RISE UP

HE SAID "RISE UP"
(c)2008 Stephanie Durand

Time cannot erase their words,
Their deeds, their spiteful ways
Time can only move on by
And watch as the tolls are paid

They attempted to destroy the heart
That held them closest near
And because of their shame and hurtful ways
They will never see it clear

The town heard the liar's cry
And stoned an innocent one,
Like Jesus, she held up her cross
And drug their burdens like His Son.

A year has gone by
And still they cry and blame the one they choose
Without shame, without guilt,
Only pride, because they'll never lose

She refused to turn her heart to stone
She refused to hide and run
From evilness and lies and hate
And she waited while hated,
But clung to the One.

Who, in the end,
Knows all the rest, who knows of the things untold
Who walked beside her on that road
And continued to tell her,
just grasp my hand and hold

He'll turn the ashes of their destruction
To beauty beyond belief
He'll heal the wounds that they inflicted
Because they were always brought to His feet

To say today, she deserves to pay
For something she did not do
Is what God would call, the ultimate fall
Of Christians old and new

For one day, they will say
That perhaps they all were wrong
Perhaps they judged things unseen
And eagerly threw their own stone

From biblical days to here and now
Humans fail to see
How they choose to scorn the one they choose
Because it is only in their minds, they believe

But God reigns over them all, and like
the woman in the center, the woman by the well,
The woman who Jesus holds closes to His heart
Has her own story she must tell

There are reasons why
At times, He says, we have to stand alone
And He tells us when it is time to rise up
And gather up all the stones.

And we take a big breath and we shake in our flesh,
But with our spirit, we must rise up
to do what is right and just and
to fight the battle He's placed ahead of us

With strength and dignity, at our weakest,
We hold The Hand we held,
And stand before the judges now
And this story, we have to tell

For truth and justice, of pain and suffering,
Our flesh must follow through
For when God tells us to Rise Up
It is in Him, we must trust, obey, and listen to.

SERENITY

SERENITY
(c)2014 Stephanie Durand


Serenity is a butterfly
flying high in the sky
Serenity is a gentle wind
that slowly brushes by
Serenity is a quiet moon
on a dark and starry night
Serenity is a fall leaf
you see floating from the sky
Serenity is a stillness
walking slowly down a wooded trail
Serenity is a mountain stream
or a tiny child by the ocean with a pail
Serenity is the chirping of a bird in the early morn,
Serenity is the first glimpse of a child that is born
Serenity is listening to the ocean waves rolling in,
Serenity is just sitting and taking the beautiful moments in
Serenity is God's whisper
in the stillness of your day
To capture the beauty of a world
if we stop and pay attention, we will hear him say
"Be Still, be quiet, take a moment to take it in,
Don't hurry, stop rushing, love each other, life is brief,
slow down, take it in"


Job 12:7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you."

MIA

Dedicated to Mia's Daddy.  I came across this post on his facebook page and it touched my heart so deeply.  His words touched my heart and I wrote this poem for him though he will probably never read it.  (April, 2014)


MIA .... by Chris Derouen

"Tonight's the first night I try to deal with this sober. Everything I do seems to be wrong. Outside of nausea, I'm just empty. I feel guilty the few times I've been able to smile or laugh....like I'm betraying her memory. There's so many of you who have extended offers to be here....but I don't even want to be touched. I'm angry and guilty. I know in my heart there's more I could have done. ... I can't shake it. I just want to go to sleep and shut my eyes forever. I find myself sleeping in the same position I used to cuddle you, when you'd back your little delicate body against mine and let me hold you through the night. I dream a dream you never died, and there was never a day we didn't pick flowers or watch Tom and Jerry. We stay up late eating all of your favorite junk food....singing and dancing. We dress your barbies in all new outfits. You bring me cups of tea and cook my favorite meals....bring them to me on your little colored plates. You ask me when I'm done, and serve me some more. And then I wake up."

Her soft brown hair
Forever in my dreams
Always in daddy's arms
just like yesterday, it seems
My sweet little angel
you flew away too soon
My sweet little angel
Your smell fills my room
Mia, hold me close
when I dream of holding you
Mia, daddy loves you!
Your my little flower that forever bloomed
You were always my little sunshine
You filled my world with joy and light
Mia, daddy loves you
Hold me close each night
From the moment that I held you
to the day I had to let you go
Mia, you were and are my angel
and this I know, you know!
So, Mia, when I cry
know daddy just misses you
I know your dancing in heaven
picking pink flowers for me and you
So, Father, let her dance
with all the angels in Heaven above
and Father, hold her close each day
and let me always feel her love!
She is my little angel
swinging and singing in heaven with glee
Yes, my little Mia,
You will always be the sunshine inside of me!
So, Mia, when I cry
know daddy just misses you
Pick a pink flower for me
and I'll smile up at heaven for you!
   by Stephanie Durand, April, 2014
In Memory of Little Mia, Lace Up for Mia!