The Story Behind Temptation

When a person’s heart is wounded, their wisdom will suffer. 

When there is hurt in the human heart, our minds become more vulnerable to temptations. What tempts a wounded heart is a deceptive void filler. This void filler attracts our senses to believe it’s a cure to fill the void, or mend the wound. 

On the contrary, it is nothing more than deception itself, formed from pain. It is a decision based on pain in the heart. 

Temptation can come at any time, when a person is filled with light, or when they are surrounded or entrenched in darkness. 

The key thing to recognize is the soil. What makes for fertile ground for temptation to spring up and be eaten? A wounded heart. 

What makes a man kill another man? A wounded heart from pride.

What makes someone lie? A wounded heart from past hurt.

What makes a person steal? A wounded heart from poverty or pride.

What makes someone hurt themselves? A broken heart.

What makes anyone fall into the traps of temptation of lust? A wounded heart from lack of love. 

What causes a wounded heart? Another wounded heart. 

What is the source of wounds, pain, hurt, lies, selfishness, deception, pride, murder, lack of love and temptation? The answer is the very opposite of God Himself. The enemy of God, the enemy of love, the founder of hate, the father of lies, the master deceiver, the opposite of light, the curator of darkness, the serpent of old, called satan. 

There is a battle going on in our hearts. A constant battle of decision. Ultimately our decision affects our destiny(or soul). This is because we have the freedom to choose  between good or bad, light or darkness, righteousness or evil, life or death. That’s the inner and unseen battle in everyone’s heart, every day.

There is a battle going on for your choice. Faith or unbelief.

There is no in-between. 

We live in a spiritual world. 

If you don’t believe that, tell me you don’t have a conscience…or that you can see the wind blow over the waters.

Forty Years in the Desert.

 "You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."  Deuteronomy 8:2

Almost 43 years I have walked, observed, searched, struggled, stumbled, discovered, created, wasted, wandered, wondered, worked, and worshipped, in the desert.

No amount of pain or success has caused my heart to lose faith in the living God. He has had me all along. Without Him I would be an anchor without a chain. As many miles that He has carried me, just as many I tried to carry myself. When I tried, I failed. My own strength only brought me weakness. But He had me, on His chain, secured tightly to His ship, which is His faithfulness. 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified  because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will Never leave you, nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

I will go forth, because the Lord called me to Trust in Him, and when I did, in all my ways, I found His faithfulness is everlasting. 

Up from the valley of dry bones to a life where He leads me. 

In Jesus name.

Hope

 Like a shimmer

A glimpse of something

Winking 

A light

Here I am

To the Love of My Life

What do you want to hear from me?
That you were always right?
That I was always wrong,
That it feels more natural when I sing a sad song?
Well, you were always right about me, and
I am always madly in love with you,
but you will always be out of reach,
and you'll always have the last speech,
even if it kills me.

False Hearted Lover

Time flung me
Life
not solid ground
no olive branches to hold on
there is no mistletoe
no Jericho
Just patterns
crippled vision
crippled heart
I blame you
I blame me
I'm tired of sorries
tired of untrusted sincerity
A lifetime friend
suddenly says,
"I've only been here
to feel sorry for you
I'm not interested in your happiness too"
My heart gave out the same way
up and tried to quit
on Valentines Day
and how thankful I was
for this life and my love
when I kept living
just because...
but joy fled from me
as torturous distance
and deliberate deceit
my sweet joy retreated
as distant haunted shadows darkened
the bat that disappears into the evening
I waited bandaged, wounded, believing
life was to be returning
but the core breaking
feels like a flood
and you can repair the mechanical heart
but you cannot replace the flesh and blood.

Saint Elsewhere

It's time to reach the edge

the cutting room floor

the beginning of the end

it's time to make the shit

hit the fan of my heart

and bolt throw me into 

saint elsewhere.

I'm tired of the pain
I feel when I think back
or when I go forward
to a place I've been before
or the attempt at opening a new door
trying to redefine the memory
for myself but it's all still there
the things I said
the things I did
the reasons for guilt
the reasons for pain
that won't go away
Can I ever get off this train?

Can I ever get the vision back
that sets me apart from the game
that made me who I was
that soul that got lost in the rain
before the flood, before the drain
Is it even possible to find
a piece of yourself you didn't mean
to set aside
Is it even possible to recreate the time
Or have I already been recreated blind.

Riffing

In the north woods of Minnesota
the dry heat Arizona
California summer
deep blue skies
sea rose and
fell
so did the
moon
ten billion times
and we dug up the
well of our hopes

addresses changed
but the names stayed the same
hit hard by the times and the strains
bigger decisions mounted the pain

villagers complained
in return of dead sons
daughters would soon
dress the part and
join ranks

many think
in the peak of their hour
they would live it again,
but die without power

television goony news
scripted to censor you
until it came time
for the weather
then it's always ok to be wrong

desert to
deep south
snakes and
field mouse
borrowed clothes
from the poor
stayed indoors
three days or more
Albert Finley
fixed carburetors
hand cleaner
turned
his black hands
white
fall shivered
in colorful sights
mosquito's crept in
broken window panes
and then the rain

Alabama
fortune tellers
Albuquerque bars and
dwellers
Carolina
over nighters
twenty hour drives with
delusional drivers
redneck over biters
peter Paul and
Mary Jane
passed the time
against the grain
pulled on through
the redwoods
landed home
but not for good

"Evenin' boredom
how ya doing
get you busy
minds a' brewin'"
never get the time
no progress
deep distress

Going back to smell
the Rocky wood
feeling my way around
the lofty dark
northwest hills
city parks

Birmingham bus rides
thick beers
flowered ears
getting no where
on purpose
why was I
here
what was my
purpose