Catapulted Needs

Catapulted Needs

You catapult my deepest needs.

They elevate like sprouted seeds.

Blooming bright and ravishing,

My flower opens—soft, serene.

Elegant Lord, touch me with passion.

Splash me with water. Dress me in fashion.

You are the gardener, and I am the flora,

Dependent on you, my sweet aurora.

In resplendent colors, you light up the dawn.

With eyes open, I’m no longer withdrawn.

You opened the curtains to a life full of joy.

New mercies and blessings on me you employ.

Uproot me from the rocky soil.

Replant me with warm, wet oil.

Season me with rich, think spice.

Your true provision knows no price.

I will grow tall, like a mighty tree.

For you alone, I’ll bend my knee.

Purposeful Price, my flame you ignite.

I feel your power. You fuel me with light.

Kimberly Willingham

Isaiah 58:9-12

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

 The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.

Unafraid…Staring Life in the Face

She waddles in silence to the water screen that keeps her safe. Nothing is visible but cool, green water. Hands plastered on the thick glass, she waits, looking inside for some kind of living form. She longs to see colorful fish or silky, grey dolphins gliding through the water in elegance. The water ripples. She gasps in anticipation. What could it be? She would soon see the giant that the water wall is guarding her from.

A much unexpected swatch of white fur becomes visible. This is not the friendly dolphin she has been expecting. A grizzly face, with sharp teeth appears. Her little heart trembles; but, she does not step back from the glass case. Her eyes are locked to the creature. Her hands grip her white T-shirt, creating moist impressions from the sweat on her tiny hands. Yet, she is unshaken. It becomes apparent to the onlookers; she is unafraid of the beast behind the wall. She studies his clumsy movements and stares him in the face.

Life circumstances are sometimes unexpected. It is human nature to back away from the problems that present themselves to us. We, like little puppies, crawl backward with our tail beneath our legs. God did not create us to be afraid of life. He created us to conquer it, to stare it in the face!

Like this little girl, though heart trembling and hands sweating, she did not step back from the scary creature that appeared before her. She stood her ground and looked at it in the eyes. We were created with a spirit of power not one of timidity. In Christ, we have all the backing the world! We have armies of strength fighting for us daily. However, we must choose to stand our ground, to be surefooted. Times will be rough, there is no safeguard for the world caving in; but, there is a ever-living hope and security in the One that sacrificed all for us! Stand tall. Walk unafraid in life, staring it in the face!

Kimberly Willingham

Job 11:16-19

You can be sure you will forget your troubles.

They will be like water that has flowed on by.

Life will be brighter than the sun at noon.

And darkness will become like morning.

You will be secure, because there is hope.

You will look around you and find a safe place to rest.

You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid...

Strength Training

Muscle man, strong man, for what are your biceps?

They are nothing but temporary.

Does this power reside in depth?

Do you lift weights to cover your insecure being?

Do you train and sweat without His vision seeing?

Running is futile without a centered mindset.

Called body builder, you must not live in regret.

Lift your iron bars in the presence of God.

Be led by His Word and the guidance of his rod.

I pray that beads of sweat roll down your rippled back,

As you work with effort and meaningful muscle you stack.

For power is powerless and strength is dead,

Without the Lion of Judah’s claws of thick lead.

When working in Christ, we are armored in steel.

When walking in his footsteps fearless confidence we feel.

Warrior working toward strength, climb the mountain knowing,

When living a life sacrificed, your muscles will be showing!

Kimberly Willingham

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (The Message)

“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."