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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781491874165 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 03/17/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 245 KB |
Read an Excerpt
God's Kitchen
His Slow-Cooked Stew
By KOLLIN L. TAYLOR
AuthorHouse LLC
Copyright © 2014 Kollin L. TaylorAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4918-7417-2
CHAPTER 1
Slow-Cooked Stew
God is making a stew
Especially prepared for you.
Nothing goes to waste.
It has an incredible taste.
Even when you can't smell,
Just know that it will end well.
All that time of pain
Was simply to train
Your heart, your soul, and your brain—
For everything you'll attain.
A brand new, enlightened you
Is one of the best things about this stew.
The temperature is turned down nice and low,
Because slow is the best way to go.
He probably won't let you look.
Just know that a heat too low will never cook.
High heat speeds up your turn,
But the stew will probably burn.
So, wait patiently
While He follows His special recipe.
For Me
You're not all you were cracked up to be,
But you're great for me.
You're not all you had appeared to be,
But you're more than enough for me.
I see your imperfections perfectly,
And that's why you're perfect for me.
Even though this may sound as if I had gotten you on sale,
You were on the top shelf, not in the bargain pail.
You weren't someone money could buy.
You're God's special creation for me—that's why.
You're my special gift from above,
The one with whom I share this perfect love.
Life's Road
I was a vehicle missing a wheel.
To God, this had a special appeal.
He uses people like me as a token
To show that He can fix what is broken.
I was on the side of the road watching others go by
Until He came along and gave me another try.
I promised to serve Him. He gave me some incredible
deals,
Including four new wheels.
Oh, I ran the AC, and my tank got empty,
But He sent me rolling with plenty.
Then He filled me with a special load:
To help others along life's road.
Along the Way
Now that I'm here to stay,
I thank You, Lord, for the lessons I learned along the way.
I knew my faith was being put to the test,
But I always did my best.
Every day, you tested my will.
When I got empty, You gave me my fill.
So, thank You, Lord, for this wonderful day
And the lessons You taught me along the way.
You'll See
"Just walk with me
And you will see.
I won't show you the entire way,
But I'll be with you every day.
Every step won't feel great,
And there're times when you'll have to wait.
Just walk with me
And you will see."
Yes, my Lord, I'll walk with You,
Even with a rock in my shoe.
I'll walk with You in the sunshine and the rain,
Because You washed my sins and healed my pain.
In the Know
When you walk with Him, some things are not for
show.
You can't explain certain things, but they're things that
you know.
People may ask, "How could that be?"
It's like seeing someone and saying, "That's the one for
me!"
The feeling overtakes you because it's so strong.
You simply can't shake it, even when others say you might
be wrong.
You keep taking faithful steps without fear,
Because you know it's God speaking to your inner ear.
Lighten My Load
It's now the time to lighten my load,
So, for you, it's the end of the road.
I thank you for all the times we've shared;
You helped me get prepared.
I'm meeting up with God around the bend.
Right here is the spot that marks the end.
God sent you to help me get through strife.
I'll never forget you for the rest of my life.
The Lord has always been my source of inspiration.
My final act of obedience requires our separation.
The Other Side
You told me to climb to the top.
You also told me when to move and stop.
You held my hand along the way.
You guided my words when I had to pray.
I could feel Your words deep inside,
But You never told me that my gift was climbing up on the
other side.
I reached the top, a beautiful sight to see,
And then I looked back and saw what You had for me.
It's something I never expected to find—
A gift much better than what I had in mind.
Final Stance
You tell me that I only have one minute left to live.
I'm going to use it to thank You for what You gave and
will give.
So, as I make my final stance,
I'm going to praise You in advance.
55
Do you remember when 55 was as fast as we could go?
Now, 55 mph seems real slow.
But, the only thing that's truly slow
Is when we refuse to grow.
My Worst
My worst is the first thing I want you to see,
Because if you love my worst, then you'll love the best
of me.
My worst is the first thing I want you to see
Because the rest will surprise you, pleasantly.
Desire
Every time you suppress your desire,
God comes back and lights that fire.
The last time, you tried and failed,
And so you thought that dream had sailed.
But after a while, your head hits the pillow.
The dream comes back like a wind in the willow.
The last time you had a baby, you thought you were going
to die,
But now you want to give childbirth another try.
The last time you entered that race,
You hit the hurdle and fell on your face.
That made you decide to retire,
But now you're training because of a renewed desire.
Every time you suppress your desire,
God comes back and lights that fire.
You say, "Lord, what are You doing to me?"
The answer is, "Fulfilling your destiny."
That fire is not going away;
That fire is here to stay.
From Within
How does the Lord free us from sin?
It's like a metamorphosis from within.
He picks us up and shakes us out,
And gets the evil from the heart and mouth.
He shakes us hard to free us of everything,
But our biggest enemy tends to cling.
The way He does it is a phenomenal feat.
When we're stubborn, He hits repeat.
Sometimes, to meet the desired end,
He rids us of a family member or a friend.
So, how does the Lord free us from sin?
He causes a metamorphosis from within.
My Turn
I'm a victim of my own pride.
I want to crawl under a rock and hide.
I'm paying for what I did to you,
And now the Lord's message is getting through.
At first, I had nothing to fear.
It seemed as if I was in the clear.
But God was giving me rope
To get off this slippery slope.
I brushed you off to the side.
Now, I'm starting to slide.
I played it off real cool
When I treated you like a fool.
You wanted me to stay,
But I wanted to play.
I knew your wholesome desire,
But I chose to play with fire.
Now I know that love isn't a game,
As the Lord makes me feel your pain.
I wish I knew what to do
To make this up to you.
You were sent from up above;
Now I wish I had your love.
Starbucks
Bring in the shipments by the trucks!
I just can't get enough of Starbucks.
Some like it cold, while others like it piping hot.
The smooth taste hits the spot.
Then there's my favorite nook
With the best Internet reception and a spot to look.
Coffee beans, the finest selection,
Ground and roasted to perfection.
I have to admit that the best thing for me
Is a nice cup of tea.
I almost lost control
When the smoothie hit my soul.
I could stay here until they close at night.
The ambience makes it a great place to write.
Look at Me!
My soul is getting fed, but it's not getting fatter,
Because I've been wasting time on things that don't
matter.
All this time saying, "Hey, look at me!"
I thought I was working hard and staying busier than a
bee.
Instead of rising, I was slowly falling,
Wasting time on things that weren't my calling.
Bevel
There was so much in you that I could see,
But I lost sight of what God had given to me.
I marveled at your gift, and one thing was sure:
I lost myself and became insecure.
When I looked in the mirror, all I could see
Was you looking back and down on me.
Then, one day, He opened my eyes
And made me realize.
Now that the Lord adjusted my bevel,
I see that we've always been on the same level.
My Pilot
If God is your pilot, then let Him fly.
He needs no help, so please don't try.
When He lets you into the cockpit, it's to enjoy the view
And to teach you a thing or two ...
So, if God is your pilot, then let Him be—
And enjoy the flight, the lessons, and the things you'll see.
Never Say Never
Have you ever
Said, "Not no, but never"?
You trade His gift for time and space,
And then He puts it back in your face.
He lets you know that you can always choose,
But His gifts aren't things you should refuse.
You can keep on pushing them away,
But it will be to your dismay.
Sometimes, when you finally realize that He offered you
something great,
He takes it away. It's too late.
Sometimes, though, it's still part of your fate,
So He'll keep your gift and wait.
But there's always a price to pay
When you say, "Why did I treat God's gifts that way?"
Leave It Alone!
That thing hurt me down to the bone,
Yet You want me to leave it alone.
I planted good seeds,
And then my enemy came and planted weeds.
But because we're in accord,
I'm going to leave it up to You, my Lord.
John 11:35
Less is sometimes more.
Here's an example, in case you're unsure.
"Jesus wept" is all the verse stated,
Yet it leaves so much to be contemplated.
Like, why did He cry?
Did someone die?
What would move such a powerful man to tears?
He had many enemies, but He had no fears.
What would make His emotions so thick?
Could it be that He was feeling sick?
Or maybe it was a simple reason why—
Like, maybe a bug flew into his eye.
Or maybe He received a message from heaven.
To find out, read John 11, verses 17 to 37.
Your Best
You don't have to give your all to do your best,
And you also don't have to outdo the rest.
Sometimes, it's best to relent,
Because there's no such thing as giving 110 percent.
Envisioned
It was perfection when it was in my mind,
But just look in my hands—that's not what you'll find.
Perfection was all I could see,
But now it's not so perfect to me.
Was it a case of bait and switch?
This isn't the scratch I had envisioned for my itch.
I finally got it as anticipated.
Now I wonder why I waited.
I finally got it as anticipated.
Despite the flaws, it's still loved and appreciated.
Even though this is not what I had wanted it to be,
It's a gift that God made just for me.
Token
I am a token
Because I was beaten and broken.
I am a token
Of what God can do with someone who's broken.
I am a token
Of what happens when God's will is spoken.
I am a token,
Showing that scars don't mean that I'm still broken.
God's Stew
I'm broken just like you,
But that's the marvel of God's stew.
He can take things others discard
And love them with the highest regard.
He doesn't need to use the best
To make a stew better than the rest.
The things that we went through
Were to prepare you for me, and me for you.
When we felt like we were on top,
We wouldn't have been worth the stop.
But because things once weren't great,
There's so much more now that we appreciate.
Little did we know that this was our fate:
To share a love that's better than great.
The New Me
Every time the devil scores a win
And I commit a sin,
I get down on my knees
And say, "My dear Lord, forgive me, please."
I say that with all my heart,
And the Lord stands me up and gives me a new start.
While I may seem the same to you,
The Lord made me into someone new.
Whenever I repent with regret,
The Lord simply hits reset.
Still, His kindness is not an excuse to fail.
If I do, I will suffer in "jail."
Conceived in His Love
Sometimes, God makes a very special stew
By taking the very best of me and you.
He does this in many places
When He makes someone special by using two races.
While one may view this as the path to extinction,
It's just a way of creating a new distinction.
We don't always find exactly what we seek.
Sometimes we find something even more unique.
When it comes to racial labels, who cares?
Plus, the one who wins is the one who dares.
Elders may play it off real cool
By saying that they're protecting their offspring from cruel
kids at school.
Just take a look at a buffet line.
Not everyone chooses the same things when they dine.
While some view their choice as the best they've ever
tasted,
Others overlook it—or else it gets wasted.
Who says that a chair has to fit under a table?
Not everything requires a label.
But if you want a label for something that was conceived
in His love,
It would be, "Handle with care. I'm God's gift from
above."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from God's Kitchen by KOLLIN L. TAYLOR. Copyright © 2014 Kollin L. Taylor. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Dedication, vii,Acknowledgments, ix,
Introduction, xi,
Slow-Cooked Stew, 1,
For Me, 2,
Life's Road, 3,
Along the Way, 4,
You'll See, 5,
In the Know, 6,
Lighten My Load, 7,
The Other Side, 8,
Final Stance, 9,
55, 10,
My Worst, 11,
Desire, 12,
From Within, 13,
My Turn, 14,
Starbucks, 15,
Look at Me!, 16,
Bevel, 17,
My Pilot, 18,
Never Say Never, 19,
Leave It Alone!, 20,
John 11:35, 21,
Your Best, 22,
Envisioned, 23,
Token, 24,
God's Stew, 25,
The New Me, 26,
Conceived in His Love, 27,
Uniquely You, 28,
Let It Be, 29,
Incredible Heights, 30,
Bigger Fish, 31,
Joy, 32,
Thanksgiving, 33,
Complimentary, 34,
Your Wall, 35,
Suddenly, 36,
Lovely Treat, 37,
Fish on the Dish, 39,
About the Author, 41,