Grace.

24.

kendra smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:00:27 +0000

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”. – 2 Corninthians 3:17-18

kendra smith — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:19:39 +0000

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.” -Psalm 73:25-28

When suddenly, within a day

the world stops

reality as I know it

stumbles, it cracks

this cistern

once filled

empties, seeps

through the brokeness

for it can never be filled

only One is true

only One is whole

a present help

a beautiful refuge

the cistern without blemish

pure, without spot

full of hope and a future

filled with promise

faithless

He is faithful

hopeless

He is our only hope

October 25, 2011

kendra smith — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:43:52 +0000

Days find weeks

these weeks

have turned months

finding its stop

a resting place

from all these wrestles

I found a love

oh but fear

only to push

shoving, in unbelief

and in pain

my Father corrects, staightens

bringing truth, the light

a refreshing rain

washing of all this malice

this spite, this guilt

which comes seeping

through flesh

gone dry, to the bone

Glory to the Holy One!

He tears down and builds

allowing death, Oh for life!

bringing only what He can

Redemption, in Mercy

for love abounds

in Christ Jesus

I am known

I am found.

not yet

kendra smith — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:51:09 +0000

But you haven’t lost me yet

ill sing ’till my heart caves in

you haven’t lost me yet

if doesn’t break

if doesn’t break your heart

it isn’t love

if it doesn’t break your heart

it’s not enough

it’s when youre breaking down

when your insides are coming out

is when you find what your heart is made of

and you haven’t lost me yet

no, you haven’t lost me yet

ill sing it unti my heart caves in

no you haven’t lost me yet

Swithchfoot- Yet Live

Life

kendra smith — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:09:03 +0000

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” -Diedrich Bonhoeffer

God calls out to his sons and daughters and proclaims, “I know it may feel like you’re losing your life, but you will find it in Me”.

This is what he was saying to his disciple Peter in John 13 when Peter frantically grasped for Jesus’ life, proclaiming to lay down his own life. When the Lord knew that Peter was grasping for what he did not know, Jesus knew Peter’s own weakness and inability to stand on his own and that Peter would be redeemed, strengthened, and overcome by His own death just days ahead. You see, Peter was refusing the washing and mercy of God in John 13, he knew that he should be the one to wash Jesus’ feet, that he should be the one to die, but Jesus came to reveal the Father and the love of God to a weak and broken world in bondage to sin.

This is the cost of sin. When we come to know and behold the beauty and love of God in the face of Jesus Christ we cannot help but become one like peter, not wanting to see the Holy One come so low as to wash our feet, or to take the sin of our lust, our fear, hatred, jealousies, and rage. But still He comes and proclaims, “if I do not wash your feet, you have no part with Me”, He took the weight and burden of sin that day at the cross and stands now at the right hand of God continuing to call, “Come”, “Follow Me”. “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

Jesus knew Peter would understand after His ascension, He knew that he Holy Spirit would come as Peter’s helper, and this is the very spirit of God that has now proclaimed the Church as God’s body, as overcomer’s in Christ, and which cannot help but come under the weight of the love of God in Jesus. We now, in all things, have received the washing and continual purification and justification before God. Grace is not cheap, it came at a cost, and when we come we must surrender our little lives that Jesus would be known in us and through us. Peter’s life proclaimed this in his boldness, love for the church, and eventual martydom for the love of Jesus. He gave Peter his desire, to lay down his life, but only by the blood of Jesus, for he could not stand on his own. As children of God, we are called to live this way everyday;

“always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2Corinthians 4:10-11)

(John 13-17)

Living.

kendra smith — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:54:33 +0000

I rather go on

believing

than not at all

it is the hope

of life

the heart

of living.

red bird.

kendra smith — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:32:31 +0000

Beauty of God, taking flight

in the midst of the storm.

Clouds of gray, without rest

and in mercy this snow falls.

In each breath of wind,

there is a telling

of glory in white

pure and without spot.

As the wind tells

the red bird flies

reminding of truth

there will be life

oh, unending love.

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed then the full extent of His love…

Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.

Do you understand what I have done for you?

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

I have set an example that you should do as I have done to you.

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts Me; and whoever accepts Me accepts the One who sent Me.

A new commandment I give to you; love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you love one another. “

-excerpts from John 13 NIV

kendra smith — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:01:22 +0000

never to lean

on this world

not resting

on what is seen

only this truth

speaking life,

giving abundance

love, a spring

flowing from desert places

the palm

dug deep in winter

white as snow

speaking of winter

spring not yet known

hardly seen

let us hope

for faith is substance

and believing

oh beautiful graces

kendra smith — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 02:40:42 +0000

If I fail all else

let me not fail

at loving You.

wondering about love.

kendra smith — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:42:34 +0000

I Find myself wondering what it means to love. Paul says; “love is patient, love is kind…it always hopes, always perseveres…” Jesus says that love is not greater than laying your life down for your friend. In John 17 He speaks to the Father of love, that we would know it, being in Him, Him in us, and us in the Father.

Love, in blood

in dying, by resurrection

hope in life, by change

it comes in dedication

to the one

an only, Love.