carbonated joy

A little pirate poetry…

AVAST matey, your little boat is really shaken now, everything is all a skelter.
You are caught red faced in an imperfect storm, looking for some shelter.
Don’t lose hope!
Grab hold of the rope.
Dig in, stay the course and hold fast,
Storms hit hard, but they don’t last
The cold winds howl and the crashing thunder has roared.
Something is fishy, your dreams have gone overboard.
You feel yourself thrown around like helpless plankton,
Wondering out loud where is a little bit of sanctum?
Dig in, stay the course and hold fast,
Storms hit hard, but they don’t last.
Holy mackerel!! You feel queasy, your face is turning green.
These have to be the hardest times you have ever seen.
Though the raging surf stings your face and visibility is zero.
Drop anchor and keep your eyes on true North, hold out for a hero.
Dig in, stay the course and hold fast,
Storms hit hard, but they don’t last.

The last few months we have had a construction site directly across from our house. There have been countless large trucks and men with tool belts. They are building a big new house. It’s been pretty crazy! There’s lots of dust and debris. We look out our front window and we have a beautiful scenic view of a lovely, green, industrial porta potty. There is also a wonderful dumpster. It’s pretty magical.
I really should see the big picture, newness is coming to the cul-de-sac. That’s good, but it’s bugging me. I get impatient with all the mess that comes with progress. I’m not giving them much grace because they are invading my space.
I’m ready for it to be done!
I was grumbling under my breath about this the other day when I got grace slapped.
I was reminded of how far I am from done. The thought came to me that I am a construction sight. I am my own complete mess.
I AM UNFINISHED.
I’m a completely original DIY project for God, and I will be until the day I see His face.
You are in the same cul-de-sac.

We are an unfinished people.

Until the day that we draw our last breath, we are unfinished.
We are constantly in process.
This actually should be good news. It should set you free. If we think there is a possibility of us being finished and perfect, we beat ourselves up if we aren’t. We act like we are finished and we have it figured out. We need to realize it’s totally, completely ok to not be ok.
We are an unfinished people.
Unfinished people GET grace and space.
Unfinished people GIVE grace and space.
WHAAA?! You aren’t perfect? SHOCKER! Welcome to the human race my friend!
Excellence is overrated(and usually unobtainable). Instead of moving from good to great, we need to hurl ourselves from great to grace. Then we will see how much more fun life can be.
GET grace!
GIVE grace!
Give yourself the space to be perfectly imperfect. Give YOURSELF the room to be unfinished. THEN, give the unfinished others the same grace and space. You are meant to be different in a year than today. Make room for construction.
Ruth Bell Graham’s headstone reads: “End of Construction – Thank You for Your Patience”.
I love that!!! She got it!!
We are all at different stages of construction.
We all have our dust and debris.
We are all also farther along than we were this time yesterday.
We are an unfinished people.
That should give you a dumpster load of hope and patience.
We are all walking, talking construction sites. God is crafting a habitation for Himself in YOU. The crazy thing is that He moves in the moment we invite Him, because He is all about inside jobs.
YOU are a completely original DDIY (Divine Do It Yourself) project, and you WILL be until the day that you see your builder face to face.
We are an unfinished people, that should mak

Love…

Love doesn’t boycott, bully, belittle or brag.
Love builds, brings and beckons.

Love doesn’t shutout or slander.
Love is a welcome mat.

Love doesn’t throw you under the bus,
Love buys you a ticket to ride.

Love doesn’t look with desire.
Love listens with delight.

Love doesn’t grab, love gives and gives and gives.

Love won’t stay in a box,
It’s way too LARGE for that.
It can’t be contained, but it can be cultivated.

Love is strong, it’s stronger than death.
Yet, at the very same time, love is tender.
Love never forces, love frees.
Love doesn’t intrude, love invites.

Love trusts, hopes, and doesn’t give up.
Love celebrates. Love likes to party.
Love proves itself to be BIG in the smallest ways.

Love!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages…

step right up and change your lives!

Step inside Dr. Love’s traveling exposition of wild wonder…

It’s not for the faint of heart! It’s an unparalleled adventure! It’s the story of Dr. Love, who came from a faraway unbroken place…a world of wonder. As He traveled throughout Big Top, He gathered His own circus. It was comprised of a band of human curiosities, a tribe of misfits that found hope, truth, belonging and wonder. For everywhere that Dr. Love went He unleashed wild wonder! This is that truly true fantastical tale!

Once upon a time there was a good and kindhearted Ring Master who loved laughter and dance and color and magic and mystery. But most of all, the ring master loved his children of all ages. So he created a special place for them. He created Big Top as a place to amaze and amuse His children of all ages. It was a beautiful place full of vibrant color and happy music. There was laughter and dancing. Everything smelled like cotton candy. It was a wonderful place and time.

But the Ring Master had an evil and cruel enemy, an evil boss clown. He hated the Ring Master and he wanted to steal the joy and kill the wonder in Big Top. He used sleight of soul to deceive the children of all ages. He tempted and tricked the citizens of Big Top and they turned their back on the Ring Master. He had promised a three ring party but it was all a lie. Instead of life he brought pain, fear and brokenness. Big Top was broken (along with the Ring Master’s heart) Innocence was lost, the colors weren’t as bright, the music lost its rhythm, the laughter faded. The evil boss clown had all the citizens of Big Top in his grease paint stained grip. They were his slaves; He forced them to be a part of his twisted carnival. The people were controlled like chickens forced to dance on a hot plate.

But…There was still beauty in Big Top and the Ringmaster had a plan. He would send the simply astonishing Dr. Love to bring the circus back to town. Whatever Dr. Love touched would regain its original, unbroken beauty. Dr. Love brought a new circus to town, a circus without chains, a circus of freedom, joy and wonder.

Ladies and gentlemen…LET THE BIG SHOW BEGIN!

The barker was dressed in the clothes of a common carny, a musty red velvet coat, a tattered green vest, plaid pants that were more patch than pant, fingerless wool gloves and a derby that had certainly seen better days. He had wild eyes and a scruffy beard. He was unkempt and untamed and, some would said, a little unhinged. He smelled like freedom and an old tuna sandwich. The barker wandered about Big Top armed with an old megaphone and a message. He would wait until he had a crowd and then the barker would clear his throat and shout “I offer an elixir for the soul, but Dr. Love will give you life itself!”

It was about that time that Dr. Love took his show on the road. He hitched up a colorful wagon to a small, yet sturdy albino donkey named Phineas. He took off traveling slowly from town to town. His first stop was to see the Barker. The Barker was standing on a wooden box in front of a crowd of people. He was making wild, animated gestures with his hands and telling stories of hope. Dr. Love left Phineas and the cart behind and walked through the crowd. The barker stopped mid-sentence, gasped, and stuttered “G-G-Galloping locusts! It’s you!!” Dr. Love grinned and chuckled. He grabbed the Barker’s shoulder and said “it’s time my friend! Let’s unleash the wonder!” The barker, who for seemingly the first time in his life was speechless, said “but…” Dr. Love cut him off “c’mon, do it cuz!” With trembling hands, the Barker reached in his tattered vest pocket and pulled out a small gold medal with an engraved symbol of a burning heart. It was attached to a bright purple ribbon. He put it around Dr. Love’s neck and then he humbly bowed. Suddenly the booming voice of the Ringmaster cut through the stillness of the moment…”Ladies and Gentlemen, My children of all ages…THE MAIN EVENT”.
Rather than stick around for applause and accolades, Dr. Love cut away from the crowd and went down a dark, lonely alley. It was there that he encountered the boss clown and his twisted clown alley. Four of the clown minions grabbed Dr. Love and threw him into a big steel mesh sphere; it was called the Globe of Death. Dr. Love calmly stood in the center of the sphere as clowns on loud motorcycles started circling around him. They got within inches of him and were shouting out unbelievably crass clown curses. Dr. Love just stood there, clutching his burning heart medallion and remembering who he was. The clown boss let out a chilling laugh and said, “Well, well…Good Doctor, welcome to my carnival of fear and hate. Step right up and all this can be yours! We can be partners…together, we can rule the circus.” Dr. Love looked him in his bloodshot eyes and replied, “beat it clown!” the boss clown recoiled, as if slapped, and spit out “this isn’t the last you’ve seen of me!” then…suddenly…he was gone, along with the evil clown alley and the globe of death. Only Dr. Love remained and he took a moment to bask in the approval of the Ringmaster.

As he traveled, Dr. Love started putting together a troupe. One day, he was taking Phineas and the wagon down a quiet patch of beach when he encountered a strongman. The strongman was strutting around the shore carrying heavy barbells trying to impress everyone. He was making grunty noises and accidently kicking sand in everyone’s faces. He certainly looked the part, from the outside. He was big and burly. He had some really rough edges and a gift for the inappropriate. But inside he was soft and confused. He desperately wanted to be the BIG man and get respect and popularity. He had spent his life trying to measure up, but he always came up short in the social circus. He had great intentions, but he would always end up saying or doing something stupid. He would embarrass himself and his family. He saw Dr. Love and started lifting a bar bell and said “…412…413…414.” Dr. Love giggled and said “oh strongman, true strength only comes through surrender.” Dr. Love rubbed his chin, grinned and spoke the words that would change the life of the strongman: “Join me in the ways of wonder! Run away and join my circus!” the strong man didn’t hesitate…he dropped everything to run off and join the circus.

A little further on, they saw two brothers, Alonzo and Gonzo, riding a tilt-a-whirl with their dad. Dr. Love made them the same offer. They immediately left everything, including the tilt-a-whirl and their slightly nauseous father, and ran off with the circus.

Dr. Love and his little troupe went to town. He stopped and talked to the people, but he was interrupted by angry gargling noises. It was a man with an evil clown hanging on his back. The clown was hanging on by a crude headlock and was whispering ugly lies to the man. It was causing great pain and confusion, not to mention the clown had incredibly foul breath. The clown made a strange gargling sound and started to say something, but, Dr. Love cut him off and said “beat it clown!” the evil clown shrieked and hopped off the man. The defeated clown scuttled down the street like a scared spider monkey. Every few feet, it tripped over its big clown shoes. The citizens of Big Top were amazed and astonished.

It was about then that Dr. Love ran into the Alligator Man. the Alligator Man had a seriously itchy problem and a love for Cajun food. He didn’t get invited to any parties because he looked like a walking handbag. People were afraid to touch him or even talk to him because they might catch his condition. He was tired of living like this and he had heard tales of wonder. He shuffled up to Dr. Love and he said in a desperate, raspy voice; “if you want to, you can fix me…” Dr. Love smiled and grabbed his face and replied, “OH…I WANT TO!” instantly wonder ruled the day as people saw something they had never seen before. The alligator man was suddenly unbroken. He and Dr. Love went and ate some gumbo together.

The flying burrito brothers and their rooftop acrobatics were legendary. They could do truly astonishing things. They would fly on swings, trapezes and occasionally ceiling fans. They weren’t actually brothers, just five REALLY good friends who, by sheer coincidence, had the same last name. Their first names were Bobby, Buddy, Billy, Bucky and Ernesto. Ernesto couldn’t join in on the act. He was paralyzed from a fall when he was very young. Since then Bobby, Buddy, Billy and Bucky had taken care of him. They did everything to make sure that he realized he was still a part of the act, but Ernesto desperately wanted to fly like a burrito again. The “brothers” heard stories about Dr. Love. They heard that everywhere he went he unleashed wonder and that he did things that no one had ever seen. They thought if only we can get Ernesto to Dr. Love, maybe he could help him. They carried him to the ragged Circus tent where Dr. Love was telling stories of hope and wonder. The air was thick with anticipation and the smell of slightly burnt popcorn. They walked through the flaps, but the tent was really crowded and they couldn’t go much farther. People were pressing into Dr. Love. There was no way to carry Ernesto through the crowd. So they did what any real friends, with trapeze skills, would do, they carried their friend to the top of the tent. Then they put him in a net and lowered him through the air with the greatest of ease. They set him down right in front of Dr. Love. Dr. Love, who was very impressed by the boldness of the Burritos, bent down and grabbed Ernesto’s hand. He said “Ernesto, you are unbroken…inside and out…stand up and fly like you were born to!” Ernesto jumped up and shouted “TA DA!!!” then he started doing back flips and really astonishing jumps!

The Ringworm brothers were lurking about. They were five brightly dressed, yet completely unhappy brother who WERE actually brothers. They owned the circus tents and equipment so they felt like this gave them the right to make rules and bully the circus people. The circus had been in their family for so long that they had forgotten what it was like NOT to own the circus. They prided themselves on the circus being a family business, their family! And so they were naturally very jealous of Dr. Love and they were afraid of anything new. They started grumbling and talking amongst themselves…”Dr. Love is a fake…who does he think he is…the true Ring master would never do that…he isn’t part of our family…he’s messing up everything that we have worked so hard for!”

All this talk didn’t bother Dr. Love at all. He was having way too much fun! He spent his days inviting children of all ages to the circus. Most of the time that involved simply hanging out, eating a lot of corn dogs, drinking root beer and telling stories. A bunch of misfits, outcasts, renegades and rebels joined the circus. They were loud and wildly inappropriate.This greatly disturbed the Ringworm brothers…“hmmppphh! He hangs out with the worst kind of people…the scum of the circus!” The Ringworm brothers were constantly trying to make the circus all about rules and regulations. But, Dr. Love’s circus was all about the wild things that you can’t regulate…wonder …joy…love…laughter. Dr. Love overheard the criticism, sighed and shook his head, “fresh wonder can’t be contained in your tired, old, man-made boxes…it’s got to be allowed to run free and wild.”

As Dr. Love journeyed through the land in a colorful wagon, his troupe was growing. It was made up of every shape, color and size of human curiosity. Dr. Love celebrated their differences. That is what made them interesting. It was a kaleidoscope of humanity. Some of them had seedy and sketchy stories, they had made mistakes. Some of them had spent their lives trying to be good enough, but never achieving it. They all came together under the same circus tent. When they joined the circus, it was like they redefined themselves. They became new. They were part of something much bigger than themselves…they were walking, talking trophies of grace and wonder in Dr. Love’s traveling exposition of wild wonder.

In my life I’ve been a partaker of the unexplainable.
I’ve seen the sacred and the strange.
I’ve witnessed the marvelous and the miracle.
I have tasted the undeniable, uncontrollable, unexplainable REAL.
It’s broken out in the unlikeliest places and I liked it.
I’ve seen blind eyes see with my one good eye.
I’ve watched lame feet dance to a brand new rhythm.
I’ve heard the mute speak in tongues.
I’ve walked into Holy fire that consumes and brings beauty from ashes.
I’ve fallen prostrate in a place of tangible mystery where awe takes its rightful place, a place that no words can adequately capture. It is a field that can never be fenced, but I can run and frolic to my hearts content.
I’ve seen a place of wonder where Spirit becomes both noun and verb.
It has left me with a perpetual hunger for more, a craving for the things of the Spirit that cannot be denied, controlled, or explained.
I long, with the deepest part of me…
To be Spirit stained…
To be Spirit saturated.
I close my eyes, hold my breath and I trust fall into strong arms that I can’t see…
Holy Spirit, I like you.
Can you come out and play today?
Can we get into some holy mischief?
Can we do something…
Undeniable…
Uncontrollable…
Unexplainable?