The
Lord's Poet
Graphics
link to a poem or other text about the poet and her ministry.
Poetry
to Lighten a Troubled Heart:
Laugh a little...
Cry a little...
Know you're not alone.
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POEMS:
Mission Statement and Purpose
About the Poet
Personal Testimony Scriptural Basis for this Ministry
I
AM NOT WHAT I'M FEELING!
I'm
in a situation
That
causes no elation;
I'm
feeling many things
That
only hurting brings:
Unwanted
and unneeded,
Unheard
and unheeded.
With
each of these I feel
That
pain that tries to steal
The
peace that I have found
Amongst
the hurts that hound.
Please
help me to remember
Within
my heart the ember
Of
who I really am:
A
very precious gem;
One
who's not defined
By
falsehoods of the mind.
Kathi Phillips
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HELP
Broken,
despised, rejected--
Pain
fills your emptied heart.
You
search for wholeness
In
many ways and places
To
find only more of the same.
Despised,
rejected and broken--
Emptiness
pains your lonely heart,
Seeking
in groups or books
Help
for your hurting life.
In
trying to do it all yourself
You
neglect one simple truth:
You
cannot bypass Jesus
If
you're seeking true health.
Kathi Phillips
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NOT
AGAIN!
(This
really happened to me)
Of
matchmakers, I've had my share.
They
point out guys without a care.
And
when they start, I haven't a prayer!
They
list his traits: ah, such flair!
And
always they will just insist
That
he would surely top my list.
And
when I holler, "Please do desist!"
They
turn on me and shake a fist,
Then
want me now to date their brother,
Or
friend or cousin or some other
Who
just happens to know my mother.
I
cry again, "No, not another!"
One
really, truly dear, dear friend
Plied
me with guys without an end.
She
hoped my broken heart would mend
Because
of one that she did send.
The
last one tried was one strange mister,
I
laughed so hard I got a blister
For
the ending here is quite a twister:
He
once was married to my sister!
Kathi Phillips
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THE
VOICE
The
Lord gave to me a heart
That
truly loves to sing
But
for some strange reason,
Known
only to him,
The
voice he put in this body
Does
not match the quality
Of
my joy in singing.
I
love to sing and do it often
But
have never met
Another
human being
Who
enjoyed my singing
As
much as I do.
I
sing unto the Lord
And
praise him as it says in Psalms--
His
only requirement
Is
that we make a joyful noise,
For
when I let loose in song
It
is truly a joyful noise unto the Lord!
Kathi Phillips
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WHAT
CAN'T BE SAID
"Write
for me
What
I can't say."
That
was her request.
It
left a lot of room for me,
Especially
when she added:
"You'll
know just what it is
For
you can't say it either."
The
hurts accumulated
From
many sources
Leave
wounds
That
seem unhealable;
The
pain that carries
From
day to day
Brings
words
That
can't be said;
The
agonies that fill our hearts
From
ever feeling good
Send
out cries
That
no one hears
Because
we cannot say them.
I'll
write for her
What
I can't say
And
hope that you will hear it,
For
if it goes
Too
long unheard
Time
will never heal it.
Kathi Phillips
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THE
PAIN IS THE SAME
I
don't know all the facts,
But
I do know your pain.
I
have felt such pain myself:
The
despair that life will never change,
The
loneliness and hopelessness
That
leads to suicide attempts.
The
causes may be different,
But
the pain is the same.
I
broke a leg,
You
broke an arm,
But
our pain is the same:
Caused
by a broken life
That
we know not how to heal.
I
pray for one I do not know
Whose
pain has been felt by me.
Please
know there is hope.
In
time and with time
All
hurts do heal.
Kathi Phillips
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GOD'S
LOVE
For
the crucified person
There
is no past.
All
they've done
Has
been eradicated,
Buried
far from sight,
By
God's supreme love.
With
God, life is all future.
And
that future is all God's.
There
are no worries,
For
God makes the plans
And
gives the strength to follow.
The
crucified person never turns back,
There
is no longer
A
past that haunts.
Behind
them
Is
only the blankness
Of
God's love.
Kathi Phillips
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TROUBLES
There
is no doubt
Within
your heart
That
you're fully committed
To
God's will for your life.
You've
sacrificed much
And
changed your plans
To
follow where he leads.
Yet
looking around
You
begin to see
Where
troubles have filtered in.
Seeming
ever deeper with passing time
You
start to doubt your faith,
And
think you've wandered away.
But
learn with me this simple lesson:
Problems
are common to all mankind
And
do not mean
You
are drifting from the Lord.
Kathi Phillips
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BROKEN
CHAINS
Life
is full of difficulties
That
seem to pull us down.
Often
we are overwhelmed
By
habits we can't break.
We
read self-help books
And
attend twelve step programs.
The
habitual behaviors
May
be held in abeyance
But
still remain unconquered.
Regardless
of what we do
Habits
keep us chained to the past.
But
there is help to be found.
Turn
to the Author of Life,
He
will break your chains.
For
the grace of God is bigger
Than
what you are trying to conquer.
Kathi Phillips
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A
CHALLENGE TO CHANGE
She
issued a challenge to change
That
we could openly choose:
Stick
with the image
From
the haunting past;
Or
open our Bibles,
Thus
meeting God at last.
She
shared what she had learned,
And
the depths of our errors
Before
us silently flashed;
For
God so seldom matches
Our
images from the past.
He
is not what our parents were
Nor
like our spouse today.
He
is indeed quite different
From
how we picture him.
And
if we stop to study
How
the Bible describes the Lord
He'll
lovingly alter the picture
As
old images finally dim.
Kathi Phillips
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SUCH
A BLESSING
God
knew all along
What
he did to us:
Two
slightly lost,
And
quite lonely,
Empty,
seeking hearts
Were
brought together
In
great friendship
By
him we both call Lord.
And
though we saw not
The
reasons behind
His
choosing such for us,
I
have no doubt
He
did something quite special
When
he blessed us each
With
the other as true friend.
Kathi Phillips
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FRIENDSHIP
Friends
do for friends
Things
done for no other
Because
of their friendship.
What
one needs
The
other does
Whenever
asked
Without
complaint;
No
help requested
Is
deemed too much
When
done in friendship;
Nothing
needed is withheld
Because
in true friendship
There
is no job description.
Kathi Phillips
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CHRISTIAN
FACETS
Have
you ever seen a facet?
Do
you know what one is?
A
facet is one side of any cut gem.
Cut
gems are brilliant,
They
glitter and shine
Are
considered lovely by all.
But
have you really seen one facet?
Where
can you buy a facet?
That's
right--
Facets
can't be bought
Unless
you buy the gem.
Facets
make the stone beautiful,
But
cannot be separated from it.
And
without individual facets
The
gem ceases to be brilliant.
Look
at the diamond or ruby,
See
the many shapes and sizes?
Notice
the angles at which they face the world,
Each
facet has a different point of view.
But
these differences enhance
(Not
detract from)
The
gems natural beauty.
The
Body of Christ is also a gem.
Each
Christian is a facet.
They
come in many shapes and sizes,
With
differing points of view.
Each
should join with the others
To
enhance the beauty of the Gem.
Kathi Phillips
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HEAR
ME
My
world has crashed again,
Hopes
and dreams are dashed too thin
As
I call, "Abba Father,
Father
hear my plea."
And
I cry, "Abba! Father!
Father
hear my cry."
My
cries appear unheard
As
my heart remains unstirred,
So
I cry, "Abba Father,
Father
hear my cry."
And
I call, "Abba! Father!
Father
answer me!"
My
plea has weakened much
As
I seek God's loving touch.
Still
I cry, "Abba Father,
Hear
me, hear my call."
And
I cry, "Abba! Father!
Hear
me, hear my cry!"
Kathi Phillips
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INSIDE,
OUTSIDE, UPSIDE DOWN
Only
what is inside
Shows
on the outside
When
the world is upside down.
Bump
a glass of water
And
only water splashes out.
If
the glass contains tea,
When
bumped, tea spills.
So
it is with us.
If
we are full of anger
And
bitterness and hate,
All
that flows out
When
we are bumped
Is
hate and bitterness
And
words of anger.
But
if we are full of Christ
Then
only words of kindness
And
acts of love can flow
When
the world turns us
Inside,
outside, upside down.
Kathi Phillips
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IT
WORKS
(Based
on Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good
to
them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose
KJV)
It
all works together
Even
when I can't see
How
it even fits together!
It
all works together for good
Even
when all I see
Is
terribly, horribly, separately bad.
It
all works together for good
For
all those (including me)
Who
love the Lord
Even
if everything appears
To
have just fallen apart
Because
I am called
According
to his purpose.
Kathi Phillips
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CAUGHT
Today
never ending,
Tomorrow
ever coming:
Caught
in the trap
Of
time standing still.
What
used to be
Now
still the same;
What
could have been
Never
becoming.
No
sameness remains
Yet
nothing changes--
Caught
in the time
Of
traps standing still.
Kathi Phillips
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FTL
(This
poem comes from the book of Science Fiction poems that I wrote entitled
"Helpful (?) Henry". These poems are Henry's side of a conversation concerning
his vain attempts to help a friend in perceived need. Henry thinks his
friend needs various things to survive but in reality his friend wants
to see science fiction become science fact.)
I'm
leaving today.
What's
that you say?
You
think that I've misunderstood?
That
really my drive will do no good?
How
can that be for my drive is done
And
soon I'll leave behind our sun
As
I travel a length so far
That
the light from our own star
Will
be much less than a tiny speck.
I
hear you, stop breathing down my neck!
Okay,
I'll listen, so tell--
Just
what is wrong with my FTL?
What
do you mean, faster than light?
Oh,
nuts! I heard you wrong that night!
Please
forgive me, since you were right,
My
drive will take us further than light!
Kathi Phillips
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PHILLIPS'
LAW
Murphy
is the name
(Or
if it isn't,
It
should be)
For
that's the law
That
rules my life.
Any
thing that can go wrong
Does
At
the wrong time!
And
Kathi's addendum:
All
at once,
Everywhere,
In
a geometric progression!
I
fix one problem
And
have two more arise,
In
fixing those
I'm
swamped by four.
A
never ending increase
Of
things that need attention,
An
ever mending process
Of
troubles that need correction.
So
move over Murphy,
Phillips'
Law has come to town:
Anythingcan
go wrong
I'll
totally ignore:
It
ain't important anyway!
Kathi Phillips
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I
HAD HOPED
(This
poem was written to be included in a special volume of poems, entitled
"Lost Years", all written for my son whom I had not seen since from 1985 to 2001. It has yet to be completed and given to him though I now know where he is)
I
had hoped you'd be a girl
Bright
eyed and full of curls
Instead
I was blessed with a boy.
And
though my heart filled with joy,
Still
I had hoped for a little girl.
Your
name had long been picked out
And
so I knew without a doubt
That
I would never get to use
All
those clothes in pinkish hues
Nor
the name I had picked out.
But
soon I learned that God knew best
And
in your gender I was blessed
For
that name was of a friend
Who
died before your birth was penned
As
God showed me that he knew best.
And
as a son you were the best,
In
your life I was greatly blessed
But
I've missed so much these years
That
I've shed a million tears
For
loss of a son who was the best.
Kathi Phillips
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THE
LIE
I
tried so hard to find the key
That
would open up to me
The
door to popularity.
But
the more I tried to find
The
more I had to hide behind
The
lie that said I did not mind.
I
was different from my peers;
And
though the price was much too dear
I
played it so it would appear
As
if I didn't really care
About
my seeming lack of flair.
Still
I thought it quite unfair
That
I should have to hide behind
A
lie that said I did not mind
Living
in a world so blind
As
to forget what life can be
Without
some popularity
For
a child who cannot see
That
life can offer so much more
Going
through some other door.
Kathi Phillips
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THE
SOLUTION
What
has you hemmed in?
What
has you at the end of your rope?
There
is a better solution
Than
tying a knot
And
hanging on.
God
knows you have troubles,
But
if Jesus is Lord
Of
your life,
They
belong to him,
Not
you.
Take
your rope,
Place
it in God's hands
And
slide down
Into
the protection
Of
His loving arms.
Kathi Phillips
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WAR!
Something
I know that makes me mean
Is
folks who use a dumb machine
Attaching
it to their telephone
And
thereby stating they are not home,
Then
want my name and furthermore. . .
I've
had enough! This now means war!
I'll
find a way to beat them all
When
friendly folks I have to call.
I
ask you now to join with me,
Please
listen to my humble plea.
Let's
join together in this fight
Rememb'ring
what is only right:
There
is no need to lose to fear
When
vict'ry is so very near.
Let's
win this war in a bang up way.
So,
please before you hang up say,
Something,
anything will do
Even
if it's just, "Guess who?"
Kathi Phillips
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WHERE
DOES NOT EQUAL WHAT
Parked
inside garages
Does
not make you a car;
Nor
do you e'er become
Cookies
if in a jar;
Going
to a barn
Does
not produce a horse.
This
analogy of mine
Is
carried far, of course
For
being in a bank
Makes
no millionaire;
Nor
do museum visits
Make
one cultured, full of flair.
The
final truth I state
May
leave me in a lurch
For
you are not a Christian
Just
because you go to church!
Kathi Phillips
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SQUARE
PEG
Why
must all the world
Insist
on defining me?
Why
do the round pegs
Demand
I squish my corners in
To
occupy their holes?
I'd
rather stay a square peg
And
seek out the hole
God
has designed for me alone.
I
am no less a person
For
having corners;
Nor
am I diminished for choosing
To
remain a square peg
Seeking
her own square hole.
Kathi Phillips
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WHY
It
isn't for a person's praise
That
I choose to serve the Lord;
I
didn't get into this life
For
an award I might receive;
I
do not sow these seeds
For
reward in future days.
I
did not get into it
For
what I will get out of it;
Rather
I do what I do
Because
of what I already have--
I
do it because the Lord
Has
had an impact in my life
That
I cannot but pass on.
Kathi Phillips
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HEALER
Hurt,
distress, despair
In
situations unchanging;
Pain,
anger, depression
While
circumstances continue:
This
is the life we see.
We
become too busy tending
To
our many wounds
To
see the loving Healer
Standing
at our side;
We
are so focused
On
mending countless hurts,
We
fail to notice beside us
The
wounded and risen Healer.
Kathi Phillips
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RETURN
The
past left scars:
Automatic
responses
To
traumatic events
I
could not control.
The
events of my past
Have
long since ceased
But
reactions learned
To
survive those times
Continue
to interfere.
Through
years of difficult
(And
often painful)
Ever
changing therapy
I
learned to put aside
Most
of those old responses.
Being
just myself,
With
no hidden traps,
Open
and straight forward,
Is
unacceptable to you.
And
now I am being forced
To
return to an old lifestyle
Because
the new behaviors
Somehow
threaten you.
Kathi Phillips
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CARROT
CAKE?!
(This
poem is dedicated to all those "purist" bakers out there who do things
from scratch including grating carrots for cakes!)
How
many carrots does it take
To
make just one carrot cake?
Enough
to fill a tiny lake!
And
tell me please, how much time
Does
it take to grate them fine?
Enough
for each of us to dine!
Grate
and grate, my arm is sore.
Measuring,
I still need more!
How
many grated? Just one score!
Tell
me please, is that enough?
Can
I add this grated fluff
To
all that other mixed-up stuff?
Kathi Phillips
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OH,
NO!
I
reached the top by being busy
And
climbed so high that now I'm dizzy.
I'm
near the top of the ladder of life,
And
looking down on past strife.
I've
struggled hard to get this far
And
see no reason my climb to mar,
Until
I notice this one, small thing:
My
ladder's against the wrong building!
Kathi Phillips
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BIG
ENOUGH
We
face many troubles
Which
threaten oft
To
overwhelm us.
We
grumble, fear and complain
That
the difficulty
Is
much too big to handle.
We
pull the covers up
And
refuse to greet
Another
troubled day;
We
close our eyes and mind,
Denying
that wrong assaults
Our
complex lives.
We
need many reminders
Of
a simple truth
We
can cling to
When
circumstances overwhelm:
We
are not alone--
For
God is big enough
To
face all our troubles!
Kathi Phillips
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WRAPPED
UP
Wrapped
up in yourself
You
make a small package;
Tied
up with your problems
Leaves
no room to expand;
Concerned
only with self
You
will never grow.
Look
beyond the personal,
Seek
to help others in need,
Search
the world around
And
you will soon see
The
expansion of yourself
Into
the package of God
That
you were designed to be.
Kathi Phillips
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