Standing In The Fire

On January 16, 2018January 15, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, poems, Poetry2 Comments

I call myself one of the good people

But only praise God when I’m in the steeple

The devil drags me down, knocks me about

Fills my head with lies and doubts

Why do I believe all his crap

I’m always caught in his trap

I tell myself I don’t like a liar

I’m the one standing in my own fire

Do I trust in Your ways?

Is that how I live all my days

Do I love like You love?

Do I always rise above?

Do I forgive like You forgive?

Do I live like You want me to live?

Do I sell my soul to the highest buyer?

I’m the one standing in my own fire

Then I look outside my world to all those in need

All those that die, all those that bleed

Lives torn apart by earthquakes and wars

Will their world ever be like it was before?

They face persecution, starvation every day

How can I continue to look away?

Any minute of any day their lives could expire

And here I am standing outside the fire

How can I help? What can one person do

How do I even begin to live like You?

My world seems such a mess

I can see how truly I am blessed

When I look at those that suffer in your name

When I see those that hurt I know You are not to blame

What of my life would You require?

For me to no longer be standing outside the fire

I pray a prayer to You to set me ablaze

Give me your eyes so I can gaze

So I can see their pain, so I can feel the hurt You feel

I want to see their world, not as fantasy but as real

I know in the fire You are there

I feel Your presence everywhere

I want to help those whose situations are dire

Help me to be one who is standing in the fire

Help me to forget my hurt, my pain

Help me to spread the news of Your Name

I can not do this on my own, even when I try

The words don’t come, but I can hear their cry

I can see them in my mind

I can see how I have been blind

Take me to where You want me to go

My body or just these words You sow

Help me to never tire

From standing inside the fire

Fire by Krystal Meyers –

Carry The Fire by Dustin Kensrue –

Start A Fire by Unspoken –

Catching Fire by Blanca –

Standing Outside The Fire by Garth Brooks –

Set Me Ablaze by Jesus Culture –

I’m On Fire by We Are Messengers –

Soul On Fire by Third Day –

Walk Through The Fire by Consumed By Fire –

Set The World On Fire by Britt Nicole –

Fire and Fury by Skillet –

Hearts On Fire by Dan Bremnes –

Carry The Fire by Andrew Peterson –

Fire Inside You by We Are Leo –

Fire by Echoing Angels –

The Traveler

On December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Christmas, MissionariesLeave a comment

I am the traveler. I have searched high and low to find what is missing in my life. I have traveled by boat, car and plane. I have traveled by foot, bus and train.

I have climbed to the top of Mt. Everest. I have looked in wonder at the Dead Sea. I have hiked across the Sahara Desert. I have swam in the seven oceans. I have seen the beauty of the white snow in Antarctica. I have seen the lush lands of the Amazon Rainforest. I have seen the majestic Great Wall Of China.

Still, I searched. Nothing filled the emptiness inside of me. Nothing cured me. What was I missing?

It was December and I decided to travel back home and start again. Find a new plan. Search for a new land where I can find me.

That’s when the strangest things happened.

On the plane back to home a child told me about a baby born in a manger. My connecting flight was delayed and that is when a woman told me about the life of a man named Jesus.

When I landed I had to take a train to my city. On that train a man told me about the crucifixion of Jesus and how he was raised from the grave. He told me about forgiveness of our sins, His grace, and how much he loves us all.

I was in deep thought about all these conversations as I walked to my house. I connected the dots as I looked at all the lights and decorations. Christmas. Jesus had to come to earth to be born in a manger. He had to be like you and me to share in our pain and suffering yet to still give us joy, forgiveness, and love. He had to die to fulfill God’s promise.

If we believe in him then we will have eternal life in Heaven. If we believe in him then he is in us and that is what I was searching for. That is what I was missing.

After all my travels I found what I was missing and it was right with me the entire time.

Now I travel again. Back to the places I was searching before. This time I bring Jesus with me. I bring his words and give them to everyone who has never heard them before. With the help of God, I will spread the news of his love, his forgiveness, his grace to the world.

I am the traveler. It all started with a journey many years ago to a tiny town called Bethlehem. It all started with a baby born in a manger.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2-

Traveller by Chris Stapleton –

Let It Start With Me by No Other Name –

I Will Go by Big Daddy Weave –

I Will Go by Starfield –

Where You Are by Hillsong Young & Free –

Prodigal by Sidewalk Prophets –

Take This City by Everfound –

Move ( Keep Walkin’) by TobyMac –

Dear Younger Me by MercyMe –

Adewemimo the White Throated Guenon

On July 5, 2016July 5, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Daughter of God, God, Grace Gardens, Missionaries, music3 Comments

“Hi there. I am glad you found me. I’m not as easy to find as I used to be. I know the Guinean Forests aren’t an easy place to get around. Trust me, I know. Living in trees when the trees disappear because of deforestation is hard. Luckily, my family and I are in a protected area now but I worry too much damage has been done. Did you know at one time we were considered extinct? Then someone found a few of us that remained and here we are.”

“What’s that? You like my fur. Thank you, but unfortunately so did many humans. That is another reason why we are almost extinct. People hunt us for our unique red belly and white front legs. I am hoping we can make a come back and be removed off the endangered species list.”

“Oh my dear, don’t cry. I feel more sorry for the female humans than I do for us. We are animals, but you are humans. I have seen some bad things from up in my tree. Things I would never want done to any of my species. I have also seen hope and grace.”

“I have seen young girls sell themselves to make money. I have seen women kidnapped and forced to marry men they don’t know. I have seen children born into the most terrible situations. I have seen many women crying and at the edge of desperation. They don’t know what I know but I am going to tell you. It’s something that has been told for thousands of years but not all are allowed to hear it.”

“How did I hear of this great news? One day I was foraging for fruit and this woman saw me. She said hello and I said hello back. She said her name was Missy and she was from this place called The United States. I told her my name is Adewemimo, which means the crown washed me clean. Missy said that was a beautiful name and started to tell me about this man named Jesus.”

“I wasn’t for sure I wanted to know since it was about a man and the only thing I knew about man was no good. They nearly killed all my kind and I have seen how they treat human women as possessions but I listened anyway.”

“This man wasn’t like any man I had known. Missy told me how compassionate and loving this man was. How much he loved me and everyone, especially you. She told me how gentle he was and how he died for us. His death covered our sins, washed them white as snow. ”

“Hey, I told her that’s like my name. The crown washed me clean. I really liked that.”

“I asked her why she was here in Nigeria. She told me about this place her and her husband, John, started called Grace Gardens.”

At Grace Gardens the women are taught about God’s love and how valued they are. They are taught that they are not worthless and that they are loved so much by God. They are taught how God sent his son Jesus to die for us. That he forgives us for all our mistakes and sins and that they are not their past. They are treasured and are the daughter of the King.

(image credit David Bowman)

“I was mesmerized. I wanted to know more about this man. He was not like any other man I had known. Missy would visit me often and tell me more. When she wasn’t with me I would go to Grace Gardens and check it out myself. I was amazed at the difference in these women’s lives. The women I saw not too long ago in despair were now smiling and laughing. They were learning how to read and write and were being taught vocational skills. They were given advice and prayed for.”

“Unfortunately, not all women stay. Some leave because they do not think they can overcome the way they live. They can’t comprehend how much Jesus loves them.”

“Their situation, like mine and many other animals like us that are endangered , can be changed. Mine can be changed if people stop hunting us and see the value we have to the environment. If they give us a chance to live, we can rebound our population.”

“The women’s lives can be changed If they can learn about Jesus and believe in Jesus and his love for them and that they are a daughter of the King. If they give Jesus a chance and welcome him into their hearts they can see how valuable they are.”

“They can not do that if there are not people like Missy and John and their children that share the love of Jesus with these women. Missionaries are needed around the world. They need your help.”

“Will you help me spread the word about these women who are in need of God’s love? There are women like this all over the world, not just here in Nigeria. Will you help donate to Grace Gardens so they can purchase a bigger safe house for women to stay. The need is great and they want to accept everyone that comes to them.”

“Thank you for visiting me. Thank you for helping and remember God loves you.”

http://servinginnigeria.com/ email: johncamiola@gmail.com

Grace Gardens –