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Vol. 2 Issue #6
The Edifier Online
Text Version April, 1998
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Contents:
Sometimes When We Struggle - by Kevin Worrall
A THOUGHT IN YOUR DAY: November 23, 1993 - by CHERYL A. LAVENDER
Your Ways - by Janae L Ivie
A Joyous Accomplisher - by Janae L Ivie
Something But Never Nothing - by Janae L Ivie
The Game - by anonymous
Within me - by David Staley
Words for Beth - by David Staley
Come Soft, the Light of This, a Noonday Sun - by Joshua D. Smith
Cool Sites to Check Out!
MARRIED - by eljay
KNOTS - by eljay
ORDER - by eljay
Final Words
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Sometimes When We Struggle
Written by: Kevin Worrall
KMWorrall@compuserve.com
Sometimes when we struggle as Christians, we dwell on our attitude
and behaviour discovering that the way we have acted wasn't much
better than someone who doesn't know Jesus. But on further thought
there is a world of difference between me and the Godless. I am a
living part of Gods kingdom, I know God's law and want to live it
out, I appreciate the value and purpose, to give me guidelines, to
show me where I am wrong. Nevertheless, sin is a bias on my
character, the hereditary corruption of sin lies within the members
of my body and causes me, (as Paul says) to do what I don't want to
do, to disobey God. God has reminded me that I am not bound up to
the law down to the last letter. If he thought we could live up to
it He wouldn't have sent Jesus to justify us. Now God doesn't sit up
in heaven with a heavenly microscope pre-occupied with my every
iniquity, because He has declared me righteous and that is how he
sees me in Christ. So I need not drive myself into despondence
expecting God to love me less or not to accept me when I slip up.
Why? because since I accepted Jesus, in God's sight I have been
blameless and above reproach. And when I look at things this way, to
sin almost becomes hard work!
So the difference between me and someone who doesn't know Jesus is
that I know my purpose for living. I don't need to search to find
something to fill the gap in my heart. As I grow in Christ, the gap
is filled and I know my destiny. Where am I going when my life is
done? To live in a perfect paradise, where I will know no weaknesses,
limitations or inadequacy. It seems foolish to the world but sense
and truth to us, we have the answers to this world and its being
(thank God for His grace). We know that God created this world, just
look around and see the immense complexities of the creation around
us. Observe the consistency of the creation and the beauty. Take a
step back from what has always been taken for granted and give some
thought to it's meaning. Did it all arrive so beautifully from a
vast chemical explosion? You mean we all came about with two eyes,
A nose and a mouth, all in the same place out of an explosion?
Something was there in the beginning and that doesn't explain it for
me! We are not animals but people, that God loves. That's why I do
not need to live like an animal but like a person who is valued.
There is a God beyond all this and he is sustaining you and me every
day. Without Him the invisible breath of life in us would not be.
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A THOUGHT IN YOUR DAY: November 23, 1993
BY
CHERYL A. LAVENDER
cheryl43@mindspring.com
ROMANS 9:16 -- SO THEN IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE MAN WHO WILLS OR
THE MAN WHO RUNS, BUT ON GOD WHO HAS MERCY.
Dear Father in heaven, what caused me to be a thought in Your day?
Why in all Your Creation did You consider me?
Was it for things that I had done?
Was it for what I would bring to You?
No! May it never be! It could not have been anything in me.
Sin reigns undivided, O wretched soul that I am!
Still the question rings over in my ears. Why did You think on me?
Would I love to overflowing? Would I give without complaining?
No! It would never be! It could not have been anything in me.
Sin reigns undivided, O wretched soul that I am!
My love is fully tainted. I give no more than I can.
So, Lord, as I humbly bow face down, I ask again,
"What did You imagine in me?"
Looking to Jesus I am able to see.
The blood flowing down from eternity has covered my inability.
What good is done is not by me,but by the only One who can free the
soul bound by his iniquity.
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Your Ways
BY
Janae L Ivie
janaeivie@juno.com
http://members.tripod.com/~Christianpoetry/index.html
Show me Your
ways O Lord
In every part
of my life may
I glorify you
A life that is full
of service unto You
will never cease
in me
I long for
Your coming
each and
everyday
I worship You
in everything
no matter where
I am
Your ways will
be my ways when
they are shown
to me!
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A Joyous Accomplisher
BY
Janae L Ivie
janaeivie@juno.com
http://members.tripod.com/~Christianpoetry/index.html
How joyous it is
when someone
accomplishes a
difficult task
The feeling of
happiness is
about the heart
of the accomplisher
Everybody faces
challenging circumstances
on a daily basis
But if we trust God
in everything He will
help us overcome
our daily challenges
It is then when we
are finished facing
the difficult challenge
that we are the
joyous accomplisher!
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Something But Never Nothing
BY
Janae L Ivie
janaeivie@juno.com
http://members.tripod.com/~Christianpoetry/index.html
When I feel as
though I am nothing
in this world, I think
of Your greatness
I remember how
You created
everything including
myself
I feel a sense of
security and
reassurance
knowing that
I am a something
Everybody is a something,
but never a nothing
Although it may seem
strange, just remember
that Jesus is the one
who makes us feel
like a something all
the time!
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The Game
by
anonymous
*Editor's note*
This was a post that was made to the Christian Unity email
discussion list on 3/16/98. The author gave permission for me
to include it in this issue of The Edifier Online. I think
that it will hit home for those of us who have ever been on an
email discussion list. Enjoy!
Hello all,
I've been on this list for a while - seen some cool stuff, seen
some stupid stuff. Right now, it seems that there's a game being
played. It goes something like this:
Contestant #1 shoots an arrow into a group of people and waits to
hear the now-familiar (he's done this many times before) "ouch!",
signalling that he has hit someone (Contestant #2). Contestant #2,
with arrow sticking out his backside, runs over to Contestant #1
and decides to fire an arrow of his own. Contestant #2 didn't ask
to play the game, but nevertheless couldn't resist jumping in
anyway. Contestant #2's arrow flies over to Contestant #1 and hits
him, but doesn't seem to do much damage, because Contestant #1 has
been hit many times before (that's where he got the arrows to fire
at people in the first place). Contestant #1 smiles and fires back,
not at Contestant #2, but at Contestants #3, #4, #5, etc. Because,
Contestant #1 knows from experience that this game is much more fun
when ALOT of people are playing. Of course, other players are hit and
begin to fire back. And amidst all this commotion, the thought never
occurs to anyone to drop their arrows and shout out "I DON'T WANT TO
PLAY ANYMORE." To do so would surely end the game, but of course it
would also end the "pleasure" of knowing that you just got in a good
shot.....
Anyone want to quit and go fishin' instead?
--
To subscribe send message to christianunity-subscribe@associate.com
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Within me
by
David Staley
dragonraid@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5268/dr.html
Within me
a smoldering ember of life
a pocket of darkness
in the heat of the night
a hope unreconciled with a dream
a fish in a puddle
cut off from the stream
Without a word to convey
a memory not born
a life not concieved
aged without death
in my mind not my soul
that my hand will not touch
that my eyes will never see
The end of the line
lies with me
by my side is the shadow
of a child that won't be
consumed in the darkness
cast by my presence
on the ground no foot will walk
where no voice will sing
A bird in flight
with no place to land
a sun in the horizon
that never sinks to the sand
No son will be born to me
No daughter will I ever see
that has come from my soul
that I'll hold in my arms
that I'll sing to sleep with a story of old.
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Words for Beth
by
David Staley
saviour_machine@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/4404
Upon my soul my words come crashing
Dashing, as against the shore
But the sound's too distant
So I search for meaning
Till search I can no more
The deepest well, the ocean rather
As deep it is can not be drowned
The words for feelings to grasp
Eludes me like dark
As it turns to dawn
But seek it still
Shall I not find it
What lies within my soul
To say the words
One sentence...can it
Tell all that within me holds
My lips do part
My mind it races
My heart it beats
My temples pound
From heart, to mind, to mouth...
Then silence
No words are to be found
But could I write
Could my tears express
Could my laughter, my embrace
Would it be the same
It seems as though they all would falter
Like words
My heart they could not contain
So through the day
That turns to weeks
That slowly fades to countless years
In this I see my words expressed
More clearly than an ear could hear
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Come Soft, the Light of This, a Noonday Sun
By
Joshua D. Smith
jdsmith@georgefox.edu
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4529
- A Petrarchan Sonnet written on 19 March, 1997
Come soft, the light of this, a nonday sun
Bewitches light, and casts it upon my face,
Bringing warmth that love cannot replace --
But never bringing love like that of one
Who loved the helpless soldier -- who's not won
The battles for the one who gave him lace.
She breaths words that cannot ever replace
The pain of wounds that ne'er shall be undone.
She feels not pain -- but rather feels delight
To see this ragged soldier in his doom
Come to her arms, the bliss of Ignorance
Blinds my eyes, to never see my plight --
Neglecting sun and warmth, I seek the tomb
And hope within her arms for one last chance.
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^\^/^/^/^
/ _ _ \
( @) (@ )
(======================oOOO=====(_)=====OOOo===============)
( )
( Cool Sites to Check Out! )
( <>< )
( Visions of Glory Online Magazine - http://www.vog.org ) )
( <>< )
( The Lamb's Bride Project - http://www.groups.org )
( <>< )
( Christian Toys & Games )
( http://www.freelinks.com/christiantoysandgames/ )
( <>< ) )
( Mitch Buckner's Redemption CCG Page )
( http://www.angelfire.com/tn/Redemptioncards )
( )
(===============================Oooo.======================)
.oooO (@ )
( @) ) /
\ ( (_/
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ASCII art from Joshua Smith's signature file
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MARRIED
BY
eljay
eljay@mcn.org
Marry me, I said to thee, and you did not deny me.
Be my husband, the protector of my life.
God's promise to me, comes true in you.
Half of the puzzle.
A challenge.
When you say those words I thought I'd never hear.
When you hold me and I feel the greatest, gentlest love, simmering
beside me: peaceful, warm, patient, gentle, very strong.
When you forgive me again and again, even if you can't forget.
When you let me know there is something MORE than me.
When you teach me.
When we are apart, and then come together again.
When we check again and again to see if it's still there: and it is.
When we are sure.
When we doubt.
When we laugh.
When we cry.
When we make plans.
When we open doors in each others hearts that we didn't know were
closed.
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KNOTS
BY
eljay
eljay@mcn.org
This is the hard part: where we don't get along.
This is where I push and you pull, to see who is the most strong.
This is where we say some things maybe we shouldn't have.
This is where we must be careful, because it's hard to take back.
We are untying our knots together.
Niether of us is sure how.
It is a painstaking process and we both find this hard to accept.
We wonder if it is worth it, at these times.
We pray for the peace between us to return.
We pray for our eyes to meet again not in anger.
I pray for your arms around me soft again.
I pray for you to understand what I meant when I said what I said.
I pray that I will understand too.
I pray for the strength to help you understand, to find the words,
to put them the right way.
I pray that God is with us, and showing us how to
untie the knots.
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ORDERS
BY
eljay
eljay@mcn.org
The orders are sent, down the chimney with care.
In hopes that my life, would soon be made fair.
In hopes that my dreams, would come true sometime soon.
And the marriage to end marriages, would take place in June.
Perhaps it was October, perhaps I wasn't wearing a dress.
An elopement of sorts.
Will I ever know for sure?
Is it desperately wrong to grow to love someone?
If this is love, what was it before?
My life should be in order soon, or so they say.
They say I am doing quite well.
It seems I am out of harms way, which is not so much what
the fairy tale promised.
I don't mean to complain but torment did not vanish with my vows.
I cannot say I was mad for him.
It was all so much different than that.
It had to do with ideas.
It had to do with theories.
But did it have to do with love?
And if not, or if so, what is this elusive feeling which I
do profess to feel at times for my husband,
but which is at times cold and frightening,
not warm and inviting as I had imagined?
What kind of person am I to feel this way?
I pray that God will lead me and guide me,
and His will be done.
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Final Words
I can't say enough how truly honored I am to be able to read all of
the submissions that are sent to me for The Edifier Online! If you
don't see your submission in this issue, it *will* appear in a
future one! Thank you very much for your participation!
As I always say, if you haven't submitted anything to The Edifier
Online, but would like to, please do so. Just send your submission
to me at: the_edifier@hotmail.com or if you have any questions
please email me and ask.
Please update your bookmarks and links to reflect the NEW site for
THE EDIFIER ONLINE: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/6749
Until next issue, may God bless you and keep you!
In Christ,
David Staley
The Edifier Online: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/6749
Email: the_edifier@hotmail.com
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