Chris Gribble

Be yourself - Everyone else is taken (Oscar Wilde)

Eternity’s Breath

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Eternity’s breath whispers life,
It’s gentle rhythm beating,
With the sounds of,
Loves eternal longing,
That beats in all our hearts,
None is forgotten,
All creation is heard,
Restoring loving, kindness,
The voice of love whispers,
Time to turn to me.

Life’s transitions remind us,
With their constant call,
Of what we seek to ignore,
Reminders in the din,
That our heartbeat is eternal,
One day we’ll meet again,
We’re not forgotten,
Each life is eternity,
The voice of love whispers,
You belong to me.

What voice will be heard,
As we yearn to understand,
What is needed,
As we seek to hear again,
The melody of life,
Can play its tune once more,
Creating a new song
That can be heard by all.
The voice of love whispers
You child are heard by me.

A lost creation

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We created a place for givings face,
Where hope and love could be done,
Then it changed,
It seemed like an instant,
But was it always there?
Selflessness turned to selfishness,
Waiting to escape,
It’s ugly face,
Turns hope to fear,
Trust to anxiety,
Faith to despair.

Then creation expressed its displeasure,
At what it thought could be better
The creator’s contribution,
No longer seen,
No longer valued,
No longer wanted.

Rejections face is awful to behold,
Contemptuous of what was given,
It says I am better alone,
I can do it by myself,
I don’t need your help,
Creator,
You’re not important,
You don’t belong,
In the place of your creation.

When love is missed,
When pretence not truth is given,
Words become barbs,
Cruel reminders of what’s lost
They twist the truth
That was intended,
The tapestry of life
Becomes frayed at the edges,
Allowed to continue,
It will slowly unravel,
The intended picture,
No longer visible.

The true price of loving God

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I know Salvation’s price is free
That part is done by you
My Father’s life freely given
Before my life is born
Your plan for me was made
Your desire for perfection
Life’s promised fullness
Is all completely paid

The community your son created
Against which hate cannot prevail
Is the place to discover
Salvations price revealed
Daily loved shared deeply
Connecting to an intimate me
Seeking hope in all who come
To our Father’s community

But to know what’s truly given
I must learn to let go
Of all what binds within
This world’s hopes
Clawing for my attention
Attachment’s present desire
Means to linger in the shadows
Today I choose the gift

Creation’s Sounds

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From creation’s beginnings
You had a plan
With Adam’s decision
You had me in mind

My Father’s plans
Are clearly laid
As I walk life’s path
I discover each day
To learn what is needed
The truth of my heart

I come to you presence
I sit at your feet
Hearing your voice
Speaking creation’s sounds
The birds calling
The water’s shimmering
Rays of light
Filtering through trees

My Child this is what’s needed
My desire for you
Hear my voice
My deep love for you
Discover my heart
Listen to its call
Back to creation
Love’s first beautiful sound
It is good
My Child
You are good
I created you
My plans for you are good

Creation’s beauty
Echoes from Adam
I love you today.

The Way Behind Closes

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A sparrow never questions
What will come each day
It only does what’s needed
Because it’s made that way
Now is all that matters
Cause there’s just today
Tomorrow’s only worry
Is at the end of every day

The way behind closes
finished at each old day
There’s no turning back
Time heeds no delay
Now is all I can know
It has no other say
Regret is impossible
Life is only one way.

The way ahead emerges
At the dawn of each new day
Its morning beams shed light
Keeping darkness at bay
Slowly understanding
Emerges with each ray
Of what must be will be
It is come what may
(Chris Gribble)

My Beloved’s Voice

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My Beloved’s Voice
Whispers softly
You are my beloved
Soft words giving
Loving hope
Offering joy
Caring compassion
Certain friend
Forgiving love
My Father’s voice
Sure and insistent
Reconstructing
Desires wholeness
Life’s fullness
Celebrating
I am your beloved
Your creation
Wonderfully made
Loved unconditionally
Graciously accepted
By an open heart
Longing to speak
Hope and trust
Well done my child

The Night’s Sounds

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The night sounds speak quietly
too early for the bird’s song
too early for morning clatter
I know light will come
but it’s eternity to wait

Knowing that dawn’s arrival
will bring its familiar sounds
a warble in the distance
a clear familiar call
but I wonder what’s next

The day’s rhythm begins
the night’s quiet thoughts
quickly fade to actions
contemplation submits
but I question why

The day half over
not a moment is spent
on what mattered at night
its wisdom quickly fades
no time to think at all
but the hours tick away

Evening arrives again
I look forward to relief
from incessant action
the day demands of me
rest turns to exhaustion
but I wonder why

Maybe I need to learn
to listen more each night
the darkness and the silence
the waiting to begin
exhaustion turns to hope
but its voice is small

Learning to “BE”

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I Am Dead Because I Lack Desire
— Rene Daumal

“I am dead because I lack desire;
I lack desire because I think I possess;
I think I possess because I do not try to give.
In trying to give, you see that you have nothing;
Seeing you have nothing, you try to give of yourself;
Trying to give of yourself, you see that you are
nothing;
Seeing you are nothing, you desire to become;
In desiring to become, you begin to live.”

Living abundantly

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Yesterday I spent my wealth,
But, today I have more.
It should be gone,
I squandered it,
I gave it freely,
To those whom I could,
Yet, Now, it has increased,
Tomorrow I can give it away again.

My Father asks;
How do you spend your weath.

Wealth,
When locked away,
Never to be seen,
Or, only taken out,
To be put on display,
Not used,
Just evidence of pride,
Is poverty.

My Father askes,
How do you spend your wealth,

Riches
Spent on myself,
A selfish demonstration,
Of the need to fulfill,
My pleasures,
Wastefulness,
Greed fully exposed,
Squandered quickly.

My Father asks,
Are you spending your wealth,

Spend,
Use your wealth,
Live in abundance,
Selflessly give,
Share generously,
Find fulfillment,
Discover joy,
Enduring pleasure.

My Father says,
You are learning to spend wisely.

I Thought

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I Thought

I thought that I was strong,
I thought that anything was possible,
All I needed to do,
Was to believe enough in myself,
And, it could be done.

I thought that I was in control,
I thought that I determined my future,
All I needed to do,
Was to have enough things,
And, my world was secure.

I was wrong.

My Father’s Gaze

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A constant gaze inward,
Makes it very hard to see,
That my Heavenly Father,
Plans the best for me.

Prides constant pull,
Seeks to draw attention to me,
I forget my Fathers gaze,
And his love I fail to see.

Lightness is calling loudly,
It longs to set me free,
If only I open my eyes,
Becoming all he wants me to be.

Liminiality –

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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?

Perhaps
the courage
to let become
what is waiting to become.

(‘What does it take?’ in Adams 2010)

Failure

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Failure is not something that I want to know,
It suggests that I am less than I think I am.

I want to bask in my success
Instead,
Failure’s a part of my story,
I know failure is part of everyone’s journey.
I didn’t think it would be a part of mine.

But, here I am.
Living with failure,

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

Will it ever stop!

A prayer

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“Almighty . . .
Forgive
My doubt,
My anger
My pride.
By Thy mercy
Abase me,
By Thy strictness
Raise me up.”

“Have mercy
Upon us.
Have mercy
Upon our efforts,
That we
Before Thee,
In love and in faith,
Righteousness und humility,
May follow Thee,
With self-denial, steadfastness, and courage,
And meet Thee
In the silence.

Give us
A pure heart
That we may see Thee,
A humble heart
That we may hear Thee,
A heart of love
That we may serve Thee,
A heart of faith
That we may live Thee.

Thou
Whom I do not know
But Whose I am.

Thou
Whom I do not comprehend
But Who hast dedicated me
To my fate.
Thou –“

Sustainability

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What lives dies.

Animal,
vegetable,
enterprise.

No escape.
Not even the wise.

None!

But one—propagation!

Conceive of this:

A stratified
calcified
petrified
Enterprise
in desperation
forgoes habitual cloning
and Tolerates
(allows)
permits. . . .
genuine

birth.

Gordon MacKenzie

Friendship

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A Time to Talk

by: Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

The heart of the matter

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The Lord said, “I myself will dream a dream within you. Good dreams come from me, you know. My dreams seem impossible, not too practical, not for the cautious man or woman. A little risky sometimes, a trifle brash perhaps. Some of my friends prefer to rest more comfortable in sounder sleep with vision less eyes. But for those who share my dreams I ask a little patience, a little humour, a little courage, and a listening heart – I will do the rest. Then they will risk and ponder at their daring, run and marvel at their speed, build and stand in awe at the beauty of their building. You will meet me often as you work – in your companions who share your risk, in your friends who believe in you enough to lend their own dreams, their own hands, their own hearts in your building: in the people who find your doorway, stay awhile and walk away knowing that they too can find a dream. There will be sun filled days and sometimes it will rain a – little variety-. Both come from me. So, come, be content. It is my dream you dream. My caring you witness. My love you share. And this will be the heart of the matter.” (Author Unknown)

Yesterday we were the part of a new venture in the spirit. Soul Whispers. No web page yet but when it comes I will let you know. We all have a dance and for each of us it will have a unique tempo and rhythm. This was handed out to all of us who were there to encourage Bruce on his journey.

[rockyou 62361806]

Be yourself – Everyone else is taken

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You are special. Until you realise that no one else in the whole world has your unique combination of strengths, thoughts, emotions, personality, desire, hopes and dreams you will never really reach your potential. No one else will ever be able to do the things that you do in quite the same way. You are special because of your unique spirit.

Until we learn to be comfortable in our own skin we can forget what it is that we were created for. That is why it is so important to be yourself. Everyone else is too busy to be themselves and can never really be the person that you are. That is why its so important to be ourselves and be happy with the way that we are.

This doesn’t mean that we should stop trying to improve ourselves. Being able to change is a part of the wonder of human existence. To become aware of ourselves and to recognise that we can expand our consciousness is a unique gift to humanity. That’s why we need to be ourself and not just try and clone ourself on a perception of what someone elses reality is about.

And if you ever forget just how special you are take this with you:

I’m special. In all the world there is no one like me. Since the beginning of time there has never been another person like me.
Nobody has my smile. Nobody has my eyes, my nose, my hair, my hands, my voice, I’m special.
Nobody anywhere has my taste for food or music or art. Nobody sees things just as I do.
In all time there has been no one who laughs like me, no one who cries like me.
And what makes me laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.
No one reacts to any situation just as I would react.
I’m special. No one in the universe can reach the quality of my combination of talent, ideas, abilities and feelings.
Like a room full of musical instruments some may excel alone, but none can match the symphony sound when they are played together. I’m a symphony.
Through all eternity no one will ever look, talk, walk, think or do like me.
I’m special. I’m rare.
I’m special. And I am beginning to realise that it is no accident that I’m special.
I’m beginning to realise that God made me special for a very special purpose.
He must have a job that no one else can do as well as I.
Out of billions of applicants only one is qualified only one has the rare combination of what it takes to be me.

That one is me, because…….I’m special.

Read this poem whenever you begin to question just how important you are. When you question your life purpose. When you feel less than capable. When you feel as if you have failed in some way.

Always remember that everyone else is taken and that the most important job that you have in this world is to be yourself. Because, you are special.