Beautiful Battle Haiku

Twisted in anguish
I hug myself in mourning
Tortured in spirit

Grief stricken again
Drowning in my own ocean
Tears, tears…unending

Weariness haunting
Begging for restoration
Not too hard for You

Calm my winds and waves
Bring peace to my broken heart
I need Your touch, Lord

He comes to rescue

Hearts of the needy ones

Freedom from bondage

My soul groans within
In the depth of the night, but
Sensing Your Presence

Washing over me
Emotions deeper than words
Holding on to You

You answer my heart
Intercession from heaven
Stops teary torrent!

All thanks to You, Lord
For coming to my rescue
Bringing Peace again

Renewing my heart
Restoration coming forth
Beautiful battle!

Renee@ reneeb81@ comcast.net

Here’s my musical entry…a link to a blog post I wrote and a video of me playing what Beautiful Battle represents to me. http://mining4diamonds.blogspot.com/2012/02/beautiful-battle-contest-musical-entry.html The battle is beautiful because the battle belongs to the LORD!

A battle won

We wage a hidden, unseen war

in life.  While deep
enmeshed in strife

of everyday living, we store

thoughts, unthought, still lying

 before  our eyes, while  time

rushes on.

We dare not stop to look.

Yet,

lost in noise and turmoil sore

we need to pause: tune

deafened ears towards that song

from our Commander’s voice.

‘See the Enemy’ he calls

‘and do not weep. Such as he

Is long defeated. This battle

Is Mine. I joy journey with

utter gladness that you are with

Me.

This is a beautiful time.

Rejoice. The battle

is won.’

Battle of the Mind
Satan in Action
 
Memories come flooding, and it feels like a low blow.
 Opinions of self-doubt make me feel so low.
Then I remember all the reasons why
And I find myself wondering and wanting to cry.
Common sense says I am a fool to feel this way
Then the devil takes over and ruins my day.
I’m told to make a list of things about me I like.
I find that is harder than riding a bike.
My self-image has suffered and yet I know
It is time to pick myself up and get on the road;
To win the battle that my mind has been raging,
I want to accomplish before I start aging.
So above all else it is time to forgive,
To get on with the journey and begin to live!

The Epic Battle      Holly Smith

There’s an epic battle going on,

We must become aware,
Lest we be left behind and fall 

To its accusing faire. 

In the past these enemies were giants, larger than life-

Now they attack invisibly, but still put up a fight. 

They come to wound, distract, and steal

And often bring a scare,

We must learn to defend ourselves-

Or risk falling to despair. 

Our God, who created us,

Allowed an enemy to live,

Equipping us for battle;

Forming a weapon that’s fit. 

We become strong in battle and overcome his taunts;

We refuse the accusations through our alert response. 

Besides the sword for battle-

Praise and presence guards our lives.

We make God our refuge

And speak His truth to survive. 

We then become a channel for God to indwell,

The beauty of the battle is breaking chains of hell. 

We stand in courage with our shield of faith held high

And do not shrink in fear

When the arrows come darting by.

We’re crowned as His daughters,

No longer afraid,

Discerning his schemes,

So others may be brave. 

We now display the strength and weapon we’ve become,

That we would run to the battle to free others for the Son.     

I have won and lost many battles but the Lord hold the victory in the war. http://pluggingalongwithme.blogspot.com

SUDDENLY
A door slams shut.
SUDDENLY
A door opens on a place
I never wanted to go.
SUDDENLY
Everything is changed.
LORD, WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

Moses is dead, and we can’t find his body.
And all the children of God cry.

God said to me, “It’s time to let go of what was.
It’s time to mourn for Moses, and let him go.
I’m sending you to the Promised Land,
But you can’t take Moses in.”

Tears and tears and tears. Doubt and fear assail me.
But I don’t know! And I can’t see!
I want to walk, Lord, but I’m not free.

But day by day He hears my cry.  He holds my hand.
He showers me with grace and when I begin to sink,
He pulls me to Him.
Hope begins to dawn.  Trust begins to fill my heart. 
I am like a weaned child – I calm myself in His arms.

I am going to be okay.

And one day – the hows, whens, and whys no longer matter.
The darkness can’t get a grip on my mind.
I sing with joy – I am trusting! I am trusting! I am trusting!

And God shouts with delight!

And together, we DANCE.

-Amaris 

amaris@burfordinc.com

Beautiful battle
My Warrior stands beside me
Leading my triumph.

Mary, I can’t wait to read this book. Life is a battle, truly, and ever more for me as I pray through the not-knowing with my daughter in the residential facility. Battle’s on my mind a lot… so it was pretty easy to create a post linked to yours here! http://livingpower.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-news-when-lifes-leaving-you.html. Happy early birthday, and may the Lord continue to bless, keep, and extend His heart through you in ministry!

Mary,
I know I posted this image a few days ago [the 2012 picture for the year] but when I received your email about the Beautiful Battle contest, it seemed fitting to post it for the contest. This bridge looks nothing like the image of the first bridge I had in my mind a few years ago. The first bridge was rickety and strung across a deep ravine. That deep ravine held fears. Crossing that bridge to a more beautiful place meant facing those fears and trusting old slats of wood to hold me up. Each of those slats represented a verse. Would I trust God and take Him at His word and cross that bridge? Face those fears? God brought me through a very difficult time and used that image to remind me to stand on His word. This new bridge in the attached image is a reminder to me this year to look at the challenges of life, the battle, as not quite so difficult. To remember that God has shown me I can trust in His word and face the battle. Not that I have yet “arrived”. There are days that are still a struggle but God has given me a husband and a beautiful daughter as a constant reminder of His faithfulness. Out of the battle…He has brought me to a beautiful place…the other side of the bridge….life beyond the bridge. lhopedix @ juno.com

An entry for your contest

OPEN LETTER TO GOD

Lord, You care
for me.

You love me.

Me – I
disappoint you.

I want to be
Your Warrior, but often I fall short.

Sometimes our
conversations are very one-sided. 
I talk all the time and forget to listen.  In my heart, I know You are longing to talk to me, too.  If only I would slow down and
listen.  I fall onto my knees and
into your Word in despair when I need you.  Then I forget to talk to you when life seems to be going my
way.  I am not perfect.  You are.  Thank you for understanding and accepting my imperfection.

In my heart, I
know you.  My soul is yours.  Why do I spend so many hours looking
around me and into the future, when what I really need to do is Look Up? 

Your perfect
love makes me want to try harder, to love more openly, and to show others who
You are.  I know this world is a
battlefield – and I know you are the Victor in this war.  What I sometimes forget is that I am in
the battle. 

Thank you Lord,
for the battles and the good times. 
You teach me Your ways in all circumstances.  I am grateful I have a loving, living God I can trust. 

I love You,
God.  I will be more passionate,
more outgoing and more loving while I am doing Your work here on earth. I
already know I have Your heart.

Thank you for
Your everlasting love.

Your child on
earth and in Heaven,

 Me 

I forgot my email:

Diankamac@gmail.com

Mary, I forgot to add my email address.  Bobbie @ bobbieg@charter.net

Mary, your book sounds so needed, and I really know what you mean when Satan can use our own children.

I’m having the judges go to my blog http://joshua-mom.blogspot.com/ to view the photo image I took for  “The Beautiful Battle.” Let’s see if this works. My E-mail:  jeanann_w@yahoo.com.