1 Peter 5:6-10

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.
7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

a longing of a dream

Her words unsettle me. Her presence flusters me. I have heard little of her voice, and seen little of her face. Yet she bothers my thoughts on a daily basis. She is always the theme within my dreams. I am a simpleton, to seek what I know nothing of. Is there a word greater than naive? Or a word that means double of foolish? Then I must be these things. For I cannot forget her. She is always at the corners of my eyes, whether the lids are open or closed. She is the genre and discourse of my life. What a struggle it is to control my pain! I relish just so many things. To see her again, be it in time or in haste. To settle my palm upon her pretty face. To hear her sweet voice sound and mellow my heart. To give her my all whether in whole or in part. Let her ask, and I shall come. I long for that better day.

Notsnhoj

Climbing Out Of Filth

I am a criminal and a law-breaker. I have displayed disdain for what is good. My words are not here to defend me, but to expose me. I have shown utter contempt for cleanliness, and thrown myself into filth. The slime is slippery. The grime is sticky. I yearn to climb out of this unwholesomeness. Yet how do I accomplish such a feat? I am not Achilles, nor be I Alexander. I am Johnston, small and insignificant. I wish for fresh air and the cleansing light. I want to lean on the strength of the Lord. Father, please help me so. Teach me so.

Johnston

His Love Endures Forever

What greater love than that of the Lord's? That we should lose ourselves over and over again, and yet still He wants to find us. That we should have upset Him so many times, and yet still He wants us back with Him. And I? There is nothing I am more grateful for than His unfailing love. For the weakness of this creature are many. The things that I cannot accomplish cannot be counted. The ways I am defeated are a great host. I have fallen from Him time and time after. Had my master been another, my transgression would have found me wanting. However, I was forgiven instead, and I was freed from my shackles. What manner of conduct is this? That I should have been repaid in goodness for my crimes. The Lord's love is boundless. I was unclean and leprous, cursed to be isolated from life. But He renewed me, and gave me breath once more.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure.
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.

Johnston

To Live What's Real

Thanks be to God that I have gained new sight and wisdom to life. Or rather that I have finally been able to see, after having been blind. And that I have finally been able to think clearly, after my mind having been muddled. Glory be to the Lord of the Highest Heavens, for He has taken me back under the refuge of His wings, stained as I was in blood and all manner of filth. I had once been living on the border of my life, always straining for the things that were always out of reach. But now, I am living what is real. Life that is centered around Him Above.

He has been a tree of many leaves, providing me shade from the sun. He has been a mountain, sheltering me from harsh, rugged winds. He has been a breeze, keeping me cool. He has been a flame, warming me in times of cold. He has been a light, showing me where I should safely thread.

Psalm 36:7, "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."

Notsnhoj

the realignment of my senses

The days of gloom have finally come to past. Tomorrow will be my re-entry into the world. Once again, will I know life as it was. Once again, will I see the scenic views and hear the melodic sounds. Once again, will I smell the beautiful scents and taste the vibrant flavours. On the morrow, once again will all that was, come to be. I have lived a time of sorrow and lack. I knew neither relief nor joy. The simple pleasures of the day were a foreign article. I had neglected those close to me, and banished them afar. Those who sought me for comfort, I shunned. Those who sought me for advice, I kept silent. Those who trusted me, I betrayed with my indifference. Those whom I knew, I said I knew not. I was either blind or foolish. Maybe I even was asleep. But now the world has spun around, and I am facing the right direction. Now I embrace life with my realigned senses. I see the things I had been blinded against, and acknowledge my failures. Now I have acquired the knowledge of my wrongs and crimes. And the burden of that knowledge has pulled me under. Too long have I abandoned what was dear to me. Too long have I misplaced my priorities. At this time, I recognise the old goodness, and I will cling on to it like my life depended on it. For it does. For without the old goodness, I would be living the life of pitiful lack that I had been living for the past two years. My renewal I will treasure. And I fear not failure, for I know that that will never come to be. For new life and light, guidance and strength, granted I am, from Him Above.

Notsnhoj

the folly of mine own

It was almost like a dream, from the moment I turned and saw her face, and saw that the voice I had heard came from those lips of hers. Though there was conversation, I found that as each second that toiled by, my ability to speak was diminishing. I had ended the conversation out of haste, rather than following its natural order. Even as I hurried away, I felt as if the innards behind my belly had risen to my chest, and my lungs had entrenched themselves in my throat. My pulse had been racing faster than the paddling feet of a duck. She came and she took all away. My composure. My reserve. Mine self. The lady, with all her gracefulness and beauty, had flipped me like a coin. I was bowed over. My heart is hers. My mind too. And mine eyes. Here, take mine ears. And so followed the all of my entirety.

Notsnhoj