The Trackless Path

Possessions speak to us all day long. That book you purchased But have never read Says “Read me!” And the empty shelf  Says “fill me up with more.” Some possessions warm and nurture While others distract, dissuade, and even harm. If we are not careful, the things we own Can siphon off our strength. Or they can build us up, Make us better. So choose carefully what you own And don’t be afraid of let...

They say that not all who wander are lost, And that’s true of me, I think.  I wander, wander, Never sure Exactly where I’m going, But also not without a rough idea. The inner light points in a direction And I begin to act, to move step by step Toward the place where it feels that I should go. And I trust the way to open up before me. And it does. That’s the miracle Though it does not come Without...

A discussion of "Choose Your Story" It is possible to serve the light For your own sake? To be  Dark inside, Filthy with secret pride While outwardly stacking up Your achievements,  Allowing others To laud your name,  And never once realizing That your soul is lost, Not in gross immorality, But in the actor’s game The hypocrites play. Listen closely To yourself. Is your story one of redemp...

There is the part of me that likes to go out And there is the part of me that likes  To come back home. And both play a part in the strange way  That I support my family, My family. And you are part of my family. I go out, and I come back home. And I share the wisdom that I’ve found from the road With the ones I love, the ones I love. I love you, and I pray  For you in your own journey. Perhaps on...

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man  Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, find my playlist entitled: Raymond Lessons. Lesson 11: All Day Long I almost didn’t mention this one Because it contradicts  Something else  That Raymond said. But it has become applicable. You see, I was skeptical  When he implied That everything came to him without asking. Sometimes, maybe. But...

Many changes are afoot. I stand on the brink  Of, yet again, a leap of faith. And somehow, it feels as if  These little thoughts Might just not be enough, As if I should be, do, Something more… Something more… And I wonder, Is it enough? What do you think? Might the world feed me and my little tribe If I just keep showing up…showing up? Soon we will find out, Won’t we?

I weave your dreams from autumn leaves  Turned brown and drifting downward Toward the emptiness  Of summer skies When the snow flurries Upward toward the starlit heavens And the moon looks down  Upon the restless hopes Of careworn souls Who daren’t  Believe That anything Could be so real  As the grind of wheat upon the wheels of time. And the feet of those who’ve gone before In the dusty tracks of...

Today's poem... and the subject for today's episode. I wonder, If I were someone else, Would I be just like them. I can't help but think That to some degree, I would. That makes me think that it's just me Walking around and being everyone. So many people can't help but be themselves, Just like me, just like everyone. I wish that I could be  A better friend to them And in turn,...

Taking a new format for these podcasts. Today I discuss the thoughts that precipitated the poem of the day: Note to self: People want what they want, And some graciously give, God bless them. But when it comes to making a living, It may be better me to focus on what others want Not what I want. Sell them something That they are already looking for. And then use the surplus  To graciously give. One...

I am the roots of the tree The thing unseen. I am There but you can’t see me. You think that it is you, That it is he, But it is we Three. Remember. Oh, remember. And when you think that you’re alone Draw deep from the unseen place that lingers In the memory of what you were before you sprung Up from the ground so many years before. There we were together. And though You cannot see me. I have neve...

I have to slow down and visit meaning Or it escapes me. I have to ask myself, Do I find meaning in what I'm doing now? I ask it all the time, of myself. And to my surprise  It often says,  Aye, there's meaning. And that's classic, to find it  In the most unexpected ways and places. But it's not enough to find my meaning  I have to see it in others also. I have to hear the stories....

There are those who try to deny hell But I am not sure why. There are those Who choose hell in this life When the light shines the day long. I can’t imagine that the next life is so different. But I also can’t imagine  That the light doesn’t shine brighter there. But that means that the darkness  Must also be deeper, The contrast more stark. There is always hope for those who want the light  Thoug...

I wish that I could give the world His love, Not a system of belief, But the Man  Himself. For I am cradled in his kindness. My home is in His heart- And though I wander  O’er the earth My pillow a stone, My shelter rain, I am at home In Him. It makes me think of those Who have no home In the love  Of One. It makes me want to wrap them up In the harbor of my heart, To clothe them with acceptance,...

Old friend, the world that you have chosen, The spoil that you have taken, Sits rotting Under your canopy. “But I could pay,” you say, “I could pay. And here is the receipt.” Fool! You believe that you are the hero, The saver of the day, the victor By the thickness of your pocketbook. And what’s more, that you have escaped The eye that sees all things, When in reality, You have dealt treacherously...

If the world will ever find peace Good people will have to stop fighting. It is not enough for good people to be good. Being good has a blind spot. It makes you think That you are justified in fighting for what is right, In making war in defense of truth And to preserve your freedom. But freedom doesn’t need to be preserved. It lives within the heart of those  Who can’t be persuaded  Not to speak...

Some news. I am going overseas. I don’t know how I’ll get there. But I’ve never known how I’ll get there. And isn’t it strange that I could know such a thing? And yet I do. How long will it take me to get there? I don’t know. How will I support myself when I get there? I think I know. More on that to come. But in the end, God only knows. And how long will I be there? A year, a month, a day, A life...

If I were to just act And stop thinking quite so much I think I’d be better off. So long as our intentions are good, I don’t know that it matters that much What we do so long as we do. Do, do, do. In all things, do. That’s what bodies are made for. Do the best that can be done Under the circumstances And then move on To another do. I wonder if it’s the long-term  That gets us thinkers into trouble...

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man  Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, find my playlist entitled: Raymond Lessons. Lesson 10: Keep writing. Tell a story. Disappear. This one surprised me. It came in the days that followed. Raymond had given me 2 books, One deep, the other bubble gum. Couldn't get past page 40 in the latter. Couldn’t put down the former. The autho...

I will gather the apples before they fall, But not my apples, your apples, If you'll let me. You planted the tree with good intentions But we all know how that goes. And they'll soon go to waste. I'll also clean your windows, Mow your lawn, Walk your dog, If you let me. You planned to do it all, But we all know how that goes. I'll even take out your garbage  If you let me, so long...

You can create another version of the past  That serves a better future. When you do something you regret, Rewrite the experience in your mind. And give thanks for God’s grace In helping you to choose the better part Even though you did not choose the better part. Be descriptive in your re-writing, Enough that gratitude wells up For making the right decision. See it. Feel it.  Resist the tendency...

Bookkeeping and accountability Is very much like a cold water plunge. It brings me into immediate contact With a cold harsh reality That is at the same time Shocking and invigorating. Holy cow! What a reality check To face the unrelenting numbers. But I love it.  Every expense, however minute, counted. Every dollar added up and carefully budgeted With single minded intent toward wise investment. I...

A fire’s lit within me Where the broken waters flowed, A covenant to purchase All the land they have disposed, The barren wasted places That the Spirit only knows To feed the broken family That in my heart like flowers grow.

I rejoice that the land is going back. It is being claimed by the owls  And by the finches, By the little birds And by the great big bears. For it appears that despite the grasping hands, That the pebbles fall between the fingers. For the time is up. The lease has been reclaimed And soon, it will be turned loose to the wild ones  Who have no other place to go. But fear not,  It’s just the land you...

From frugality, comes generosity. Tao Te Ching, Ch. 67 Who would have guessed? But think about it, If I am an extravagant landlord, I can't afford to give you a break  When you lose your job  And can't pay the rent. The same is true  If I'm in debt. The bank is relentless  And so must I be. Only the frugal landlord, The one who buys with cash Out of a fraction of his means Can afford t...

This morning I was trying to decide what to write And a thought came into my mind That had been brewing since yesterday: “Investment is more about valuing what you have  Than it is about the acquisition of property.” Is that really right? I wondered. And then the second part came: “If you make good use of your present means, Property will fall into your hands.” And I was blown away, Fall into your...