ann kiemel

i noticed the

mailman was by

the mail boxes.

are you almost done?

give me two minutes.

you have to be very smart

to be a civil servant. did you know

that?

i hate this job.

do you know that 40% of all

these homes are receiving

unemployment checks? 40!!

i wish i was on the other side

of the world, playing golf.

that's why i believe in Jesus.

i hang on to Him in these

dark times. He's my only

hope.

quietness.

no words in response

to what i said. just more

genuine grieving for the

suffering. tinged with rage.

here we are.

God's children.

suffering. striving. and

He is working to remind us

that without troubles, we would

forget the desperate need for Him.

His grace. His Presence.

a thread wrapped around our

hearts. pulling us toward

Himself. our dependance on Him.

strong arms long enough

and wide enough to hold

us all.

a ribbon of love

tied around our wrists.

drawing us in. the warmth

of God's broad shoulders and

steady beating of His heart that

stretches around the wide, blue

sky.

this next week,

my sister starts her "kamikaze"

chemo and stem cell procedure.

terrified. i, her partner. almost as

fearful as she.

my daughter-in-law

who miscarried her first

baby, and is put on bed rest

with this second one. weak

heart beat.

you?

your wounds?

terrors? battles?

march on, soldiers.

march on. shout the

victory call. join with

each other. a united

choir. bind the forces

of the enemy in Jesus'

Name. stare into the dark

abyss of chaos and despair.

fighting. fearless. daring.

i can hear the music.

the clap of thunderous joy.

higher ground.

rising.

out of the mist. the chill.

my hand in yours. yours in

mine. pass the cup of love.

victory reigns. stand steady.

alleluhia. allelluhia.

amen.

"Who shall separate us from

the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship

or persecution or famine

or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

'For your sake we face death

all day long; we are considered

sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things

we are more than conquerors

through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that

neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us

from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

~ Romans 8:35-39