With Me

In this life
There will be strife
And you will be with me

I will be sad
And often get mad
And you will be with me

In various ways
Joy will fill my days
And you will be with me

I will seek control
Of all you have foretold
And you will be with me

Changes are made
But you are never swayed
And you will be with me

Prayers shouted loud
In and out of crowds
And you will be with me

Wonders to behold
As a new life you mold
And you will be with me

Still striving for peace
Some sorrows do not cease
And you will be with me

Another day ends
A new one around the bend
And you will be with me

Thirsting for more
Yet struggling to explore
And you will be with me

Moments I feel alone
Are not what you have shown
Because you are with me

9/24/15 -- ALJ

Words from J.S. Bach

Everything depends on You
"Be gone, you anxieties; His faithfulness
keeps me also in mind
and from day to day is made new for me
through many gifts of fatherly love."

"...take with gratitude what He has planned for me,
then I shall see myself as never without help."

All solely according to God's will
"God's will should calm me
in clouds and sunshine."

"Lord, as You will, you can make me content!"

"With all that I have and am
I want to abandon myself to Jesus."

Show on the Road

Here's hoping you survive the open road
To take the journey far from home
I hope you get back more than you put in
And that the experience doesn't wear you thin
Make friends along the way
And never be afraid to smile
You do more for others than you realize
So live your dream
We'll join you on this journey for an hour or two
Thank you so much for all you do!

9/5/15 -- ALJ

How?

How do you say goodbye?

When the hurting goes so deep

When the memories are fading

They’re becoming hard to keep

How do you let it go?

Something you’ve held onto tight

You want to remember everything

And try with all your might

How do you let yourself free?

From the pain residing deep inside

Granting yourself the peace

Knowing that you have tried

How do you forgive yourself?

For allowing yourself to be

Living what seems a new life

And letting yourself be happy

How do you continue on?

When you feel a part is gone

Caught in this paradox

For this person you still long

9/4/15 – ALJ

Short Story

LAST MOON

9/4/2015 – ALJ

The music faded into the background. As I looked up at him, I could feel the distance between us grow. The sadness in his eyes took me by surprise. It was a look I had never seen before. And I was the one who had put it there.

Another song began to play, but his hands were already slipping away. I tried to speak, but it only pushed him away faster. I stood for a moment as he turned away. I bit back the tears and boldly took a step forward.

“David.”

The word so softly spoken I wasn’t sure if I had said it out loud.

“David.”

This time the word came out a little louder, a little stronger. But still he moved away.

I followed him outside, watching as he leaned on the rail. A weight on his shoulders as he hunched over. The door shut behind me, closing the music inside. It was deadly quiet outside. My racing heart beating wildly in my chest as I stood waiting. I waited for what seemed like minutes, but it was only moments.

I reached forward.

“David.”

He pulled away from my hand as it softly caressed his back.

“Don’t,” he pleaded, almost fighting back tears.

With a deep breath, he recomposed himself to meet me. I opened my mouth to speak, but his face pleaded for me to stop. We stood there for what seemed an eternity. I waited, hoping he would speak.

But the words never came. So I turned away, determined to say my part, knowing that was only possible if I looked away.

“It was the right thing to say," was my only defense.

“But it was the wrong time to say it," he replied.

His words cut back at me like a knife to the gut. But he was right. And that made it only that much harder to bear.

“Is it over then?”

The question escaped my lips though I knew the answer before it was even asked.

I turned back to him in the silence. 

He was looking up at the moon. And I moved to his side, joining him as he gazed. I rested my head on his shoulder like I had done so many other nights before. And though he cringed for a second, he did not pull away. His arm reached around my shoulder and he gently held me there.

“Yes,” he replied, placing a soft kiss on my hair as we stared up at the moon.

Our last moon together.

RETOLD

You take those things

Those worn out things

You turn them into gold

For many years

No matter the tears

They just somehow seemed old

But in your hands

Through the sound of your voice

They live and soon take hold

Like a new song

I have waited so long

To hear it done so bold

And now it’s not

Just a part of it

It’s a scene that’s been retold

I want to hear it again

See it again

This new wonder you have sold

9/3/15 -- ALJ