christy_the_poet's Xanga

appreciating the storm

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:24:28 GMT

Appreciating the Storm

My mom would get so frustrated and upset with me and my daydreaming, she would say, “You always have your head in the clouds!” You know what? Those of us with our heads in the clouds are the first to see the rainbows.

I was driving down the road when the rain began pelting my ‘88 Delta 88. The rain was coming down so hard and fast that I was compelled to slow to a creeping 10 mph. What! Why? This is slowing everything down. This is wreaking havoc on my plans. I have places to go, things to accomplish in just a short amount of time. How could this happen now? Of course, I tried to reason with myself and lose the attitude. After all, the trees needed the rain. The grass had been turning brown and dry. Flowers were wilting. The rain was required. I was not terribly upset because of the downpour. The rain came down for a short half hour. I looked up and saw one of the most vivid rainbows I had ever seen. How many people did not even notice that rainbow. There were 120,000 people in town that day that saw the rain; and only a handful, I am sure, even took the time to appreciate the rainbow. Something good can always come out of the storm. If I had not seen the rainbow, I still would have noticed the greener grass in a matter of days. I thanked God for the rain as well as the rainbow.

How many people complained about the rain

and never took the time to admire the rainbow?

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:31:42 GMT

Life Begins

Life begins at 40,

That’s what some may say.

The moment born & breath begins

We live from day to day.

First a babe, then a child,

And on throughout the years.

A word is spoke, a smile is given,

We even shed some tears.

As life goes on the end draws near

Our steps begin to falter

Where e’er you say that it begins

I say life begins at the altar.

though i didn't write that one, i wanted to post it. we continually remind ourselves of our mistakes sometimes when we need only remember the cross. the altar. repentance. sometimes in today's religious world, we leave out and sometimes forget what repentance means. it's more than a confession...read proverbs 28:13. if my sins are hidden, let it be because they are on the altar and covered by the blood. let us forsake our sins.

You Set Me Free

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:19:42 GMT

You Set Me Free

©christy bahr

No words could ever truly express

The way I feel in gratefulness

For you have set me free

When the winds of doubt

Encompass me about

You speak your peace to me

When the bitterness of life

Tries to lure me into strife

You show me a better way

When the night seems so dark

And I search for a spark

You transform it into day

When questions blanket my mind

It is your peace I find

And I find you are all I need

Your truth has made me free

And You give me the victory

As long as your word I heed

When the mountain stands before me

Seeming insurmountable I see

It is nothing more than a small hill

For each new trial that tests my faith

You give me peace you give me grace

And my soul you fill.

whatever our souls need, whether courage, strength, encouragement God is able to fill us and not only transform us, but can also change the problems we face. Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell you that your problems are insurmountable. that the river has been raging too long and it's too deep and you can't walk on water....etc. when we can't walk on water, that's when He parts the sea.

BECAUSE HE LIVES

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:45:16 GMT

I know it has been a while since my last post. I ask forgiveness from my subscribers. I have been pondering on a thought for some time. I generally do not ponder on one too long before I write about it. A lot of people get asked what their favorite song is. When I think about that, I know I could never answer with just one song or even ten songs. I began to search my heart to find answers to the question I was never personally asked except in the form of "tell me everything about yourself" type emails (which I generally do not respond to). Of course, many people would list Amazing Grace as one of their all time favorites, and I would definitely have to include it into my top ten with no emphasis on what order in which it would land. Others might choose the hippest newest contemporary christian song out there, and I must say that I do like some of them that stir my heart and mind. One night while lying in bed, a song flooded my heart. It was the old hymn, "Because He Lives." I thought about all the songs that have been written since that song that elaborate on the hope of His resurrection. The fact that He is alive and not in a tomb, gives us the hope of a resurrection if that same Spirit that was in Christ abides in us. As the words played in my mind, I realized that song would have to be one of my favorites. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow....I can face anything life would throw at me because He lives. I can face any attack the enemy catapults at me. I can face the fear, the uncertainty, and the decisions of tomorrow because he lives. If He didn't live any other song on the christian charts would be meaningless. Life would be meaningless and hopeless. In life there were times I felt like tomorrow wasn't worth facing, and the words to that song would ring in my heart like an anthem. Because He lives, all fear is gone....He hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. Because I know He holds the future....I had no future without him. I had no reason or meaning without him. I can rest assured that the future is secure in Him because he didn't stay in the grave. My life is worth living just because He lives...and in those moments when the enemy thought he had me and told me life was worthless, that nobody loved me and nobody cared and that there was no purpose or meaning to life, I could tell him he was wrong because my Savior lives. My life truly is worth living because of Him.

the greatest miracle

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:56:24 GMT

The Greatest Miracle

The Lord heals blinded eyes

And makes the lame to walk,

Touches the broken hearted

Causes the dumb to talk

He walked upon the water

He even raised the dead

Greater things than these you’ll do

Is what he said

He multiplied the fish and loaves

Turned water into wine

When the people had the faith,

He met their needs just in time.

I dare say there are those

Who don’t believe in miracles today

I’m not convinced of such falsehood

For God is the same always.

In our ranks, we’ve seen the wounded

Walk away completely whole

Vitality restored when doctors believed

Cancer had taken its toll.

We’ve seen God take the brokenhearted

And restore hope again

Those that were wounded in their minds

Had found their heart’s best friend.

We’ve seen deliverance come to those

Who had been bound for years

Depression and sin had left them

In a seemingly endless stream of tears.

I know firsthand of His miracles

For I know how he set me free

I was so bound by bitterness and sadness

Because of the sin inside of me.

Of all his wondrous miracles,

The greatest is my sins washed away

When I asked Him for the truth

And then I chose to obey.

No matter the multitude of your sins

Or whatever your need is right now

God is a prayer answering God

And will work with miraculous power

JESUS CHRIST--THE GREAT HEART MENDER

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:08:25 GMT

THIS IS A POST FROM MY HUSBAND:

Jesus--the Great Heart Mender

It was the 19th of January. My brother-in-law had been staying with us. His kids had a three day weekend from school and were down visiting as well. The youngest daughter had a large scar on her right shoulder. It was a physical, visible scar that happened from something out of her control. The doctors tried to fix the wound but the stitches came loose and it left a huge amount of scar tissue. It was something that she didn't plan in life to happen to her but it became something of an embarrassment--something kept hidden under her clothing. So we began to pray for her and we knew that God could touch and heal her if he wanted to. As we began to pray, I began to get my mind on past prayers and situations that God used to build my faith in his healing power before I actually prayed for her because i wanted to have the right mindset. then we anointed her and laid hands on her and began to pray for her. While we prayed, the Lord began to show me that there are other scars in our lives that He is very much interested in that we may not be able to physically see and maybe try to hide and cover up whether conciously or subconciously for no one else to see. These are things that happen to us in our lives out of our control that we did not plan on but they are very real and they still effect our personalities, our attitudes, our character, our relationships, etc. These are scars from verbal abuse, emotional scars, wounds, spiritual scars, mental scars, and broken hearts from all kinds of abuse that we have taken and have had to live with over the years. As embarrassing to us as they might be, and as hard as we try to keep them covered for no one else to see, God still sees them and he is the one who really cares and wants to heal all those scars--For He is the great heart mender. after God showed me this, i began to talk to my neice about these things, and the hidden scars of her life. She cried. Then i asked her if i was off in left field somewhere or if what i was saying was hitting home. she said that i was right on target. so i directed it not just to her, but to myself, my wife, my brother-in-law, and my own family as well. God really does want to heal all of our scars, hurts, and wounds and make something remarkably beautiful out of our lives for His glory.

©L.W. Bahr

retrospect-ectomy

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:17:08 GMT

Retrospectomy

ã Christy Bahr

March 9, 2005

Why deal with painful memories

That haunt you from yesteryear?

Things that were said and done

Whisper regret in your ear.

Why deal with childhood abuse

That replays in your mind,

Torments you in your dreams,

When peace in Him you can find?

There is no need to repeat the past

And no need to regret

For you cannot change what has been done

So it’s best to forgive and forget

Let the Great Physician do surgery

On the memories you do not want.

Mercy and grace are the scalpel

That cut out the things that daunt.

visit a new xanga member

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:50:34 GMT

BE SURE TO VISIT THIS NEWBIE... HE HAS A LOT OF GOOD THINGS TO SAY. SEND SOME ENCOURAGEMENT HIS WAY. (and no, i didnt mean for that to rhyme, lol)

http://www.xanga.com/D_J_SHADOW

The empty grave

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:32:10 GMT

The Empty Grave

He endured the shame of the cross

To seek and save that which was lost

He endured the whip and the beating

The trial, the torture, the bleeding

To bring healing to the frail

Apprehending the keys of death

He has brought me peace and rest

He faced the deepest fear in me

So I could serve him in liberty

And through him, I can prevail

His blood flowed (a crimson river)

And caused the enemy to shiver

Now he trembles at the thought

Of the salvation that God brought

For mankind has a chance for a new start

He rose again on the third day

(This hope casting out all dismay)

Accomplishing his quest to save,

He left behind an empty grave

So he could fill my empty heart

ã Christy L. Bahr

the thought hit me the other day that he left an empty grave so he could fill my empty heart. every void in my life can be filled by him. when i trust him to fill every gap, he can do it either through his Spirit or by sending godly people into my life to enrich and encourage me. when there is a gap to feel more significant, he can send me to someone that needs me to encourage them. i know this poem would probably be more appropriate for easter or something, but really life is irrelevent without his resurrection no matter what time of the year it is. without the hope of the resurrection, there couldn't even be salvation because he would still be in the tomb. but my life was nothing more than an empty tomb, a grave of dead hopes and dreams until he filled me with his spirit so i wouldn't have to die in my sins. Thank You Jesus!

look who's laughing now

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:46:02 GMT

Look Who’s Laughing Now

Christy Bahr

November 21, 2003

Did the enemy laugh in your face

While you walked in sin’s disgrace?

As you trudged up Calvary’s hill,

Did he mock you with the news

Of those that did abuse

And reject you still?

How you came unto your own

You they would not own

For they did not recognize their own God.

You robed yourself in human skin

So that salvation they might win,

But the path of sin they still trod.

Now, I should not be heir to your grace

Nor ever hope to see your face

But you claimed me as your own

My heart sings with joy

For the mercy I employ

As I boldly approach your throne.

He laughs and mocks when I fall

And then trembles when on Your Name I call

Then You uphold me with Your hand

He’s angry when You give me victory

And sees the forgiveness you pour over me

It’s something he will never understand.

For as the enemy mocked and laughed at you

You knew someday it would be true

That I would keep my vow

To love you with heart, soul, and mind

As your favor I will find

And I can say, “Look who’s laughing now!”