Growing

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Timothy S.

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A branch cried out for sunlight, air and water escaping to a cast that just seemed broader

A stampede crushing dynamite exploded any tailgates in it’s path
One and one equals three do the math

The ground froze solid adjourning any flowers for blooming, a corporation argued its appeals stating the market is booming

A troubled fighter grew hasty and wise, positioning the stem to open its eyes

A precocious daisy blossomed ahead of its time, planting a colt to leap beyond the tallest climb

So he did.

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She’s Home

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Timothy S.

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Today I witnessed the most beautiful touching memorial service of my life.
There was not a dry eye in the house when her faithful husband shared how he walked her down the aisle to meet Jesus the same way a father would walk his daughter to give away in marriage.

And then they played the song “He was walking her home,” by Mark Schultz. OMG, I get choked up writing this as I replay that song in my head. I have never seen so many mature men crying at the same time. Sure, the guy sitting next to me tried holding back but he was wiping tears the way we all did today.

These were tears of joy when you know and see the love of God and hear passionate words coming through her loving husband. Like I said, not a dry eye in the house.

After the service I came home and was inspired to write this poem. I hope people find comfort in this writing if they have ever lost someone to Heaven.

“She’s Home”

Walking her home he learned more about her ultimate Father
He wanted her to stay but she said, I am ok, I love you, please don’t bother

A peaceful introduction needed not a word spoken, as He smiled wide receiving a body completely unbroken

Hands enjoying a touch that have the power to light up the whole Earth with just a single-touch…no hospital exist or is needed, not even a crutch

Feet flowing freely as her arms entered an unending love of embrace, it is the happiest she has been, being face to face, with the creator of the human race.

She soaked up His all-loving, and all mighty, grace….grace…grace….

Pearls began to shine brighter and brighter as they reflected off His artwork, what we simply call stars

They were designed this way to remind her love ones, Jesus erased all the scars

With great joy, her Father led her down a road paved with 316 karat gold, gold purer than she ever imagined or expected,

previously she can only see 24 karat but He wanted to reward her in great-awe for all the people she so positively affected

God said to her, I saved this awesome awe for your pleasant surprise,

welcome home My child, you now have perfect peace with the purest love…. as you see through My grace-filled eyes

Welcome home.

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Anew

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Timothy S.

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Nerves unending, stop the blame, never let a plastic reflector bring you shame

marching forward the flag found the pole, it took a while but they were both made whole

restoration, manifestation
purification, they are all good

New plains. New lanes. New gains. New jeans. Even new Janes, some plane, part of the process

repeating a broken spell does not whiten a swans feathers, they are two different creatures living in completely two different weathers

one goes north, one goes south and east does meet the west

Laurel meets Hardy, it’s another fine mess

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The Skinny Road

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Timothy S.

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“The skinny road”
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The white snow leaps over the hollow pond
the thin ice streams colorless breaks
while the wilted guard-rail just stops,

casting in it’s territory an overpriced fence

it hurries down a skinny road jolting wide-open a crisp door and a life changing rock globs for attention quickening down the wind

The frozen temperature laughs, all is clear

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Getting Ready

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Timothy S.

“Getting Ready”

Sweet love hovering above your dreams
The angel rises everywhere, it seems

A sticky arrow stings from the quiver, bringing forth a note to deliver

A towering tree stands early and grand, covering the 100 years it’s life has spanned

A landscape spoke in a quiet flash
When suddenly a mile a minute blinked her every eyelash

The intense bullet chased a fleeting arrow
he stood close like a woodshed storing a beat-up Camaro

Springing ready he is confident of the resurrection
His voice has pitched, you can here it in the inflection

A tablecloth has been set, it ached still and steady

A fleeting caterpillar flew by when he realized he wasn’t ready

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An “Awesome-Jar”

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Timothy S.

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“Every day is a blessing, every day’s a gift,every day is Christmas when you’re the one I wake up with”. Those are words penned by one of my favorite singer-songwriters John Eddie.

On my journey I learned these words have deeper meaning when “The One” you wake up with is Jesus Christ Himself. He truly makes every day a blessing, every day a gift….

He is the Gift that keeps on giving. Not that people are not gifts, I believe they are, and they certainly can be heart-warming blessings but CHRISTmas can be everyday with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Every DAY is a gift. Every moment is a gift.

Allow God to show you your daily blessings. This year I am going to keep what I call an “Awesome-Jar”. God graces us with awesome things and people, so why not collect those experiences on a post-it note and watch them pile up in a see-through jar?

I am game for this idea. Next year, I can reflect on 365 gifts I received throughout this auspicious year. I trust these gifts are intangible and a larger garage will not be necessary.

My hope is every day this gift I am endowed with will imprint my heart and fill it with more love than a Mom seeing her child for the first time.

Oh yeah! Everyday is Christmas, everyday is a gift when you are the one I wake up with. Thank you Jesus.

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“One A Day”

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Timothy S.

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An “apple a day” keeps the doctor away. I know of something even better than that. I call it “A Proverb a day.” Read just “one a day” and you will wreak of WISDOM.

Imagine taking a shot of wisdom each and every day for free. I say shot because they are less than one page each yet chock-full of instant and powerful wisdom. There are a total of thirty-one chapters. One for each day of the month.

You can find these winning words in the Old Testament of the Bible. The 31 chapters are loaded with God’s wisdom spoken through King Solomon who is considered the wisest King of all time and certainly the wealthiest.

It is no coincidence that there are 31 chapters. By ingesting one chapter a day every day, you complete the whole book of Proverbs each month 12 times a year. You are privileged to have access to such sage advice twelve times a year ensuring this available wisdom sinks in to today’s mind that is more cluttered than a 3,000 square-foot home reduced to an 80 square-foot storage-shed after a divorce.

Clear your mind for a minute or two each morning and start your day with instructions on how to
avoid divorce, avoid financial hardship, gain a productive/rewarding and healthy life when you apply the principles that Proverbs suggest. Proverbs teaches us about foolishness, wisdom, pride, fear,wealth, gossip, insecurity and a whole host of pertinent ideologies as well as real-life materialistic concerns.

An example would be Proverbs 12:24 that suggests diligent hands will rule for laziness ends in forced labor. This proverb is probably common sense but applying it is where the wisdom comes in. God offers his wisdom freely if you ask Him for it. Sometimes wisdom is just common sense with ardent application.

I encourage you to start today. Pull out your Bible to whatever day you are reading this writing and read the one-page Proverb of the day. Start today. It is a good-read and offers keys to prosperity and a well-balanced life.

What’s your favorite proverb? Do you have one. Do tell.

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Joy to the World!

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Timothy S.

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Joy to the World!

The weather outside is not only frightful and it is not even close to being delightful. The weather does not make a great match for the venue which contains miles of sand where the ocean meets it boundaries. The roads are wet and feisty yet after visiting the church my kids attend http://www.fbcmanasquan.homestead.com today while walking towards the car my bundle-of-joy daughter with her joyful spontaneity shouts out in an enthusiastic voice, “Let’s go to the beach!”

The beach?? It is freezing cold outside with flurries of snow dotting the Manasquan sky yet it is a joyous day so we head the one-mile ride to the Great Atlantic Ocean. Let’s shout for joy!

Joy to the world!! Yes my friends. Joy to the world. Be filled with joy regardless of the weather. Even Josh Ritter sings a song about joy to everyone, joy to wherever you are. He even mutters out “Joy to the highway.”

Everybody enJOYS a beach day at the Jersey shore in the summertime and it takes someone either slightly crazy or filled with joy to enJOY that same beach on a whipping-cold December day.

Love and Joy are both fruit of the Holy Spirit and it is something we all seek.
Love and joy culminated together,and shared produce good-times and cheerful laughter. Laughter is exactly what we created today being the only ones on the beach taking our hoods off real quick for a photograph while yelling at the camera-man to hurry-up as he fumbles with his jacket while we noticeably shiver during our pose.

Soon we crack up laughing. There is nothing funny about that but when you are with people you love and are filled with love and joy, laughter is bound to follow.

Do you want an everlasting joy? I know where you can find it. It starts by having a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don’t know how to do that email me at justaguyonajourney@yahoo.com and ask me. I am always happy to share good news.

Are you ready for true, never-ending joy that last throughout your journey that is so personal no one can take it from you whether the wind is whipping cold-air off the December Atlantic Ocean or it’s summertime at the Jersey Shore and your battery-operated scooter runs out of juice and you look foolish pedaling a silly scooter while the pretty girls drive-by in their convertibles laughing. Either way, it is all joy!

What are you most joyous about today?

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Rejoicing and a School Bus

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Timothy S.

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Rejoice! A school bus.

Enjoying an attitude of gratitude listening to Matthew West’s song, the “Heart of Christmas” plays on my car radio. Graciously celebrating the small-things, I count my blessings, and I am thankful on my way to work, I am not behind a school bus.

In a state of gratefulness for there is no school bus in sight, hitting my brakes to slow down two and a half tons of steel rolling down a long and winding road becomes unnecessary.

In this joyful state, I am writing a story in my head about being grateful for what we do not get. I did not get stuck behind a school bus so I am thinking I can write a story about simply rejoicing about the things that do NOT happen to us and counting it as a blessing.

But wait! 30 seconds later two blind curves ahead of me on this narrow road in the mountains, red lights are flashing as I navigate the sharp twists in the road. You guessed it. A stopped school bus.

“Oh snap!” Radiating through my mind is, “There goes my story about being grateful for what we do not receive.

Remaining joyous, without a shred of impatience, I  am inquisitive as to why would a bus show up on my path after counting my blessing of a clear path to work. I soon learn why.

Habbukkak 3:17-18 comes to my mind where it says “Though the fig tree does not blossom and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crop fails, though there are no sheep in the pen or cattle in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”

Translation…. Whether things are good or bad, either way rejoice in the Lord whether you are stuck behind a school bus or not.

“Rejoice! Just like the U2 song says “What am I to do? What am I to say? I cannot change the world I can only change the world in me if I rejoice, REJOICE.”

Allow me to encourage you. When you get stuck behind a school bus…REJOICE. When you are not behind a school bus….Rejoice! Either way Rejoice! Please share with me. What are you rejoicing about this Christmas season?

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A Directed Journey

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Timothy S.
12-1-2013 The Right Place

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The Right Place

When I got back home to New Jersey this summer I automatically resume attending the church I attended with a dear friend I met on my wonderful journey.
We no longer walk in each other’s company and attending her church magnified our lack of active friendship with each other so I prayed for God to lead me to a new church and give me a better feeling when I am in His House.
The same week I am led down Marshall Hill Road in West Milford Township. Bingo! I can now see why God steered me to live in the most Northern part of Jersey where the air is mountain-fresh and the roads are high and hilly. Exploring the local roads, I surprisingly drive by a wooden-sign that made me do a rubber-necking double-take, the word Journey pops out at me as I wheel on by the Journey Church for the first time.
Is God answering my prayer right away as I decided just a few days earlier to find a new church? Yes He is, and I did not have to look far! The Journey Church is about five miles from my house and is actually the closest church to my home the way the starlings fly. My former church was a 45 minute-ride and about three premium gallons of unleaded fuel consumed per round-trip.
Sure enough, visiting the Journey Church http://www.awakenj.com, I believe I am in the right place for “just a guy on a journey.”
Seeking confirmation from God that this is the church for me for right now, I pray silently and then wait a moment or two. I flip open up to Haggai 2 and it says the twenty-second day of the seventh month…..and He goes on about filling the temple with His glory.
Haggai is a book in the Bible I have never layed eyes on before. I see why it is called to my attention.
I check my notes and I see my first time at Journey Church was July 22 (The 7th month, 22nd day). I believe God is telling me, “This is your new church Tim.”
Furthermore, the Pastor tells me the church is on a spirit-led journey that started September, 2012. September, 2012 is the same time I started my blog justaguyonajourney.com. Our journeys coincide with each other. Everything lines up. It makes perfect sense coupled with me “just knowing” I belong here. God is giving me written clues just so I know for sure.
Proverbs 3:6 says in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
Rest assured, God definitely answers prayer and gives us direction when we seek it. One just needs to ask and then listen with expectation. Be encouraged my friends, He does answer and will guide you appropriately to where you can serve Him best while enhancing your growth. He has a plan. Are you open to hearing it?
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