FUN FABULOUS FRIDAY POEM DAY…

I’m going to start something new. Each Friday I am simply going to post a poem. Might be fun, might be serious, might be from a friend or just a favorite of mine. So here is the first one… hope you enjoy.

 

THE PANTS THAT DIDN’T FIT

The pants that didn’t fit
put on too small hips
tight around the waist and other parts.

When the pants that didn’t fit
were seated in, they split
and the sides became unhinged
there was no denying it
a change must be in the mix.

Other attempts at clothing failed
and the thoughts of anger prevailed
why did the washer feel compelled
to shrink those pants?

The pants that didn’t fit
what a gall for them to split
how they laugh because they shrunk
and made a fool of everything.

The pants that didn’t fit
they win the battle each time they split
because new pants in new sizes must be spent.

And so the thinking goes
giving into the woes
the pants that didn’t fit
put self-esteem and pride behind
but the new pants smile and laugh
they know one day will come
when they will be
the pants that didn’t fit.

~Marcell Warner Bridges
©27, May 2013

THE FIRST DAY OF 8TH GRADE

 

My first day of 8th grade was one of the hardest days of school.  It was the largest school I had ever been to and that first day I got so lost looking for my classes that at one point I stood in the middle of an empty hallway crying. After a few minutes one of the teachers found me and helped me find my class.

This past week I had the privilege of beginning the second half of my college career at a new university. This university is much bigger than the community college and I had a very similar reaction while finding a parking place and my new classes. Not quite so dramatic, but still that pit in your stomach that makes you want to panic. Uncertain of where you are going and what you are doing.

Last Friday I went to campus orientation. I parked on a side street and went semi-confidently to where I needed to be. I found the buildings just fine and even found my classes without mishap. I wanted to be sure I knew where I was going on my first day. However, when I confidently began my trek back to my car I realized I didn’t know where I was. I walked down one sidewalk only to turn around and walk back the way I’d just come and try a different path. But none of the paths I took looked like the way I should be going to get to my car. I was just about to give up when, once again, I found a teacher and after we looked at the campus map we figured out where I needed to go. I took off on the new path and sure enough, there was my car! Hallelujah!  

I found this verse a couple of years ago and it quickly became one of my favorites. Isaiah 30:21, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”  I love it because it gives us the assurance that God doesn’t leave us to wander around, groping in the dark trying to find our own way. When we feel lost and afraid and don’t know where to turn, He is there to wrap His arm around you and point you in the right direction. He says, “Hey, why don’t you try going this way?” And when we listen to Him and follow the map He gives us, we find exactly where we need to be.

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/GODFkcBtcts&source=uds

  © Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013

BURNING DESIRE

Psalm 145:17-21

The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
The Lord isnear to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

 

Have you ever had something in your life that you didn’t understand why God put it there? Maybe you struggle with a relationship, maybe finances, maybe an addiction or perhaps like me, you struggle with physical problems. And perhaps you have asked God a hundred times to take it away from you or to help you with it. Yet it seems He doesn’t hear and doesn’t answer. Has it ever become so overwhelming for you that you finally cried out to Him over it? I mean literally! Screaming, crying, flinging yourself on the floor wailing asking Him over and over for an answer???? Recently I went through one of those times and it took me 2 months to get through it and to really listen and find out what God’s answer would be. I spent that time just writing down my thoughts as they came. I hope it helps someone in some small way.

 

Sometimes in our desire to find answers from God we are lead into a deeper relationship with Him and we find we want to know God even more. I found that desire through this struggle with God (with my disability).

 

 

BURNING DESIRE

The question burns inside of me I’ve dared not ever ask

So personal so hard to think about it grieves me in my chest

I cannot think about it without feeling deep selfishness

Lord, I know You have an answer

But do I have the right to the request?

With many more on this planet who are worse off than I am

Do I have the right to make it heard?

It has only taken root inside my very core

Just recently I’ve discovered I even had the need.

Now I ask You humbly, this question upon my soul,

I wonder Lord, will You answer now

Or must I wait until I’m home

 

PART II

Lord, why is this bothering me so

Why am I suddenly so fearful

I thought I had accepted what You’ve given to me

Now it seems it has gotten too big

too heavy, too much

and I long for an answer to my questions

what must I do to hear them?

 

PART III

If I asked Lord, would you heal me?

If I want You to restore me, would You?

Such uncertainty, such regret,

That I never took the time to think any of this

Until now that I’m older, wiser I hope,

Have I waited too long to ask this of You?

Perhaps You’ve already answered and I haven’t heard

Maybe I’ve talked too much and not listened to a word

Yet now is the time… I feel pretty assured

You can handle these questions

You can take all the pressure

You can take all the anger 

and

You have an answer.

(~Marcell Warner Bridges, © November 2012)

 

PART IV

So Lord I asked You several times

and I,

I

cannot say I feel any better;

You say in Your Word to not worry

Not about what to wear

What we eat

Or the roof above our heads.

You even tell us not to worry about

TOMORROW.

Oh how I’ve worried lately Lord.

I’ve made everything about me.

Me, me, me, me.

Seems like lately my world has come

Crashing down around my head

And it has flowed all the way down

down, down, down

to the tips of my toes.

I don’t know where to turn

I don’t know what You want

I have listened to everyone’s counsel

I have listened to my own.

But I can’t seem to let it go

Let it sit at Your feet

I asked You to let me forget about it

even for a day…yet it stays…

All I want right now dear Lord,

is to rest in utter sweet peace.

(22 November 2012)

PART V

Today Lord, I was talking to you

And a thought occurred

It was very new

Perhaps I’ve heard Your answer

Perhaps I should listen to this

It felt so right and so real

I’m sure, I know it came from You.

It was just a whisper

Your still, small, voice

I heard it clear and I heard it in my heart

And there it was …

Be thankful dear child for what I’ve given you

Be thankful for what you have.

Don’t worry about what might be in the future

Just trust Me

Everything will be okay.

Whatever I give you to go through

Even if it is what you fear the most

Just rely on Me in all things

That is where lies your hope.

Go on dear child, listen to Me,

I know you are scared through and through

But trust in what you know

Believe in your heart

Have faith like a child

And I’ll lead you through every valley

Over every mountain

Through every dark shadow

Every fear that you feel

Every time you need help

I’ll be here.

~Marcell Warner Bridges

©January, 2013

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/yx1BMzYddJk&source=uds

 

© Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013

 



 

UNINSPIRED

AThe Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it@ 

 Psalm 68:11 (NKJV)

Sometimes I have the hardest time trying to write for my blog. Even after asking God what to write about, I find myself staring out the window not able to find words to put to paper.

A couple of years ago I was attending an English class in college.  We read poems and short stories and then we wrote critical essay=s on them. Near the end of the semester one of our assignments was to write a poem. The only requirements he gave to us was that it could not rhyme and could only be a page long (preferably shorter).  I remember sitting and staring out the window into the dark stormy night not an ounce of inspiration within me to write even one line. But eventually words began to flow into my brain:

UNINSPIRED

Uninterested, uninspired, unsure

not with it, just here, sitting

trying to count the stars

but they are hiding from me

nothing sounds like fun

nothing.

There is so much to do

places to go, be

but I don=t want to do any of those things.

What is it that makes me feel this way?

The sky is gray, crying, there is a wailing

streaks light up and there is a rumbling

a puddle at my feet.

It does not escape my notice

everyone looks the same

everything is waiting

still, silent, sleeping.

Just keeping time until

the sun comes out and brings

an awakening to our lives.

Marcell Warner Bridges

827, September 2009

Something just occurred to me. Perhaps I’m not reading my Bible enough? After all, the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16); therefore, my words should be inspired by Him as well. Inspiration can come from anything (nature, driving around in the car, music, other blogs, etc…) but I would think keeping my mind on God, reading and studying His Word and talking to Him through prayer and writing down what He says to me should be the greatest inspiration of all.

  © Karen L. Murphy photography, 2013

Dear Lord, speak to us. Speak through us. Help us to sit and listen to You and hear Your voice so that we can write Your words and then others will be inspired by You.

(Many of you know how much I enjoy sign language so when I found this video of this young lady signing “Word of  God speak” it seemed to fit perfectly with this blog posting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.) 
 

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Bnbc9y8H4xg&source=uds

  © Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013

JOY, PART 3…

Jesus. Others. You.

What does it mean to put ourselves last?  I‘ve thought and thought on this aspect of our J.O.Y.  acronym. 

J IS FOR JESUS (FIRST)

So far we’velearned that we MUST put Jesus first in our lives. We must make Him the number one priority in our hearts, souls and minds. In everything we do, He must come first. 

O IS FOR OTHERS (SECOND)

Next we learned that in order to have JOY we need to make sure we put others ahead our needs and wants. How? By loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

Y

YOU

Y IS FOR YOU (LAST)

Did you catch that? Love our neighbors AS OURSELVES!

So how do we love our self? We love ourselves by taking care of our bodies. We love ourselves by taking care of our families. But above all, we love our self by keeping God first in our life. When we have Him first and foremost, everything else falls into place as it should. (Hey! I’m preaching to the choir here!)  When we allow God first place in our life, we will know how to treat others and we will be happy to help others.

Putting ourselves last on the list does not mean we give up on taking care of ourselves or doing things for our own pleasure. It also doesn’t mean we get prideful about what we do and how we live. Loving ourselves means we allow God to work in us to be the best we can be in everything we do. It calls us to be thankful for what we have and for who is in our lives. It asks us to do everything with a good attitude and to be kind toward others no matter what. It reminds us to not only be respectful to others, but to respect ourselves as well.

J.O.Y.

JESUS FIRST

OTHERS SECOND

YOU LAST

Being last isn’t a death sentence. It is a quest to love the Lord God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls so that we can live fully and abundantly in Him!

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/t5DnUvrxpeM&source=uds

  © Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013

JOY, PART 2….

 

J.O.Y…PART 2

Lawyer: “Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus: “What does the law say?”

Lawyer: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus: “That answer is correct. Now go and do it.”

Lawyer: “BUT…who IS MY NEIGHBOR?”

Then Jesus tells this story:

“A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. During his journey some thieves beat him and stripped his clothes from him leaving him there to die. A priest comes along, sees him but keeps on going. Then a Levite (a member of the tribe of Levi from the Israelites that assists temple priests) finds him but the Levite just continues on his way. Finally a man called a Samaritan is traveling the same path and he sees the man lying almost dead on the ground. He takes pity on him, gives him oil and wine, bandages him and takes the man and his donkey to the nearest inn. There he gives the innkeeper money to take care of the injured man plus enough for two days of care.  Before he leaves the inn he gives the innkeeper instructions to help the man and tells the innkeeper he will pay any money owed when he returns in two days. Which is his neighbor? The one who had compassion and showed mercy to the man. Go out and do this.“ (Paraphrase of Luke 10:25-37 mine).

On Monday we began examining what the acronym J.O.Y stands for and the first letter of the acronym for J.O.Y. stands for keeping Jesus first in your life. Today let’s focus on “O”.

O stands for Others

Others Second

Not only are we to put God at the very tippy top of our priority list, we are then told to think about others more than ourselves. Show compassion to others. Help them. Encourage them. Feed them. Pray for them. Among many other things we can think of.

 

In today’s world it can be very hard to remember this principle In a world where so much is centered around the words, “I” and “me”, we forget there’s other people out there needing our time and attention. It is great to tell people how much God loves them but when was the last time we showed them how God loves them? How can we show them Christ’s love? This world sure can keep us busy. Too busy! What can we do today to step out from ourselves and help someone else? You never know when God will place you in someone’s path so that you can be Jesus to them. (And by the way, when you help others, it fills your heart with joy knowing you have done such a good thing). 

J – JESUS FIRST

O – OTHERS SECOND

(At the end of this movie you’ll see Matthew 22:39…‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’)

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/PT-HBl2TVtI&source=uds

© Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013

MY APOLOGIES

HI Everyone! Thank you so much for reading my blog! I so appreciate that you take a couple of minutes out of your day to read it.

Unfortunately my right hand and arm are causing me pain and I need to take a few days break from doing a lot of clicking and typing. The more I use my mouse the worse it gets. Ugh. So it is with sadness I cannot post Joy, Part 2 today. I will try to have it for you on Friday. 

Please enjoy this AWESOME song my friend Colleen Stevens Laylon wrote and my friend Gina Paoni arranged and is performing. It is one of my absolute favorite songs and a wonderful video.  I think it will bless your heart! 

Love,
Marcie

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/A6ib93g6SCY&source=uds

© Marcie Bridges, Heart Thoughts, 2013