The Ingredients

As I share this love poem for The Bride and Groom... 

... let it be a prayer offering and confirmation for the eternal bonds have been spoken into existence today.

The inspirational verse from God's word for this poem comes out of:

Mathew 5:6    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.

THE INGREDIENTS:

Whilst romance draws us near
... and passions summon our heart's still farther

Today we witness
and celebrate
... a Love that glorifies
(besides The Bride)

Almighty God
... Our Father

For PaPa's hand
leads our walk
... each step in life IS numbered

Two lives
... presented

As a holy offering
... United

Intention:
... The Embodiment of Christ-likeness and Holy Spirit Power

Two faithful shepherds
... stewarding lives

Immersion Experience
... as a calling

His promise is
... for joy complete

Descends
... like manna falling

For His plan to heal
... reconciles those
Whose out-streched arms ... pulls others close

The ingredients for Life Abundant:
To only name a few:

- Desiree Maxine

- Nicole Renee

- Natilee Juliette

- Sara Marilyn

and a son,
- Brian Ascher
... now too

These Families
- once shaken
... and yes, stirred

Are now Blended
- Perfectly

For Our Creator
- Whom We Faithfully Serve

________________________________

Now as we raise our glasses in a toast for the Bride and Groom, I quote an amazing witness and Brother - Natchi Lazarus:

"Never forget that 50 percent of your wisdom comes from your spouse"

... pretty sure his wife told him that!

rep Heaven's Holy Harvest

Work place toil without God
    un-alters
Heavens Harvest

Till desert seasons
    reveal your role
as a Jr. Partner

Man's preparations, plans and purpose
    can not PROFIT
The One we forgo

Reconcile our bottom-line
    with God as CEO

------------------------------------

Repatriate corporate identities
    to serve among the Least of These
acknowledge any insecurity
    can be re-shaped by Devine Trinity

Then boldly move into Authority
Humbly sharing your Testimony
and prayerfully lay hold of an Eternal Destiny

------------------------------------

As we become the TRUTH we are taught
    Let our hearts seek as He first sought

And Presence The One
    doing as He'd done
By devoting our home-work-life ministry
    to Christ
- His Son

Let us rebuild the nations gone askew
    ... though the laborers in numbers are few

Exchange earthly ROI
    by accepting manna from on-high

and sowing services - practiced best
    every business venture re-purposed...

for Heaven's Holy Harvest

Ralph Steinlein Tribute

What is true in this life
- yes, we are promised strife...

Witness to - his brief - walk on earth
- to these words - today - lets each give birth
Like lyrics to sing
- to Ralph - my brother
- now running heavens wing

First, Props to His Parents:
Oom Hans much more than a dad
- my first coach
- a life mentor
- mad skills that man had!!!
And Tante Doreen, a loving mother of four
- graciously welcomed my presence
- with each knock at her door
   
Ralph was more than a brother
- or cousin
- or a teammate playing his role

Practice weekdays
Then Quakes games
on Saturday night

Stopping and scoring
(both girls,
 and some goals)
He always had my back in a fight

I introduce Ralph
- to his bride number one
- and Jana gave us Matthew
- their first born son 

Soon our lives came unwound
- for no fault
- or known cost
So how sweet to reclaim
- a friendship once lost
- to take up again
- where last we'd left off

Not only TalkNsoccer
- we compared, just - how - tough
- to raise sons' n daughters'

We stopped allowing miles
- to stand in the way
- and amidst trials
TOGETHER we'd face
- all that God threw at us

It is - now - His will
- for us NOT
- to just get by

Remember lessons taught?
Or are you still asking why?

Because character
- isn't forged by strife
Your formed by what's caught
- during challenges in life 


So to The Timberwolves and us Lions
- in your pack or our den
- claim victory when
- we compete EVERY TIME
- to honor the memory
of Coach Steinlein

Now let's head back
- and step out on the pitch
Where
- sweat
- spit
- dirt... and tears
- are all in the mix
And send balls heaven bound
... where Ralph roams the sticks 

i know not of
 my earthly father's mind
or why his faith life
 had worn blind
heart broken by years of strife
 he knew not The Way - The Truth - The Life

a village named Depok
  journey began
weaving three continents
 across which he spanned

fifth of nine kids
 amidst 2nd world war
fire fights - unspoken battles
 violence de jour

prison camp survivor
 living hell on earth
savaged by warriors
 devalued human worth

by 19 - a dad to three
 fugitive in Freisland
an Indonesian escapee
 
here a new love
 thought he had found
two families and now four children
 young lives came unwound 

geographic relocation
  opposed two distant shores
sons and daughters now separate
 through healing - restored

Hoboken, yup, Jersey
 Mitch_Again next - he'd not stop
settled down in west oakland
 wasn't much yet a lot!

a trained electrician, thanks Dutch PT and T
 doggedly earn a hi-tech Double E
in oTown shipyards
 earn'n dollahs - scrubbing floors
language barriers he'd break down
 ambition held back never more

lifting cable, back broken
 slowed by pain - surgeons knife
in EPA a belly grows
  in '62 - i'm alive

American Dream on Susan Way
  1226 targeted acquire
suburban bliss - so it seemed
 achieved a long held desire

a New Year Baby
  dad served as the consummate host
upwardly mobile design engineer
 outward expressions?  a frequent toast!
Lincoln Conti with back doors suicide - so he'd boast
mink coats and live band parties
 impressed we least the most
 
unmet needs and wounds unhealed
 toll began from him to take
a BRAND NEW house in Orchard City
 start fresh AGAIN were forced to make


dad finally tipped his hand
 summer's end of 72
introduced us two youngest sons
  of daughters he'd long knew

he loved us all that summer whence
 his heart shown nearly full bloom
A decade later his eldest son commenced
 from LA to our living room

Fenian Drive unlike HIS rainbows
  a promise never delivered
but you reconciled each one of us
 a courageous act by a true father figure

twenty plus two years since we last saw eye to eye
 i pray palms turned to heavens sky
my entire family you'll meet 
 
kids, grand - great - and greater
 born unto and through you
  itself a miraculous feat


And that each one of us
 fruit of the vine
HEAR the WORD and SEE the LIGHT
 written down behind each line
Let each of us worship fully
 our Father God devine


Dedicated to:

Willem Edward Jonathans 

01.01.29 Depok Indonesia to 05.24.89 Malaga, Portugal

DEVINE INSTANT


In that moment
 when our eyes met
you've since said
  a plan was set


Two spirits
  Kindred
Chaos
  Survived
a Coupleship entered
  our lives collide


Vows shared
  Tender
Wedding rings
  Exchanged
Trials
  Prevailed
True Love
  Remains


Grace
  Understanding
Patient
  Kind
Passion then contentment
  Loving You
Sublime


Outside ourselves
  beat hearts
a Daughter
  and Son

Two Devine Instants
  Weld our souls into one


Happy Birthday Kitten!

uRloved