The Mirror of Truth

James 1:23-24

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like?

Standing, gazing ahead
An image of Truth has been placed before me
There, a reflection of myself.

So vivid, and so clear
Every detail has been meticulously captured
It sickens me to think it must be me.

Blisters reeking of disease run down my cheeks
Moist sores have taken control of the mouth I can no longer see
My lips, cracked and bleeding.
Infectious wounds, like carvings from the hand of a child.
Darkness devours the frame of my eyes, now interrupted by tears

A wave of disgust runs through my body
As I gaze at the man I have become?
Unrecognizable.

I can no longer tolerate this hideous being
I turn my head in disbelief?

The repugnant picture begins to fade from my memory?
It must have been a dream
Yet, I dare not look again.

I mask my doubt with a simple grin
And step into the day?
I will not believe
For in my mind, I am unblemished, once again.

This poem was inspired as I was reading through the book of James one day. I am amazed at how I have grown to live with my flaws. As a Christian, the tendency to accept the gift of grace without realizing the cost of our transgressions is hard to avoid. We forget that we are filled with flaws, sins, eeking of disease in the eyes of the Lord...and all this has been covered!! We forget the state which we were in, full of illness and death. Thank God that He will not leave us miserable...He loves us enough to pull us out of our blood and wash us clean. But let us not forget the scent, look, and feel of our sin, as we strive to put it aside...continually surrendering our lives to the Lord.

Debra Rashid is employed as a counselor at a local hospital, working with at risk youth. She has a passion for the urban community and volunteers much of her time working with inner city youth and families. She hopes her writings will be a source of encouragement and motivation to those who read them.

MORE RESOURCES:

Van Morrison takes listeners on his spiritual journey - Los Angeles Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-morrison9-2009jan09,0,7244840.story%3Ftrack%3Drsscid=1291214235ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFCEzUTvkt4vSzySiV9pURWYQR1Iwimg src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=QEGmml6uThAJimgurl=www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-01/44429821.jpg width=80 height=45 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Los Angeles Times/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-morrison9-2009jan09,0,7244840.story%3Ftrack%3Drsscid=1291214235ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFCEzUTvkt4vSzySiV9pURWYQR1IwVan Morrison takes listeners on his bspiritual/b journey/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I decided to end the show on a bspiritual/b note.quot; He said that whether the audience senses that bspirituality/b or not is almost incidental. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Spirituality May Help Adolescents Cope With Chronic Illness - Science Daily (press release)

Google Launches quot;School of Spiritual Growthquot; [Perks] - Examiner.com

Best Life Week Spirituality 101 on Oprah - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.inentertainment.co.uk/20090109/free-suze-orman-book-download-from-oprahcom/cid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFB2VBDxi7r_UP5VIc8HbQKFIbDQgimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=zqQizZfMu3IJimgurl=www.inentertainment.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/free-suze-orman-book-download-from-oprah-com.jpg width=80 height=71 alt= border=1brfont size=-2In Entertainment/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-1869-New-England-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m1d7-Best-Life-Week-Spirituality-101-on-Oprahcid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNHYaqFswsMyWOlk3ZZulGFvBkkjagBest Life Week bSpirituality/b 101 on Oprah/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1by Jo Levy, New England Fitness Examiner Day 3 of Oprah#39;s Best Life Week was based on bSpirituality/b. You may want to ask me what bspirituality/b has to do with b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.bestsyndication.com/%3Fq%3D20090107_spirituality_101_coping_with_lifes_problems_best_life_week_oprah_winfrey_show.htmcid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNE3kHVLJAFlbk32JiO7OAjlt44c2QbSpirituality/b 101 – Job, Money, Family – Oprah’s Best Life Week on b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBest Syndication/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-2fd=Rurl=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/01/oprahs-best-lif.htmlcid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFqB66q_O8V0X9wQ2TW6EFTzdVcfgOprah#39;s Best Life Week continues with bspirituality/b advice, Suze b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe TV Guy/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-3fd=Rurl=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/01/09/lkl.suze.orman/cid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNF2Sj6joU5pqr-VTHI5L-bmSZCtUQSuze Orman: You need an action plan/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCNN International/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-4fd=Rurl=http://www.turnto10.com/jar/news/consumer/article/ormans_action_plan_available_for_free_download/8914/cid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNHI2TTsblUxLg7BODRpeujWJuBnTgnobrTurn to 10.com/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-5fd=Rurl=http://lifehacker.com/5126615/download-suze-ormans-2009-action-plan-free-this-week-onlycid=1290671658ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNE2ZpkGRiXXZqiQcoVCZ8WTOdD4VgnobrLifehacker/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1290671658hl=ennobrall 16 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Spiritual convenience food for the God-shaped hole in your life - Irish Times

Spirituality Is Key To Kids#39; Happiness - Science Daily (press release)

Study: Spirituality adds happiness to kids - United Press International

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The spiritual tragedies in Obama#39;s choice of Pastor Rick Warren - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-806-SF-Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-spiritual-tragedies-in-Obamas-choice-of-Pastor-Rick-Warrencid=1291173460ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFrBg65AOIEh4ZmycKad44BojvroQimg src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=CI83Uq0G7sIJimgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img455Bonder-Saniel.jpg width=80 height=67 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Examiner.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-806-SF-Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-spiritual-tragedies-in-Obamas-choice-of-Pastor-Rick-Warrencid=1291173460ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFrBg65AOIEh4ZmycKad44BojvroQThe bspiritual/b tragedies in Obama#39;s choice of Pastor Rick Warren/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobrJan 7, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1by Saniel Bonder, SF bSpirituality/b Examiner Most people aren’t thinking a whole lot, right now, about the Pastor Rick Warren/Obama Inauguration controversy. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

San Carlos honors Geronimo#39;s courage, spirituality and intellect - Arizona Silver Belt

University Professor: ‘I liked the message of awareness and ... - The Epoch Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9960/cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFnsWp2pieq7b50CIkDyfRzvbbWhgUniversity Professor: ‘I liked the message of awareness and b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Epoch Times,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrJan 8, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1“I liked the message of awareness and bspirituality/b,” said Mr. Greenaway. “That’s how I live my life, with compassion and kindness. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10040cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNF-JTqWoWSyDewANUvQN1uuu34XcgProducer/director: ‘It’s the kind of thing everybody should see’/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9852cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNE55J6yXis72nvhl0reRZInKfZ_4QArtist: It Is #39;very spiritually uplifting#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-3fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9948cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNFaF0BvEs4MJmFdc6kntYWp9uK2TAMore Than Meets The Ear – Profound Inner meaning of DPA Deeply b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-4fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9955cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNGVKEGMDX0n-Zw7u7-I0SkkfxU5jwnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-5fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10000/cid=1290785823ei=mSNnSZDyL5_S9QTr19ynDQusg=AFQjCNGNjOGkFg0lJ0i47v_IocfWUM9mcQnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1290785823hl=ennobrall 74 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Spirituality - Google News

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