Last week when I was trying to sort out my relationship with the people who were trying to decide what was freedom of speech for me and others in our congregation I kept thinking of “I Am A Child Of God” and I wrote this poem to follow its beat to remind me how grateful I am for all people and circumstances in this world.

“Love Thy Neighbor”

You are a child of God
And he has sent you here
Has given us an earthly place
With people far and near

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

You are a child of God
And Heavenly Father loves you so
The circumstance of life you live
Must never be in control

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

His Spirit guides if we will heed
His message he’ll relay
But only if we choose to hear
The promptings and obey

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

Irritants from God’s enemy
Are blessings in disguise
For they bring sweet testimony
When we see their demise

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

Illusions all save God’s love
The word of God declares
And we shall bask in His holy light
When we see Satan’s snares

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

Praise to our God on high
The gospel of Jesus brings
A way to life, eternal life and
A way to serve our King.

Test me, prove me, challenges to me,
This is what you’ll bring,
Teach me all that I must be,
That I may serve my King.

And this week when it happened a third time I put this on my Facebook….after I agreed to bear testimony as instructed. I will have to remove that agreement however because I cannot deny my own existence, that would be like denying Christ and I will not do that.

To my Facebook public and “friends”:
Beware….when viewing my facebook page you may see my opinions, personal history or story, my weaknesses and my strengths, you may be uplifted or you may be brought low, you may agree or you may disagree….and that may make you uncomfortable…it might make you either need to shut me up or grow a little…I hope you will choose to grow a little because I have been given a voice and someone paid my way into this life so that I could have these opinions etc and his name was Jesus Christ…he justifies me and gives me the capacity to testify from my place of experience without having to apologize to anyone for the privilege…you do not have to agree with me…but it is in your favor to sustain my right to have an opinion, especially if you want to have one of your own.

Freedom takes awareness, courage, and dedication to your god, who ever or whatever it may be. I believe that only one God leads to life and that is the God of Abraham. This is the God that I serve and the atonement of Jesus Christ makes that a possibility.

Till next time,

Namaste