Allow silence,
to enter your mind.
Capture your thoughts,
and make them,
obedient to Christ.
Grab the hand,
of the Shepherd,
and allow His staff,
to guide your path.
You are a sheep,
lost without guidance.
Wandering around,
you tried to find,
your own way,
but you got lost.
Come back to me,
to the Shepherd,
who dearly loves you,
and let Him guide you,
all the way!
Dancing a waltz
under a starlit sky
and the sparkling lights
remind me of the time
when we were in Vienna
walking ancient streets
listening to the silent sound
of Mozart and Beethoven
Butterflies fluttering
and spring flowers
opening their petals wide
The laughter still echoes
in my memory
and when I close my eyes
I can go back in time
and walk those streets
with you by my side!
Lying on my back,
on a red and white checkered plaid,
looking up at the sky,
where bubbles in white and blue,
silently float by.
My mind is calming down.
I remember the times,
when life was faster and darker,
and I find intense joy,
in the slow pace of life,
where I am right now!
I have learned to embrace,
the here and now,
silently finding my way,
in what I already have,
forgetting all that I want,
and maybe even need.
In this quiet surrender,
I am finding peace,
and I will not forget to thank,
the One who gave me this!
You are teaching me to dance,
in a yellow summer dress,
and sing love songs,
on made up melodies.
In Your heart,
all the peace I could ever know,
was born,
and I am beyond grateful,
for Your willingness to teach me,
love me and adopt me,
and bring me Home,
into Your Father arms,
where peacefulness is the best gift,
I could have ever dreamed off!
Take the lemons,
out of your eyes.
Let the tears fall,
surrender your heart,
and learn to smile,
through the pain,
through the grief,
and through the fear.
Eat the lemons,
make lemonade,
lemon pie,
or lemon meringue.
Learn to dance,
on a rainy day,
with your sunglasses,
on your face.
Sing songs,
from the heart,
breathing air,
into your lungs,
knowing that lemons,
are simply a beginning,
and not the end.
It is time,
to eat the lemons,
straight from your hands!
Confidence,
is standing firmly,
in your own identity.
Your head held high,
your vision clear,
and your ears shut,
to every opinion,
that does not match,
what you know,
about yourself.
Holding on,
to your own truths,
is the only way,
to stand strong,
in whom you are,
and more importantly,
in Whose you are,
because,
believe it or not,
there is One,
who knows,
exactly who you are,
and who is proud,
of whom you are,
and what you are becoming.
Confidence,
is holding God’s hand,
no matter what resistance,
you may get!
I remember a time
when I turned the tape of a cassette
back with the end of my pencil
because somehow it got stuck
in the wheel of my recorder.
I remember listening to the radio
for hours on end,
waiting for that one song,
that would make me press,
the button to record,
so, I could listen to it over and again.
I would sit in my bedroom,
listening to my favorite songs,
singing and dancing,
until my brother,
would bounce on my door,
asking me for silence.
The neighbors would complain,
about my off-key voice,
or the music being too loud,
but I never listened,
and disappeared in my own world.
This time without phones,
social media, or internet,
was a simple world,
where I could forget everything,
and sometimes I want to go back,
and relive that time all over again.
I wonder,
what is holding me back?
I see you,
with a piece of chocolate,
between your teeth,
and a cup of coffee,
in your hand –
Confidence
is knowing who you are.
It is knowing,
whose you are.
The freedom of being,
without worrying,
what other people think.
You are getting there.
And my love,
it is the most beautiful thing!
In a hot air balloon
hanging
like a red rose
above my head
I oversee the land
my life
and all that is in it
Sheep
like needle points
Houses
like small pebbles
and roads like
an effortless stitch
on an embroidered patchwork
On the ground
I only see the threads
but up here
I finally understand
where life is taking me
I lift up a song
spread my wings
and get carried
on the soft wind
of God’s Spirit
My eyes see colors
I have never seen before
and the longer I sing
the more I know
that singing brings me
so much closer to God
than I have ever been before
So I sing
from the depth
of my soul
until every note
has made it
to God’s throne!
Be brave enough to love,
more than you ever loved yourself.
By putting someone else first
you learn to forget yourself,
and all the problems,
you keep carrying around.
It is the other at number one,
that allows you to breathe,
and to learn how to trust,
humanity all over again,
after life came crashing down.
Be brave enough to love,
because not everybody is the same,
and the next person you meet,
could feel the same way about you,
putting you first in all you do.
So, be brave to take that step,
to give love without asking it back.
Gineke van Keulen 