Category: God

God, Life, Writing

In the End

Mark Wayne

In the end do not become someone who you never were. #Quote #Poetry #Encouragement #Motivation

Be you, for if you are not no one else could be.

A recent experience led me towards becoming someone who I am not. Through the grace and mercy of Yah and my beautiful wife I have been comforted by Holy Spirit in gentle correction from the lies I was allowing myself to believe.

Now I am holding on the truth of who I was created to be and my destiny. I am claiming the blood of Yeshua over my heart and actions, purposing to follow and live my dreams moving forward.

Now I encourage you to believe in the one who came so that we may have life abundantly. Now go and ⬇️

God, Life

Living the Paradox

Mark Wayne

We live in the paradox of our existence. Our world is small compared to the universe. Even in comparison to our planet that revolves around the sun here in this little corner of the galaxy. There is so much unexplored and unknown, both out there and within the human heart. And yet, we have eternal significance and worth just as we are to a sovereign and holy god. Do you believe that?

And what are we to make of that? #MondayBlogs #MondayQuestions #MondayMotivation #YouMatter #JustBelieve

God, Life, Writing

“Soon, Very Soon,” Are You Willing to Wait?

Mark Wayne

God is working in our waiting. Sometimes that feels hard to believe. ~Amy Orr-Ewing #quote #faith #trust

I know I am in the midst of my own waiting and wondering if answers will come soon to questions I have. Just to list a few things:

  • As of the writing of this post I am waiting for edits on my memoir manuscript – Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry, when will those be returned?
  • Wondering will I be able to find editors, that I can afford, to review my novel trilogy – The Chronicles of Faith?
  • Can I write another novel during NaNoWriMo with so many ideas running through my head and other commitments?
  • And then there is the pandemic and the election here in America, what now?
  • Our families financial situation, will it get better or worse?
  • My daughter just turned 16, what am I to make of that? 😁

We can only control ourselves, our responses and not others. So I will try my best to rest in the unknown and trust, knowing that God’s promises are to come soon. What about you?

He will soon fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips will shout with joy. ~ Job 8:21 ISV

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ~ 2 Peter 3:8 NASB

And behold, I am coming quickly. ~ Revelation 22:7 NASB #Promise #Truth #Faith #WarriorPoet

Adventure, God, Life

“Are you frightened?”

Mark Wayne
“Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough, I know what hunts you.”

Are you? Am I?

And should we be?

If so, are we frightened enough?

Do we believe that evil does hunt us?

Do we believe that the evil can be defeated?

Do we believe that evil does hunt us? Do we believe that the evil can be defeated? (Yes or No? You must choose a side.) #WickedQuestions #GoodvsEvil

Halloween seems an innocent time of fun, candy and make believe, but is it? There is an evil that lurks behind the masquerade of scary good times. For the evil has cloaked the darkness in light so our eyes are blinded to the true intent. For in the shadows evil plays out its sinister plots to bind the hearts of men and we are oblivious to the reality.

I pray for each soul that believes this day is only innocent fun.
I pray for all on this day, All Hollows Eve, where evil walks among us unknown.

I pray for all safety from the plans of those who reside only in darkness.

I pray that our eyes will be opened to the fact that dragons do exist.

I pray that we pick up the sword of the spirit and defeat the dragons in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough, I know what hunts you.” #LOTR #Aragorn #Dragons #Warriors

God, Life, Photograph, Poetry

HOPE, it is no small thing!

Mark Wayne
“Hope Lives”

In the safety of this present darkness

Holding on in the midst of the black

In the place where I hide my madness

From there hope will lead me back

#JustBelieve #HopeLives #LiveYourDreams

In the safety of this present darkness – Holding on in the midst of the black – In the place where I hide my madness – From there hope will lead me back #Poetry

God, Grief, Life, Writing

Though He Slay Me…

Mark Wayne

Though he slay me, I will hope in him. ~Job 13:14 #Encouragement #Faith #Motivation

It has been a rough last few weeks. Truth be told it’s been a rough past few months and even the whole year of 2020. I am not even talking about COVID-19, stay at home orders, social distancing, fears of infection from the virus, racial and civil unrest or even the current chaos of our political system.

Simply said my family has watched a beloved member’s health slowly decline. So much so that in the end it is hard to see who they once were. Illness and disease can do that to you.

Yet we can still hold hope, for ourselves and others, of better days ahead. As Job’s faith stayed fast even during his trials, I pray that we can all do the same.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Stay the course, live your dreams, and just believe, hope lives.

God, Life, Poetry

A Crisis of Faith?

Mark Wayne 
I have lost my faith, 
not my belief
my faith. 

I have misplaced it,
and it cannot
be found. 

I will still search,
searching no
matter.

I will hold my faith,
with tenacity
at best.

I still will believe,
crying out
to you.

I  still will trust,
your truth in
my unbelief.

“I do believe; help my unbelief.” ~Mark 9:24

Do you struggle in the area of faith and belief?

This past week we lost our beloved dog, Sadee Jayne ❤ (See this week’s Wordless Wednesday photo of her.) She was the fourth member or our pack and we had twelve wonderful years together. Her death has rekindled many memories of grief for me. Thus leading me to lots of questions, similar questions to those I have written about in my upcoming memoir ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry.’

I know I struggle not in losing my faith but in misplacing it if you will. It tends to ebb and flow when I allow my belief to be based on my emotions and what is happening to me and around me. Often building my faith on a precarious stack of rocks instead of on the rock. I believe we need to focus more on the truth that does not change.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ~Hebrews 13:8

What do you think?

Life is often a balancing act!

God, Life, Photograph, Poetry, Writing

Holy Mysteries

Mark Wayne

You will take me down
Into the depths feeling I might drown
For you know it is there can I truly see
The glorious beauty of your majesty

Into the mystic all around
My pounding heartbeat the only sound
Fly away to where we were meant to be
Revealing to us your holy mysteries

You will take me down
Break these chains that keep me bound
I want to live in shameless freedom
From now until your coming kingdom

Life and glory can be found
Let the false intimacy come unwound
Renouncing the enemy’s bastard accusations
Evil fears its pronounced damnation

You will take me down
Exchanging my ashes for a beautiful crown
For love and mercy linger in a secret place
Freely given is your unveiled grace

~Mark Wayne

#JustBelieve #HopeLives

Spending lots of time lately thinking about ‘holy mysteries’, life and death. Our purpose, destiny and futures if we fully devote yourselves to God’s call on our lives. Yes, it will be scary and overwhelming at time and we might even feel like we are drowning and that is when we might fully come alive and live the life we were created to live chasing the dreams God has given us.

#LiveYourDreams

God, Grief, Life, Writing

Memoir Publishing Update – “Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry”

Mark Wayne

The journey has begun from draft manuscript to published book.

Please Note: This is most likely not the final cover only a draft I created.

The manuscript, about the author bio, back of the book blurb and foreword have all been submitted to the Editing Department. Next steps is comprehensive edit with suggested changes submitted back to me for further editing and approval. It is a little nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time.

The foreword was written by a good friend of mine who I first met through a professional relationship many years ago. The following is a short excerpt from the foreword he wrote for my book, which I absolutely love. He captured the theme, tone and purpose of my story perfectly. He knows my journey intimately and I am honored he would do this for me and very appreciative.

“This book is for people who have had real pain. People who have loved and lost, and are struggling to move on.” #Memoir #Foreword #UpcomingBook > ‘Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry’

I have also submitted ideas to the Cover Design Department to begin the process of creating a book cover. I look forward to the creative ideas from the cover designer. More to come on that progress in a future post.

I will leave you with this – if I can write a book so can you if you want to. It took me over 25 years to finally complete the manuscript. Many years of contemplation, learning, living and healing until I could pull it all together into a whole over the last 3 years. And now I am a mere months away from having a published book in my hands and maybe yours!

You can > Reconcile your Past, Embrace your Present, and Redeem your Future! #LiveYourDreams #JustBelieve #HopeLives #Memoir #Grief

LIVE YOUR DREAMS

God, Life, Writing

A Reckoning, We All Got it Coming

Mark Wayne

We can read the following scripture in Galatians 3:6 –

Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness ~Galatians 3:6

What are we to make of this? I reckon whether it is righteousness, mercy, justice or punishment we all have it coming. In the film Gladiator, Maximus played by Russell Crowe makes the following statement at the beginning of the film before a big battle scene.

“What we do in life, echoes in eternity.”

Whether this is true or not, whether you believe it or not, I do believe there are things we do in this life that will echo in eternity. The biggest of these is the decision where we will spend eternity after we die. Yes, I believe that decision is left to us, via our own God granted free will.

That is the reckoning we all have coming and it is based on our ultimate choice. And each little choice we make each day and each hour can lead us towards this final choice. Either towards blessings or curses, heaven or hell.

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” ~C.S. Lewis ‘The Great Divorce’ #Quote #Choices #HeavenOrHell

What is your choice?