I'm a recent (free) subscriber, and was touched by your response to my posting a few days ago about my recently deceased father in law, and have passed on and read to others the poem you shared about dying.
Thank you for a beautiful message, and maintaining the true spirit and purpose of Christmas. May your reflection of the light of Christ continue to shine for others. There is a war against Christianity, and followers of Christ. May you ever be faithful and be strengthened by him. Endure to the end!
Thank you for taking the time to write this, Justin. It’s so inspiring.
We will win that war one way or another, I just want to make sure we take care of it as best we can without relying on Jesus. He could end the war with a casual snap of His fingers, but what He wants - and I know this in my heart without any question - is for us to do everything we can to solve it ourselves. That’s where the real growth happens: those trials are why we are here. Muscles of morality and faith and honor grow much stronger when they are flexed and worked and strained.
We’re here to exert them in order to learn and to grow through adversity. To be forged in fire. Strength and maturity and character do not grow when sedentary lifestyles.
Have a great Christmas my friend. And every day after.
Edit to add:
Gone From My Sight (Submitted by Laurie)
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
Thank you Toxicanadian! Assume you’ll be getting a white Christmas this year and hope your merriness and joy are even brighter than the freshly fallen snow!
Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? —John 11:25-26 I have been physically alive and physically (clinically) dead several times in my pilgrimage here so I understand the power of the faith and the testimony. I also understand the Apostle Paul's consternation in 1st Corinthian's 15:30-32 where he says: "And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die". Although it sounds paradoxical, it is the price of taking up our cross daily and following him. Watching the video with you and your son brings me to those humble feelings of ambivalence of being a father and the violence this world brings on the poorest natural families. I know you will bring your son up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, if God wills and thank you for this wonderful message. I also patiently await the reality of "Peace on earth, Good will towards men" to be the norm instead of the exception.
You’ve been through so much more than most, Clyde, and yet your faith is so strong. God must be very impressed with a gem of a believer like you who’s been through so much anguish, still touting His good name. Thank you for inspiring me in my struggles.
Peace on earth being the norm rather than the exception, oh how wonderful the thought. When that day comes, I look forward to meeting and shaking your hand as all the heavy chains of the world have fallen off and you stand there tall, and renewed, and so much stronger than you would have otherwise been without them.
Thank you brother, for everything. I am going to have to work extra hard to pay forward all this kindness. Once back on my feet, I will have a new mission in life and am sure I will love every second of it.
God, please bless and protect you and your home as well.
TriTorch, I've followed you for over a year now, maybe longer. I've always loved your poetic writing; you are a person of greath depth and sensitivity, a rare find in today's world. It seems you've had some serious struggles, yet you are still here, still writing and creating beauty and sharing thoughts that are so worthwhile, provoking the rest of us to think more deeply. I am richer for your writing. Though I may not have responded much to your posts for awhile, I think of you often and pray for your safety and well-being, that you may be triumphant over your struggles. You are a rare person indeed. I'm an old lady, 70 yrs old, have been through much sorrow myself but have learned a great deal through my struggles. I see you as a fellow traveler, one who has also had great adversity, but are learning from these difficulties and are winning. You and your writing are very much needed IMO during the present difficulties we humans are facing; perhaps the worst period of time humans have ever dealt with for we are fighting for the survival of humanity I do believe. Please know that I think of you often and have been praying for you. I have put a circle of protection around you and I think you are much needed by humanity at this time . I hope things get better for you soon. If you need anything, please know that I am here, you can contact me any time and I will respond and help if I can or just listen if that's what you need. Sending you lots of love and light.
That is so very kind of you to take the time to say. Thank you so much for your prayers, you are in mine, E. I’ve always appreciated your consistent positive reaction to my work, despite my flaws, of which there are many. This experience has caused me to face and fix them. As bad as it was it was certainly necessary to get me on a straight path to Christ. And the more I reflect, the more it seems that was the reason.
The support has been overwhelming, and comments like yours make it all worth. Thank you again.
I'm a recent (free) subscriber, and was touched by your response to my posting a few days ago about my recently deceased father in law, and have passed on and read to others the poem you shared about dying.
Thank you for a beautiful message, and maintaining the true spirit and purpose of Christmas. May your reflection of the light of Christ continue to shine for others. There is a war against Christianity, and followers of Christ. May you ever be faithful and be strengthened by him. Endure to the end!
Thank you for taking the time to write this, Justin. It’s so inspiring.
We will win that war one way or another, I just want to make sure we take care of it as best we can without relying on Jesus. He could end the war with a casual snap of His fingers, but what He wants - and I know this in my heart without any question - is for us to do everything we can to solve it ourselves. That’s where the real growth happens: those trials are why we are here. Muscles of morality and faith and honor grow much stronger when they are flexed and worked and strained.
We’re here to exert them in order to learn and to grow through adversity. To be forged in fire. Strength and maturity and character do not grow when sedentary lifestyles.
Have a great Christmas my friend. And every day after.
Edit to add:
Gone From My Sight (Submitted by Laurie)
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
—Henry Van Dyke
God bless you and yours. Merry CHRISTmas ✝️🎄⛄🎁🎄✝️
Thank you Toxicanadian! Assume you’ll be getting a white Christmas this year and hope your merriness and joy are even brighter than the freshly fallen snow!
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas- thanks and much appreciation from the UK.
Same and that you Zarayna! May the wonder of a child flow through and renew you this season. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas sir!
Thank you California Girl. I wish they all could he like you. Merry Christmas!
A sweet reference to a 60s? song (Beach Boys?). I grew up in Orange County, CA with the beach close at hand. And surfing.
Merry Christmas to you!!
Ditto! It’s a small world after all…
Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? —John 11:25-26 I have been physically alive and physically (clinically) dead several times in my pilgrimage here so I understand the power of the faith and the testimony. I also understand the Apostle Paul's consternation in 1st Corinthian's 15:30-32 where he says: "And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die". Although it sounds paradoxical, it is the price of taking up our cross daily and following him. Watching the video with you and your son brings me to those humble feelings of ambivalence of being a father and the violence this world brings on the poorest natural families. I know you will bring your son up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, if God wills and thank you for this wonderful message. I also patiently await the reality of "Peace on earth, Good will towards men" to be the norm instead of the exception.
You’ve been through so much more than most, Clyde, and yet your faith is so strong. God must be very impressed with a gem of a believer like you who’s been through so much anguish, still touting His good name. Thank you for inspiring me in my struggles.
Peace on earth being the norm rather than the exception, oh how wonderful the thought. When that day comes, I look forward to meeting and shaking your hand as all the heavy chains of the world have fallen off and you stand there tall, and renewed, and so much stronger than you would have otherwise been without them.
Merry Christmas, indeed, sir!
Tritorch, you are a warrior poet with a heart of gold!
God bless and protect you and your house.
Thank you brother, for everything. I am going to have to work extra hard to pay forward all this kindness. Once back on my feet, I will have a new mission in life and am sure I will love every second of it.
God, please bless and protect you and your home as well.
TriTorch, I've followed you for over a year now, maybe longer. I've always loved your poetic writing; you are a person of greath depth and sensitivity, a rare find in today's world. It seems you've had some serious struggles, yet you are still here, still writing and creating beauty and sharing thoughts that are so worthwhile, provoking the rest of us to think more deeply. I am richer for your writing. Though I may not have responded much to your posts for awhile, I think of you often and pray for your safety and well-being, that you may be triumphant over your struggles. You are a rare person indeed. I'm an old lady, 70 yrs old, have been through much sorrow myself but have learned a great deal through my struggles. I see you as a fellow traveler, one who has also had great adversity, but are learning from these difficulties and are winning. You and your writing are very much needed IMO during the present difficulties we humans are facing; perhaps the worst period of time humans have ever dealt with for we are fighting for the survival of humanity I do believe. Please know that I think of you often and have been praying for you. I have put a circle of protection around you and I think you are much needed by humanity at this time . I hope things get better for you soon. If you need anything, please know that I am here, you can contact me any time and I will respond and help if I can or just listen if that's what you need. Sending you lots of love and light.
That is so very kind of you to take the time to say. Thank you so much for your prayers, you are in mine, E. I’ve always appreciated your consistent positive reaction to my work, despite my flaws, of which there are many. This experience has caused me to face and fix them. As bad as it was it was certainly necessary to get me on a straight path to Christ. And the more I reflect, the more it seems that was the reason.
The support has been overwhelming, and comments like yours make it all worth. Thank you again.
Thank you TriTorch for the kind words. I hope you are having a loving and light-filled Christmas!
What a beautiful comment!
Amen to everything you said. I couldn't agree more!
🎅🎄⛄️ Merry Christmas ⛄️🎄 🎅
You too Sarahanne25!
Very nice piece. Merry Christmas to Team TriTorch!
Thanks Yowza!