love is an offering

As time would mention My heart would listen Before the heart break Before the tension Before the period There was just a comma Before the drama Dad and Mama Before the airport Before the plane Before the silence Before the pain Before the moment That set the course Before the contract Before divorce Before the pain I’m thinking of Before the lies There was simply love

I am blessed. I’ve had the blessing of remembering a wonderful time. A time of harmony. Of love. Of family. At the center of that family, I found my dad. His smile made me smile. At four, his coming home from work was the highlight of my day. He made me feel valued, chosen and loved. Not worshiped, but loved. There was a sense of reality in his love. I was no perfect little brat who could do no wrong. My father’s love for me was wise and unconditional. And because of that, I felt meaningful and special. Everyday, he would hug me and kiss me. He would pick me up, place me on the kitchen counter and kiss my mother, a long time. I remember watching them, my hands covering my face, but my fingers spread wide enough to see them. I watched them, grinning at them, feeling a strange mixture of embarrassment and security. It was breathtaking. He did this every day I can remember. These were the days of what I call, “beforeness.” Beforeness is that sweet time in my childhood, when

“We have seen the Lord!”, the disciples proclaimed to a man who was simply not buying what they were selling. I imagine Thomas must of thought he was the voice of reason as his poor misguided friends tried to process the humiliating death of their Lord. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” Thomas professed, his arms crossed as he confronted the disciples with the cold hard truth. He demanded something they could not deliver, proof. What he “knew” about God would not allow him to entertain the thought of God dying in front of him on a cross and somehow coming back to life three days later. A week later the "gullible" disciples came back and ,of course, Thomas was with them. He was probably hoping they had time to come to their senses and deal with reality. But was he ready to cash in his reality check? Fore a locked house could not separate the Risen Savior from His belo

I was thinking this weekend about how long it's been since it rained on Planet Texas. I was thinking of the many prayers for rain. My prayers as well as the prayers of many. Then Saturday afternoon, around 2:45, the rain came down. Where was I when my prayers were fulfilled? I'm thankful to say to that I was with my kids, driving down the street on my way to an afternoon volleyball game, singing to the radio with the windows down. I'm thankful because, this time I can say, that I when God showed up, I was not involved in sin and selfishness. I'm grateful that I didn't miss it; that I didn't miss the blessing. You see, if you never prayed for rain and it finally came, chances are, you wouldn't be impressed by it. You may be relieved like the rest of us, but because there was no investment, there will be no praise or acknowledgment of God's blessing. That's a sad reality where a lot of people exist, blind to the everyday miracles that God provi

Where men are made Dad, take me where boys become men A place unknown to cowards and villains Take me where I can face my fears The place where destines are realized Where hope is faith and faith is bottomless I know men are made there I know you’ve been there before Dad, take me to the great dining hall Take me where you had your meals with Jesus Let me taste the miracle wine Show me the hall of heroes Tell me the stories of Abraham, David and James Brown Show me where your name will be engraved one day I know men are made there I know you’ve been there before

The other day, I got really thirsty. It was hot...everywhere, and I wanted a drink. I decided to break my own rules of drinking water. I wanted a soft drink, my favorite soft drink. I wanted a coke. So I went out and got me one, a large one. Easy ice, because they put too much ice in my fountain drinks at McDonald's. I had me a coke. And ain't gonna lie, it was good. I almost sucked half of it in one swallow. Before I made it back home, I was shaking a large empty cup. And I was more thirsty than I was before. On top of that, my stomach was swollen, filled with 32 ounces of coke-a-cola. Although I had a cold drink, my body was not satisfied. My body was still thirsty. Eventually I went to my frig and fixed me a cold glass of water. It was the best water I ever tasted. I wondered how many times did I do this spiritually. My soul is thirsty for God but I go out of my way to try to quench my thirst with artificial flavors, looking for a quick fix; only to find mys

To the hand that was raised and solemnly swore to defend the defendless through the battles of war His hand never falls Hands that pushed up and pulled up despite being too tired to even look up His hand never falls Hands that shake the hands of many and wipe away the spit of plenty His hand never falls To carry the burden of freedom's cry even if it means he has to die His hand never falls It begs the question he'll never say but what will your right hand do today? dunk a ball or make a play I hope it'll join the left and pray

could you run that by me one more time? i don't need your dollars to change my mind get it? your love is my currency and not because i'm loving you currently but because you returned the same courtesy one plus one becomes two... then one it's the math of the souls in love and then some transcends the games of lose and win some transfers my shame it's love's redemption nude but not naked i love the tension you sing and speak in love's soliloquy since the moment God took the rib from me i'm close to your heart, you live with me from infamy to intimacy i keep your love deep within me

The silence is deafening but the sirens are definitely razor sharp, piercing through the darkness especially these are the sounds that surround him so deadly the violent vibrations of violence suggest that he join in the chaos if these fools try to step to me but if he continues this cycle then death is his destiny and not just the physical, but the spirit that desperately wants to survive and connect like telepathy he searches the Scriptures for truth so carefully unsatisfied by the world that's so sexually driven it's a given they attack men collectively no man's exempt from the temptation that's next to me he says "I will run to the One that was there for me to the arms of my Father who promised to care for me swallow my pride I need Him so terribly then I'll dance in these streets despite how they stare at me

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. (Matthew 14:25-29) Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't tell Peter to stay in the boat and row out to him? I mean, that way, they all could have gotten a closer look at Jesus. Wouldn't it have been more reasonable and safer to tell a man who couldn't walk on water to "stay in your boat with your friends and row to me" or at least, "stay where you are and I will continue to walk to you"? Seems to me that Jesus was not interested in being "reasonable and safe" when he offered the invitation to come to him on the water. I wonder what was going on in Peter's mind when

Lady Wisdom Don’t want my way No, no, don’t want my way No (verse 1) Say, excuse me mam can you help me You see I’m locked out side and I’m freezin’ I’m supposed to be mad that she left me But she had a real good reason See I let my pride take the best of me And I pushed her love away And the lust inside took the rest of me And I got my way Lady Wisdom Won’t you listen My soul is missin’ Don’t want my way (2x) (verse 2) Say, excuse me mam can you help me heard your words are better than gold can’t run and hide, gotta pay the fee just tell me which way to go see, all my life, been led astray, hey I was wise in my own mind Wanna find my life make a better day But I got my way, I got my way Lady Wisdom Won’t you listen My soul is missin’ Do want my way (2x) Lady Wisdom is a song about a desperate man having a conversation with the wisdom of God. In Scripture, wisdom is personified as a lady. 20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; 21 on top of

My life is a collection plate I’m passed down from person to person I’m added to and taken from I’m constant and yet ever changing My value, my worth? Depends on the investment Depends on the generosity of the giver But my God is a giver of lavish gifts I’m giving to so that I may give to you I’m sacrificed so that I may share I am imparted so that I may supply Love, life, compassion, strength My life lives on My soul is a tithe My spirit, an offering A love offering

in the darkness they fall the silent salt water drops of his soul they fall because he failed he tills a barren ground they fall because the promised land is dead he moved his family to a foreign land at night he can hear their stomachs growl their morning smiles break him down they fall because he promised his love the heavens but could only deliver the earth the more he gives the more he knows it's not enough so they fall in his morning coffee cup he prays the Lord will save them from the falling sky Mount Sinai is leveled to the ground his eyes are flooded with sorrow as he waits for the drought to end

the essence of the mountain; i'm standing on it, our ecstasy, it captures love's atonement love...,can't buy...sell it or loan it purpose in this life, you know you want it, love's like blood, it's death's opponent it flows through your veins and arteries, don't it? but when you're cut, it burns like alcohol on it all the bads and the blames it's time we own it, prayers without words, sighs and groanings your spirit torn open, my soul is mourning but love's in the midst of the painful moments making love, is more than moves and moaning it's the spirit interlocking of man and woman the soul's always searching and constantly roaming but true love is only made when souls are growing.

I love what if's. Some what if's are preposterous and even so far off, they're comical. But the what if's that intrigue me are the ones that sort of hover over the island of possibility. The could be's and should be's. Like this one, what if the next movement of Christians in music wasn't really about raising the bar in the genres of Christian music? In other words, what if the next movement involved the redemption of all genres of music? What if God called the Christian artist to simply be an artist who's a Christian with an eternal message that could be told through the voices of the joys and pains of love and life? In essence, to be relevant and accessible to a culture and community of people who may never set foot in a church. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3 What happened to our new song? What happened to our voice? Is it lost in the play lists o

when you notice me do you really know it's me cause i'm a be what i'm supposed to be whether your near or not that close to me fact is, i really don't practice this and i can careless how black this is you can't charge me like paying taxes and turn around and ask me to act like this drag your feet, slur your speech grab your crotch before you teach i understand that's some of the things you see but what does that have to do with me seriously...like, i wanna know how many brothers do you know not all of us are quick, some are slow some, like me, say "four" some brothers say "fo" just because i say "for" don't make me no better i just know how to dress for the weather whether i need to be direct or clever if i'm still not black enough...whatever