Failure is a word that I hear again and again,
That word clatters around my head,
Noisily,
Constantly,
Painfully.

Will it ever stop!

What does it take
to mark the canvas
to write the line
to play the chord
to plough the field
to cross the river
to change the world?

I have chosen my path,
My love for God is true,
Truth is my most painful choice,
Every step is a crippled limp.

It’s so good to live freely,
Unencumbered by guilt,
To bear no malice to anyone.

God says, “Love is more powerful than fear”,
My love is abundant, just ask me,
I will be with you in the midst of life,
Answering your prayers,
Demonstrating how much I care,
Be blessed today and forever my child,
I love you.

A reflection on Psalm 113

Today is a day of praise,
Speaking God’s name brings praise,
He is:
My Father who is proud of me;
My beloved King that I want to obey;
Grace that gives everything to me;
Love that keeps loving me;
Hope that always sees the best in me;
Trust that is sure and fixed on me,

To know that this morning he opened his heavens,
To see how I am going and to make sure,
I am ok,

I am blessed
I am blessed
I am blessed.

God watches over his child,
Day and night,
Listen to him – Walk with him,
This is the only life that will truly satisfy.

Reflection on Psalm 3

My Lord, My Lord, I feel like I am treated like the faithless,
They look at me and think that I am weak,
But I want you God to lift my head up,
I want your glory,
What do you say to me?
I heard you Lord, in the night’s stillness.
You take my independence and teach me to rely on you,
You say, I need to put all my confidence in you,
Even though I think that it looks I’m crazy,
Tonight Lord I pray that I will sleep well,
Confident in your provision,
Knowing that I am your child,

I am blessed
I am your child.
I am blessed,
I am your Son.
I am blessed,
I am your beloved.
I am blessed,
You have delivered me.

Reflection on Psalm 5

Please hear me this morning God,
I really need to talk to you,
And, to know that you are listening to what I need.

I know that you hate certain things:
– Pride;
– Arrogance;
– Selfishness;
– Cruelty;
– Contempt.

I know that there are people like this,
Some who say they are my friend,
But, behave like my enemy,

Words can be hurtful,
When they become weapons,
That are used to maim,
To the point that I want to die.

I don’t want their words to control me,
Instead this morning I seek your assuredness,
I want to hear your words to me,
So that I can keep moving in the direction,
That you have planned for me.

Enemies – will come,
I will let you deal with them,
You are not confounded by their deceit,
You see truth,
And, that they are opposing you,
I will give their words and actions to You,
Because, you Lord are in control of everything.

I know that this morning,
As I take my refuge in you,
That I can be content and satisfied,
Knowing that there will always be people,
Who choose to be enemies instead of friends,
You will protect me.

This morning Lord,
I will learn to be content,
To know that I will be eternally singing joyfully,
My appreciation of your faithful love,

What a blessing to be your child,
Surrounded by love,
Happy because your words are kind,
My heart kept safe.

A Reflection in Psalm 15

The Beloved’s Blessing

Resting in;
Weakness transformed
Responding in;
Caring truthfully
Reminding in;
Integrity lived
Rejoicing in;
Loving relationship.

A Reflection on Psalm 109

I felt hate but it was called love,
I heard lies but they were called truth,
I sought trust but was given uncertainty,
I needed compassion but tasted contempt.

But, God, Your hand saves me.
What I seek is found in you,
Love, truth, trust, compassion,
These are the marks of praise from you to your creation.

My love returned hundred times,
Your protection given to my family,
Prosperous again.
Opposition disarmed by love,
I am blessed by your overwhelming generosity.

A Reflection on Psalm 121

My Lord, My God,
Today I am taking time to see you,
I know that you have already seen me,
Your constant hand is on my life,
Your hands are loving protecting hands,
They are hands that are lovingly outstretched.

I am glad that those hands
Are the ones that are going to protect me.

I am confident in you,
Because you created me,
Now, I can have the courage to take the next step forward,
Knowing that your gaze will be on my every step.

A Reflection on Psalm 10

Sometimes God I wonder where on earth you are?
When the going gets tough – I feel like you are gone.
Here is my situation – that highlights how I feel.

I can see that there are people who get away with rejecting you,
They do this arrogantly,
They look like they are succeeding,
Everything is going their way.

I have felt this personally,
With the enemies that have looked successful,
And, have openly rejected you,
Thinking that they are invincible.

This person’s main weapon is contempt,
He even thinks he is better than you God!
Why do you put up with this?
Do you really see what he is doing?

He is a destroyer,
Full of lies,
Arrogant and proud,
Full of his own ability,
Preying on me when I was weak,
Watching for ways to trap me,
Attacking me and my family.

And, it looks like he won,
He continues on his way,
Thinking that he is the righteous one,
Saying arrogantly:
“God won’t see my lies”.

Please wake up Lord,
You know what is going on here,
Show me that you are my protector,
Demonstrate your power,
So that he can see it’s you and not him,
Who is really in control.

I am a broken person God,
But, I know that you care for me,
You are bringing justice to this world,
I will leave this to you,
Because, you will get it right,
Restoring everything how it should be,
Accountability is a frightening thing,
To the arrogant and the vindictive,
Their day is coming.

Our world is in your hands – Lord,
I pray and you listen,
I know that you hate arrogance,
Especially when it targets weakness,
I put my trust this morning,
In how you will put it right.

If you’re a leader, your whole reason for living is to help human beings develop—to really develop people and make work a place that’s energetic and exciting and a growth opportunity, whether you’re running a Housekeeping Department or Google. I mean, this is not rocket science.

Tom Peters

I can barely see the faintest of paths, rocky, muddy, treacherous. If I slip, if I miss my footing, then I will join the rocks and be consumed by the all-devouring mouth of the sea.
But move I must. To stay here is death as well, ossifying in the despairing cold. Though I can barely see, there is just enough light to walk the next step of the path, hesitantly and with painful delicacy, gripping onto plants, as they loom out of the night, revealing their branches against the dim sky.

As I walk, following the dim path carefully, painstakingly, along the cliff edge, I have a subtle sense that, though I can see no-one through the black, and hear no-one past the inexorable crash and roar of the sea, I am not alone. Someone has walked this path before. And the faintest echo of laughter, the scent of the best wine kept for last, a fragment of sun-warmed dust seems to brush against my skin. The faintest of hopes, when hope seems lost.
I walk.

Alister Pate

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

Helen Keller

“A society which discards those who are weak and non-productive risks exaggerating the development of reason, organisation, aggression and the desire to dominate. It becomes a society without a heart, without kindness – a rational and sad society, lacking celebration, divided within itself and given to competition, rivalry and, finally, violence.”

Jean Varnier

What does it take to build relational trust? It takes people who are explorers of their own inner lives. It takes people who know something about how to get beyond their own egos; how to withdraw the shadow-projections that constantly involve us in making “enemies” out of others; how to forgive and seek forgiveness; how to rejoin soul and role. It takes people like Mr. Porter who have access to their own hearts—as well as to knowledge and skills—because they live examined lives.

Parker Palmer

Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society. Rather you must tell a new and powerful tale, one so pervasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive that it gathers all the bits from the past and our present into a coherent whole, one that even shines some light into the future so that we can take the next step forward.

Ivan Illich

Discernment is that fallible, intuitive gift we use in attempting to discriminate the course to which we are personally led by God in a given situation, from our other impulses and from the generalized judgments of conscience. Discernment is a gift from God, not a personal achievement. In a life lived with other priorities, the gift may be left underdeveloped. But as we grow and are faithful in the spiritual life we may well be given more.

Patricia Loring, 1992