08.19.09

I anticipate the morning joy
It's like it's almost here
Like it's still dark outside
But the birds have already
Started waking up and singing
Dawn is around the corner.

It feels like hope
Waiting in the wings
Of a fresh day ahead
Mercies are new every morning!

Can it be that this dark night of my soul
Could soon be over?
My hope is for the joy
That comes in the morning.

I sigh at the remembrance
Of the mountains and the valleys
I've come through in the dark
What a trip!

My faith says it's worth it
It will always be worth it

I sigh at the memory
Of a Faithfulness
That wrapped comfort all around me

I remember loss
And the utter fullness I felt
I remember loss
And the utter emptiness I felt

But what I REMEMBER
Is that Faithfulness, is that Closeness
Is that Beautifulness
I knew to be You.

My imagination can only try
To paint a picture
Of the miracle of a coming moment
When I'll hold life,
When I'll hold joy
When I"ll hold the fruit
And the sun will shine on me

The miracle of that coming moment
When I'll hold a joyful shining light
In my own hands.

HOMECOMING!

written during the last few months... back home in America...
.

04.13.09

at your mercy
held up by hope
resting on trust
in your arms

hungry for the real you

i can feel your nearness
i know you're right here
i can even feel the light
of your face smiling on me

let my life smile back at you

the little girl with curls
in the middle of the joy
caught up in that sunshine
that shines just because

i can't be satisfied with
the stale life
i have seen the real gems
peeking through the people

i've felt new pain
old pain that opened my eyes
to see more than i use to
i don't want to sleep the sleep of ignorance

but to know you more
in the power of your resurrection
and in the fellowship of your suffering

to be where you are
go where you go
among the people
i see you

guide us, good shepherd

your sheep hear your voice
we're your sheep
and we're listening
and we're listening

you're the servant of all

.

05.11.09

I'm holding on to this heart of mine
Have it all wrapped up in my grasping hands
To keep it safe
But it can't rest here
It can't breathe deeply

Fears I've fought with day after day
To think I've won
But still they tease me...

but

EVERYTHING IS UNDER YOUR FEET!
I in you and you in me...
EVERYTHING IS UNDER OUR FEET!

Lift me up above this cloud
To see what you have already done
To know my place
To remember belonging
At your mercy seat
Christ in me -- the hope of glory

Be again my safe place, Jesus
I unlock my hands and let my heart rest at your feet
Unravel my perception of the way it has to be
Trade my weight of heaviness for your glory
I dress in praise today
I will arise today and let my heart go free
To dance in victory

THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE!
PERFECT LOVE CASTS IT OUT!

hallelujah!

.

06.30.09

resting in this waiting place
all my confidence is placed in You.
i've been led to quiet waters
to peaceful streams
to wait on You.

You figured out how to remove the
wasteful worrying from my soul.
i saw its ugliness and felt its struggle
i don't know when it left
but i can't find it in me anymore.

hallelujah! you have set me free!
hallelujah! somehow i started to sing again!

fear has no hold on me!
praise You God -- for Your victory!

.

Let's Start With Adventures in Africa!

Here are my writings from Africa. Some are poems. Some are prayers. Some are more just thoughts. What an unusual season that was... full of challenges, full of beauty, full of tears... but best of all, full of FRUIT.

We give it all back to you, God.

06.08

One night and one day
have now passed here in Jinja, "New"ganda...
what a dreamy place before my eyes.
I awoke this morning to sunlight pouring through
un-curtained windows...
Sat up in bed and peered through squinted eyelids
to take in the most brilliant morning I have seen.
the clarity of color, the depth of lines defined!
vivid houses framed by vibrant trees...
Eyes swept toward crimson roads
where locals walked like flowing streams.
there's a rhythm to the movement
a distinctive breeze of wind...
The kind of stuff that dreams are made of
so now let the year begin!

07.28.08

I'm gonna be content here in Africa
As long as God keeps me here.
I'm gonna grow & I'm gonna thrive.
I'm gonna overcome.
Discouragement has no place in me.
This world is not my home anyway.
My home is in my Maker.
In Him I will remain
Until I see Him face to face.
Here I am. And I"m gonna be OK.

08.13.08

TIME...
TIME IS SOMETHING I HAVE
AND DO NOT HAVE
AT THE SAME
TIME...

I HAVE A ROOM
ROOM FOR CREATIVITY
BUT IT IS VACANT

THERE IS A "CAN'T" INSIDE OF ME
IT'S LOUD, BUT THERE'S A "CAN" BENEATH IT
AND I THINK IT WILL WIN THE RACE

I HEAR MUSIC IN MY EAR
BUT MY HEART HAS BEEN HIDING
CHASED AWAY BY WORTHLESS FEARS
IT'S NOT AS BAD OUTSIDE AS I'VE DECIDED

IF I CAN SOMEHOW
SOMEHOW
CATCH ONE BREATH
MAYBE I'D START BREATHING

RECOGNIZE THE VALUE
OF A MOMENT
DARE TO FILL A ROOM
WITH TREASURE
RUN THE RACE OF "CAN"
STILL FURTHER
ALLOW A NEW SOUND
ACCESS TO MY SOUL
FILL MY LUNGS
WITH WIND OF SPIRIT
BREATHE AGAIN
AND BE OK WITH "NOW"

Jinja Rosemary Tharpe

Our "Rock of Remembrance"


Friday evening, Sept 5, 2008
our baby passed through to eternity.
The peace of God was so surrounding
and His grace was undeniably with us.


We named her Jinja which means "rock"
and Rosemary which stands for "remembrance".

We made a memorial jar... wrapped our child in a beautiful watercolor silk made by our dear friend Kirsten... filled the jar with rocks and rosemary and olive oil, flowers, and notes and prayers, and beautiful things... We took a small boat out onto Lake Victoria to the place where the Nile River begins. It is called the Source of the Nile and there are large rocks there. We put the jar into the Source and floated colorful roses on the water. On our way home, we enjoyed Coca-Colas and a cigar we bought on the night we conceived little Jinja. We looked up and saw two rainbows in the sky. It was beautiful. We felt God's peace and God's promises surrounding us. The driver of our boat was named "Emmanuel".

Thank you to all who have been praying and know that we can feel the love and are looking forward to what God has for us in the future. We are full of joy and hope!


Love to all!




Jinja Rosemary Tharpe

You are our Rock of Remembrance
In you we know the faithfulness of God



You are the growing in rocky times
You are the evidence of beauty in pain



Your life is the promise of things to come
Our hearts are full to have carried you for a time



Your purpose goes on and will stay with us
We celebrate you as we sow this seed



Be fruitful, Baby! And drink from the Source
Your life flows forever, wrapped up in mystery



Emmanuel is steering our boat... "God with us..."



We saw two rainbows in the sky...
And I held two roses in my hand.

10.20.08

Add a room to my house, my heart.
Inconvenience lost its voice.
Love will be heard. Love will be heard.

11.04.08

Hidden things
Early morning dreams
I crave the understanding
Of the languages You speak to me

Revelation of one word
Contains volumes of this mystery
You unlock this sacred vault
I see gold sparkling at me

Faith comes in with listening
And hearing the clear voice of God

Doors I cannot penetrate
You open with a glance
What I cannot reach on tippy-toe
You give me while I rest

I will lay down and receive...

12.22.08

Little Brian

~The Laughing One~

Tomorrow you go home with your real mama.
You've had many mom's in your short three years.
Even me, you snuck your way into my heart.

You ran so fast. Kicked the ball. Brian noticed.
I looked for you--You had already seen me
Before I finished coming through the gate...
You were running. Arms round and round ~ so silly.

Your laughter broke down my defenses.
Your smile found its reflection in my own.
Head thrown back, a giggle erupted.
I decided I could take you home.

God added a room to my heart one day.
I don't think it will ever go away.

Sweeties and tears and laughing and running
And crying when you didn't get your way.
Silly songs and silly humming and pointing and...
"Mama! Look--a birdie!"

We packed our bags to leave for only a few weeks.
You saw us go and I saw...

The biggest tears running down your face.

I think your real mama heard you crying
And now she's coming to take you home.



The Lord bless you and keep you, and cause His face to shine upon you. The Lord be gracious to you and give you His peace.

03.08.09

Your goodness... Your grace...
Are all over my life.
You are my portion...
You're what I have...
And you're always enough.

You lead me in everlasting ways.
And the journey's ever changing me.
I cannot be the same.

At times I miss the "me" I used to know.
But time has proven the new in me
To be better than the old...
As long as I keep laying down
To sleep in the palm of Your hand.

You say...
Behold, I make all things new.
I say...
I will continue to trust in you.


"For the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn
that shines brighter and brighter and brighter til the full day."

03.17.09

What is your name, Little Lady,
Little joy of our hearts?

What is your name and what is your
Destiny in life?

We want to know you, Little Baby, inside.
We want to call you who you already are.

To be named, to be known...
And only God knows what you're like.

Tell us your secret, Little Lady of Light.

Welcome To My New Poetry Blog!

I have journals and journals of writings from over the years and every once in a while I like to go back through them and remember what God has done in my life. So I'm using this blog to kind of put together a "chest" of the random treasures I find...