Simple, Functional, Grace-filled Living.
When we get placed in the fire, it doesn’t feel good, but when God sees the shiny result, and he smiles, we know that the refinery was necessary.
Katina Horton
Refined Like Gold
It’s What We’re Told
We’re Put through the Fire
So Fruit Can Transpire.
The Pain is Intense.
The Trials are Immense.
Maturity is unfolding.
God’s work you’re Beholding.
Related posts:
In case you missed our last episode, “The Sin of Cynicism-Part 2”, you can find that episode here. Today’s episode, Episode 27, is entitled Simply Grace. I hope that you enjoy this special poetry reading.
Welcome to the Healing Our Brokenness Podcast Episode 27: Simply Grace. The intro and ending song that you hear on the podcast is entitled “Valley of Grace” and is song by Timothy Horton. Today is a special episode. Why is that? I will be ready poetry from a book that I published back in February entitled, “Simply Grace”. It is available on Amazon. Simply Grace is a compilation of simple, healthy recipes that are mostly non-meat, along with poetry that tackles tough issues that we face every day. However, these issues are seasoned with grace. I deal with truth, so that the truth brings healing. We are set free by true. I also deal with raw emotions.
The first poem, entitled “The Quench” deals with Approval Addiction/Perfectionism/People Pleasing:
Reading of the poem
The next poem, entitled “The Source of Self-Worth” dissects our need for self-worth, and not just the need, but the struggle to get it from things, rather than the main source.
Reading of the poem
The next poem, entitled” Coat of Favor” deals with the Life of Joseph, his trials, and his redemption.
Reading of the Poem
Have you ever taken matters into your own hands, instead of waiting on God? The next poem deals with just that. It is entitled, “Oh, The Pain of Waiting”.
Reading of the Poem
For those of us who have been through abuse, we must relearn what love is. That is what” Abide My Love, Dance with Me” is all about: God’s love poured out on me to reshape my thoughts on abuse. Secondly, it describes how I danced with my Heavenly Father during a period of trials and financial despair, and how God “showed me his back” as his showed Moses, so to speak, by allowing me to feel his presence for several hours.
Reading of the Poem
The last poem, “I am the Vine, And So Is It Time?” deals with a combination of things: the Crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross, John 15, and the Clematis vine that I attempted to tie to the trellis last spring as I was getting bit by mosquitos. The first time that I attempted this adventure, there were too many mosquitos out. The second and final time I was finally able to do it. However, just within the few days of break in between, the clematis vine had completely wrapped itself around one of the heucheras. It was a wonderful way to see the scriptures in action.
Reading of the Poem
Thank you for listening to Episode 27: Simply Grace, and if you are enjoying the Healing Our Brokenness Podcast, please recommend a friend, share on social media, and/or subscribe to hear us on Youtube, Itunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also listen to us on the blog.
God bless!! Until Next time!
Today’s poem, “Vulnerability” discusses the apprehension and reward that occurs when we embrace vulnerability. Enjoy the journey!
Connecting.
With People.
Go Deeper.
Be Strong.
Inviting.
Them in.
Is it Safe?
Am I Wrong?
Vulnerability.
Is A Journey.
Once
They’ve Proven.
They Are Safe.
And
Our Path
of
Discovery
Helps Us
Finish
Our Own Race.
The Potter-This poem depicts the awesome work of our Creator, God himself. He is going to keep working on us, if we allow him to be in control instead of us trying to take the reigns. If you didn’t read my last poem, “Refusal to Heal”, you can find that one here.
The Potter
He’s twisting and turning.
And molding the clay.
The Potter, Creator.
Making it His Way.
The Pieces.
Once Shattered.
Manifesting as Dust.
When the Artist is Finished.
The End Product We’ll Trust.
Background on Refusal to Heal
This poem reflects the struggle that lies within all of us when it comes to healing. We all have the potential. However, healing involves doing. Which path will we choose?
“Time to heal. Time to heal.
Though it may not be a thrill.”
No, I’ll stay busy.
I will avoid.
I won’t get help.
My soul’s annoyed.
It’s your decision.
There is no force.
Whatever you choose,
You’ve set your course.
Just as a reminder,
There is no win.
When you know good to do,
And ignore it,
Then it becomes sin.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4: 17
Other poems:
We will disappointment others, and others will disappointment us. Whatever the case may be, disappointments can take us on a whirlwind of emotions, processing, and more emotions, and processing. It can leave us in a cave of events, and shame if we continue ruminating over each thing that happened, instead of processing the events for healing purposes.
Unmet expectations.
Can take you round and round.
The disappointment.
Shame’s strangulation.
Will pull you to the ground.
Hope is an anchor,
Gives you grounding.
When your world seems to fall.
And Christ, Our Savior,
With his shield of Favor,
Will help us when we call.
Behind the Bars is a poem that is written to show the inner struggle that we have when it comes to walking in the freedom that Christ has given us with his sacrificial death on the cross. Blessings!
Behind the Bars
My Savior,
Oh, on Calvary.
You broke the chains.
Then set me free.
Will I walk?
Or will I stay?
Behind the bars,
That will decay.
I pray for you.
To set me free.
Did I forget?
About that tree?
The work is done.
I can walk out.
The guard unlocked
The keyhole’s spout.
My Savior,
Oh, on Calvary.
You broke the chains.
Then set me free.
Other poetry:
This poem was written to bring comfort to those individuals who deal with PTSD/trauma on a daily basis, and they feel like they’re in the “Stuck Aspect” of Trauma. Although we feel like we are trapped, we know that God’s presence is always there. It is a representation of the dialog between the trauma impacted individual and God himself.
Stuck
Stuck Inside.
Stuck Outside.
There’s No Place to Go.
“REST Inside.
In Me Abide.
And I Will
Keep You Close.”
Scripture Meditation
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
There is nothing worse than feeling stuck. Literally stuck! Sometimes we have a zipper that is stuck. When it happens, it is usually when we are in a hurry. So, what we do is to keep pulling and tugging on the zipper, creating a worse situation. Then, we pull long where we end up with extra material in the way of the zipper, and the next thing you know, we have a ripped coat and a stuck zipper.
How about being stuck in an elevator? I don’t like elevators myself, and so the thought of being stuck on one just makes me feel claustrophobic and helpless. And of course, for people who have been stuck on elevators, their first reaction is to panic. Lastly, what about feeling stuck in a relationship? There is nothing worse than feeling powerless, and not realizing that you do have options. However, you have grown so used to dysfunction, that you don’t know what it is even like to exert boundaries, and explore these options.
Today’s topic, “The Stuck Aspect”, deals with a dissociated state of trauma. In this state you end up feeling helpless, trapped, and not sure of how to proceed, where to go, or when to go. We will explore two aspects of this state: the stuck inside and the stuck outside aspect.
The Stuck Outside aspect of trauma is when you are dissociating, and having an experience where you are “outside” of yourself. This experience makes you feel like you are watching yourself as if you are watching a movie, but you are not part of the movie where all of you is integrated together.
I first experienced this when I was living at my last place of residence, and trauma was reigning, and in the forefront of my life. Basically, I was in survival mode. I hadn’t done much work in the area of healing because of being afraid to face my feelings, possible retraumatization, and fear. I had all of this going on coupled with the fact that I had just been released from working in a toxic environment for nine months. When it happened, I felt out of control, and I started feeding more into it, with the anxiety from trauma escalating.
It continued to occur when I moved to the residence that I am living at now. However, I realized how to manage the symptoms better. Instead of panicking more, I started to remind myself that I was fine, and of the status of my present surroundings and situation. This created a calm inside of my brain, and then it would pass.
The stuck inside aspect deals with you feeling like you are trapped inside of your body. People on the outside can see from your facial expression, or the lack thereof, that something is wrong, but they aren’t sure of how to handle it. You feel like your whole body has gone stiff as a board, and you can tell that your eyes are doing something weird. This might sound strange, but I have also noticed that since having trauma, eating certain foods can bring this on.
I was at a worship service with a friend right before Christmas a couple of years ago, and it happened right after I’d finishing eating. I could tell that she was trying to figure out what was going on, because I saw her staring into my eyes, trying to figure out if I was okay. Once again, I grounded myself in my location, and in the present moment, and I told myself that I would be fine, that it had happened before, and to just let it pass. It eventually passed. However, it had definitely caught me off guard.
Have you ever found yourself in the “Stuck Inside” or “Stuck Outside” Aspect of trauma. And if so, what did you do to calm yourself down? What was the reaction of others around you? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Other posts in this series:
When we think of separation, it brings up pain and sadness. However, when we are separated for the cause of Christ, it changes everything. For to live is Christ, and to die is gain. We have the Father’s love to guide us as we run our race of endurance.
Separated
I’ve been separated.
It’s been delegated.
For the cause of Christ.
It requires my life.
For I lay it down.
Not for world renown.
It’s been set in stone.
No, I’m not alone.
Blessings,
Katina
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