Too Cool for God?

A poem musing on my path back to deep Faith…

Shattered by my self-flagellation…
Shuttered by self-inflicted penance…
Lost, alone by self-design…
And seeking self-redemption…
I lost the thread of His great Mercy…
Buried myself in sackcloth and ashes…

Held my head up way too high…
Smiled and pretended I didn’t care…
Denied my lost and wandering soul…
Filled with greed, sycophants, eyeing fame…
Pirouette… smile… dance the empty dance…
When did I become too cool for God?

When life was drained of all true meaning…
Abandoned to spiritual starvation…
When left with this longing of my soul…
I became jaded, cynical, incohesive.
The Godly I saw as gullible,
Old fashioned and just plain creepy…
Bible thumpin’ fanatics -- religious nuts.

But, a heart without words…
Facing an unknown future
In a world of confusion and noise…
Brought finally to finally realize
I can’t tune out the Voice of God.
A love for God sustains me.

A heart without word… restless…
May I always find rest in Him!
There’s joy in the presence of God,
And in every deed a purpose.
But, now I ask and I consider…
Am I cool enough for God?

Have I done to much and gone too wrong?
Am I still worthy of his Grace?
How can I even show my face?
Am I cool enough for God?
That doesn’t even matter!
‘Cause He’s cool enough for me!D. Denise Dianaty
© 03 September 2014

Pray for Mission

Heavenly Father, God of grace and mercy,
By the great gift of Salvation and His resurrection
You offer the gifts of eternal hope and peace
Through Your only begotten son, Christ Jesus.
Baptized by water, we are born anew…
Born into Your heavenly kingdom.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, we are never alone.
In the Spirit, together we strive to do Your will.
Hold us, our nation, and our mission in Your hands.
Make us the body and voice of Your will.

Together in the Spirit, we open our hearts.
We lay bear our souls before You, Father.
As one in the Spirit, we open our minds.
Together we are Christ’s hands in this world.
United in the Spirit, our doors are open.
In Your will we work together for peace.
As one voice we desire your will be done.
Together in the Holy Spirit and in unity
We know Your strength makes us
Stronger together for a more just world.

Help us, Lord, to feed the hungry.
Teach us, Father, to care for the sick.
Guide us, God, to shelter the homeless.
Use us, El-Shaddai, to love everyone.
Humble us, Adoni, to find Your wisdom.
Grant us, Yaweh, solace in our tribulation.
Make us, Elohim, obedient in service.
Lead us, Sar Shalom, to be peacemakers.
King of Kings, grant wisdom to our leaders
With sacrificial hearts of service and compassion.

We ask for open eyes for our leaders
to see all humankind as Your sheep.
We pray for leaders with open hearts
to understand the cares of Your lambs.
We plead that our leaders have open minds
of love and compassion for all Your sheep.
We thank you for giving us clear vision, and pray
You will protect and perfect us in Your will.
In Christ’s name, with Faith all believing and
in humble gratitude, we pray. Amen.

"May the meditations of our hearts

be acceptable in Thy sight,

Oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer.”

~In Jesus’ Holy name

We pray all believing,

Amen

Prayer for Comfort

Merciful and Loving Father in Heaven,

You are the source of Light in the earth,

The comfort and freedom of my soul

Every day is a struggle, weighing upon me

The world moves on, bustling and wrangling

Lord, I stumble often in my Life’s journey

Feeling misunderstood and isolated

It’s a struggle to find the blessing of comfort,

To keep holding on to my peace and hope

Guide me Lord, be my strength and my comfort

You alone are my peace and my hope

I know yours will always be the steady hand

Which guides me and catches me when I stumble

Bless my heart with gratitude and peace

Guide me by your Grace and will in this world

~ Amen

D. Denise Dianaty
© 22 September 2015

Pick up your own copy of my first book of poetry, entitled My Life In Poetry at D. Denise Dianaty

Unashamedly Christian

The world is a hard, glaring place. It's easy to look about and see only the tragedy… the despair…the black, ugly horror of humanity. Good news is seldom newsworthy. Our 24/7 news cycle world has the horror on half-hour repeat. War and retribution on constant repeat have become our "bread and circuses." 

It would be so easy to join the raucous chorus sounding the dogmatic call to ever more horrific heights of horror in answer of horror. Where will it ever end? I must, in honesty, admit, that, on occasion, I give in to that impulse. I read about or see a new travesty and think the terrible thoughts we're always being told to think. But, that's not what my Faith teaches me. That's not what my study and understanding of Christ's message teaches me. As Christians, aren't we supposed to be the Voice of Peace? 

I try to begin each day remembering: His Grace was gifted to me from His Mercy and Love and through no effort nor deed of my own. Having received such a Holy and perfect Gift, who am I to forget or deny that the very same grace, mercy and love is gifted to all souls everywhere.

I hope each day that I am a living example of His Grace and a true disciple of Christ, and that my choices remain founded in the Scriptures. More than that, I hope that I do not become so dogged in discipleship that I, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, lose sight of the intent of Christ's message and gift. I try to be a living reflection of the image of God, who is love.

The lessons I try always to carry with me are from scriptures such as the following: 

NIV I Corinthians 13:1 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

NIV John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

NIV Romans 12:17 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil."

I will do all I can to impart my understanding to my son and honestly and earnestly share my Faith with those who are open to hearing it. I don't claim to always uphold these goals. I am, after all, only one all too fallible human. I do and will continue to try. I will continue to be unashamedly Christian.

Pick up your own copy of my first book of poetry, entitled My Life In Poetry at D. Denise Dianaty

Poem: What is Heaven?

What is Heaven to you?

Everyone is on their way somewhere

On the road of an orchestrated life

We all know Death is inevitable

But Death is not our destiny

Our destiny is to be held by the Divine

He knows every detail of our life

Though He sees us often stumble

He will never fail to take our hand

In us, there need be no shame

In His Mercy is Divine and matchless Grace

With the living breath of God inside us

Carrying us always forward to meet Jesus

And together walk those streets of gold

I may not know what Heaven will be

It may be beyond my wildest imaginings

But I know, as I walk and breathe in Faith

Heaven will always and forever be

Matchless and encompassing

Forever and in all infinity

The encompassing embrace of God

by D. Denise Dianaty

© 04 September 2014

Pick up your own copy of my first book of poetry at My Life In Poetry

Poem: Inspiration

Lollipops and raindrops

Sunflowers and sun-kissed daisies

Rolling surf and raging sea

Sailing ships and submarines

Old Glory and “purple mountain’s majesty”

Screaming guitar and lilting rhyme

Flight of fancy and high-steppin’ dances

Set free my mind to wander…

Imagine the ant’s marching journeys.

Fly, in my mind’s eye, on butterfly wings.

Roam the distant depths of space.

Unfurl tall sails and cross the ocean.

Pictures made just to enthrall

Creating images from my truth

Painting hopes and dreams on my canvas

Capturing, through my lens, the ephemeral

Let me ruminate ‘pon sensual darkness…

Tremble o’er Hollywood’s fluttering Gothics…

Ride the edge of my seat with the hero…

Weep with the heroine’s desperation.

Yet… more than all these things…

Give me words spun out masterfully…

Terms set out in meter and rhyme…

Phrases bent to rattle the soul…

Prose that always miraculously inspires me!

The trill runs up my spine, as I recall…

A touch… a caress… a whispered kiss…

Ebony eyes embracing my soul…

Two souls united in beat of hearts.

A butterfly flutter in my womb

My lover’s wonder o’er my swelling

The testament of our love given life

Newly laid in my lover’s arms

Luminous, sweet ebony eyes

Just so much like his father’s

A gaze of wonder and contentment

From my babe at mother’s breast

Words of the Divine set down for me

Faith, Hope, Love, and Charity

Grace, Mercy, and undeserved Salvation

“My Shepherd will supply my need”

These are the things that inspire me.

by D. Denise Dianaty

© 18 Septemer 2014

Pick up your own copy of my first book of poetry at My Life In Poetry