"Then Frodo kissed Merry and Pippen,
and last of all Sam,
and went aboard;

the sails were drawn up,
the wind blew,
and slowly the ship slipped away
                            down the long grey firth;

the light of the glass of Galadriel
that Frodo bore
glimmered and was lost.

And the ship went out into the High Sea
and passed on

                            into the West,

until at last
on a night of rain
Frodo smelled
a sweet fragrance on the air
and heard the sound of singing that came
                            over the water.

And then it seemed to him that
as in his dream in the house of Bombadil,
the grey-rain curtain
turned all to silver glass
and was rolled back,
and he beheld

                         white shores
and beyond them

                         a fair green country
                                                        under a swift sunrise."

"     

                                                        - J.R.R Tolkien from The Return of the King

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire:
and them that had gotten the victory over the beast,
and over his image,
and over his mark,
and over the number of his name,
stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?
for thou only art holy:
for all nations shall come and worship before thee;
for thy judgments are made manifest."
- Revelations 15:2-4
from The King James Version

Satan may be the great divider but our God is the Multiplier, Jesus is the Unifier, and the Holy Spirit is the Empowerer of the Church!

A Christmas Gift from SEA Angel to me!

All naysayers negativity
God's blessings supercedes
By followers of God's Light
Often seen in your good deeds

Like The Lord Reigns
In your heart so much it shows
If another's faith grows dim
You will brighten again with God's glow

You're a blessing personified
As in your text all have heard
Your love and devotion pure
Firmly based within God's Word

So please accept this gift
Of my thankfulness so true
And I hope all get my drift
The Lord Truly Reigns in you

I hope you feel the love and faith
And devotion seen by others in you
Yet just in case you didn't know
God asked me to stop by so now you do

No better time than Christmas time
To share with someone special a special gift
Of appreciation for your friendship
For often giving our spirits a MUCH needed lift

THANK YOU SEA ANGEL!

12/16/07 

I am a proud poet in the Tapestry of Poets!

 Graphic created by a-bear.

I am also a proud member of A Group for Animal Lovers

Graphic created by Debilynn - thank you! 

Here is another tag created by Callisto Athena

Welcome to my world. I am a Christian poet and my faith doesn't hide itself in my work.

My precious Grandson Drew is the light of my life and my hope for tomorrow!

Pray
always,
not ceasing,
fervent requests.
Your   Almighty   God
listens, hears, delights in
your heart's yearnings, desires.
Gather your needs, praises, worship.
Offer these freely to  Him  who cares,

who holds your future in His holy hands.

The above poem is an etheree.

I welcome you all to take an AP class I am honored to teach called

Etheree Experiments

http://allpoetry.com/class/list

Graphic created by Mike Howes aka Silent Cougar.

"WHY DON'T WE HAVE REVIVAL? BECAUSE WE'RE WILLING TO LIVE WITHOUT IT!" ~~~ Jeremiah Perecky - Youth Minister

"God’s laws are His way of wrapping us in love." - WolfHeart aka Sherry

"I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living."
~ Anne Morrow Lindburgh

"I'd rather be caught holding up a bank than stealing so much as a two-word phrase from another writer." ~ Jack Smith

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."
  ~ Ernest Hemingway

"Success comes in "cans" not in "can'ts" ~ Kevin Villon

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.  ~William Wordsworth

"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
~ Ziggy

"Grief is never so heavy as it is when you have to carry it alone."
~ Vickie J.

"Two roads diverged into the wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by, and
that has made all the difference."
~ Robert Frost

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
What one trusts to be truths, turn into compromises
And what is called resignation is confirmed desperation."

~ Henry David Thoreau 

 “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” - Gibran

The Walking Song

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
~ JRR Tolkien

.
"There are three things, after all, that a poem must reach; the eye, the ear, and what we call the heart or the mind. It is most important of all to reach the heart of the reader."

~ Robert Frost

"If it makes an image - it's poetry." ~ Leo Connellan

"If I had no hands, I'd write poetry with my feet. If I had no eyes, I would still see life poetically. If I had no ears, I would feel the beauty in verse. If I had no voice, I would simply breathe in the poetry of words. Poetry touches, and is in every fiber that makes me, ME... it is my passion." --Renee Matthews-Jackson--

From Hardy Parkerson - a story to encourage teachers of all ages and subjects:
"What is that you are drawing a picture of, Johnny?" the teacher asked her student.
"I'm drawing a picture of God," Johnny answered.
"But no one knows what God looks like, Johnny," the teacher said.
"They will in a minute!" was Johnny's quick reply.
Never underestimate the abilities of your students nor your own.

"Poetry must be as new as foam and as old as a rock."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson from his journals in 1844.

"Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race!"

– C h a r l e s D i c k e n s

"But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus will be."

- Keating from the movie Dead Poets Society

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

- Eleanor Roosevelt 

"I would urge that the yeast of education is the idea of excellence, and the idea of excellence comprises as many forms as there are individuals, each of whom develops his own image of excellence. The school must have as one of its principal functions the nurturing of images of excellence."
- Jerome S. Bruner (20th century), U.S. psychologist and educator. (March 1961).

"Writing poems is easy - writing 'poetry' is harder - Writing GOOD poetry is desperately difficult and a utopian goal we are ALL striving for..."

- by sullivanthepoet

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."  

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it.
~ Anais Nin

Thank you Sharcu for sharing this prayer  -
St. Theresa's Prayer:
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of
faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on
the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you
are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and
allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is
there for each and every one of us.

Here is a wonderful poetic interpretation of 1Corinthians13 written by my new friend Freed by Mercy - What is love?

by Ruth Harms Calkin

You know, Lord, how I serve You
with great emotional fervor
In the limelight.

You know how eagerly I speak for You
At a Women's club.

You know my genuine enthusiasm
At a Bible study.

But how would I react, I wonder,
if You pointed to a basin of water
and asked me to wash the calloused feet
of a bent and wrinkled old woman
day after day, month after month,
in a room where nobody saw and nobody knew?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those who are seeking healing - seek the Healer! Christ is the Healer of our souls and our bodies. The following is a Scriptural message from the Healer:

My child, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to My words. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. I sent forth my word and healed you; I rescued you from the grave.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from Me, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation because I love you with an everlasting love.

I am a proud member of the group Wise Poets Society

 Graphic created by Mike Howes.

Movies to Upift and Renew
www.mayyoubebl essedmovie.com /
www.cryofthesp irit.com/havey ouseen.html
www.cryofthesp irit.com/birds ing.html
www.wisehearts .com/yaam2.htm l
www.powerofattitudemovie.com/

Music to Inspire and Refresh!

It is time to live a life of love that please Him and only Him! 

Lyrics to "May the Words of my Heart" by Tim Hughes -

A Hymn to Uplift and Renew
1.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

3.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Here is the melody:
www.namethathy mn.com/313.mid

Here are some words to describe me -

Attractive personality.sexy. Affectionate.Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented.Loves special things. Moody

Check out this website if you want some words to describe Yourself - pretty neat site!

http://www.quizilla.com/users/Conspiracy911/quizzes/ 

My Testimony
I am a Christian because my Lord saved me from a hell on earth and an eternity of darkness and despair. He turned my mourning into joy and my weaknesses into strengths.

I was born again at the age of 37 - deep in depression and alcohol abuse. My life was meaningless and I was filled with pain. I couldn't take being controlled by my drinking - I couldn't stop. I could work during the day but at night I had to drink. I lived with a perpetual hangover and the need for just one more drink.

One night in 1991, I couldn't live my life the way I was living it anymore. I knew who God was. I had been brought up as a good Lutheran. I prayed the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles Creed and even read 1 Corothians 13 every now and then when I needed to feel loved. But I wasn't reborn by the Spirit of God. That one night, I got on my knees and told God that I was going to kill myself (my husband had a gun) if He didn't "show me a better way." God heard and answered my prayer. I called the AA hotline and spoke to a Christian for hours. The next day I went to my first AA meeting. I haven't had a drink since.

Ninety days after I stopped drinking I found a Church where they were preaching the Gospel. I heard and received the Word of God at once. It has been one glorious moment after another since then. Not every moment is happy but I am happy because my Lord is real and I am His child. I know He has a plan for my life - a plan for my good and for His Kingdom on earth.

There is no better way to live than to live a Christian life. I could never go back.

Dark days filled with tears
desperately seeking a way out
repeating over and over

“I reject my life as I know it,
I reject my life as I know it.
I reject my life as I know it.”

Mornings spent retching in
the ladies room at work
as I tried to hide the noise
of my own body.

Afternoons spent lying to myself.
"Certainly I would stay sober.
Certainly I would get over the head ache.
Certainly I would remember how I felt
this morning."

Evenings at home
relaxing
talking
debating
arguing
reaching for the bottle
-the ever-faithful source
of my morning retching.

A night unremembered
followed by a new
morning spent running to
the ladies room at work.

A miracle happened 14 years ago.

The precious Lord God Almighty
reached down from heaven
and rescued
this
poor
sinner.

He took away my desire
to drink.

He filled me with
His Holy Wine
instead.

Before I was hopeless
now I have hope.
Before I was alone
now I am never alone.
Before I was barren
now I have two children
and a grandchild on the way.
Before I had no family
now I have my Church family.
Before I had a pointless job
now I have a teaching career.
Before I was at war with
my mind and body
now I am at peace with
God and man.

Before I was dead.

Today I live.

- thelordreigns 12/19/05

Scriptures to accept

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” Romans 10:13

My Beliefs

I believe that Jesus is God.

I believe in the Trinity of God - one God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God. It is what makes our Lord's sacrifice so personally and corporately powerful.

I believe in the Church as the called-out people of God. I believe that Christ is going to return for a glorious Bride and that the Bride is going to be the remnant Church.

I believe that Christ wants to bring His Kingdom to earth. I do not look to be "raptured" from this earth although I certainly wouldn’t refuse the call. I look for His Kingdom to be manifest here on earth.

I believe that the Holy Bible is my personal guide to living. It is the ultimate authority for me and leads me into all truth.

I believe that Jesus is God.

Romans 10:9-10
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Defending why I love Lord of the Rings
I actually fell in love with the trilogy way before I became a born-again believer. I think part of my obsession with the work was the peace I got reading it and the wonderful certainty that there is a God that knows the beginning to the end of our own stories. I also love it when good triumphs over evil.

Tolkien was a devout evangelical Catholic. He led the atheist C.S. Lewis to a saving faith in Jesus. So the author is a believer. The triology is packed with Christian themes (salvation, redemption, self-sacrifice, love, gentleness, meekness, and on and on). There's a book called Finding God in the Lord of the Rings by Bruner and Ware which is pretty good at detailing Tolkien's Christian message if you want more information on the links to Christianity.

-----///\\-----Please
----///-\\\----Put This
---|||---|||---On Your
---|||---|||---page If
---|||---|||---You Know
----\\\-///----Someone
-----\\///-----Who Died
------///\-----Of
-----///\\\----Cancer


My AP Friends

Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.                                                        ~Author:unknown

Sherry created this wonderful poster and wrote a tanka dedicated to me. allpoetry.com/Poem/2108400 Thank you Sherry. You are a dear and constant friend. I love you!

Here is a poem Malabu wrote for my dear kitty Patches who has been missing since October 7 2005. Thank you all for your prayers and concern. I am still praying Patches will find her way home.

“Lost”

Where is, patches?
Is She lost or gone astray
Tears of hope falling.

Writings of Malabu©2005

Here is a wonderful acrostic written for me by dear Iohagh
allpoetry.com/poem/1842757

Acrostic Thelordreigns

Thelordreigns is a Pixie of faith and love for all in pain
Hellfire is hot as you lead us all to a heavenly refrain.
Each one lost or otherwise by life's strain who may be confused
Leaves you a chance to explain how by darkness all are misused.
Oh, your daily call in praise to Glory be before others to see
Rightly is a light in the night that glows despite its simplicity.
Daily is the bread of hope ground from the bounty of fields
Repeating miracles taking a bit of feast turned presto to great yields.
Every time you rise to pass, young and old nod our caps.
I also light a key in my heart, a door you tapped.
Glory be to you whom loves all of us whom you see.
Now, I see clearly your faith and its meaning just for me
So as you go calling me to rise, I'm filled with glee.

by Iohagh

Here is a poem written for my two newly adopted feral kittens:
cute green eyes
gaze with gratitude --
ah, home sweet home!
- by Charishma 1/26/2006

The lion and lamb picture was painted by my dear friend Nan Schult. Please do not use without permission.

Even though you can't see him, he is there..If you believe in God put this in your profile! 

*HUGS* TOTAL!
give thelordreigns more *HUGS*

Get hugs of your own

For the curious - here is a picture of me with my family at my son's wedding!