Saturday, March 31, 2012

Love in This Life


Gayle wrote on her blog today, "Can we imagine God commanding us, as His servants, to cheat others, to abort our children, to tear down and not build up?

What if, in every circumstance, we bowed before the Lord and said, "I belong to You; tell me what You would have me do!"  We would need no other commandments or laws if we loved the Lord with our whole hearts, our whole minds, and our whole strength."http://onebirdwatching.blogspot.com

This was based on a quote from the Old Testament, Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength (Deut. 6:5). Perhaps the reason for the earthly journey of Jesus was to remind humankind that loving The Divine in the abstract is the basis for all meaning, but is never enough. We must see The Divinity in each other and the rest of creation, and love that, too.

Mt 22:36 “[Jesus], which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” This reflects what Jesus, as a devout Jew, had learned, Lv 19:18 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

I've read that Torah scholars believe that the only part of their sacred scripture that was written directly by the "Finger of God" is the ten commandments, which specifically teach us how to love one another. It seems to me that the test of the sacredness of a scripture is how it places people in the eternal plan. We are all important, and we must seek always to find and nourish The Divinity in each other and in the rest of creation.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Few and Far Between Friendships

I've stopped being disappointed by hypocrisy;
I realize we only see what we want to see.
We each pick a place in our universe
In which we're comfortable to converse.
We then pick groups that share our beliefs;
To disagree with them would bring us grief.
A small smile or a certain tilt of the head
Convinces people they have nothing to dread.

One of the things that I find most upsetting:
Some think silence means approval getting.
But when a person's mind is already set,
Dissension, a person won't easily forget.
Those who openly disagree are scourged,
And from polite societies are often purged.
The people who seem to survive very best
Are those who, on their own approval, rest.

True friendships are few and far between,
And from the workplace are seldom gleaned.
There is a reason we have acquaintances,
Those to whom we don't, eternal love, pledge.
These are people who share a task or a goal;
These things are necessary to make us whole.
But it is shared values that make for soul mates;
Friendship is The Spirit this connection creates.




Thursday, March 29, 2012

Mountain Mary's Granny Camp

Mountain Mary is planning Granny Camp;
She, Josie, and Donna intend to vamp.
They'll have tea parties and quilting, too;
With gardening, there will be much to do.

Mary and Don's horses will surely be ridden.
They're in the front yard, not in the barn, hidden.
There'll be campfires at night and s'mores
Before children are forced to sleep indoors.

Last year there was a tepee of flowers,
Where Mary and grands read for hours.
Coker Creek will give many an hour of pleasure,
Will they go to Indian Boundary Beach, for good measure?

Tromping through the woods on wildflower quests
Will be an activity, if I don't miss my guess.
How fortunate are all children, do you suppose,
Who are, to the Divinity in nature's bounty, exposed?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Seeing The Spirit

We sometimes forget that The Word is made flesh for a reason;
Not only so we can feel sainted during sacred seasons.
The Word is made flesh because human beings are tasked
With revealing what is actually behind The Holy Spirit's mask.

We seem to want to find easier ways to find eternal peace
Than anything that makes our responsibility increase.
But I believe there have been many women and men
Who have had the capacity to lead us away from sin.

It is a slow process to save all of creation's wonder
We do not save through rape, pillage, and plunder.
We save through sharing our own gifts of grace
With those who have the will to look into Life's face.

We must walk the walk before we talk the talk
We must accept that people have a tendency to balk
About anything that may be out of their comfort zone,
So we don't have to take everyone into our homes.

We can do so much good by being among strangers,
Without exposing our children to unknown dangers.
Each of us can be a part of the Eternal Light
That keeps Holiness within everyone's sight.



Praying Without Participation

At times of greatest stress, we tend to regress
To the arms into which we were born.
This is the home that is in our heads,
The place to return to when we're down
It must be wonderful to have a peaceful childhood;
Those born to chaos seem to ever be at a loss.

We will never fully know what makes us who we are,
But to have peace in our souls from strong, loving arms
Can forever be our bit of heaven on earth.
Is it ever too late to intervene and turn the tide of destiny?
It seems that unless we surrender our souls
We're doomed to relive the hells of our forgotten pasts.

But who can we trust to enter our hearts
Without taking our souls as their  playthings?
So many want to control other souls
Instead of controlling their own passion and pain.
And others want to enter broken hearts
Only to fill them with their own suffering.

Is there really any hope for those who let nobody hold them,
Except to make more generations to carry on their pain?
How fortunate are those of us who finally find a soul mate
But what of others who only find those with whom to run away?
Where is the "Christian kindness" in all the easy answers?
Praying without participation makes nobody whole again.







Sunday, March 25, 2012

Ourselves and Our Dogs

Our senses sing with the signs of new life,
And our bodies are urged into action.
Those who didn't attract us in winter
May have for us a new attraction.

We are not as removed from our animal selves
As our religions want us to pretend to be.
A great source of pleasure on this earth is
Channelling our instincts into productivity.

We all have different ways of showing our delight
Some are busy gardening; some walk on the beach.
Some are simply soaking up the sun and breezes;
Some are opening their hearts as far as they can reach.

How can anyone remain bitter and hardened
When there is so much in our natures to celebrate?
The major difference between ourselves and our dogs
Us that we have the ability to enjoy gratification's wait.


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Where We Walk

I subscribe to a blog that is seeking to define the feminine face of god. Every month this blog site posts a new question to be considered. The question this month is, "What happens when women lead?" Aren't we tired of this question yet? The question, in my mind, should be, "What happens when any segment of society is shut out of leadership?" I believe the answer is always subversion and rebellion, which often lead to anarchy, which results in accompanying rule by force and fear.

A good friend who is a church historian once reassured me that we must simply be patient with the chaos that ensued with the sixties and seventies because societies are brought to change with huge swings of the pendulum from one way to its direct opposite. He said that society will settle down somewhere in the center. M. Scott Peck said in his book, A World Waiting to be Born, that chaos is necessary before societies can truly change. The problem seems to be that we become frightened by the chaos and seek to go back to what feels familiar and safe. While I will not go back to the abuses of a patriarchal society, neither do I desire to be part of a movement that excludes men as mentors and masters in their areas of expertise.

There is a popular saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman." Why are we always seeking to put one behind or beneath the other? While there is energy that we all have that is defined as "feminine" and also energy that is defined as "masculine" every person ever born is born of the energy of the two energies coming together. When the two energies are in balance, great things can be achieved.

Most of us have strengths and weaknesses carried forth from both of our parents and absorbed from influences on us by both sexes. In order to keep our relationship in balance, my husband says that we must clearly define, before each shared project, who is to be the officer and who is to be the enlisted. The one who is officer has all the responsibility for the planning and the outcome, and this officer position comes with commensurate authority.

He is better at soothing a crying baby than I am. When we babysit, I do the cooking while he does the cuddling. He defers to me as the officer because he doesn't want dirty duties like diaper changing, but if I have to take over, he will take my direction in stirring the pots on the stove. Are any of these tasks strictly "feminine" or "masculine?"

For twenty years, my husband left all financial decisions solely to me. I recently became concerned that if something drastic should befall me, he wouldn't even know where we kept the money he had earned. He is now figuring out his own system for money management, and I resist the urge to tell him how to do it. I no longer want all that officer's responsibility; he now has the responsibility that goes with that authority. This has come with a price, in that part of his austerity program is that I make his breakfast and lunch before I head off to work. I'll fix food any day if it keeps me from balancing a checkbook.

What I believe is the message of the sacred scriptures from the beginning of written history is that behind every great society are great men and women walking beside each other, each doing what has to be done, using all their sacred energies, both "masculine" and feminine." "Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Walk beside me, and be my friend."

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Divine Energy is Gender Free

There once was only a male face of divinity
And, for many, that's all there will ever be.
I believe all Divine Energy is gender free;
All Grace will abide where it was meant to be.

Christians believe that they are saved by grace,
Not believing this is given to the full human race.
Many believe only those who say their savior's name
Have the right to any of eternal life's claim.

There are also those who live by strict laws,
And the varieties in nature never give them pause.
I believe that we can tell who is blessed with The Spirit,
Not by their nation, or religion, or with whom they sit.

The Spirit shines true in a person's connecting eyes,
Even though we're taught how to hide behind a disguise.
It seems to me that most societies teach how to cover
The truth of who we are, so there will always be "the other."

I love spending time with the younger generation,
Who have little knowledge of the old stories of creation.
They seem to feel more comfortable in their own skins,
Seeing no inequality between women and men.

There is a culture of sharing, instead of competition;
Perhaps in my lifetime, equal rights will come to fruition.
I cannot and will not go back to seeing The Spirit as a him
When I so clearly see a spark of Divinity in all of "them."







Grateful for His Goodness

May I never take for granted a dry bed out of the rain,
Or the man who, when I've been away, welcomes me home again.
May I always be grateful for the wheels that transport me;
For, without transportation, I would certainly be less free.

May I continue to be grateful every time I buy a meal
That I am not in a position where I'm tempted to steal.
May I always be happy to hear about his day,
So he'll never lose his ability to turn his work to play

I know it may sound sacrilegious that I give credit to my man
For all the needs he fills for me as he steadfastly beside me stands
But I firmly believe that we must remember to thank any other
Who hears the call to nurture us, as if they were our loving mothers.

I am humbled that someone is willing to fully share with me
All that he worked to become, and all he'll ever be.
It seems the only that thing he's wanted from the start
Is that I, in exchange for security, offer a fully open heart.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Hope Is How We Cope

It is hard not to want permanence,
Rather than always living on a fence.
But we really have to go with the flow,
For the future we can't ever know.

I'm working on short-term contract.
The long-term stability it lacks,
I make up for in better pay,
But I'm really wanting to stay.

I'm wanting to be one of those
Who is not so easily disposed,
But the reality is that even they
Can be forced to walk away.

That is the challenge in a life,
To be free from excess strife,
We must accept constant loss;
We are never our own boss.

We have the illusion of control,
Which tends to comfort the soul.
Though we can continue to hope,
We only control how we cope.

People with great faith seem to be
Better at coping than the faith free.
To believe it all fits in an eternal plan
Is a great gift to faith-filled humans.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Divinity and the Damned

My dad said that people are "no damned good;"
This was played out in his terrible brood.
There were no boundaries we wouldn't break
There was no goodness "for Goodness' sake."

Our household was one of catch and punish,
The way of the god with whom we were furnished.
And now we're told to be so sentimental
About a new god who is kind and gentle.

Was the old god, in fact, never true,
Punishing what we think, say, and do?
And is not this new person of god
Part of The Father that spared not the rod?

I am much more comfortable
Believing The Spirit infuses the world,
And that each of us is free to choose
How much of our Divinity we will use.

People choose to embrace the good or the bad;
There is much "no good" to be had.
But we are not bound to come to be
Any of the earthly evil that we see.

We must seek the good in ourselves and others,
And seek our spiritual sisters and brothers.
Blood is not thicker than the good in our souls;
We can choose those who help make us whole.



Monday, March 19, 2012

Cynicism and Serenity


My husband says he's a romantic cynic,
Expecting the worst that life has in it,
But he is still quite disappointed
When the worst is, toward him, pointed.

I pray that I can live in reality,
Not in a product of my fantasy.
It is too painful when I come down,
With a great crashing to the ground.


Will a healthy dose of cynicism,
Not viewing life through a prism,
Protect me from disappointment,
Where so much of my life has been spent?

But can we live with open eyes,
Instead of believing all the lies,
And not become discouraged,
Feeling our souls to be mortgaged?

Is it right to accept that life isn't fair,
And not feel guilty when I don't share?
Is it enough to accept my share of grace
Without feeling that I, humanity, disgrace?

Do I have the right to protect myself,
Even at the expense of someone else?
Here, I must pray for serenity,
To know what is my responsibility.







Sunday, March 18, 2012

Personal Priorities

It is true that I have a limited capacity for others' structure,
But only hypocrisy causes my boundaries to rupture.
When I have a leader who leads by his or her example,
My ability to follow orders is certainly more than ample.
The job in which I find myself, much different than jobs before,
Has a department system that lives behind wide open doors,.
 
I now split my time between structure and complete freedom;
This need for balance seems to be part of being human.
We are both busy at what means much to each of us;
When we come together, we have much to discuss.
We also value the time for creating order in our home;
No longer is this a high priority of only my own.
 
It is absolutely marvelous having a sense of limited time;
Only then do I perceive of  goals to which I'll climb.
When I have no sense of  deadline from one day to the next,
There is a sense of relief that nobody can rightfully object.
But there is also a sense of floating in time and space,
Not really a contributing member of the human race.








Saturday, March 17, 2012

When The Spirit Moves Within me, I Am Sore Afraid

So often have I offered pleas to a higher power than me;
Help has always come in a form that I could feel and see.
I am hugely grateful for The Breath that fill the hearts,
And inspire others to reach out and do their parts.

The miracle drugs that seem to have cured my daughter's cancer
Are possible because so many did their best to find this answer.
Those who honor the sparks of Divinity within themselves
Will not find peace without sharing The Light that, in them, swells.

What we sometime feel as anxiety is actually a driving force
That nudges us to move upon our most blessed course.
There's a reason that songs of The Spirit often said,
"When The Spirit moves within me, I am sore afraid."

We begin doing things we didn't know that we could do;
The need to honor others is proof that The Spirit is true.
Those asking for a helping hand are as special as those who give;
Lending strength to the most vulnerable is a good reason to live.


Friday, March 16, 2012

Participating in Paradise

Returning to the sounds of seagulls takes me back to a magic time,
When my grandchildren, after exploring nature, onto my lap would climb.
We would sing songs of A Shepherd, and love, and other things;
We would re-imagine every item for the adventures it would bring.

We had crabs for supper, who would swim into our traps,
And the shrimp lady down the street would fill our supper gaps.
The beaches were a constant source of pretend independence,
Where our silent, watchful eyes were an ever-vigilant presence.

Oh, to be able to reclaim this lost bit of our own paradise
I would gladly long hours work, and to pay whatever the price.
There is nothing quite so wonderful as children in nature's thrall
I wish that I could share this with earth's people, one and all.





Thursday, March 15, 2012

Praising Productivity

Having a job is a most wonderful thing
That this stage in life can bring
I've always felt torn before,
As I dressed and walked out the door.
My children are now long-since grown;
My time is truly my very own.
My husband has his own pet projects,
And I no longer feel the need to fret.
The place that provided his heart transplant
Cares for him as other hospitals can't.

I had trouble believing, when first told,
That the other employees wouldn't be cold.
The office is filled with friendly faces
Who all share each other's places.
Perhaps it's a function of market makers
That they are givers, not takers.
I couldn't be happier with my position;
My dream is coming to fruition.
I'm doing work in which I believe;
No longer for my old life will I grieve.

I don't want to become too complacent; 
Long-term, this may not, for me, be meant.
But while it lasts, I feel needed;
With happy faces I am greeted.
Housework has never filled my need,
And earning is not simply for greed.
We can much longer be independent
If one of us is, on a paycheck, bent.
Isn't this what we all want on earth,
A place that we can call our berth?





Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Serendipity and The Spirit

When we are surprised by things that fall into place,
We have different words to describe this grace.
Some say it was "God" doing a favor for me;
Some call the event serendipity.
We say it was Providence, or it was pure luck;
Karma is credited for us being so struck.

One thing seems eternally and universally true;
We're all trying to understand what we go through.
Those who seem to feel the most content
Are those who believe that good for them is meant.
But unless they accept the grace with humility,
They often look down on you and me.

It seems that many credit "God" with good things,
But blame others for the natural pain that life brings.
There is always a balance that must be struck
Between personal responsibility and our "luck."
But there has never been, and will never in life be,
A full explanation for The Power we can't see.

I am grateful whenever The Force of The Universe
Has positive energy, upon me, dispersed.
I make a very sincere attempt to understand
How this gift fits into The Eternal's plan.
Even not understanding, I still feel driven
To share, with love, the gifts I've been given.




Monday, March 12, 2012

Joy and a Job

A job seems like such a one-dimensional thing,
Something we need for the independence it brings.
I used to think that this was the only excuse
That I would willingly, of my leisure, let loose.

I now know that I am of a temperament
That needs affirmation for why I was sent.
My dear husband is happy if I simply
Sit in a chair acting eternally wimpy.

I have many friends, both in the flesh and online
Who happily spend, with me, their precious time.
So I now surely know that my great unease
Has not been because they were displeased.

I was raised with a value system that insists
That those with resources, others must assist.
Even in the positions that pay my way
If it's only for a paycheck, I rarely stay.

I hope that I can feel a sense of doing good
In our new Louisiana neighborhood.
I pray for the strength to give my full self,
And that hubby will take care of his own health.

I know about me that I don't do well when torn
Between my job and those who, to me, are born.
I hope I can hold firm when those who are not
Attempt to put me in their mothering slot.

Many of those I know who seek for a mother
Are looking to rebel against another.
They get tired of knowing that nobody will die
No matter what tricks, for attention, they try.

I plan to return to the outside work world,
A good-humored woman, not a six-year-old girl.
Through many friends I have renewed my old confidence
That the last years' battles had put on the fence.

This is a sincere and prayerful thank you
To all those who I hope, with me, grew.
I want to keep up our soulful correspondence
Even though daily blogging may no longer make sense.









Sunday, March 11, 2012

Family Freedom


In families, can we be completely care free?
Where each of the involved parties
Let's you be you and me be me?
I can't separate love from obligation
When we share our lives resources,
We can be each other's ruination.

It has been eleven years since
Richard received a new heart.
He hides his pain from others,
And has done this from the start.
I felt that I had to shelter him;
Now I hope he will do his part.


I still feel somewhat anxious
When I have to be away,
Like a parent feels when one's child
Goes down the street to play.
I wonder when I realize this:
Do other spouses feel this way?

My grandma used to regularly say,
"Cher, give it over to God."
But don't we have some responsibility
To others, while on this earth we trod?
I grapple with where my role as spouse ends,
And how much care I owe to him as a friend.

He is not the only one that I seem to smother
I don't seem to know any kind of love,
Except the love that seeks to mother.
It is time for me to accept his reality,
He will do what's he feels is right for him;
I'm responsible only for me.






Saturday, March 10, 2012

Troubles and Treasures

Ah, to be back where there is memory
Of who I and my Richard used to be!
The love that surrounded us in the hospital
Is the kind that makes our souls feel full.

These are people who have been there
Through the troubles that we could hardly bear.
We don't have to begin with stories of the pain
That led us to move away and back home again.

And the work I did before we went away
Has, in some memories, found a place to stay.
It has led to meaningful work with a team,
Helping fund healthcare behind the scenes.

I feel so blessed that I can, once more, be a part
Of work that is close to the community's hearts.
Community hospitals are such a need
In these modern times of corporate greed.

The work that I do will also help fund
The volunteer shipbuilder Richard has become.
I hope that he enjoys being a kept man
If my new job goes according to plan.

I'm grateful the seeds we've sown were kept alive,
And that those seeds will now help us to thrive.
I am also grateful that we have opportunity
To be the servants we were meant to be.


Friday, March 9, 2012

Sacred Service

How do the downtrodden continue to be so kind?
Where is this well of forgiveness that they seem to find?
As I watched the African woman care for our sister-in-law
In her, there was so much grace and love that I saw.

She was a successful marketer in her own country,
But here, a caretaker is what she's hired to be.
How can she serve the society that so disrespects her
In a way that she becomes the vulnerable ones' protector?

In the hospital, the people who care for those in pain
Obviously do so for reasons beyond earthly gain.
The joyful service I've encountered during my husband's stay
Gives a lift to my spirits that I carry through the day.

Where else can one go to be treated as a well-loved babe,
Even by those with wages not much better than slaves?
Is it any wonder that there are those who are disposed
To seeking illness as their way to obtain repose?

Perhaps we would be less ill if our insurance covered retreats,
Instead of waiting for illness to knock us off our feet.
Certainly those with resources can buy pampering on vacations,
But what about the poor that serve this wealthy nation?





Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Friends and Family

Thank Goodness, I am where I am
Because I'm married to a stubborn man,
Who denies he's sick until the day
We all drop to our knees and pray.

How can a brilliant scientist be so dumb,
When his body makes his brain finally succumb,
That he would drive himself to the hospital
When his life is so, caring people, full?

It goes to show that my friend is right;
In speaking of stupidity 'til we see the light.
Refusing to depend on others can sometimes be
A way to creating greater tragedy.

This seems to be why we all need friends
On whom we can always depend.
They will come to our aid when we need it,
And when we're stupid, they will pitch a fit.

I've gone quite crazy in the attempt
To show him that others are grateful he was sent.
Until others are willing to confront his lies,
He will hide behind his non-vulnerable disguise.

So pitch those fits, our loyal friends,
To my stoic friend/husband.
He needs other friends and family
That he acknowledges besides me.






Abortion and Another Abomination

How can those who pretend to be pro-life
Accept war as a way of ending strife?
From the beginning of human's history,
An eye-for-an-eye is the way it should be.

Those who follow the new way
Know that what this Bible had to say
Had no killing for those who disagree
With the beliefs of you and me.

We know that not all embrace The Spirit
By which our human souls are lit.
Why do we believe that those who do not
Can give birth to what The Spirit has begot?

We are foolish to believe that the seeds of war
Will produce the peace that we pray for.
Only peaceful protest will provide lasting results
Which, toward eternal peace, our society catapults.

I believe it is more wrong to kill those
Who are, toward loving their children, disposed
Than it is to kill the seeds of women and men
Who are not capable of loving their own children.





Tuesday, March 6, 2012

People of the Promise

As people of The Promise we are all Israelites:
Those who "struggle with God" to live what is right.
From the beginning of human time, we were aware
That there is a Higher Spirit that all humans share.

Perhaps Israel is not a certain place in a certain time;
Perhaps Israel, like Christianity, is a state of mind.
Wherever two or more seek the just and the right,
There dwells the Holy Spirit's might and delight.

In losing several homes and family members,
I have found new life in my former live's embers.
The Spirit of Holiness will seek and find
The connections of joy and love which The Spirit binds.

When we open our hearts to another's faith,
We will see the true spirit in his or her face.
When I look into someone's eyes I see
A bit of his or her god looking back at me.

Where I see anger, impatience, and fear,
I must look deeper for what they hold dear.
I can look to the people whose lives they touch
And, through them, learn ever so much.

Loving justice spreads peace through all lands.
If only we would honor this as The Eternal Plan,
We would all do our parts be our best selves,
And honor The Spirit that, in others, dwells.

Our children would not necessarily inherit
The same authority or responsibilities we merit.
But we would seek to treat others as our own,
While holding to the values we have been shown.

It may be more difficult to keep our children close,
But they will eventually absorb what we cherish the most.
What we live in our own personal lives
Is what will help our faith families to survive.


The rituals of others would enrich our lives;
If we were stronger, our beliefs would survive.
One of our country's diversity's greatest things
Is the challenge to our personal faith it brings.


Are we so weak in our own faith and resolve
That we have no patience for other's faith to evolve?
I don't want to live where we all must pretend
That we are all, like white bread, a tasteless blend.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Awakened Again

Sometimes the thing I need is a friend with strong boundaries,
One who won't be infected by the things that are bothering me.
My baby sister pointed out that I absorb people's pain;
This may be why I have had so much trouble getting on my feet again.

Another revelation I should have learned, but didn't, from motherhood:
Being too emotionally involved, one can do nobody any good.
Another friend pointed out that we all have some stupidity
And that our mistakes are often because of things we cannot see.

As the Buddha said, "I am awake." I needed this information for so long,
But it took a while for my friends to hit on what was really wrong.
It was not a lack of genuine love going out or coming in;
It was simply the truths that I can only hear coming from my truest friends.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Seeing My Sister

Tonight I see my baby sister who has become quite the success,
Even though her life, like mine, started with a big mess.
She loves the snow; I love the sun, so we live in different climes;
Our paths are now crossing during my husband's mourning time.

This will be the first time I've seen her since our mother's death;
I'm wondering if family discord is ever fully put to rest.
I can only hope that the love we've shared will conquer the pain,
Or we may make the decision to never see one another again.

I realize this is a risk, but I've run out of sisterly good will,
Allowing them, for our mother, to be her religion's shills.
They have come to me to confess their many sins;
I am now handing their burdens back, so I can begin again.

I believe the new testament message is that we choose community;
Our lives are not bound by those we call our family.
I've never really known the values by which my siblings live;
It is time for me to ask them what they are willing to give.