walk in the promise

our souls wait in silence
in rest and in quiet
for You
Spirit

in trust and dependence
we walk in the promise of You
Coming

with hope
and healing in Your wings
with fire and with wind
You fall on us again

here we are waiting
for this house to be shaken
for the boldness to carry
Your name to the nations

Your signs and Your wonders
to go now before us
for the weight of Your glory
to rest as lift You up

we lift You up
be magnified in us

lyrics by: jeremy riddle

spiritual healing

i'm here
here with you
where i'm home
where i'm healed

your name
flows from my lips
sweeter than
the sweetest kiss

how my heart
love your name
it's bursting forth
in shouts of praise

i feel
heaven's drawing me
it's close at hand
and now is here

how my heart
loves your name
it's bursting forth
in shouts of praise

my heart loves your name oh God
bursting forth in shouts of praise

satan falls
like lighting
his work undone
by my King

lyrics by: jeremy riddle

serious tragedy

there is a serious tragedy i have seen under the sun. it weighs heavily on humanity. God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want. but then He doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. they die. and someone else even a stranger ends up enjoying their wealth. this is meaningless. a sickening tragedy. a man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. but if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial. it would have been better for him to be born dead. his birth would have been meaningless. he would have ended in darkness. he wouldn’t even have had a name. he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. he might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. since he must die like everyone else. well what’s the use. all people spend their lives scratching for food. but they never seem to have enough. so are wise people really better off than fools. do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others. enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. just dreaming about nice things is meaningless. like chasing the wind.

what are we living for

What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?   

Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.  

The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 

The wind blows south, and then turns north. 

Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.  

Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. 

Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 

Everything is wearisome beyond description. 

No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. 

No matter how much we hear, we are not content.  

History merely repeats itself. 

It has all been done before. 

Nothing under the sun is truly new.  

Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” 

But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.  

We don’t remember what happened in the past. 

And in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

just pure

it is rare that you walk into a place and sense that it shares its DNA with you. such a place is hard to find. where you feel like having breakfast every morning and stare away over the sea. where you feel comfortable just being there. you can sit and allow time to tick by without feeling guilty. a safe environment to contemplate the future. its ambiance allows you to do just that. it is like home away from home. recently my wife and I have discovered such a place. its a small bistro in the coastal town of Hermanus, South Africa... called just pure. the name itself having a ring of poetic justice to it. bringing a sense of well-being and health. what i enjoy most about it is the emotion i experience every time i frequent the place. it has a french kitchen atmosphere to it. reminding me of my time spent in Europe. bringing back fond memories of street cafes and bistros in remote alleys. i sometimes feel that it creates a safe environment for me to dream and allow my mind to wander into the future. sitting there you get the feeling that someone is trying to sell you a lifestyle. one of health, wealth and free living. but it is only a feeling. the truth is that they ARE selling you a lifestyle. but rather one of health and purity. purity of body and soul...the latter being more important. the place stirs a certain type of liberty in ones soul. i know as you read this you know exactly what i am talking about because many of us have already experienced it before. a place that makes you feel. the ambiance sucks you in and the sense of place takes over. next time you are there...allow that feeling to take you on a journey of discovery. it is worth it. a sense of feeling you will never regret. perhaps you will discover something hidden  deep within your soul that has been waiting for years to be expressed.

be thankful

true joy can only be found with an attitude of thanksgiving. when you look past all circumstances because you have learned to be thankful for what you have. when you stop comparing yourself with the people above you. when you realize that you have more than enough to be thankful for. then joy will be found in any circumstance. we walk through life forgetting the simple things. the fact that we are healthy and safe. the fact that we have food to eat and clothes to wear. look at the man living on the street. or the orphan. or the widow. be real. there is always somebody worse off than you. when you start to live with an perspective of thankfulness life takes on a new dynamic. all the circumstances fade. every cloud has a double silver lining. it frustrates me when people complain about the smallest things. yet you look at their lives and you observe how fortunate they are. they are wealthy and healthy. yet their toys are never enough. they have endless opportunities. yet they don't take it because they can't see it. why. because their attitude blinds them and disables them to take pleasure in the smallest things. thus they will always be looking for more. a bigger toy. a more glamorous life. a faster car. a more exotic holiday. they will forever strive towards an idea or belief that pushes them into the abyss of ungrateful living. that is the saddest place to find yourself. it is that place where nothing can satisfy you. a place where enough will never be enough. it is a black hole of selfishness and self-indulgence that can not be filled. therefore i want to challenge you today. fill your heart with an attitude of thankfulness. practice thanksgiving. be thankful for the simple things. to feel the wind on your face. to smell and experience with your senses life happening around you. focus on the simple things. the small things. in that you will find true joy. in that true fulfillment can be found. 

a tribute to san fermin

i recently finished reading "fiesta" by hemingway. it was the third time that i have read the book. and it remains very inspiring. for reasons i still don't know why. the storyline is not overly exciting. but the writing is gripping. i just love the way he writes. the descriptive style of capturing the moment i just love. but while reading the book my memory took me back to the summer of 2008. (also on this blog - see endless summer 2008) i had the opportunity to spend the few days around san fermin in a city close to pamplona. i have friends that live in rioja. the nearby wine region. one of spain's famous wine regions. it remains one of the bravest yet stupidest things i have ever done. the running of the bulls. so many emotions and adventures packed into a few days. the heat of the sun and the excitement in the air. there remains a certain intensity in the atmosphere. however not for the faint hearted. bull-fighting in itself is a very controversial topic. cruelty to some. a form of art and perfection to others.  no matter what side of the controversy you are on the festival of san fermin remains a high-light on the annual calender. as it stands i can't really pinpoint why the festival and all the activities surrounding the week in pamplona had such an effect on me. i am just great-full that i had the opportunity to go and experience it for myself. too many peolpe have an opinion about the whole ordeal without ever having been there. it remains a fond memory to me.