Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The Tree

I stood in the forest and knew
    the strength of my limbs.
I stood in the forest and felt
    the heat of the sun.
I stood in the forest and saw the
    flight of the eagle overhead.
I stood in the forest and heard the
   cicadas sing.

I stood in the forest when morning melted
    into evening.

I stood in the forest grounded in moments of reverence and
  awe.

I stood in the forest as a family of three, man, woman and son
  rested under me..

I stood in the forest and heard them whispering  -- The Tree. 

Soft voices, laughter, murmurings
  and conversations  I did hear.
A family of three took refreshment from me. .

The boy played a game of hide and seek
and at times rested his head on me.

The mother - her being I felt at one with me.
The father smiled approvingly. 

Time passed.

Days and evenings became many.

Months became years.

I stood in the forest growing strong.

Until that terrible day I was cut down
and a cross I was made.

Lifted high up on the hill for all to see.

The mother knew at  once it was me.

Ah  familiar tree, she murmured.

And I felt her being was one with me.
And the father again his approval was with me.

And then - rough men positioned him on to me.

I draped her son tightly to me.
A tighter embrace there could not be.

The woman's child closed his eyes as if to play hide and seek.

Old memories stirred of  the peace and strength of  - The Tree..

Welcome, old friend, He murmured to me.  



Psalm 7 - Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

The Psalmist Prays:

O Lord my God, in You I put my trust,
Save me from all those who persecute
    me;
And deliver me,
Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none
    to deliver.

Psalmist Doris Prays:

O Lord my God, in Your hand I place mine,
Save me from thoughts of pride and grandeur;
And protect me,
Lest my thoughts overtake me like the running cougar,
And pounce on my bones, while there is none
    to protect me.

The Psalmist Prays:

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is iniquity in my hands,
If I have repaid evil to him who was at
    peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without
    cause,
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake
    me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the
    earth,
And lay my honor in the dust.


Psalmist Doris Prays:

O Lord my God, if I have allowed this,
If there is evil in my heart,
If I have struck him who bore no
    harm towards me,
Or have plundered the families of the
    innocent;
Let those who I have struck the first blow
    find me;
Yes, let him see me in the distance,
 And trample my honor in the earth.  


 The Psalmist Prays:
Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my
    enemies;
Rise up for me to the judgment You have
    commanded!
So the congregation of the peoples shall
     surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me O Lord, according to my
     righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.

Psalmist Doris Prays:

Arise, O Lord in Your anger;
Show yourself, because of the hostility of my
   enemies;
Assert yourself for me according to the ordinances
   You have  laid down!
So the multitudes of the citizens shall mull around
    You:
For their welfares, therefore, bestow kindness.
The Lord will be eye to eye.
See me O Lord, according to my
    righteousness,
And according to my honor within me. 


The Psalmist Prays:

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked
   come to an end.
But establish the just,
For the righteous God tests the hearts and
    minds.
My defense is of God.
Who saves the upright in heart.

Psalmist Doris Prays:

Oh, let useless thought perish.
But let the Lord come through,
For the ever faithful God stirs the hearts and
  minds.
My shield is of God.
Who protects the vigilant.

The Psalmist Prays:
God is a just judge.
And God is angry with the wicked every
   day.
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
He also prepares for Himself instruments
    of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
God Lord is my judge.
And God's anger is on the wicked every
   moment.
If he does not halt,
He will prepare His armor;
He sharpens His sword and practices.
He  also stores up instruments of death;
He makes his blade to shine in the light.

The Psalmist Prays:
Behold , the wicked brings forth
   iniquity;
Yet he conceives trouble and brings forth
   falsehood.
He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he
    made.
His trouble shall return upon his own
    head.
And his violent dealing shall come down
    on this own crown.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Behold, the evil one brings forth
    plans;
Yet he plots gossips and brings forward
    untruths.
He made a hole and carved it out,
And falls into the pit which he made.
His plans shall come knocking on his
    own door.
And his viciousness shall come down
     on his own household.



The Psalmist Prays:
I will praise the Lord according to His
    righteousness.
And will sing praise to the name of the
     Lord Most HIgh.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
I will utter praises and shower the Lord
   with adulations.
And this lowly creature will bow before you
    always.
You are the food of my soul, the love of my life.
Thine will be done for ever and ever.

A M E N.










 








 
























Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Psalm 6

A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

The Psalmist Prays:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am
    weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are
   troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord--how long?

Psalmist Doris Prays:
O Lord, do not turn away from me in Your displeasure,
Nor smite me in Your anger.
Have compassion on me, O Lord, for I am just a
  pebble in the rock pile;
O Lord, pour your saving grace upon me, for I am
  in inner turmoil.
My spirit is laden with grief;
But You--O Lord, how many days without you?

The Psalmist Prays:

 Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!
For in death there is no remembrance of
  You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Come back, O Lord, save me!
Oh, comfort me for Your heartfelt way!
For in dying there is no presence of
   You;
And in the burial ground who will give You praise?

The Psalmist Prays:
I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
My eyes wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
I am tired with my thoughts;
All night I twist in my bed:
I wrench my nightclothes from my body;
My spirit lacks nourishment.
It grows distant because of all my murmurings.

The Psalmist Prays:
Depart from me, all you workers of
  iniquity;
For the Lord has heard the voice of my
  weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayer.
Let all my enemies be ashamed and
   greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed
   suddenly.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Go away, all you thoughts of
   iniquity;
For the Lord has heard the voice of my
  supplications;
The Lord has tuned in to my weeping;
The Lord hastens to hear my prayer.
Let all those who seek to wreak havoc in
  my life not succeed;
Let them be annihilated and put to flight
  suddenly.



Monday, November 4, 2013

a story

Writing a novel is in reality like birthing a baby.
There are the preparations.
Instead of diapers and baby clothes-
there are the endless pencils, paper, dictionary,
computer and of course eraser and printer.

Then there is the actual birth of the baby.
The labor involved.
The waiting.
The pain.

And then the final achievement -
a bouncing baby boy or girl.

With writing.  You deal with the actual ideas.
The characters, the plot, the scene.  The
discarding of one idea or maybe all of them.
The killing off of a character or characters.

Some sleepless nights -
just like when junior or missy wakes up for
their bottle or feeding.

As the saying goes
It was the best of times -
and
It was the worst of times.

Charlotte looked at the words on the computer screen.
Her freckled face complete with an upturned nose was expressionless.
Thick black lashes rounded out and framed her
blue oval eyes.
And a red pencil with a green point and pink eraser
tap tap tappped on the brown square computer table.
He right hand was under her chin and her left hand  was firmly
holding on to the pen.

She reread the words on the computer screen.
And then with a soft exhalation murmured, "Where do I go from here?"

She had been stuck at this spot for the last five minutes waiting for a
breakthrough but none seemed to be coming.

She squinted her eyes shut one more time as though that motion
would squeeze her story into life.

She sat that way for a moment.  And then exclaimed out loud and to
no one particular "That's it."

She shook her head and her curly red hair bounced in unison to the shake
of the bones in her body.

She stood up with such force that the brown knobbed chair whit wheels
that she was sitting on rolled back and hit the adjacent blue flowered
wallpaperd wall.
The chair hit so hard that Grandma Molly and Grandpa Ted's picture rattled.

"Sorry," she murmured, in the direction of the picture.

"Time for a walk." she said out loud.

By the time she got to the screen door her small Yorkie was at her feet.

"Want to go out, boy, then come on let's go."

She grabbed her green jacket from the hall closet and took Murphy's leash
off the painted green nail on the wall.

A full length mirror in the front hall showed a reflection of a young girl
nicely built in her twenties.  She had on a yellow blouse with the hint
of daisies on the fringe of her white collar and faded daises followed
the buttons down to her belly button.   She had on a pair of black linen
hiphuggers and her bellybutton had a piercing, although there was none
to be seen at the moment.   

 "Okay, Murphy, wait one minute while I find my slide-ins."

That's what she called her favorite pair of beach sandals.   They were brown,
and had jeweled straps of different gem colors that held her feet in.

These slide-ins stayed in her country home when she went back to her job
in the city in September.

She looked around for them and finally found them sticking out from
under the bottom of the six foot country clock that had been keeping
perfect time for the last three years that she had been coming to Hollow Springs.

She swore somebody must have been winding the key to this
clock.  But as of yet she had no inkling who it could be or
why they would be winding this brown chestnut clock.

It was a one of a kind clock.  At least the only one she had ever
seen like it.

For numbers somebody had painted tiny dwarfs for each of the
numbers and each dwarf held something different in his hand. 
Numbe 12 held a candle.   And number 6 held a light bulb.


Sometimes she thought this was a strange house that Grandma
and Grandpa Kelly had left her - but she thought it would
be perfect for writing that novel that was going to burst on to
the writer scene some time soon.

She got one sandal on and Murphy was licking her other foot
to remind her to hurry up.

"Okay, Murphy," she laughed.  We are going outside.

She hooked the gold chain of the red leash with painted dog bones
on to Murphy's matching red collar also with dog bones painted on to it.
and she opened the white screen door.

Before her eyes was the ocean.
Charlotte stood for a moment on the painted white veranda and took in a deep breath. 
The inhaled the fresh air through her nose and her stomach slowly expanded and with
a deep whish she let the air out through her small pursed lips.

She had been taught how to breathe this way in a meditation yoga class and she
consistently breathed this way when taking her first walk of the day.

The view was breathtaking and the weather was grand  and Charlotte said a small thank you to the powers
that be for granting her such a day.

She walked ten feet to the edge of the porch and surveyed the
scene.

To the right of her was a hammock that was attached to the side of the
house to the front porch rail by a gold hook that had been driven into the banister.
Always inviting.  But today she had different plans.

A small frown formed between her eyebrows as she nooticed that today there was a large yellow straw hat with a blue ribbon tied around the rim and also a blue and white blanket with an inlay of abstract
shapes embroidered on one side laying to the side of the hammock.

Charlotte didn't recognize the blanket or the hat and thought that maybe
Molly her next door neighbor was being neighborly in making sure that
she had something warm  to hold on to those cold nights in April and to
protect her from the harmful rays of the sun with the hat.

But the frown came before she thought of her neighbor.
She didn't like surprises and she could only think that Molly could have done
such a thing.

"That was a nice gesture," Charlotte thought out loud.


Molly lived with her uncle about a mile down the road.

To get to Molly's you would have to walk from Charlotte's porch about thirty feet
to the mailbox which mailbox  was made in the form of a  wooden sailboat, the door to the
cabin being where the mailman would put the mail.  The ship was bolted to a wooden
barrel.   And to get to Molly's you would have to make a left at the mailbox and walk
in the direction of the pier which was a mile down the road.

She hadn't heard Molly or her old red pickup that morning and wondered when she had come.

She said out loud, " I must have been sleeping." and dismissed
the thought.

"Come on Murphy, let's go."

Murphy answered with a couple of barks and the two of them started off on their morning walk.

Charlotte started talking as she walked which was something Murphy was accustomed to.

Sometimes her thoughts were just in her head.  Other times they were out loud like at this moment.
Murphy twitched his ears in her direction and looked at Charlotte expectantly.
Charlotte knew Murphy was her confidant and wouldn't tell anyone what she said.  She knew that
Murphy was almost human, but he was still only a dog and dogs couldn't talk.
 Charlotte knew this.  She laughed out loud.   There was no one around.  She could talk all she wanted.

There were two weather beaten wooden chairs down by the water's edge.

They were there when she arrived in early April and since they were on
her property she assumed they came with the bungalow.

They were wooden slat chairs and Charlotte had painted one
green and the other yellow.
They were the kind you could sink your behind into and put your
head back, close your eyes and just rest.
Charlotte loved the chairs.


At this time Charlotte and Murphy headed toward the beach.   The sand
was packed hard so Charlotte could still walk in her sandals without too
much trouble.

It was 7 o'clock in the morning and from all instances it looked like it was going to be a warm
day.  The sun was shining orange and the waves were breaking a little ways from
her.  She reached the chairs and Charlotte let Murphy off the leash as it didn't
seem to matter much since there was no one else around.

"Go ahead, boy, run, have a good time."

Murphy ran around in circles a few times and then burrowed his nose in something
he found of interest.

Charlotte turned her attention to the ocean.

It was a turquoise green today. Crystal clear like melted ice water.
The waves broke over one another and in their calm they left a silver
sheen that gave off the illusion of diamonds dancing on the water.


Charlotte, breathed in the clear air, closed her eyes and gasped,
"these are my jewels."

The large orange sun reminded her of gold.  And she knew it was an omen
of money in the bank.

"What did you say?" a male voice surprised her

Charlotte's eyes flew open and her body trembled.

She couldn't place the voice but yet it had a distinct familiarity to it. .


She was about to retort that whoever's voice it belonged to that this
stretch of beach was private so they were trespassing, but when she looked
to her left she could only see Murphy sniffing at the wind that had picked up, and
when she looked to her right there was nothing to be seen but
miles of beach .


Turning her attention to face the ocean she saw only the penciled black
line of the distant horizon in front of her. 

There was no one around and all that Charlotte could hear now
was the crashing of the waves as they hit the beach.

She pulled her jacket tighter around her and debated as to
whether she should head back to the cottage. 
 
.She took in a deep breath and looked once more straight ahead.
There was a sailboat coming into view and it seemed to be
heading in her direction.  For a moment she forgot the
strange but familiar voice she had heard and stood looking at the
bow of the sailboat.   There were words painted on it and in a few
moments she would be able to make it out.   There it was
the name of the boat was Joy.  And it was painted in big
bold letters on the bow of the boat.

It was a small sailboat
And she could make out a man in blue jeans and a denim
shirt controlling the mast.
He was wearing a blue baseball cap with the rim to the
back and he came as close to the beach as he could without coming
all the way in.

He waved and she didn't  respond.
He made a sharp right and she watched the boat as
it sailed down hugging the shore line but not coming in.

When she could see it no longer she stood for a few moments
listening to the wind in her ears and wondering what that was
all about.

Whose boat was that?

Charlotte didn't like her quiet being interrupted like this.

First the strange voice and
now an unfamiliar sailboat with of all things the name Joy
painted on it.

Charlotte did not like this at all.
Her morning of quiet moments had been shattered with a
little mystery and  it was a little unrattling to say the least.

Her mind went back five years.
She and her best friend Joy had graduated from college
Both had gotten their masters.

Charlotte had gotten a masters of fine art in literature
and
Joy had gotten her P.H.D. in antrhopology.

Charlotte was off to New York City to work for a publicist and
Joy was offered an opportunity she couldn't say no to.
She was to work on an archeological dig and  search
the mines off the coral caves in Hermit's Bay in Lima Peru.
She was working with two of the most renowned scientists in that
field.  She was both thrilled and excited for this opportunity.

Charlotte had seen her friend off  from  Kennedy Airport and that was the last
time she had seen her.

They kept in contact for ten months and then Joy had disappeared. 
According to witnesses she and another colleague had taken the motorized jet skis
out at 5 a.m.A.M.to check on some trappings and instruments in one of the caves and
they had not come back.

Authorities searched for her for two weeks but could not find Joy or her companion
Dan Lanhorn .

The jet skis were each found five miles off shore.

The police had a couple of theories as to what could have happened, but they admitted
they had no solid clues as to what could have happened to the two anthropologists.

They could have fallen overboard.   Or they could have gotten lost in the caves.
Or somebody could have taken them.  Or they could have ran away.  Maybe they were
lovers and decided to leave.  The police didn't know.  And at this time they had no solid clues.

Charlotte went and spent a month at the site and couldn't come up with any other explanation.
Joy was no where to be found.  And no one had seen her since the night before she disappeared.

Dan Lanhorn was also somewhat of a mystery.  He was 35.  Came from Madison Wisconsin.
Was an only child.  And from what Charlotee could find out his parents were deceased and  had
been for quite a while.

Regretfully Charlotte had to come back home with no real answers.

Charlotte blinked herself back to reality as Murphy munched on her big toe.

"Ok, big fella, enough time outside.  Let's go back and get something to eat."

Charlotte hooked Murphy back on to the leash and started back to the cottage.

Halfway there she gave an uneasy glance over her left shoulder and then her
right shoulder  to see if anything was there.

All that met her gaze was a clean sweep of the beach and the blue horizon.

She turned towards the cottage with an unknown feeling in the underlings of her belly.



                                             CHAPTER 2


The young woman put her hand in the water font at St. Mary's Chapel in Arson Woods, Peru
and blessed herself.

She moved toward the front of the church bowed before the crucifix and found
a seat in the second pew.

It was 6 o'clock in the morning and soon Father Andre would arrive to say mass
before a group of twenty people scattered throughout the small chapel. 

 It had been more or less the same people each morning. 

Father Andre was of the Franciscan Order and he had been a young priest when he
first arrived in Peru twenty years ago. 
Now, he was 50 and as he reflected on it this morning it didn't seem that long ago.   

He didn't know when it started to change but gradually it changed from twenty
people to fifty people.

Most of the people in the chapel were townspeople and had businesses in the surrounding
area.   There was the owner of the local restaurant.   There was Juan who had a bricklaying
business.   Marguerita ran a cleaning store.   Meghan was the local madame.  Pedro shoed
horses.  They all came to church to get the Lord's blessings and ask Our Lady for favors.

The woman in the second pew was somewhat of a mystery.   She had started coming
to the chapel seven years ago.   She wore the garb of the pesant woman but he knew
she wasn't from these parts.   She kept to herself.   She opened a business selling yarns
and teaching the local women how to knit, crochet or use a loom.   She didn't make a lot
of money but all the people bartered.

Some of the young women had started going to her store.  And as Father Andre noted
some of the older women too.

Slowly it had just started off with this one lone woman in the second pew.   But as time went
on there were about ten of them now in two pews.  

Father Andre had come to find out by local gossip that the young woman's name was Joy.

 








Psalm 5 - A Prayer for Guidance:


The Psalmist Prays:

Give ear to my words,  O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My king and my God.
For to You I will pray.
My voice you shall hear in the morning,
   O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

******
 Psalmist Doris Prays:
Give audience to my presence, O Lord,
I beseech thee with good thoughts.
I enter into contemplation.
Give heed to my cry,
My Lord, and My Master.
My prayers you have on my arising.
  O Lord;
Upon waking my thoughts are with You,
And I go inward.

THE PSALMIST PRAYS:

For you are not a God who takes pleasure
  in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak
   falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and
   deceitful man. 

*******
Psalmist Doris Prays:

For you are not a God of wishful thinking.
Nor shall useless thoughts abide with You.
The proud shall not be indulged.
You hate all forms of judgement.
You take issue with those who boast of
  fame and power;
The Lord grants His favor to those who
  ask.

The Psalmist Prays:
But as for me, I will come into Your
   house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your
  holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness
  because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

******

Psalmist Doris Prays:
But as for me, I will find the light
  that shines in the darkness
  be it just a sliver of hope;
I know that You love me, and will grant
  me my fondest desire.
I wish to be a writer and write short
  stories, maybe a successful novel
  down the road.
I beseech thee to grant my request.
I know you love me -- and you know
I love you.
Show me the words to weave my story,
and lead me in putting pen to paper.
Thy will be done.

The Psalmist Prays:

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their
   transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

******
Psalmist Doris Prays:

For there is no loyalty in their words;
Their inner life is turmoil;
Their throat is an open grave;
Their words are pointless --
   and come to no fruition.
They are like dust in the wind.
The road they are on leads to a dead end.
But me O Lord look upon me with favor.
I beseech thee grant my request - only
   if it is thine will.


 The Psalmist Prays:

But let all those rejoice who put their
  trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You
  defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with,
   a shield.

 *****
Psalmist Doris Prays:

But let all those rejoice who follow your
  input.
Let them ever yell for joy, because You
   intuit them what to write;
Let those also who love Yahweh
Be happy in You.
For You, O Yahweh, will shower the right
  words on the writer
And with favor You will surround him with
  thoughts for short stories.
And so it is.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.
Love
Dorisssss.  XO.




Sunday, November 3, 2013

Psalm 4 - Psalm 3 mixed toeg. in error

Theme:  Rejoicing in God's protection and
peace.   We can place our confidence in
God because he will listen when we call on him.
Author:  David.  Of the Line of Mary.

The Psalmist Prays:

Hear me when I call, O God of my
    righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.


Psalmist Doris Prays:
Listen to me when I call out, O my
    righteous God!
You have soothe me when I am anxious;
Show your kindness, and hear my whisper.


The Psalmist Prays:
But you, O Lord, are a shield for me.
My glory and the One who lifts up my
    head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice.
And He heard me from His holy hill.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
But you, O Lord have prepared a protective
    garment for me.
It fits like a second skin, and you raise up my
    head.
I blew out a loud trumpet with my breath.
And from your holy hill your ear picked up my cry.

(This is 3.  I did it in error.)
 The Psalmist Prays:
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of
    people.
Who have set themselves against me all
    around.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
The morning came, and I beheld the Lord.
I will not be afraid - though there may be
   crowds of people.
Who have set their will against me all
   around.



(SECOND VERSE.)
The Psalmist Prays:

How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory into shame?
  How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Psalmist Doris Prays:
How long, O you heirs of men,
  will you turn my good deeds into evil thoughts?
How long will you love illusions and set up false gods?

The Psalmist Prays:
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
   the Lord will hear when I call to him.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Know that the Lord has separated the schaff from the wheat
   and the better part he keeps for himself.
When I call him He will hear me.

The Psalmist Prays:
In your anger do not sin,
  when you are on your beds,
  search your heart and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices
  and trust in the Lord.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
When you are in turmoil do not sin,
   when you recline in bed
   seek comfort in your heart and be quiet.
Offer true aspirations
   put your trust in the Lord.

The Psalmist Prays:
Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
  Let the light of your face shine upon us, "O Lord.
You have filled my heart with great joy."
   that when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
   for you alone, O Lord,
   make me dwell in safety.

Psalmist Doris Prays.
Many are asking, "Who can show us wealth?"
   Let your light shine on us, "O Lord
You have filled my day with a boundless step."
    that when their grainsheds are filled and their wineskins
    aplenty.
I will close my eyes and sleep in peace.
    for it is you alone O Lord
    who rest beside me and my breath is easy..
 





  




 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Into the Silent Land Page 31

To close my eyes and feel Christ's presence
     surround me.
I wrap my arms around Him and His arms
     encircle me.
The left side of my face comfortably rests on
     His chest.
And my eyes are squeezed shut.

Christ's bearded chin rests on the top of my
    head.
A slight smile matches my silent intake of
    breath.
Christ buries his lips in my hair -
and for a moment we breathe in unison.
His quiet exhale matching my silent inhale.

All my years of yearnings, tremblings and
  inner turmoils for myself and other dissolve -
and I am comforted by this man's divine presence.

A M E N


Psalm 3

The Lord Helps His Troubled People
  A Psalm of David when he fled
     from Absalom his son.

The Psalmist Prays:
Lord, how they have increased who
    trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
Many are they who say of me,
"There is no help for him in God."

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Lord, the news is not good.
Many rise up against me.
Many are there who whisper against me,
"God will not show His favor to her."

but yet--

A trickling of news is good.
The good woman finds a way.
Those who look on her see Kindness
And know that her step is surefooted.

 The Psalmist Prays:
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my
   head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
But You, O Lord are my Beloved,
My light, and the One who looks out
   from my own eyes.
I wept and the Beloved glanced my way.
He heard me from His holy hill.

The Psalmist Prays:
I awoke for the Lord sustained me,
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of
    people
Who have set themselves against me all
    around.

Psalmist Doris Prays:
My eyes opened for the Lord breathed on me.
I will not be afraid of multitudes of people.
Who have come to do me harm.

The Psalmist Prays:
Arise, O Lord,
Save me, O my God!
For you have struck all my enemies on
    the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly,
Salvation belongs to the Lord,
Your blessing is upon Your people.

Psalmist Doris Prays:

Awake, O Lord,
Protect me, O my God!
For you have struck a hurtful blow to
  all my enemies
Their teeth have been loossened from their jaw..
They lay strewn on the field, like hay mowed
   down at cutting time.
All honor and glory belongs to the Lord,
All his blessings is upon Your people.






 
























Psalm 2

The Messiah's Triumph and Kingdom

The Psalmist Prays:
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themsleves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His
    Anointed, saying,
"Let us break their bonds in pieces
 And cast away their cords from us."

Psalmist Doris Prays:
Why do the nations plot,
And the people form a hateful plan?
The kings of the earth unify
And the rulers consort amongst themselves,
Against the Lord and against His
   faithful, saying,
"Let us breath their ropes," they say,
   "and throw off their bindings.". 

 The Psalmist Prays:
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision,
Then He shall speak to them in His
    wrath,
And distress them in His deep
    displeasure;
"Yet I have set My King
On my holy hill of Zion."

 Psalmist Doris Prays:
He who looks down from on high smiles;
   The Lord smirks at them;
The Lord shall hold them in anger,
And bring distress to them in His wrath.
Yet I have enthroned My King,
on My holy hill of Zion.

The Psalmist Prays:
I will declare the decree;
The Lord has said to me,
You are My Son,
Tday I have begotten You,
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your
   possession,
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall dash them to pieces like a
    potter's vessel;

Psalmist Doris Prays:

I will make it known;
With utter familiarity He claimed
   me as His Son,
And breathed I am Your Father.
Ask of me anything.
He gave me the nations as my inheritance.
The stars and the moon, the earth and
   all that is in it are your possessions.
You will rule them with a firm hand.
You will scatter them to the four winds
   like a dust bowl in the desert.

 The Psalmist Prays:
Now therefore, be wise, O Kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth,
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little,
Blessed are all those who put their trust in
    Him.

 Psalmist Doris Prays
Now therefore, be wise, O Chosen Ones;
Be it known, you overseers of the earth,
Serve the Lord with fear.
And dance with trepidition,
Kiss the Son, lest he be jealous,
And you exist no longer.
When His wrath is stirred but a little,
Blessed are all those who hold steadfast in
   His path.