Ode to My Gals

Ode to My Gals

Ode to my Gals

By: Joy Ortiz

Galentine's is here again!

Let's raise our glasses high,

Saluting all the lovely gals

Who've gathered here tonight

At diner breakfast table spread. 

We're here to celebrate

All our favorite lady friends

And the things that make them great. 

Carleigh with adventure-heart

Loves traveling and fun. 

Compassionate and caring,

She's a friend to everyone.  

Sara's heart has open doors. 

She's gracious, quiet; kind. 

Her home is always welcoming. 

She's never hard to find. 

Melissa's heart is hard at work

Assisting those in need. 

She fills her head with doctor thoughts

To help her with this deed. 

Lindsey has a secret heart

With treasures fine and rare. 

She shares her heart with clients

As she chats and cuts their hair. 

Mary has a heart of gold. 

Competitive and kind,

She'll knock you down to win the game

But always shares the prize. 

Stephannie's heart is bruised and scraped. 

It's battle-torn and scuffed. 

This derby girl comes back for more

And lives, and fights, and loves. 

Ginna's heart is full of ink

With which she fills her pens. 

Her words on paper show the world

Her vast intelligence. 

Debra's heart has wings that soar

Above her frail frame 

With humor, warmth, and cleverness

That illness can't constrain. 

Meghan's heart is bursting

With a woman's hopes and dreams. 

She's earnest, yearning; seeking

As she waits for what life brings. 

Ashlee's heart is blanket-wrapped. 

With coffee cup in hand,

She's a warm and cozy introvert

Humanitarian. 

Corinne's heart is a sunny porch

That welcomes all who come. 

She's cheerful, kind, considerate,

And makes you feel at home. 

Our hearts are made with magnets

That can pull or push apart

When we try to form connections

To another person's heart,

But God will draw and hold us all

Individually,

And when we cling to Him together,

Then we find community. 

Each one of you, my lady friends,

Compelled my heart to write

Of the rare and precious friendships

That have brought us here tonight. 

Let's celebrate each other 

As we raise our glasses high!

God bless our diner breakfast,

And thank God for Galentine's!

Why I Facebook

Why I Facebook

Scrolling through my newsfeed, I see such a mix: beauty, frustration, pain, humor, annoyance, nostalgia, hope, crassness, anger, faith, depression, worry, and love. It is a core sample of America: what we talk about when we are given a voice. My friends range in age from teenagers to great-grandparents. Each one has a life that is his or hers alone. Each person has an inner world, and we only see the surface of it, especially on Facebook. Yet all of these people are intentionally coming together to share pieces of their world with others: photos, quotes, interesting articles, videos, prayer requests, angry tirades... Each status update is a window into what that person is like on the inside. 

I like to check Facebook often and keep updated on what my friends are saying and doing. It inspires me and helps me to interact with people I might not see every day. I also like getting to know people better and having the opportunity to comment on the things they say and do, even if I never see them face-to-face. It makes the world seem smaller and humanity more connected if I am receiving daily updates on strangers who live in New York City. I scroll through the comments on posts that interest me. Do other people think like I do? Are they saying the things I would say, or is their response completely different?  What are other people doing in response to this article, this story, these words?  Are they grieving?  Are they praying?  Are they angry?  Are they looking for humor in it?  Are they offering hope?

As I read the stories in words and pictures, my own mind, my own story grows. As I connect to each of these people, places, and things,  I crawl out of my own life's bubble and experience the world. It moves my hands to action, my heart to empathy, my mind to expansion. What a way to start the day!

The Intruder

The Intruder

By: Joy Ortiz

She crept into my lap

Silently,

Curling herself neatly,

A warm and furry

Intrusion. 

Busy,

As always,

I reached around her,

Trying to continue

Everything more important. 

Impossible. 

Frustrated,

I glared down

Into wide, green eyes

And innocence. 

She rebuked me. 

Slowly

I laid down

My priorities,

Instead burying

My fingers

Deep in her fur,

Fueling

Luxurious purrs. 

How long did I pause

My frantic mind

To bask 

In the wonder

Of her?

She fell asleep,

Remaining

To warm my belly,

And something colder

Within me

Thawed. 

How different

Would the world become

If everyone

Stopped

To pet the cat?

Dig Me Up

Dig Me Up
By: Joy Ortiz

Dig me up and shake me free
Of clinging clods and earth.
Carry me to soil and sun
Where winds blow fresh and fierce.

Fill my days with singing.
Burst me into bloom.
Plant me deep in patience.
Give my roots more room.

Take me to the sunshine.
I'm tiny in this shade.
Break the sky wide open.
Feed my soul with rain.

I'm little, new, and thirsty.
My stem is young, but strong.
My leaves reach up with longing;
My sap runs sweet with song.

Dig me up and plant me!
I'm hungry for a home.
Release my roots and free me
From everything I've known.

Winds of change are stirring.
Deep calls out to deep.
Seeds grow quick with longing
To waken from their sleep.

My soul is parched and fainting.
I'm wilting, waiting; small.
Revive me with your promise.
Remind me of your call.

Take me somewhere rich with life
Where I can grow and thrive.
Train and cultivate me.
Teach me how to be alive.

Maker, great Creator,
You lift me from the dirt.
The digging up is painful, but
Your presence soothes the hurt.

I don't know where I'm going,
Nestled firmly in your hand.
I'm blind and deaf, but knowing
Where you are is where I'll land.

I trust you with the journey
As my destiny unfolds.
Dig me up and plant me!
My life is yours to hold.

I

I
By: Joy Ortiz

I want

My life to
Sing,

My hands to
Pour out
Flowers,

My eyes to
Weep
Seeds

that

Spill,

Fall,

and

Grow.

Yesterday, Today, and Forever

Yesterday, Today, and Forever

God, your Word says that you are the same "yesterday, today, and forever."  It describes you many times as "unchanging."  I believe that the Bible is trustworthy, but sometimes I have a hard time reconciling the loving Father, the faithful Friend, the tender Lover, the gentle Jesus, with the God who destroyed cities full of people and sent the Israelites to commit genocide against the Canaanites. 

Are you still that God?  Are you still the God who would command his people to slaughter innocent animals in sacrifice?  Are you still the God who wiped Sodom off of the map?  Are you still the God who sent poisonous snakes to punish your people when they sinned?  Are you still the God who got so disgusted with humanity that he flooded the earth to kill most of them and start over with just a handful?  

Are you still that God?

The God that we preach today is a God of love, mercy, and grace. This God doesn't want to hurt anyone. He loves everyone. He sent his son to pay for everyone's sins and clear the debt. He loves the world. He even loves sinners. His love is unconditional. He doesn't walk around with a big stick, ready to clobber anyone who sins. He doesn't send armies to commit genocide. He sends missionaries and Compassion International workers to serve people living in countries that are unchurched. He sends people to minister to the homeless, the sick, and those in prison. 

Are you that God?

Are you both?

Can you be the God who orders genocide and the God who weeps over genocide?  Can you be the God who demands animal sacrifice and the God who watches over the sparrow?  Can you be the God who destroyed a world full of sinners and the God who sent his son to save a world full of sinners?  Those seem like such contradictions. 

It seems like you are learning, growing, and adjusting your tactics as you go along. Yet how can that be true if you know all things already?  It seems like you have changed from the God you were in the Old Testament, yet your Word says that you never change. 

It may seem foolish to believe in a God and a Bible that present so many contradictions.  There are so many things that I don't understand, and a lot of the things I do understand don't make much sense.  Still I trust in you. I trust that you will reveal the truth and bring wisdom. I hope in you. I seek you. I want to know you.

Show me the way, Lord.  Help me to know you more. 

Friend of God

Friend of God

God, you have called me "friend" along with the many other names you gave me. What does it mean for me to be your friend?  When I think of friendship, I think of two people who spend time together because they want to. No other obligation requires them to have a relationship. They aren't bound by the ties of family; they aren't thrown together at work or on a committee.  They aren't stuck awkwardly sitting next to each other at their kids' swimming lessons. Maybe one of those situations is how they met, but something ignited within both people to make them desire to spend more time together, even when the obligation was done. Now they call or text each other, comment on each other's Facebook posts, go out to dinner, go shopping together, have craft parties, exchange gifts at Christmas, and meet at Starved Rock to go hiking. They could stop talking. They could stop meeting, but they don't want to. Both people enjoy life more when it includes friendship with each other. 

Is that how you feel about me, Lord?  You have called me "friend."  Nothing requires you to have a relationship with me. You could let me live my own life apart from you, yet you call me and say, "I miss you. Let's spend some time together."  I could live my life without you. Many people do. Yet there is something about you that makes my life better. When I go too long without talking to you or spending time with you, I miss you. Sometimes I just need to talk to you and get things off of my chest when I'm having a bad day. I inevitably walk away from that conversation feeling better. You inspire me and encourage me. You love me as I am while still wishing the best for me. Isn't that what friends do?  How am I a friend to you?  Because friendship has to go both ways; it is a reciprocal relationship. Do you miss me when we haven't talked in awhile?  Do you like listening to what I think?  Do you like seeing what I will create?  Do I inspire you? Do I encourage you?  Do I make you laugh?  Is your life better just because I'm in it?  

I'm glad we are friends. I'm glad you are not just my judge, my father, my provider, or my savior. All of those roles are important to me, too, but having you as a friend makes it easier to accept them. Being criticized by a friend (you really shouldn't buy that dress; it looks weird on you) is easier than accepting judgement from a stranger.  Listening to my father when he is also a friend is richer than having to obey a cold and distant father just because he is my parent.  When I am in need, accepting provisions from a friend is sweeter and more pleasant than being beholden to a stranger or a system.  I know that the gift was given with loving generosity, and I would gladly return the favor for my dear friend.

Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for choosing to do life with me. My life is better with you in it.