I can't tell you why some live and some die

I am returned from my chilly trip to Wisconsin and Exposong Thorns is turning 50! I suspect there are only a couple of you who have read all 50 posts, and one of you birthed me. I just want to thank you all for listening and responding to me. This has been a strange and wonderful blessing to my strange and occasionally wonderful mind.

I spent some time listening to my praise band's CD this weekend and decided I was particularly proud of some of the lyrics I wrote for it. I wanted to share some here, because not only are they poetry, but they maybe better than anything else reflect my theology and philosophy about life. Here's a song I wrote after a young man close to my youth group died of leukemia.


Forever Calls
By J.D. Rose

I’ve seen my heart torn open
Bled and cried before
But the wounds all healed
And slowly you start to feel
Like you did before
I don’t think pain is a bad thing
It’s just a side effect of love
And Heaven waits inside of your heart
You can stop looking for it above
You gotta use the time your given
You can’t worry about the fall
What’ll you do hang your head or rejoice
When it’s your name forever calls

Forever calls
Not just these days do we have
But one last forever day
Far away from the pained and sad
Forever calls
Will you rise up and take it in
Your life was just the starting gun
Let forever’s race begin

I can’t tell you why some live and some die
Or even why some fail or succeed
Just know in my soul it’s a gift to live
A miracle each time I breathe
What’ll you say, make a life out of this day
And maybe when we add those days up
They’ll be no fear when he hear our names called
It’ll be an adventure for us

Forever calls
Not just these days do we have
But one last forever day
Far away from the pained and sad
Forever calls
Will you rise up and take it in
Your life was just the starting gun
Let forever’s race begin

Someday we will all be home
My son you’re not alone
What happened all those yesterdays is done
Hold your head up girl, we’re going home
Sweet daughter your not alone
What happened all those yesterdays is done

Forever Calls

I recieved a postcard from one of my youth stationed in Iraq and decided that the best way to celebrate my 50 and use this spot for a useful purpose would be to post those passed on from the War in Iraq. I soon found out that the list is over 2,500 soldiers long and instead of posting them here the link (click the title) will take you to a website full of memorials and a searchable database of names. I found soldiers killed in each county I've lived in. I suggest we each take a break today and pray/meditate over the memorials of these fallen soldiers.

I have faith that God recieves us all. I truly believe that what waits beyond this life is worth living each day with a sense of peace and purpose because death isn't the whole story.

I pray each of you know the gift life is and the peace that comes from knowing that forever calls.