From the time I was knit
together in my mother’s womb…
I have eternity.
From the time I was born….
I have eternity.
I shall not taste death
but be taken only
by the hand of Him
who loves my soul.
I call His name Eternity.
Emanuel, Jesus.
From the moment
I first understood,
with wild abandon I
played with the otters…
I spoke with the squirrels…
and I looked at
my parents and knew
I was on loan to them…
For I knew always
in my heart,
I belong to Him.
I have Eternity.

February 24, 2008
De’Anna West ©

I AM RISEN

This beautiful morning
etched upon the horizon...
within the moment of your first waking breath…
I can see you there
and my spirit is rejoicing at the crispness
in the air.
I shiver and I smile
from the warmth of the caress
I felt you give me there.

For the dawning of this day
is here… and we agree.
And not one in all of creation will fail
to see
every flower blooming nor the fragrance
within your beauty.

It is spring and winter.
And the cold has given way now to the sun.
The frost and the dew upon the grass
are there to nurture
that which is not seen with eyes.
Intricate and alive
every pulsating heartbeat awaits
and greets
the dawning of this new day.

As you,
who would give to all creation
your loving breath of life,
let every spirit awaken in wonder
and rejoice at your heart filled with your desire.
Let the children dance
and let laughter be every word
within each new tune
that every bird chirps.
Saying that the rains have passed
and once again eternal spring has sprung.
Every creature in the heavens and earth
Are.

I have seen it etched upon the horizon.
Today
a new day dawning
and never setting.
This beautiful morning
awakened now.. My spirit shivers
and I smile…
for the fragrance of your beauty
surrounds me.
And I,
am suddenly...
Free.


Written By De'Anna West © 1995

My Life Story

I think if ever I told my life story
it would be volumes not journal pages.
Sometimes I have felt like the journey has been like a
mountain climber on a rock face.
Sometimes I sit frozen on the face of the mountain;
too scared to look down; too frightened to let go
and too exhausted to move on.
Run the race…fight the fight plays
like some broken recording in my mind.
I have never given up the ground I have gained…
I prefer instead to lie frozen still until I have
regained my breath…and I don’t feel sorry.
Not for myself and not for them.
I feel called to the crest….a higher calling….
A guiding….teaching by example at best.
But I, I will win.

© De'Anna West
February 1, 2007

Salvation:
Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. There is no other name, by which one can be saved. Many have tried to use the ploy of, I am good. I do good works. But then they miss the point altogether. The point is grace.
Grace:
Grace is a free gift of God. You cannot earn it, you can only accept it. It is freedom. It is God’s will for our lives. We so many times think we have to give something in return for the great gift of grace given to us. The gift in return is acceptance.
Acceptance:
Simply put, acceptance is just that. A place in your heart where you let go and let the Savior love you. Why is it so hard to allow someone to just love us without it being uncomfortable or something we feel like we have to return? When we fully have accepted that Jesus loves us, then we realize that we can be even our nastiest selves and that love remains. He may not like it, but He still loves and because of that kindness so simply put, this leads us to repentance.
Repentance:
Repentance is a total turning away from one’s old self. It is not a total life turn-around (360*), but a decision to stop and look at your life, and then walk the other direction away from the things that you normally have done, and the insanity you have practiced before. It is a new life, and God’s son has guarded you until this decision could be made fully. Jesus wants your life resurrected.
Resurrection:
A new life. Resurrection is a new life not only in the spirit now, but also in body. Some day, Jesus will return to give us a new life with him. Christians believe this, because Jesus spoke it to the disciples after He was resurrected and had ascended to the Father. It was a glorious and wondrous time for the disciples, and for all those who knew Jesus, those who watched him hang on the cross and die, and watched Him as He lived again in the flesh. He had conquered death, and actually gave people reason to ‘run towards’ the end of their lives and death, and to not be afraid. There is a coming glory Jesus wants all men to see.
Glory:
This is a place of totality. It is a place of complete. It is a place where you will see clearly instead of through a glass darkly. Jesus asks us through the disciple Paul in 1Corinthians to “put away childish things”, to grow up enough and be mature enough to accept this wondrous gift given us of Jesus. Jesus in His glory. What does that mean? Will he look human? Will He still be Jewish? Will he be happy, joyous, free? These are the things we look forward to, or hope for.
Hope:
Hope is something we have without seeing for sure. I was not alive when Jesus came to the earth, died, and rose again. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, I believe. I have hope. I will see Jesus in His timing, not my own. In the meantime, while I am waiting, He asks that I be an extension of the Love that He came to bear. I am that extension. I am doing my best, albeit ever so imperfectly, to love the way that Jesus loved. That means that I am accepting of where a person is at, without judgment, without a desire to see a person fall. I am looking towards the divine in that person. I am seeing what God sees in them, and He is excited about all of His creation.
Divine:
The perfected self through Jesus. This is something to look forward to (because I am not there yet). What will I look like? How old will I be? Where will I be living my eternity? What will things look like in a divine nature? There are so many questions without seemingly solid answers. The only thing that is solid is that I know that Jesus will be there. Everything else doesn’t really matter after all. We don’t know if we will have a house in the divine nature. Scripture only says that in "In my Father’s house there are many mansions”, but it doesn’t give a description of what a mansion looks like. 'Mansions' could be another way of describing our divine spirit. God is the house in which our spirits dwell. Nothing then, has a solid description but Jesus. So although divine, (since I am not there yet), I will go with what I know.
Jesus: It’s all about Jesus. Jesus in salvation. Jesus’ gift of grace. The acceptance of Jesus. Repentance for Jesus. Resurrection because of Jesus. Glory of Jesus. Hope in Jesus. Divine Jesus. My Jesus.

Written By: De'Anna L. West
© July 18, 2008

PIERCE MY HEART FOREVER LORD

I speak only of Life.
And you say your eyes only perceive death.
With whose eyes
does a blind man perceive?
Only Love can perceive.
Only Love can give,
the One breath that causes Life.
I speak only of Life.
That Life shall,
Pierce my heart forever Lord,
lest I should forget.
By whose eyes
this blind woman perceives,
and by whose Spirit
this woman is wrought from within.

DEANNA WEST © 1996

DO NOT HURT THE EARTH

Look upon the dew and grass
the dragonfly as it wrestles from
its birth....and grows into a warrior.
Each spot…each stripe...an honor given him
to rule the field.

And the butterfly...how she weeps
hanging there drying her wings.
To show the gentleness that our Lord brings...
a mistress of the field.

And near the Water do they flock
to drink of all that is living.
A congregation that we should mock...
there they are ALL in their beauty.

And the moth as it flies deep in the night
seeking only the darkness and the damp.
Till yonder does it see the light
and knows it can't pass this chance.

And there will fly in a blind man's faith
though to its death it fall.
Singing with its fluttering wings
of the glory of its God.

And we as humans try to make
a place to ourselves within.
Still we practice all this hate...
and a warrior of the field
shall rule before we yield...?

All of Love's glory is to be found
in field and meadows far.
In mountains....in streams
Love's creation rings
better kings by far.

And we as humans seek to destroy
the beauty of this land.
Out of jealousy of the moth's pure faith
and the dragonflies warrior brands.
And we in our pride war and fight
over who is mightier by far...
and I say let go your pride
before we've gone too far.

Don't hurt the earth, don't hurt the earth
nourish her in Love.
Take the butterfly to your breast in field
and congregate, give her birth...
and in our hearts DO yield.
Let the mountains stand on high
let every tree alone.
Let every creature upon this earth
keep her as their home.
Before the warrior dragonfly
rules before we yield.
Give up your pride, set hate aside...
and let us all be healed.

By DeAnna West © 2000

Christmas

Tiss the birth of a baby
here I do see…
on a cold stormy night
mighty angels do sing.

Had that cradle been empty
my heart would be lost…
lost in the darkness
by the tempest thus tossed.

But the birth of this child
so gentle, so true
caused gladness in me
my spirit thus flew.

Strait to the arms
of the One who is Love…
Now brought to me
on the wings of a dove.

The angels do gather
to sing praise nite through
the night and the morning child
all due to you.

And nothing was lost,
the whole world was gained,
no child born that evening
empty cradle, no name.

The world would have sorrowed
'stead of joy to proclaim
lost in dark shadows
'stead of light warmpth lived in.

But today we rejoice
that Jesus was borne
and the world filled with hope
no more will we mourn.

Speak Counselor! Sing angels!
Shout all men of faith!
The cradles been filled
It's not empty this day!

Speak Spirit! Shout Angels!
Sing children all o're
For Christ our Savior
this day has been born.

De'Anna West © 12-26-1998