The Land Of Counter-Poem

   Emily Elizabeth Dickinson ( December 10, 1803-May 15,1886) was an American poet, influenced by transcendental, existential  and humanistic ideas. Although many are not sure of what her worldview actually was, her writings reflect ideas of leading thinkers and writers of that time-people such as: William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily and Charlotte Bronte.

"Hope" is the thing with feathers
   By Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune- without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird            
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea; 
Yet, never, in extremity, 
It asked a crumb of me.








     I read this poem and I was struck with the beauty of the metaphor. 
But as I continued to read, I began to think about what my "Hope" truly is. 
John MacArthur says,"Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God."
Ravi Zacharias says, "Truth is reality as God sees it."

Therefore my "Hope" is in God alone. 
Psalm 65:5 "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him." 
He, the LORD, is my Hope, and the best metaphors are found in his word: 
Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like a fire, declares the LORD..."

"Hope" is not the thing with feathers   By Natasha Maule Cut the cords of this World’s philosophies-those hopeless tethers- Those sweet, alluring words that say: “ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”. For our “Hope” is of a calling much, much higher, Not- mere warmth- but an all-consuming Fire. And even in the coldest lands it burns, Because, in some souls there yearns, To spread this “Hope” across the strangest sea- And yes- this Fire will ask much of me. For my LORD has placed it in my soul- and it sings. It repels and buffets the World’s wanton things. With it, trials and strife, I can face. For God-my Hope- is my brace. For surely our Fortress is not a thing of fiberous down, Nor is our Rock a thing that shivers and is thrown down!         He who is our Hope, let that sing and be heard, For God-our Fire, Fortress, Rock-our Hope-                                                                     is not-a feeble bird.

   Heaven’s Doors By: Natasha Maule
O, that my lips would forever sing,
The purest lyrics to my King.
That my mind would feast on Thy daily bread,
And my flesh would find its will- dead.
That my knee would continually find sacred ground,
And I, with clasped hands, would be found.
O, the flesh is weak, but the spirit soars,
Alas, such purity is only found at Heaven’s doors.

But with Thy salvation’s power,
I can strive day, minute, and hour,
With Thy strength against sin- my enemy.
To cut the ties of the World, and put between us, enmity.
To adorn what Thee have planned,
With a cheerful heart, a steadfast spirit and a willing hand.
So that, when from my earthy body my soul soars,
Thou shall meet your faithful servant at Heaven’s doors.

From Hello! to Yo!

"Yo! Man! Wus up! Yo!"


"Not’in much bro…. just chill’in. Yo."


      What is this? This is a typical conversation between two young people in America. What is wrong with this? It is a complete massacre of the English language. When young people speak to one another it should be a conversation of full and complete sentences, correct pronoun usage and a sincere greeting. It should be a conversation, especially for the Christian young person, that glorifies God, not only in its contents but in its structure as well.

     Studies have been done on language usage of the youth in today’s culture. Many young people are totally unaware of basic vocabulary words, sentence structure, or even proper grammar. Instead they resort to a form of conversation as stated above, and sadly many young Christians are participants of such a practice. Instead, Christians in this culture should understand the dilemma and realize why this is happening. It is happening because of sin, the depravity of man that does not want to glorify God in thought, word or deed but wants to glorify himself. God has given us some beautiful tools to communicate with one another. These tools are language and a mouth to speak a language or languages. He has set up great men to organize a language in a proper and orderly form and has commanded that we study our language and acquire knowledge and wisdom as to how to use it effectively ( Proverbs 4:5,6 ). In the Bible, He has charged us  “be always ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you” , in short, to proclaim the Gospel. How can we do this clearly if we cannot speak concise and coherent sentences? He also says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Greeting or conversing with someone sincerely and properly will show how much you truly care for that person. A flippant “Yo Man! Wus up?” will not. Colossians 4:6 says “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” One of the definitions of the word grace is “elegance refinement or beauty of form or manner”. This is what a godly conversation should portray. Ephesians 5:4 states “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” We should also not joke about rough or crude language, but our mouth should be opened in exalting thanksgiving to our Savior. In Matthew 12:36 Jesus says that “But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” Not only should we be concerned about what we say to others, but the whole of our speech should be pure, gracious and lucid. PHIL 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” In conclusion, everything we say should be to the praise and glory of God!

 "Hello, how are you?"


 "I am advancing by God’s grace."


 "Praise the Lord, He is good!"


     Our greetings and conversations should be something like what is depicted above; clear English and the praise of God continually in our mouth. Our speech should not be inspired by a culture which is Godless and in need of salvation, but rather,every syllable, word and phrase should be inspired by the beauty, grace, and sovereignty of our Savior and almighty God. Remember, we are called to be a peculiar people,( 1Peter 2:9) "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"



                                                          So Let it Be!

Poem

What is Music? By: Natasha Maule

Music is not just the melodic strains you hear or sing
but it was created and ordained to glorify our King.

Each note has a value and each harmony it's tone
and each instrument its position and each melody its throne.

Let us not diminish then what God has forthwith laid down,
what the foundation of music is and the definition of orderly sound.

God in His word has given us a forthright and systematic plan,
for what He wants in music and what He wants of man.

He says that everything is to reflect His attributes, character and Word,
and by this, from our sinful flesh can we ever hope to be cured.

And in this-

If God's attributes are orderly, good and right,
shouldn't this put any doubt of what music is- to flight?

If His characteristics are noble,beautiful and sure,
shouldn't each trumpet blast be noble and each lyric be pure?

And if truth is His word,
shouldn't music compel us to seek it?
And not by it instead the evil thoughts of men be stirred?

So let us, with this in mind contemplate what we compose and what we sing,
so that we will always, in fact, glorify our King.

O Flower of Scotland(Scottish National Anthem)-Guitar and Violin

My sister and I.