The gates of paradise

From the grave-bed and the winding sheet
Is a long way for dead feet
A dark road for dead eyes
That leads to the gates of paradise

When Judas’ soul went through the night
To knock on Hades gate
His way over the whin-pricked moor
And the noise of the wind was great

He had no lantern to his feet
Nor candle in his hand
Such as God gives to every man
That dies at the time planned

The angels sit in highest heaven
And trim the lamps of God
And all day long make the lights for those
That travel deaths dim road

And when the cross is on thy bosom
The chrism on thine eyes
Thy angel will bear down thy night
Out of the starry skies
And thou therewith shalt walk by night
Safely to paradise

But whoso doth so deadly sin
To cast his life away
Finding his lamp not lit betimes
Walks through the midnight grey

For a long time night and half a day
Did Judas walk alone
Through the utter dark, for in that place
Is neither sun or moon

For a long night and half a day
Did Judas vainly seek
To reach the gates of paradise
The salt tears on his cheek

With that he saw a candle gleam
Borne by a hasty man
And Judas caught him by the cloak
So swiftly as he ran

O let me walk with thee, kind friend
I grope, I fail, I fall
I have no lamp nor candle-light
And the night is over all

Full gladly, so thou make good speed,
I run to keep tryst
That was given to me at the gates of hell
By sweet king Jesus Christ

I am the thief who God forgave
On Calvary bitter tree
For “to-night,” he said thou shalt rest thine head
In paradise with me

And I am the man that sinned such a sin
As the world remembers not
That sold for a price the lord of life
Judas Iscariot

Now God forbid, thou damned wretch
That ever this should be
That I should tryst with Jesus Christ
In the company of thee

The first robber went his way,
And Judas walked alone
Mirk, mirk was the black midnight
That heavy wind made moan

Right so there came a second man
Was walking by the road
O brother let me share thy light
As far as Hell’s abode

Now well I fear, my brother dear
Thou never wilt walk with me
I am that thief which railed on Christ
All on his bitter tree

I cast shame on king Jesus then
Wearing his painful crown
And scorn upon his royal head
Whence the pale sweat dripped down

O Rudd-red were the five blest wounds
Where nails and spear went in
A thousand, thousand years of purgatory fire
Never can cleanse my sin

Why never I wee’ said Judas then
Did two such sinners meet;
I sold King Christ to the bloody Jews,
That pierced his hands and feet

Art thou that man groth the robber
Most cursed under the skies
God do so with me if I go with thee
To the gates of paradise

The second robber went his way
And Judas walked alone
Till he was aware of a grey man
That sat upon a stone
And the lamp he had in his right hand
Shone brighter than the moon

Come hither, come hither thou darkling man
And bear me company
This lamp I hold will give us light
Enough for thee and me

Judas walked with the grey-clad man
And fear is in his heart
Speak yet again thou man in grey
And tell me what thou art

I bought a burden of deadly sin
And needs must pay the price
I bear it hither in my hand
To the gates of paradise

Sin cannot lie upon thy heart
So heavy as on mine
Nay, sinner whosoever thou art
Tis a heavier load than thine
He hath not asked Judas’ name
And Judas makes no sign

If sin is heavy on thy heart
And I must bear its weight
It is fit that we should go together
To tryst at Hades gates

Judas walked with the grey-clad man
And feared to tell his name
He clasped his hand in the barren land
Bright burned the lanterns flame
Brotherli-wise and hand in hand
To paradise they came

Satan looked out from Hades gate
His hand upon the key
Good souls before I let you in
First tell me who ye be

We be two men that died of late
And come to keep hell tryst,
This is Judas Iscariot
And I am Jesus Christ

Written by Dorothy L. Sayers

Wow - that mirror needs a good cleaning!  The picture is me in the mirror and my little oil painting "Sea Child" that I painted a long, long time ago (over 20 years ago).   I'm giving it to Jennifer.  Wish I had time to paint again.  This photo was last year in late summer 2012.  I've lost 20 pounds since then - thank heaven.

Sometimes crying is the only appropriate thing to do -
I think that's why God gave us tears - he knew sometimes
there are just no words to express the way we feel inside.

My friend Jerwade with his granddaughter.

Logged into my computer and my brother up in Atlanta had just posted this on his status:  

 

 

Wow - This is how I feel today!

I saw this photo on Facebook today
           and I thought to myself - that is exactly how I feel at this time!
Like I'm exploding with love in my heart and it is a beautiful thing.

Heather and Logan with Henry

Secret Garden - Always there

Shifting Sand

CELINE DION - SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS

O HOLY NIGHT - A CHRISTMAS CAROLS BY CELINE DION

The Searcher's Prayer - a poem by Ruth Fawell

THE SEARCHER'S PRAYER - by Ruth Fawell

You know well how the search for reality
Goes on throughout our lives,
How truth must always find new language,
New symbols.
Help us while we walk the pilgrim way
Of searching and re-searching
To hold fast to what we know of truth,
To heed the promptings
Of truth and love
In our own hearts
And in the world around us
Which only grow in us
As we obey the given light,
And dwindle as we disobey.

Strengthen us, we pray you,
To live them out
This day and every day,
So that our wills are fortified
By your will,
Our loves
By your love,
And our fragments of truth
By your truth.

Easy Death

Oddly, I had just heard a preacher today on Youtube talking about how terrible a thing death is. Yet the true Christian faith teaches no such thing. So I thought to myself, that man doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. Several times when I have felt overwhelmed by all the "stuff" happening in this world and at my wits end with too many thoughts, I hear a gentle voice inside of me that says, "Nothing good will die". I'm thankful when I can hear that voice speak. It soothes my soul, quenches the anger that would consume me. I think anger has a purpose, as does death - to consume that which shall not be any more. I've not read the book below (yet), but I sure do like several of the quotes from within its pages...


"Death requires a loving, fearless, sorrowless, unangered volunteer of me. Death requires the feeling-heart's participation—enamored, self-forgetting, and without anticipation."

"Death is an un-selfing kind of wind — a sudden weather, any day. Death is the body's True fidelity to life, to love, and to Reality — regardless of the weather and the day."

"Death is utterly acceptable to consciousness and life. There has been endless time of numberless deaths, but neither consciousness nor life has ceased to arise. The felt quality and cycle to death has not modified the fragility of flowers, even the flowers within the human body."

"Therefore, one's understanding of consciousness and life must be turned to That Utter, Inclusive Truth, That Clarity and Wisdom, That Power and Untouchable Gracefulness, That One and Only Reality, this evidence suggests."

— Avatar Adi Da Samraj
from the Prologue to Easy Death

My Newest Hobbie . . . . B - i - K - i - N - G

I've been biking for exercise for about six weeks now and the benefits are undeniable: lower blood pressure, gradual weight loss, increased mental clarity, improved circulation, and firmer muscle tone. Now if I could find a way to go completely car-free and use my bike for all my local travel, I'd save a bundle of money and get in much better physical condition faster. So, I hope I can keep it up. It's good to be moving my body around again!

Dark Side

On its label
the honey was called
"Island of Moon".
I found it up on the second shelf
near the back,
to sweeten my cup of hot tea,
a beverage I only drink when I'm feeling
under the weather.
It was a much deeper amber than the usual
clover or orange blossom kinds I normally choose.
It's hue was deeper than scotch whiskey
drawn from an old barrel.
The taste, the look, the smell, and especially the name
made me think of the dark side
that space of obscurity
where I keep all my jagged thoughts hidden
as one who turns her face away from the sun
like the button-black centers of blood-red poppies
when they close themselves up at night.

Anne Bryant-Hamon 10.10.10

How to live without money

I find this concept very fascinating. I wonder if I have what it takes to live such a different lifestyle?

S e p t e m b e r

A dwindling summer lingers on.
Bright zinnias hold out stubbornly.
Gold buds crowd the chrysanthemums,
their petals buried tight in green
cocoons. And by next month they’ll bring
us autumn sunbursts. Drink with me
a toast to Browning and to Frost
and one to dear Ms. Emily —
for summer days will soon be lost
to ghostly winds and leaf-filled streams.
I look to Ezra Pound and Faust
in shortening days of in-betweens;
and try to find the words to say
September never cared for me.

© Anne Bryant-Hamon
9.11.10

For You- by John Denver

How Beautiful

How Beautiful Is the Body of Christ ....



"How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" - from the prophet, Isaiah

Gerry Beauchemin - Author of "Hope Beyond Hell"