Joann Nelander Studio

art, photography, and the poetry of prayers and dreams

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Truth’s Army, Truth’s Bride

Posted by Be Holy on September 25, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: army, bride, error, Light, peace, pride, torch, truth. Leave a comment

Truth was never far away.
It stood erect,
And with resolve,
Waited for the moment
Of my will’s consent.

It was relentless,
Devoid of error,
Stalwart and persistent.

Truth was the beacon
On the high mountain.
It appealed to me
On the level of the good.

It drew me
As home beckons the lost.
I journeyed closer,
But as the light
Revealed my tatters
I drew back,
Trapped by my choices.

Truth is a wedding garment,
That clothes inwardly,
As well as out.
My espousals never produced
A marriage of Truth and the holy.
In its stead, I’d wed
What I wanted.
Now, I feared our distance,
And what I had become.

Desiring the right,
Even if I was wrong,
I gathered courage to my breast
And risked all in the quest.

I shed my rags
And found a covering of prayer,
A robe of humility,
And came to Love
In holy fear.

Now, I am
Full of resolve,
A stalwart knight
On Truth’s high mountain,
Carrying lighted torch
To the Dark Valley,
Into caverns of deception.

Standing tall before the Foe,
Truth girds my waist,
And undertakes to speak
Light in the darkness.

I am become an army
On the plain,
As Truth marches not alone.
It goes forth,
Drawing with it men of valor,
Choosing the death of Pride,
And living as Truth’s Bride.

©2012 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

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You, Before the Altar.

Posted by Be Holy on September 25, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: adoration, altar, God. Jesus, praise, prayer, tabernacle. Leave a comment

Opening my eyes
And lifting my head
From my prayer,
My eyes fell upon you,
My friend.

Your steady gaze
Fixed on the naked Savior,
Your arms crossed
Over your breast
And you,
Lost to this world,
Spoke my prayer.
You, in iconic stature,
Embodied my heart’s cry.

Bowing my soul,
I turned within
To pray with clarity
In humble poverty of spirit,
With Faith’s certainty,
The Lord had heard,
And smiled on my desire.

Rising with my closing “Amen”,
I looked
Only to find your place
Before the altar,
Now abandoned,
Yet the holy sight is seared
On my impressionable spirit.
It lingers still.

Your gifted presence
Shall long capture,
And hold fast
The essence of being
At which I hope to arrive,
In the tabernacle of my heart,
As in pleading it resounds.
Anchored to an image
Of prayerful adoration
Living in my mind’s eye.

My God be adored,
And Your children
Forever graced.

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You Are the Music

Posted by Be Holy on September 24, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: act, direat, performance, poetry, Religion, Spiritual. Leave a comment

Jesus, You are the music
Playing on the stage of my life.
You are the witness of my acts.
You are my faithful critic.

You behold and hold
My life up to Your Light
That its rays may reveal
The holes in my performance.

Thus seeing,
I wisely turn, and say,
Heal me.
Help me.
Act on my behalf,
For I still don’t know
How Love lives my life,
And plays in me,
Save You direct me.

©2012 Joann Nelander

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Playing With God

Posted by Be Holy on September 20, 2012
Posted in: Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: delight, dimple, God, joy, Kiss, laughter, Play, Spiritual, wink. Leave a comment

Don’t go alone.
Take God dancing.
Swim in Him.
Chase butterflies by His side.
Taste Him in the ice cream.
Try to find Him hiding in broccoli.
Look for Him in a tickle.
God goes undercover in every hug, wink and smile.
You can’t miss Him in a kiss.

You are the dimple in God’s smile.
He delights in your laughter.
when He throws you in the air,
Never fear, He catches you on the way down.
Did you know, He’s got your picture on His fridge?

©2012 Joann Nelander

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With Your Name, Jesus

Posted by Be Holy on September 18, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: Abba, faith, glance devotion. God, Kiss, Love, Trinity. Leave a comment

With Your Name, Jesus,
Upon my lips,
Reverberating in my heart,
I pray from the depths
Of our blessed union.

Your Holy Spirit
Forms my prayer,
Born of Faith and Love.
The child, that I am,
Cries, “Abba!”

My tiny arms
Strive to draw closer
My dearest Abba,
As encircling His inclined neck,
And stirring His Fatherly devotion
To one so small,
He kisses me with a glance.

Indulgently, and moved
To an outpouring,
By my frame
In my infancy,
My Abba caresses me
In the peace of angels,
And I live in His shalom.

Copyright  2012 Joann Nelander
Alll rights reserved

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Enemy, Mine

Posted by Be Holy on September 17, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: abraham, battle, Catholic, Christian, cousel, enemy, forgiveness, mercy, Moses, sinner, trust. Leave a comment

Oh, dear enemy,
How you bless me with opportunity,
For prayer,
For patience,
For trust in God,
And to implore His counsel.

You and I are called
To know and love
The Lord Jesus.
Without Him,
There is only Darkness,
And descent
Into greater and greater sin.

Abraham believed,
And it was credited to him,
As justice.
Moses promised the Prophet’s Day.
John the Baptist
Prepared His Way,
And recognized the Lamb
Who would be slain.

Oh, enemy mine,
As we engage in battle
For men’s’s souls,
Let us take care
Not to lose our own.

Abraham was the Father
Of a race,
Who would love
And serve the True God.
Moses was a trusted servant,
John was the best man,
Greater than all born of woman.

To these God revealed Himself.
Each had his day,
Then departed,
And made way,
That the Name of God
Revealed to Joseph
And the humble Virgin,
Might capture the hearts
Of the enemies of God,
Living in Sin.
Loving us,
While we were yet sinners,
He won the battle,
We now fight.

He is and will be the only victor,
With those who fear not recognize Him,
Rush to His Side,
And bow under his Banner
Of Love and Mercy.

O, enemy mine,
We were partners in Sin,
Let us become partners in Love,
Beneath the Cross of One,
Who reconciled the world
To “Abba” God

©2012 Joann Nelander

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Ceaseless Prayer

Posted by Be Holy on September 12, 2012
Posted in: Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: attentive, care, ceaseless prayer, God, goodness, Love. Leave a comment

Ceaseless the prayer You desire of me.
Your Eyes behold me.
You wait for me to lift my eyes
From the world
To gaze heavenward,
To behold You smiling upon me.
You long for our eyes to meet
In an exchange of love
And longing.

Ceaseless prayer is no less
Than a return of Love’s attention,
Glances passed one to the Other,
Constancy of care,
Attentive watchfulness.

Hearts speak in wordless knowing
All the while willing to know and be known.
The Greater gifting the lesser
With nothing less than His own Life.

The world becomes a room
Filled with the Light You shed
As I become a candle
Held in the Hand of God,
Melting in a pool,
Readied for a new mold,
True to the goodness
God gives me,
As He beholds
His creation from eternity
And says throughout Time
“It is good. ”

©2012  Joann Nelander

All rights reserved

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With Angels Delighting

Posted by Be Holy on September 11, 2012
Posted in: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: angels, Cherubim, desire, obedience, peace. stillness. Leave a comment

Your Cherubim move with You,
Or hover aloft,
All to Your desire.

My wheels are spinning, my God.
I am neither still
Nor moving with You.

Help me to wait upon Your Word,
Until I am sent.
Filled with your peace,
My comings and goings please You,
As works of faith and love.

In stillness prepare
My heart to journey forth,
Only by Your leave
And grace.
Then shall our union
Bring forth the works
You perfect in me
As a child of Your Heart,
Doing that which I see my Father doing,
As the obedient angels,
Who serve and delight You.

Copyright 2012 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

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Amish Children Enjoying Life

Posted by Be Holy on September 7, 2012
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Amish, Catholic, children, Christian, family, Fun, Happiness, meditation, momma, photography, Play, reflections, smugmug. Leave a comment

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I Call You Friends

Posted by Be Holy on September 7, 2012
Posted in: Easter, Lent. Tagged: Catholic, Christ, Christian, faith, friend, friendship, God, meditation, Prayer Prose and Poetry, Religion, Spiritual, steward. Leave a comment

God has given us
A special place in His Heart.
He calls us “Friend.”

Do not doubt Him,
By judging yourself or others
Before the time of Judgment.
 
Wait upon God working in you and me
For our good, blessing,
And finally our perfection.

Strive to be a friend of God.
Be a good steward of His friendship,
And this precious time
Working in His Vineyard.

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