FOLLOW ME

Ok, well Nicole and I aren't officially married yet, but May 5th isn't far away, so we are making our website dangit! Follow the link to our blog! http://nathanandnicole.wordpress.com

THE STARFISH POEM

Once upon a time there was a wise man
who used to go to the ocean
to do his writing.
He had a habit of walking
on the beach
before he began his work.

One day he was walking along
the shore.
As he looked down the beach,
he saw a human
figure moving like a dancer.
He smiled to himself to think
of someone who would
dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster
to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw
that it was a young man
and the young man wasn't dancing,
but instead he was reaching
down to the shore,
picking up something
and very gently throwing it
into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,
"Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young man paused,
looked up and replied,
"Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked,
why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.
And if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But, young man, don't you realize that
there are miles and miles of beach
and starfish all along it.
You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.
Then bent down, picked up another starfish
and threw it into the sea,
past the breaking waves and said-
"It made a difference for that one."

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I as an American, citizen and soldier, keep these words in my mind along with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. My ancestors were immigrants of Irish decent, unhindered in gaining citizenship to the U.S. except by traveling here. May it be that we as Americans never forget to keep our borders open to those who would approach them. Let us always show care and compassion to those who come to our country to live and be part of the community we call our nation. May we never as a country deny people anywhere the ability to come here and experience the natural rights of men, such as equality, liberty, and even life. If we squelch those who desire these things, it will follow that we ourselves, along with what we say we represent, will fade into a growing darkness of cruelty, intolerance, hatred that pervades too much of the world.

The Broken Cross
My heart is filled with sadness over the breaking of the cross. The Church in America has allowed societal stresses to break the unity of the Church in Christ. We have fallen into the course of the church that was at Corinth in the middle of the 1st Century, which was known for diversity of culture, wealth, commerce, and immorality; sound familiar? In that day, the Corinthian society was riddled with competitive individualism, an attitude that spilled over into the church which led to feuding groups that developed around rival leading figures and thoughts. 1 Corinthians 1:10,13a " I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. Is Christ divided?" Where do we allow our faith to rest? Is it on God's power or in the faith of men? May it never be on the latter, but only the former. So many of us continue to be mere infants in Christ, allowing divisive arguments to separate the body of Christ. Are we not all fellow workers under God? Let us teach Christ and him Crucified, not simply relying on eloquence of speech or superior wisdom of the world, but rather on God's wisdom and the Spirit which He has given us. Let us as fellow guardians in Christ encourage one another in unity of the spirit to grow in all spiritual wisdom and knowledge holding fast to the faith we profess, namely Christ. Paul emphasized to the Church at Ephesus the same, urging them to live a life worthy of the calling which we have received. We have not made every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, one hope, one faith, on baptism, on God, our Father who is over all and through all and in all. My hope is that we will no longer live as the world does but we will rest in the grace of God concerning all of this bearing with one another in love.

When the morning breaks

When the evening fails

I will write Your word upon my heart, oh Lord

When the fires burn

When the rain comes down

I can feel Your grace flow through me

Without a sound Nothing is certain, but I'm certain of You

Pull back this curtain, let Your light in this room

And all that's true, I find in You

The more I drink of Your word

The more I thirst for You

When the world dissolves

And the sun just flickers out

I will write Your word upon my heart, oh Lord

When the stars crash down

At the end of the age

I can feel Your touch

As You wipe my tears away

Building a sorrowful loveliness

Out of the darkness

Out of this furnace

I find You

The Father's Song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song
Heaven's perfect mystery
The king of love has sent for me
And now you're singing over me
The Father's song
I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
Sounds above them all
The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

It's Heaven's perfect mystery
The king of love has sent for me
And now you're singing over me
The Father's song
The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart
It's written on my heart
The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart
It's written on my heart
You sing it over me
Father

Engaged

We saw God's beauty in nature and in our relationship. With God's guidance we decided to make the latter as permanent as the former. Praise God from whom all blessings flow