Saturday, January 31, 2009

untitled...


love walks beside you
...and has nothing to say

love sits across from you
...and looks the other way

all it wants is freedom
...but in another way

you pretend everything
...is okay


my life's bleeding before you
...are you there?

ive rolled in the night with you
...were you there?

love is a raging river
...its not always fair


how do we let someone cover our sun?

how do we easily give all we've become?


i want to run
i want to run

from all that love has done

to follow a new moon
and to chase the living "son".


- Jonathon Stalls - 1/31/2009

Friday, January 23, 2009

a new day


"We must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives.
We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance
and truly begin to live our dreams."

- Les Brown

Sunday, January 18, 2009

...one of many to come: "into the wild" inspirationz

"Now what is history? It is the centuries of systematic explorations of the riddle of death, with a view to overcoming death. That's why people discover mathematical infinity and electromagnetic waves, that's why they write symphonies. Now, you can't advance in this direction without a certain faith. You can't make such discoveries without spiritual equipment. And the basic elements of this equipment are in the Gospels. What are they? To begin with, love of one's neighbor, which is the supreme form of vital energy. Once it fills the heart of man it has to overflow and spend itself. And then the two basic ideals of modern man - without them he is unthinkable - the idea of free personality and the idea of life as sacrifice."

- Boris Pasterniak, Doctor Zhivago
- Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

uNiTy?


I attended a Sunday morning service with my family this past weekend in Augusta, Georgia. The message was "unity". I have heard this word in Church often and very recently have spent a lot of time meditating on what that looks like in my life.

The hope for, belief in, and reflect on memories of when unity was strong in my life.

I am quickly reminded of my past when I see how my 13 year old brother reacts to a lack of "unity" within our family. I love my family and I value who they are in my life deeply. That said, I am not afraid to admit to the dramatic pits of alienation and negativity caused by the flaws that surround us as broken people. In fact, I am all too quickly consumed with my own inability to confront, express, and work through my own cravings and frustrations with unity in my life.

There is a dark storm brewing inside my heart and my ability to trust. It comes from an energy that I have learned to be the product of isolation and fear. I can get on my knees and ask Jesus for strength all day. This may help to get through moments of intense frustration, however, I know the storm will find me again. Am I prepared for its wrath?

I strongly feel as a man of faith that I cannot take on this battle alone. I cannot control this storm. I have a bag of wounds that will weigh down my spirit if I allow them to. Not only will I be useless and weak, but I will slowly shut down the people I care about the most in my life.

For if I fail to act, I sense this storm will turn me against them.

As I meditate on this topic of unity I search my soul for the strength to fight for it. To be free and to be strong against the storm that tries to bury us in our dirt. I must surround myself with "like-minded believers". I need them. I need to pray with them. I need to share with them. I need to care for them. I need them to care for me. That is Church. That is help. That is the "good fight".

Unity. Together. Brothers and Sisters.

Please walk WITH me, as I want nothing more then to walk WITH you!