffany

So sweet and smiley
So nice and warm-hearted
The strengths of a person,
So simply one-sided.

Their deeds and accomplishments
Their daring and bravery.
But their secrets and struggles,
Still kept in slavery.


The aches and the pains
The failures and bleakness
All kept inside,
A basket of weakness.

The lies shroud out
Any hope that you hold.
Crushing, destroying
The misery unfolds.

It must spill out,
It must be told.
The pain can't hide,
Can no longer withhold

To tell a friend,
And shed some tears.
Release it all,
And calm your fears.

Not alone in all the muddle.
Not alone in the fight.
Many know the rugged path
And how it ends so bright.

The deeper each one probes the heart,
A bond there is to find.
Growing ever stronger,
And being ever refined.

For Christ said,
"My grace is sufficient for thee,
My power made perfect in weakness."
Oh, the wonderful love of a Savior as He.

A basketful of weakness
Made strong through the Blood.
So perfect in splendor,
Overflows as a flood.

Oh, thank God,
I'm a basketful of weakness.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
~2 Corinthians 12:9


Children  

Posted by Tiffany

With their candor and sayings,
With their games and their playings.
With their cute little noses,
And their made-up noises.

With their scrapes and their bruises,
With their breaths and their snoozes.

With their crayons and their numbers
With their curiosity and blunders.

With their tears and their hurts,
With their scares and their blurts.

With their trust and simplicity,
And their amazing authenticity.

The spices of life to spread 'ore the world,
God's gift to us, stories to unfold.

The Beauty of the Heart  

Posted by Tiffany

Beating, beating

Life it gives.

Red as rubies

As it lives.



Deeper, deeper

Deeper still.

Getting darker

As it will.



Searching, searching

Finding sin.

Black as coal

Deep within



Crying, crying

Crying out.

Its helpless plea

And fearful doubt



Stretching, stretching

Out its arms.

The Spirit moves,

And calms alarms.



Gently, gently

Washing clean.

Making new

The heart once mean.



Slowly, slowly

Like the clay.

The Potter shapes

Day by day.



Turning, turning

The hardened heart.

Lovely softening,

The rough, torn parts.



Painful, painful

As it is.

The heart can smile

And rejoices.



Lovely, lovely

The heart drawn to Him

Never by force,

And filled to the brim.

Press On-Selah  

Posted by Tiffany

Living for God One Step at a Time  

Posted by Tiffany

The world says that greatness is wealth, beauty, smarts, fame, etc. It says that in order for women to succeed we must be independent, get our degrees, be financially successful to do whatever we please. A woman who nurtures her children, keeps order in her household, blesses those around her by her gentleness and submissive spirit to her husband (Proverbs 31; Titus 2), is neither praised nor valued by society. And sometimes, because Christ isn't at the center of our lives, the grass starts to look greener on the other side. The world's ways start looking more appealing, and our focus gets lost. It might be a time of complaining and griping about how little we can accomplish and it seems like nothing ever happens. Or maybe it might be more drastic, like running away from our problems by pretending they aren't there and don't affect us. So it may seem, that when we get to these points, hope fades away. How is it possible to turn back to the truth when we've rejected it so much? But there is always hope, because of a Friend and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Becoming a woman of God is a slow and long process that takes time, patience, mistakes, getting back up and starting again; it's a process that is painful yet amazing, ugly yet beautiful, and it's a process that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. May we be continually reminded that God's way is best no matter how green the grass looks on the other side. . .


She sits at her desk

As she thinks of her tasks.

The monotony, the drudgery,

Is this all life asks?


What of the dishes?

What of the clothes?

Shopping and meals,

“Do we need more of those?”


The life-changing things

Is what I want, she says.

The challenge, the adventure,

Living life on the edge.


How long must she stay here?

What must she do?

To end this path mundane,

And start life anew?


So she starts her seeking,

And looking around.

But then something hits her,

And its message resounds.


Bold are the words

As they run through her mind

“Why aren't you seeking Me instead?”

Rang like a chime.


“You waste so much effort

On plans that aren't Mine.

Be still and listen.

And then you will find...


That all the monotony and drudgery

Is exactly the thing I want you to do.

Be patient,

Take joy in all tasks that I give you.


Learn to be virtuous,

Learn to be pure.

Learn obedience,

While I give strength to endure.


The girl could now see

What her problem had been.

She now was contrite,

And ashamed of her sin.


But the Lord saw her sorrow,

And gently reminded;

His grace was sufficient,

And His love was not blinded.


She renewed her commitment

And learned to obey.

The years passed on,

And now today?


Her husband and children

Can't thank God enough

For the blessing He's given them

Once a diamond in the rough.


She lives as a light.

Silently, gloriously

As the threads of her life,

Leave their mark upon history.


Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. ~Proverbs 31:10

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ~1 John 2:17





One Million Chains  

Posted by Tiffany

One million chains,
All wrapped around.
So binding and heavy,
I fall to the ground.

One million chains,
They dig and they tear.
It hurts so much,
I can hardly bear.

One million chains
I cry out through the pain.
Tears fall one by one,
As the heaviness gains.

One million chains
Can I ever be free?
The darkness falls and the silence deafens,
But something inside stills me.

One million chains
A light shines through the darkness
A voice calls my name.
My eyes strain and see brightness.

One million chains
The voice says, “Come.”
I shake my head,
How can I move with this ton?

One million chains
The voice beckons again.
I pitifully look up,
Willing to give in.

One million chains
I move toward the light,
And strain every muscle.
Somehow, as I move, my burden gets light.

One million chains
A picture before me, as I get closer.
It looks like a cross,
Being borne on a shoulder.

One million chains
A man comes into view.
He's so battered and torn.
Does that sign say “King of the Jews”?

One million chains
I start to realize,
What He is doing.
And it brings a wrenching outcry.

One million chains
He called my name,
And showed me why.
I must now proclaim.

One million chains
I accept His offer.
His tender look,
Lets me know He's now my Father.

One million chains
All broken and gone.
They fall off one by one.
My wounds heal as the day dawns.

One million reasons
To praise His name.
His love so deep, so powerful
I can't contain.

Growing in the Gap...  

Posted by Tiffany

Hello,

It's me again, The Nameless One. I know it has been a while since I've written, but there are many times when the pen just refuses to write the page. But it's starting to write it again, for a little while at least...

You know when you sit on a chair without even thinking? Or what about when a father is teaching his child how to ride a bike? It's all so scary at first, and the child wants the father right there with her to watch her every move. But then, it becomes second nature, and the child no longer needs her father's guidance. How about a baby bird that is just learning to leave the nest? Or a person who keeps digging for gold even though he knows it might not be there? Trust. So much wrapped up in five little letters put together.

What happens when you completely trust something or someone and then that something or someone does something that makes you have to rebuild that trust all over again? What happens when your heart feels so torn and betrayed? When who you treasure the most feels like they've turned their back on you? And it hurts. So much. You'd just rather die. What if that someone was God? And you wonder how He could possibly allow that much pain to be inflicted upon you? Then you realize...

That He hasn't abandoned you. That the pain is only temporary. That you will smile and trust Him completely again. That all that searing pain brought you through a cleansing fire and mad you purer than gold. And that your relationship with the Savior only grew stronger and more beautiful as you realize the pain that He went through was ten times worse than yours, and that He understands so dearly. The lessons are long and hard, but the peace of the Father's hand slowly molding you is comforting in the fullest.

Signing Out,
The Nameless One