Desert Wind

Desert Wind
by: R.A. Slater
08-15-09

Standing in the midst of this vast desert
I swallow my fear and loneliness
Reminding myself all the reasons
Why there is nothing to fear
And that I am never truly alone

The howling desert wind is mocking
Trying to distract me
Telling me the many reasons to fear
And asking me where this God is
That I am never alone

In truth, I have wondered this myself
He who walked so close
Now seems so far and distant
I have looked for Him and called His name
But all I hear are echoes

I draw my cloak around me
Not knowing if it is a cloak of light or despair
Regardless it keeps the scouring sand
Away from me and protects all that is delicate
All that is precious

Or is it?
Is it as precious as I think?
Or has this wind been sent by God
To scour away the very things
That hinder His answer?

I will never know
Unless I let down my defenses
And let the wind batter me
Let the sand scour me
And strip it all away

It could work that way
Or it could be
That the wind is lying to me
As it mocks and jabs
Every chance it gets

So I will continue to wait
And to wander in the direction He set
Until I find an answer
To draw deeper in my cloak
Or shed it and let the scouring begin

It is a thing of faith
A leap to take, either way
I could be wrong, I could be right
But I know that He is still faithful
And can make even my mistakes into something beautiful

For my mistakes, fumbling, and sins
Are not the end of me
Nor are they beyond something He can handle
In fact, they do not surprise Him
And were planned for long ago

And taken care of before I was born
No matter how hard the enemy tries
He can not take that Cross away
Nor the blood that covers me
And makes me whole

So I trudge on
Trusting in Him I cannot see
Believing He is still there
Hoping He is still with me
Carrying me

All I Have Left

written 08-09-0, 2AM

All I Have Left
by: R.A. Slater

There it is once again
That popular song on the radio
Urging me to give it all
To quit living as one going through the motions
Instead to live with zeal and passion
So I don't end up asking
"What if" for the rest of my life

I long to ask the singer
What do you do when you gave it all
And there's nothing left to give?
I poured it all out
Gave until it hurt
My heart, my soul, my talents
But I was stupid and let men get in the way
Let them steal and belittle
All that I had to give to God

And now all I have left to give
Is this nothingness I feel
Which is far better than the pain
That plagued me night and day
All I have left to give
Is this emptiness within
Hoping that He can turn it
Into something beautiful
Like a flower blooming in the desert
For only He can take nothing
And turn it into something




The song I'm referring to is "Motions" by Matthew West.

Idle Worship

This one comes from April 2004.


Idle Worship
By: R.A. Slater

Sing me a song
And I’ll go along
.....As into the throne room we go

But don’t ask me to help
I’ll be sure to yelp
.....And proclaim that it’s just not fair

I won’t go into the river
For all the world’s silver
.....If the water is too hot

All the finest gold
Won’t help if the river’s cold
.....I prefer it to be lukewarm

Won’t you give me a break?
For I’ve had such a hard week
.....And I think it’s time to eat

I’m much too tired
To feel on fire
.....Let me go home and take my nap

It is no wonder why
Things in life go awry
.....And God remains silent

We have no time
But think it’s no crime
.....Until He has no time for us

We have such passion and zeal
For something unreal
.....While the Lord is ignored

If we worshipped our Lord
As we do our idols
.....How He would draw near!

A Holy Spirit Stirring

This is a Christmas poem I wrote for our church's Christmas program...outside of that setting I'm not sure if it's a good poem, but I'm posting it anyways because that's what I do! Date would be December 2004.

A Holy Spirit Stirring
By: R.A. Slater

Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the church
First Baptist and others
There was a great stirring going on.

The church had grown weary
And was setting in to take a long winters nap
She’d taken off her robe and made up the bed
And as she slid out of her slippers…there arose such a clatter!

The noise shook the church way down deep
For it had the sound of a mighty rushing wind
Surely, surely, it could not be HE
Thought the church as she put her slippers back on.

But before she could take a step
There He stood before her!
The Holy Ghost of God, arrayed in splendor
His countenance lighting the entire chamber.

She could scarce take it in!
He had come like He’d promised!
In His arms He bore many gifts,
And strangely enough…was that a squirrel on His shoulder?!

The gift exchange was quiet and somber at first.
She offered up shame, and He covered it with righteousness.
She laid down offenses and He filled her with forgiveness.
She showed Him brokenness, and He knit her broken bones back together again.

Bitterness was laid down, along with anger and hate
In their place, the Holy Ghost gave peace, patience and love
He caught each one of her tears in a bottle.
Sin after sin was laid down, and each one He covered with the Blood of Christ.

As she laid down her sorrow,
Curiosity got the better of this dear lady.
In her seriousness before Him she asked,
“What is the deal with the squirrel?”

The Holy Ghost laughed, such a pleasant sound
He held out His hand to where the squirrel ran down to stand
“His name is Mirth,” the Holy replied,
“He’s symbolic you know…for the name Mirth is just another name for joy!”

In all seriousness, my friends
It does not take great discernment
To look around this church
And see the hand of God at work

Friendships mended
Broken hearts becoming whole
Bodies being healed
His glory becoming manifest

Even when the hour is late
And we have grown weary
We can rest assured that we serve a great God
Who neither slumbers nor sleeps

If we could but tarry for a little while longer
Press on a little bit farther
What glories we will see
As the Holy Ghost pours Himself out

What glories will we see?
Rather, whose glory will we see?
Why the very glory of God
The only glory worth seeing.

This Vision I see

I think this was written sometime in 2004 or 5...the email was dated Feb 2005, but for some reason I think it was written in 2004.


This Vision I See
By: R.A. Slater

What is this that I see?
A vision of Glory come down,
As angels dance all around.
A feat that cannot be pulled of by Man
Can only happen if they stand back to watch the hand of God.
Our cry for revival has rung true,
The church and our nation will become
A royal priesthood ministering to God,
And a nation that serves the Most High.
Revival fire is falling and spreads like wild fire
As people tell of this great God that they serve.
The saints are singing with one voice
As young and old come to know Jesus.
The church rises up from the ashes of desecration
To dance in the presence and glory of God
And is clothed in white garments of holiness.
And the times is now, for the day has arrived –
The thundering is no longer so far in the distance
And the clouds hang overhead instead of sitting on the horizon
The day of Habitation of the Most High God – has begun.

The River

This one comes from March 2005

The River:
by R.A. Slater

there is a River
flowing with living water
enough to quench the thirst
of you and me
****
so jump on in
saturate
marinate
don't be late
****
revel in His joy
dance in His midst
delight in His presence
and drink deep

Perchance to Dream

Hmm, this one comes from Feb. 2006

Perchance to Dream
By: R.A. Slater

Sleep tight, you say to me
As we bid farewell
And go our separate ways

Ah, to sleep…
The only reason to sleep
Is perchance to dream

To dream of your touch…
Gentle as it explores
Passionate as it discovers my secret places of pleasure

To dream of your warm embrace…
As though embraced by fire itself
Held by a power greater than gravity

To dream of your passionate kiss…
As one kiss turns into many
And I return your passion with my own

The Sun Still Shines

This one is from Feb 2004

The Sun Still Shines
By: R.A. Slater

The sun is always shining
Whether on mountain or valley
Even when the mountain blocks the light
When the sky is dark with black clouds
From the storms that come our way
Even when night is fallen
And the heavens are clothed with stars and moon
The sun is still shining just over the horizon
The thing is to keep on moving soaking in what light you can
To plod towards that far horizon
Through woods of peril and storms of strife
During days of weariness and sorrow
With hope ever burning
Sometimes bright, sometimes dim
But always warming the chill in your heart and bones
For though the wind may howl
And the wilderness raise a dreadful clamor
Above it all you can hear Him whisper,
“Press on, my child…I am still with you.”
And though nothing on the outside changes
Hope takes root and turns to expectant faith
That whether on mountain or valley
Through clouds and dark
The Son still shines
And you know that He is still with you.

One Woman Alone

I was going through some old emails and found this jewel written back in November 2005.


One Woman Alone
By: R.A. Slater

One woman alone
……abandoned……
She stands against the cold
……forgotten……
Braving the wind and the rain
……beaten……
With no one left to hear her
……forsaken……
Whether she lives or dies
……ignored……
No one hears the whispers shouted into the wind
……helpless……

Alone she lies
……rejected……
Beaten, bruised, bleeding
……misused……
Words cut as knives
……misunderstood……
Twisted around and around
……confused……
Till she no longer knows who said what
……wondering……
Or why it matters
……weary……

Alone she drowns
……help me……
Beneath the weight of her sorrow
……can anyone hear me?……
Mocked and ridiculed because of it
……why Lord?……
Tears run down her face as they scold
……Jesus, I’m suffocating……
She surrenders and gives up
……I can’t take it anymore……
As she is at last told that her pain is imagined and unreal
……it hurts Jesus……

One Man alone
……Gethsemane……
Arms wide open
……Nails……
Blood flowing freely
……covering, healing……
Broken heart, tears falling
……love……
Nail scarred hands holding her close
……His heartbeat……
A whispered promise that echoes
……I AM with you, always……

Alone she kneels
……lonely……
In the presence of the only One left
……comfort……
And pours out her heart
……relief……
Lays down her sins
……repentant……
Gives her grievances over to Him
……forgiveness……
Starts over anew
……mercy……

One woman alone
……not alone……
She stands fortified by God’s grace
……forgiven……
Shored up by His strength
……joy……
Armed with the Truth
……His Word……
To face another day
……new mercies……
Not alone

Surprise

Surprise
By: R.A. Slater

Years of fruitless searching
Had brought me nothing but disappointment
When despair was my best companion
Unfulfilled dreams haunted my waking
And even the hint of hope was dashed
Broken and shattered into pieces
Each shard cutting to the deepest
Until my heart at last gave out
And I laid down, ready to die
Caught in a web of loneliness
Thinking, believing, knowing
I would never find you
You caught me by surprise
And you found me
Your arms held me with fiery passion
Tempered by patient gentleness
Made me believe again
That happiness could be found
With a piece of heaven on this earth
And a piece of the Father's heart
Hidden inside a man
Revealed for me to see
Much to my surprise
And delight
That echoes in two hearts

Gone

Gone

By: R.A. Slater

07-07-08

Gone are the days of blue haze

The mowers came one day

And cut it all down

They showed no remorse

They showed no regret

Only stisfaction in a job well done

Gone are the days of youth

Gone is our innocence

Now we must trod the path unmarked

We may travel without joy in our bosom

Or hope in our heart

But faith still abides

For though the path is unmarked

Robbed of the delightful blue haze

It is still the same path as before

Tantalize 2

Tantalize Me {pt 2}
by: R.A. Slater
04-26-08

Once in our secret place
You tantalize me
Your touch is light as a feather
Becoming firmer as I press into you
Teasing me at the edge of my senses
Your fingers trace my face
Running along my cheekbones
Under my chin, caressing my neck
You draw me close to you
Without my being aware
So easily you reached into my world
And drew me away
Pulling me into your own
Where thought stills
And attention is focused on you
On your touch
Your gaze
Your beating heart
Blending somehow with my own
Longing for more of you
Hoping that this moment does not end
But goes on forever

Eclipse

Inspired by a recent sermon by David Wilkerson that I read entitled "An Eclipse of Faith".

Eclipse

By: R. A. Slater

05-08-08

Why do You hide?

Why do You leave me alone?

Your hand which covered me

Now covers Your face from me

Withholds Your presence

Keeps Your very breathe

Afar off

The barest shimmers

Along the edges of perception

Serve to remind me

Of the past glories

Of how things used to be

Instead of reminding me

That You are not completely gone

My heart cries out for Your return

Even as I deal with the anger

Over Your departure

Not understanding WHY?

Why God?

What did I do to deserve

The absence of You?

Can't You see

What this is doing to me?

How I can't breathe?

How I stumble and fall

Because I can't see

In this diluted darkness

Of this eclipse?

I wish that I could give up

I long to give up

But something keeps prodding me

A faint glimmer of hope perhaps

A last shred of faith

That this too shall pass

That You will return to me

Tantalize 1

Tantalize {pt 1}
by: R.A. Slater
04-23-08

How you tantalize me
Drawing me on
Tempting me with bits and pieces
Marking the way with delectable morsels
Each one designed to captivate
And hold my attention
As you lead me to your destination
Where we can be together at last
With no one to bother
And no interruptions
So that you can ravish me
At your leisure
Taking your time at exploring me
Pleasuring in my pleasure
This thought draws me on after you
You never waiver
Never let me wander
Keeping our eyes on each other
And the destination
And the as of yet unknown
Ecstasies that await us there
My heart pounds in anticipation
And I hear the echo of this desire
In your voice as you encourage me on

Moonbeam

A change of pace.....sort of a commerical break maybe? lol!

Moonbeam

by: R.A. Slater

4-17-08

Sleathily I rise above the horizon

Uncurling my luminescent beams

As a flower opens her petals to the sun

Or as a maiden unfurls her hair for her lover

For so I desire to be to you

Stretching forth in my beauty

I long to wake you

Arouse you from your slumber

To caress you with my soft tendrils

Pleasure you with my sweetness

To bathe you with my incandescent glow

Seduce you with my smooth milky white

To feel your hands reaching back

And see the desire in my eyes

Reflected in your own

Pulling closer to each other

No longer existing in distant orbits

But dancing closer and closer

Until we are in the same plane

Will you be there when I wake

Or will it turn out to be a dream

Regardless I display my beauty for you to see

As a maiden slowly disrobes for her lover

For so I long to be to you

Count My Tears

Count My Tears

by: R.A. Slater

4-19-08

Do You count my tears

Each one as they fall

In a steady stream

As anguish breaks my heart

Yet once again

As I am forgotten

Shoved to the side

And ignored

Do You count my tears

Shed in loneliness and despair

Differently from the other tears

Shed in joy and delight

Though far and few between

Do You keep them in seperate bottles

Or pool them all together

Do You count my tears

That I cause myself

Or consider them deserved

Unworthy of marking

Do You count my tears

Even when they aren't shed

Held in by fear

Of judgement and condemnation

See them now

Dropping, streaming, falling

How can You count

A continuous stream

Sometimes

Sometimes

by: R.A. Slater

4-12-08

Sometimes I don't know where You are

Looking high and low

Until I am weary and faint

I curl up inside into a tiny ball

The pain of my loss too great to bear

The world bears down on me

Cutting off my will to live

Cutting off the very air I breath

Though my tongue has been silenced

Still my heart cries out to You

Knowing that where ever You are

You always hear each whispered shout

How I miss Your presence

Your arms wrapped around me

Keeping me warm in this cold world

So now I wait...

Sitting here alone and cold

Weary with my crying

Waiting for You to find me again

Weary

Weary
by: R.A. Slater
April 5, 2008

I am so weary of my life
Of waiting and longing
For open doors that aren't there
Of hoping for things
That never come to pass
Even the windows are solidly locked
I have checked them twice
There is no escape from this dark passage
As I groan beneath the weight of my burden
Trying to scream
In a world of deaf people
I find that I am invisible
No breath of cool air
To bring me relief
No oasis in this darkness
To quench my thirst
Blindly I grope along
Needing to keep moving
If there is a light
At the end of this tunnel
My heart feels that it is far off
And I despair of living long enough
To see it with my own eyes
Instead of imagining it
But I am weary
Unable to keep my chin up any longer
Needing rest
And finding no safe refuge

Burning

Burning
by: R.A. Slater
09-22-07

I used to be
A brightly burning fire
For You my Lord
Bright and hot
Strong and true
Somewhere along the way
I let the fire dampen
And now I cry out
Lord, burn once again in me!
Burning blazing fire
Holy passion
Pure delight
Scouring
Purging
Enlivening
How I long for that life
Abundant life
To burn in me again
No longer hidden
Fire dripping from my fingers
Oh God, set me and send me
Set me aflame with Your love
And then where shall I run?
Where can I spread this life?
This life giving fire
Passionate delight
Air to the dying
Etnernal Flame
Holy Fire
Consume me
Let me be Your living torch
Here am I

Basking

Basking
by R.A. Slater
09-14-07

Sometimes life hits hard
Leaving me spinning
First one way and then the other
And I find myself wanting nothing more
Than a chance to sit at Your feet
And bask in Your glory

Brightly shining
Blazing and blinding
Warming the cold of my life
Comforting that which hurts
Seeking You, I find You
Sometimes quickly
Other times not

And we sit
Drawing near to each other
Renewing our communion
Taking me deeper
Burning me deeper
Changing me deeper

And as I bask in Your glory
Knowing You
I become discontent
And I realize
That there are others
In need of You

Desperate
Dying
Thirsting
Longing
Enslaved
And they've never heard Your name

It is not enough to bask
Not enough to reflect Your glory
You must shine from within me
Consuming fire
Burn in me
Consume me

Each time I bask
Soak deeper into me
Then push me to my feet
Set me running to the dying
Lead me, run with me
Dwell in me

Saturate me
Burn in me
All the way
To the core
All the way
I am yours