Sometimes I debate with God about this one topic...
If I give up myself to You,
Will I become bland nothingness?
Will I be bored in passivity?
Will I cease to exist?!
Look at these words, God responds.
Don't you enjoy the process of
Writing them with Me?
In co-creating there is so much space for your beauty.
It combines with My own.
Light upon light.
Monday, March 31, 2014
A Slave to Love
A great and wise man once said:
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A woman should love and obey her husband,
And a man should be a slave to the love in his wife's heart.
A woman should love and obey her husband,
And a man should be a slave to the love in his wife's heart.
May Your Presence be Medicine
A poem for my doctor friend
May divine inspiration flow through you like poetry,
May simply your presence be medicine for your patients,
And may your qualities heal all people.
May divine inspiration flow through you like poetry,
May simply your presence be medicine for your patients,
And may your qualities heal all people.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Balancing Jesus in You and Me
I get caught in the middle sometimes
When attempting to balance my needs with the needs of others.
I try always to be conscious of benevolence,
Asking myself, Am I being Jesus to the least of us?
But Jesus is in my own soul too.
I can't neglect his needs there either.
So the balancing act continues in a divine harmony.
When attempting to balance my needs with the needs of others.
I try always to be conscious of benevolence,
Asking myself, Am I being Jesus to the least of us?
But Jesus is in my own soul too.
I can't neglect his needs there either.
So the balancing act continues in a divine harmony.
His Character Exclusively
I was so pleased
By the predictions of a psychic concerning my future.
But then she turned around and discounted the words,
Saying that their interpretation is not certain.
I guess it's not befitting of my state to trust in physical visions
Or in anything of this whole world.
I suppose God thinks more of me than that;
He expects that I should find comfort exclusively through knowing His Character.
By the predictions of a psychic concerning my future.
But then she turned around and discounted the words,
Saying that their interpretation is not certain.
I guess it's not befitting of my state to trust in physical visions
Or in anything of this whole world.
I suppose God thinks more of me than that;
He expects that I should find comfort exclusively through knowing His Character.
An Ongoing Conversation
God and I have an ongoing dialogue about one issue,
He says that He does not need wealth,
And implies that I should not rely on the material world either.
Sure, the love of money is the root of all evil, I argue,
But I have an actual physical body!
Who sustains that body, He asks,
Is it not the same Source that sustains your soul?
He says that He does not need wealth,
And implies that I should not rely on the material world either.
Sure, the love of money is the root of all evil, I argue,
But I have an actual physical body!
Who sustains that body, He asks,
Is it not the same Source that sustains your soul?
Friday, March 28, 2014
Oh Rahman
Sometimes I go to pray and I get stuck.
I begin:
Oh God,
Oh Rahman (Most Compassionate One)
Oh Raheem (Most Merciful One)...
But by then my prayer has already fallen apart as I marvel in awe at God's powerful attributes,
And I am dumbstruck by the mention of my own name.
I begin:
Oh God,
Oh Rahman (Most Compassionate One)
Oh Raheem (Most Merciful One)...
But by then my prayer has already fallen apart as I marvel in awe at God's powerful attributes,
And I am dumbstruck by the mention of my own name.
Shams is Coming
Shams is coming...
On nights like this I can't help but imagine being blinded by the sun,
The light that Shams will bring when he comes.
Just as Rumi bloomed in the presence of Shams,
Every soul has a spiritual companion that lights up their world.
On nights like this I can't help but imagine being blinded by the sun,
The light that Shams will bring when he comes.
Just as Rumi bloomed in the presence of Shams,
Every soul has a spiritual companion that lights up their world.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Grace in Withholding
In God's withholding there is grace.
Know that any thing which is good for you will not miss you.
And any thing that misses you was not good for you.
Know that any thing which is good for you will not miss you.
And any thing that misses you was not good for you.
Devils and Angels
A woman kept me from something that I thought was mine,
Something that I wanted,
I thought,
'What a thieving devil she is'.
But it turns out that thing would likely have destroyed my life.
So I suppose she was an angel after all.
May I have the wisdom to know angels from devils.
Something that I wanted,
I thought,
'What a thieving devil she is'.
But it turns out that thing would likely have destroyed my life.
So I suppose she was an angel after all.
May I have the wisdom to know angels from devils.
Revelation
My friend told me today,
I love what you write, but you aren't a poet,
There's a difference between poetry and revelation.
And I'm not. In fact, I don't even like poetry.
I finally understand the verses
"And we did not teach the prophet poetry,
Nor would it be fitting for him.
Verily this is a clear reminder of the truth"*
*From Surat Ya Sin 36:69
I love what you write, but you aren't a poet,
There's a difference between poetry and revelation.
And I'm not. In fact, I don't even like poetry.
I finally understand the verses
"And we did not teach the prophet poetry,
Nor would it be fitting for him.
Verily this is a clear reminder of the truth"*
*From Surat Ya Sin 36:69
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Look at Your Soul
I cried out to God one night,
Do you put us on this earth to suffer?!
You make us with feeble bodies and feeble hearts.
But look at your soul,
God said.
Look at your soul.
Do you put us on this earth to suffer?!
You make us with feeble bodies and feeble hearts.
But look at your soul,
God said.
Look at your soul.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Being in God
I remember a time when I wasn't afraid of anything,
Absolutely nothing.
That state is nearly inconceivable to people these days.
The secret is having a friend in God,
Having a protector in God,
Losing your whole being in God.
Lifetimes close to God are incredible.
Here's a secret tip:
Cultivate love of God,
Of goodness,
And of all people,
Like your life depends on it.
Absolutely nothing.
That state is nearly inconceivable to people these days.
The secret is having a friend in God,
Having a protector in God,
Losing your whole being in God.
Lifetimes close to God are incredible.
Here's a secret tip:
Cultivate love of God,
Of goodness,
And of all people,
Like your life depends on it.
I Would Be Ashamed to Ask/Contentment
I would be ashamed of myself today
If I asked God for anything,
He already gave me everything!
He gave me good health
A good family
Good friends
Spiritual companionship
Healthy, tasty food
Time to worship
Interesting topics to study
A good career
A beautiful place to live
And many endless other resources.
How could I say,
But You didn't give me this or that?
Today He even gave me a most coveted thing:
Contentment.
If I asked God for anything,
He already gave me everything!
He gave me good health
A good family
Good friends
Spiritual companionship
Healthy, tasty food
Time to worship
Interesting topics to study
A good career
A beautiful place to live
And many endless other resources.
How could I say,
But You didn't give me this or that?
Today He even gave me a most coveted thing:
Contentment.
Reign/ Greater than any King
Wow.
It just dawned on me that every human being has the potential to be greater than any king, queen, pharaoh or emperor that ever walked on the earth,
Because every human has within his or her grasp the array of Divine Qualities.
Clothe yourself in divine attributes: compassion, grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience...
And reign!
Your dominion will be more powerful than you realize.
It just dawned on me that every human being has the potential to be greater than any king, queen, pharaoh or emperor that ever walked on the earth,
Because every human has within his or her grasp the array of Divine Qualities.
Clothe yourself in divine attributes: compassion, grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience...
And reign!
Your dominion will be more powerful than you realize.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Istikhara for All Things
There's a prayer that my friends and I pray
When we aren't sure what to do about something.
It is called the Istikhara.
It is a prayer for receiving what is good for you.
You can pray this prayer about who to marry,
Where to work, what to do....
To pray this prayer,
You must completely surrender the issue at hand,
You must give the outcome to God who knows more than you do,
That is the essence of it.
I try to pray the Istikhara about all things now.
When we aren't sure what to do about something.
It is called the Istikhara.
It is a prayer for receiving what is good for you.
You can pray this prayer about who to marry,
Where to work, what to do....
To pray this prayer,
You must completely surrender the issue at hand,
You must give the outcome to God who knows more than you do,
That is the essence of it.
I try to pray the Istikhara about all things now.
All Sins Are Forgiven/One Good or Kind Thing
Forgiveness dawned in my heart
When I saw that every human action perpetuated against me
Was done by hearts that are depraved.
So many humans lack the feeling of satisfaction that the fullness of God provides.
Considering this, it is really a miracle we can do one good or kind thing to each other at all.
Under these circumstances,
Of course all sins are forgiven.
When I saw that every human action perpetuated against me
Was done by hearts that are depraved.
So many humans lack the feeling of satisfaction that the fullness of God provides.
Considering this, it is really a miracle we can do one good or kind thing to each other at all.
Under these circumstances,
Of course all sins are forgiven.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Prayers Upon Prayers
Sometimes these days I am praying two things at once,
And my prayers start to get jumbled.
It's like my prayers are tripping over each other on the way to heaven's door,
To the ears of God.
It is an unusual problem to have.
I used to think thoughts and get distracted from my prayers by my mind.
Now my mind thinks prayers upon prayers.
I think this new problem is a good problem to have.
And my prayers start to get jumbled.
It's like my prayers are tripping over each other on the way to heaven's door,
To the ears of God.
It is an unusual problem to have.
I used to think thoughts and get distracted from my prayers by my mind.
Now my mind thinks prayers upon prayers.
I think this new problem is a good problem to have.
Murder in the 1st Degree
God is so sweet and gentle in His lessons to me,
What kind of grace is this?
I sin and He jests with me in response,
And shows me by His character
To be ashamed of my own.
Over the weekend I had thoughts that were less than loving towards another human being,
Despite my efforts to figure out what Jesus would do.
I know what he would do,
He would forgive.
However, I am less perfect than he.
So first thing Monday morning God brought me 3 clients in a row to counsel-
They happened to be 3 murderers.
They were the sweetest men,
Yet they had each committed some variation of a murder related crime;
The first was convicted of conspiracy to murder,
The second of possession with intent to do harm,
And the third of accidental manslaughter...
Ok God. I hear you. You put me among murderers for having less than loving thoughts towards your creation. You make your points clearly. You make me laugh. And you make me sorry.
So I continue to pray:
Make me the Most Merciful of the merciful,
Like You.
What kind of grace is this?
I sin and He jests with me in response,
And shows me by His character
To be ashamed of my own.
Over the weekend I had thoughts that were less than loving towards another human being,
Despite my efforts to figure out what Jesus would do.
I know what he would do,
He would forgive.
However, I am less perfect than he.
So first thing Monday morning God brought me 3 clients in a row to counsel-
They happened to be 3 murderers.
They were the sweetest men,
Yet they had each committed some variation of a murder related crime;
The first was convicted of conspiracy to murder,
The second of possession with intent to do harm,
And the third of accidental manslaughter...
Ok God. I hear you. You put me among murderers for having less than loving thoughts towards your creation. You make your points clearly. You make me laugh. And you make me sorry.
So I continue to pray:
Make me the Most Merciful of the merciful,
Like You.
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