a balm to the wounded soul

conceptual philosophy can breed a faith without works,

which is dead

works without faith are filthy rags
words spoken without love are daggers

words spoken in love are a balm to the wounded soul

this morning was cool in mississippi

i walked out with a cup of coffee and stood in our 'english garden',

in the weeds

my dog Jack shivered and seemed surprised by the cool change in the weather

there is grace in these moments

our Lord is waiting for our undivided hearts

for a contrite spirit to overcome our fearful and anxious spirit,

we must find God's giving Heart in everything

He is crazy about us!

 

wkm

 

Near to Jesus

the happiest we will ever be is when we are near to Jesus

the saddest we will ever be is when we are near to Jesus

the most courageous when we are closest to Jesus

the most afraid when we are closest to Jesus

the strongest we will ever be is when we are close to Jesus

the weakest we will ever be is when we are close to Jesus

the most clarity we will ever have is when we are close to Jesus

the most confused we will ever feel is when we are close to Jesus

the greatest love we will ever know is when we are close to Jesus

the greatest hate we will ever encounter from the world is when we are close to Jesus

St. Teresa of Avila said that God's closest friends experience the greatest trouble

St. Pio said to stay in the boat He has placed us in when trouble comes, "don't worry" he says

St. Paul said he gloried in the cross of Christ and counted the sufferings of this world as nothing compared to knowing Jesus.

in Him we live, move, and have our being,

in Jesus, our Beloved

Glory!

 

wkm

ONE MORE TIME HOME

I have received numerous emails asking when or if my epsiode of The Journey Home will air again.. ONE MORE TIME tomorrow night, Saturday the 29th, at 10:00 central.  I just want to thank everyone for the amazing responses, hundreds of emails, CD sells, etc... I am simply blown away and incredibly humbled and grateful. It's in times like this I recall the story of Balaam's Ass. If you are not sure what I mean, Numbers 22:22,, God can even use an Jackass to speak for Him sometimes. What a mysterious and loving Savior we have. Glory to His Name!

 

Direc TV--370

Dish Network--261

ON LINE-- http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

 

www.wkeithmoore.com

 

--
In Jesus,
keith

To have Keith come to your area, contact him for details at moorkeith@gmail.com

Just Before Dawn

nothing moves toward beauty in our lives without grace.

just before dawn,

 i hear a dog barking on our street

i am praying that i remembered to set the automatic timer on the coffee maker

now i vaguely smell the aroma of mocha

"thank You"

over the past four days a man who hates what he does not know has been emailing me

it's strange when someone insists on telling you what you believe

after much "conversation", we said our farewell

nothing in our lives moves toward beauty without grace

the dog is still barking as i pour the coffee

he is having a conversation with another dog a block or two away

i wonder if they are getting anywhere....

 

wkm

 

 

Look To Jesus

we all walk a winding path
sometimes it destroys our ideas
sometimes it changes our perception
but one thing it never does,,
it never lets up.
we are ever in the throes of God
we are ever in the tumult of His love
He will never allow us to fall away easily
His love is relentless
His love is mysterious
His love is painful
Just look at the cross of Jesus and you will agree
Alleluia..
 
wkm

Look at Jesus

we all walk a winding path

sometimes it destroys our ideas

sometimes it changes our perception

but one thing it never does,,

it never lets up.

we are ever in the throes of God

we are ever in the tumult of His love

He will never allow us to fall away easily

His love is relentless

His love is mysterious

His love is painful

Just look at the cross of Jesus and you will agree

Alleluia..

 

wkm

Moses/ Tonight at 7

Here is the link for watching the show I will be on TONIGHT, Monday, August 24, 7:00 central.. The Journey Home

http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

7:00 central, 8:00 eastern, 5:00 pacific

The channels for television:

Direc TV-------370

Dish Network-----261

 

you ever wonder what Moses must have felt when God told him he could not enter into the Promised Land?

he was allowed to see it from a mountain top

but couldn't go in

 Moses died soon thereafter.

the bible makes it clear that he was in great shape for a man of his age,

which seems to make this even more disconcerting.

Moses struck the rock. he acted without faith.

"faith without works is dead"

 works without faith is foolish.

i am not wondering about this as a theological matter,

i am curious about the man, a man just like you and me,

except of course he had face to face conversations with Jehova,

and he did all kind of tricks with a staff,

i wonder what was going on in the mind of the man.

it was a very heavy sentence, not a trial to go through and then move on kind of thing.

was Moses sad? was he angry? was he frustrated? was he confused? was he resigned? was he at peace with this?

if Moses could have done something to cause his not entering into the very place he was called to lead a nation, 

what does this mean for us?

Jesus didn't come to abolish the law, of which Moses was the lawgiver,

Jesus came to fulfill it.

 Jesus bringsGrace that helps us walk with God and do His will,

which involves keeping His commandments, (according to Jesus)

and St. Paul makes it clear that if we ignore this grace from heaven,

we will not enter in to THE Promised Land.

heavy stuff for a monday morning.

 

wkm

baffling

the ongoing, baffling, and sometimes confusing mystery of our spiritual devotion is embraced most lovingly in the Eucharist. ---wkm

THE JOURNEY HOME

Here is the link for watching the show on line this Monday, August 24.. The Journey Home 

http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

 
it will be in real time..  7:00 central, 8:00 eastern, 5:00 pacific
 
Please pray that many folks will tune in. I am so grateful to have been able to do it.
 
The channels for television:
 
Direc TV-------370
 
Dish Network-----261
 
please let me know if you get to watch,
k

Here is the link for watching the show I will be on AUGUST 24/ this Monday.

Here is the link for watching the show on line this Monday, August 24.. The Journey Home 

http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

 

it will be in real time..  7:00 central, 8:00 eastern, 5:00 pacific

 

Please pray that many folks will tune in. I am so grateful to have been able to do it.

 

The channels for television:

 

Direc TV-------370

 

Dish Network-----261

 

please let me know if you get to watch,

k

 

PS Here is a quote sent to me today from Father Ron Hatton.

 

Try to attain to the full measure of this Name, and you will find it on your mouth and on the mouths of your children.  When you make high festival and when you rejoice, cry "Jesus."  When anxious and in pain, cry "Jesus." When little boys and little girls are laughing, let them cry, "Jesus."  And those who flee before barbarians, cry, "Jesus."  And those who go down to the river, cry "Jesus."  And those who see wild beasts and sights of terror, cry "Jesus."  Those who are taken off to prison, cry "Jesus."  And those whose trial has been corrupted and who receive injustice, cry the Name of Jesus.

 

Shenoute of Atripe, Contra Origenistas 821
5th century

day and night poem

once i had no hope in my life

days flew by, nothing made me high

now i feel something is right

loving you, day and night

 

the phone rings

you're on the line

tellin me that everything will be fine

i still pray for a little more light

every day and every night

 

run to the mountains run

look for where your help will come

your help comes from the One who made it all

His love is sure on this you can recall

 

i used to be so sad

days went by like nothing ever has

now i feel something has gone right

loving you day and night

loving you day and night

 

don't fight it

don't even try it

don't run away cause you won't get too far

you're always where you are

 

i check the files to see where i've been

i erase them i want to start again

i believe that you love everyone

everyone

 

i want to be there for you day an night

 

don't run away.

 

wkm

August 20, 2009

oxford ms

Sister Moon

you have to wait for it

"inspiration is brief, sporadic, and rare"--Rabbi Abraham Heschel

there was a bit waiting for me this morning before dawn

i took our new kitten out, (that my wife brought home from her walk yesterday,

it seems she keeps finding animals that need a home)

a white feline with brown and black here and there

as i was waiting for little sadie to accomplish the task at hand,

i noticed a sliver of silver light on my hand that was resting on the wooden rail of the porch

i looked up and through the branches of the maple i saw the moon

St. Francis named the moon, "sister moon"

i saw why as clearly as i have ever seen it

she is reflecting the sun,

and even in the darkness just before the sun rises,

she is shedding the sun's light upon the world,

upon my hand.

the early father's of the Church saw Mary as the moon,

reflecting the light of Jesus, the Son of God,

this is where we all get the light in our souls,

He even said we are to be a "light set on a hill",

It is His light within us we are to reflect,

like sister moon, like our lady.

 

wkm

New Videos

We just put some new videos from the "Dana and Friends" show on You Tube. Most of these tunes are from the SOUL cd. 

 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3tiNM_1yUQ

 

Thanks for all the encouraging and supportive emails, God bless.

 

peace,

k

 

www.wkeithmoore.com

Built for God

 

i remember walking into Notre Dame with my wife

it was amazing!

the rose window at the entrance is breathtaking

everything in it points to Jesus the Lord

Paris in the spring

artist painting and selling their work everywhere

there is no place like Paris

when we walked in, there was a children's choir singing

hundreds of people were kneeling and praying

even though it is a tourist haven,

the atmosphere is still one of prayer

we lit candles and said prayers for family and friends

i want to return one day and light more candles

i want to sit and take it all in again

it is Mary's Church

therefore, it points brilliantly to Jesus

 

wkm

George

the old man looked at me with one eye closed

"you can't and won't ever figure out the Lord's way of thinkin"

i agreed with him 

 he took a swig of the bottled water I had given him

we sat for a few minutes by the side of the road watching cars speed by

his name is George

he picks up cans along hwy 6 once a week

he uses the money for food and beer

we have been in Oxford for 9 years,

 George was here long before that

i don't stop often enough to say hello 

 he is always talking when he walks the roadside

i asked him once who he was talking to

"the Almighty!"

i felt pretty dumb for asking

people think he is crazy

i think we are all a bit crazy

he tells me i would be surprised how much money he makes in an afternoon

"and dang if i don't make this old road look better!"

as I ride away on my bike he goes back to picking up cans,

and talking to the Almighty.

 

wkm

 

 

WHAT LOVE!

A deep peace floods the soul, transitory things are nothing. We are walking towards God, contemplating His immense happiness and rejoicing forever in the thought of the infinite, perfect, unchangeable happiness of this God we love; we are happy with the happiness of the Beloved, and the thought of His unchangeable peace calms the soul...The sight of my own nothingness does not weigh me down; it helps me forget myself and think only of Him who is all in all.

- Blessed Charles de Foucauld

 

this quote fills the heart with a lightness

a sweet detachment

a sense of joy floods the mind

our Beloved is everything to us

He is our breath, our sustenance, our very existence is because of love

how incredible is the love of our Father in Heaven!

how mysterious the lengths He goes to show us...

 

wkm

Tears of Joy

i keep hearing from people from around the country

i love the stories of struggle, hope, and redemption

there is so much beauty in this world of wonders

so much love and mercy in this world of mystery

we are not alone in our struggles

we are not alone in our pain

we are not alone in our confusion

and in our prayers for clarity

one man shared tears of joy for God leading him back home to the Church,

back to the Eucharist, where Jesus gives Himself completely and intimately,

he spoke of going through many trials

and many doubts, anger, fear, bitterness,

and now he has tears of joy

i had tears of joy reading his story.

 

wkm

The Radical Mystery

we walked into the chapel at ewtn yesterday morning for 7:00 Mass

the silence was beautiful, soothing, peaceful, and it had a purpose

the purpose was for prayer, meditation, and preparation for the coming of Jesus

every single Mass, in every place around the world, every day,

Jesus comes

His coming is the purpose of every Catholic Mass

it's not about the priest, the sermon, the singing,

it's not about the announcements and the fellowship

it is about His promise that He would "be with you till the end of the world."

"Do this in remembrance of me."

"we proclaim Your death Lord Jesus until You come in glory." St. Paul reminds the Corinthians,

In John 6, Jesus explains very clearly that in order to have life, we must eat His flesh and drink His blood

this is the radical mystery of the Mass!

The silence is time for reflection before the priest prays Jesus' words,

then, we partake of the Bread of Heaven.

Glory to God!

 

wkm

 

Meaning

 

it is a mystery how words come to us

how we always look for meaning

meaning in what we say

in what others say

our stories are who we are

in the south, people don't just give you directions,

they tell you a story about how to get where you are going

there is color in the words chosen

there is a purpose in the ramblings

in the rabbit trails

i told my story last night

it is a never ending book of God's grace and mercy

His love is on every page

His mercy in every paragraph

His grace in ever sentence

along with struggles, self doubts, frustrations, failure

in fact, this is the bulk of any story of every man or woman

this is why the cross is at the heart of all of our stories of living

this is the great meaning for all the world.

 

wkm

Birmingham AL, EWTN

 

Pray for Rain

the rain is coming

coming to refresh us

this heat and humidity keeps us, cooks us, makes us lean

then rain comes in the thunder and lightning

great winds bring the tumult

our dry land becomes a flood

streets become rivers

the grass turns greener

the birds find food easier

a glorious cardinal on our porch holds a large nightcrawler in his mouth

this mirrors life in the spirit,

this metaphor, this type,

it is easy to understand,

we must pray for rain.

 

wkm

He Knows Them

into the hands of the Maker we place our trembling hands

into His scarred hands,

 they are strong, gentle, confident, humble, eternal, mysterious

we, like Peter sinking into the sea,

 must never forget these scarred hands that always reach for us,

especially as we are ourselves scarred by the nails of sin and time,

we cannot say with any honesty that we are alone in our battles,

or that He does not understand our emotions

the emotions of betrayal, He knows them

the emotions of loneliness, He knows them

the emotions of fear, He knows them

the emotions of dread, He knows them

the emotions of being misunderstood, He knows them

let the grimace on our souls become a grin today

and with confidence let's place our weak hands into our Savior's scarred and loving hands,

Hallelujah.

 

wkm

 

Lonely Place

there are moments during the day when we should find a lonely place

not for too long, but long enough to speak to God in silence

our country seems to be moving toward revolution

people are angry

and for many things we should be angry

the dumpsters behind abortion clinics should make us angrier than anything else!

the abuse of immigrants for profit should make us angry

but without our anger being based in love, we are a noisy gong

when we do anything out of a self righteous rage we are a clanging cymbal

if we attack someone out of hatred or fear, we accomplish the devil's work

we must stand for truth and beauty in this time of lies and ugliness

let's stop watching tv for a while,

let's turn off the radio,

put the computer in sleep mode,

put down the newspaper,

just for a little while,

let's find a lonely place like Jesus did,

so we too can talk to the Father and see what He wants us to do

it will probably be very much along the lines of what He told and showed Jesus to do...

 

wkm

curious

as a young boy growing up in mississippi i was curious about everything

my dogs always amazed me with how they interacted with one another

i had a black-n-tan hound named sam,

two border collies named jake and delia,

a german shepherd named lady,

and a full grown collie named Lad

they went with me everywhere on our 60 acres of hills, trees, streams, and a lake

the horses would follow us when we walked through the pasture

even a few cows would tag along

we must have looked funny to the passers by on the old black top road that ran along our fence line

a young boy leading his animal parade

sometimes my mother would have to come find me just after dark

i wouldn't hear her call when i was lying on my back with my head on lad for a pillow

these dogs protected me as i daydreamed and explored the piney woods and rolling hills

sometimes i would lie in the woods and look up at the tops of trees

or in a field where the dogs and i would watch the sky turn from blue to black,

waiting for the first star to appear

I am still curious about things, 

but not as much as i should be.

 

wkm

Light in August

william faulkner wrote about the light in august

the light that begins to soften as autumn draws near

it is still the dead of summer

the heat still ravages everything in my mississippi

but this subtle change in light brings the reminder of the constant cycle of life and death

we move within this cycle, this labyrinth of change

yesterday a friend of ours daughter gave birth to a little girl named Grace

a new born, the eternal youth of summers

yesterday a 90 year old man in our neighborhood passed on

a reminder of the winter that will eventually overtake us all

we are not afraid of death because of the empty tomb

we are not afraid of life because of the cross

in faulkner's story, a town is caught in the throes of change, fear, violence, and redemption,

in the ebb and flow of life we have this hope,

God is for us through it all

 

wkm

Drawing by Spencer Lewis

Mary

she is so misunderstood in our world of self promotion

she is humility

never blowing her own horn

never pointing to herself

always to her Son

our Beloved

she means no harm to anyone

she prays for us

for our hearts to be free

for our souls to be safe

why would anyone be angry at, threatened by, or afraid of Mary

her Fiat, her "Let it be done unto me.."

is our best example of following the Beloved.

"Holy Mary, Theotokos, pray for us."

 

wkm

BELOVED TOUR

I am gearing up for a fall tour to share the BELOVED and SOUL albums live. ( Maybe a few from the fridge and Mississippi Noise too) I will be traveling alone, and if you would like for me to come to your Church, Parish, Coffee House, Youth Group, Bar, private Party, etc..

 

PLEASE contact me by email.. moorkeith@gmail.com

 

I am already talking to some folks up in Minnesota and we hope to get that one set up soon. I am playing at Taylor Grocery August 29.

 

I hope to see you!

 

Peace,

W. Keith Moore

Maggie Mae

groping in the light of day

it is so hot

humidity, heat, sun, burning light

too much

we all dream of cool days

warm nights

a light wind from the east

but this is a song

a poem

a prayer

prayer is the only sure thing in this desert

everything else is a mirage of ideas, dreams, confusion, hopes

i walked into the house for a glass of water

one of our cats, Maggie Mae,  jumped onto the couch

she kissed the crucifix Renee had just laid down, she really did,

this awoke my slumbering brain.

 

wkm

old Bob

"down here lies nothing, nothing we can call our own."--Bob Dylan

 

when i rode today on the trail i found close to our new home,

i felt the mysterious absence Jesus sometimes gives us

there was a strange comfort in this, this knowing that i knew He had withdrawn

 this must sound odd

but knowing He has taken the feeling of His nearness away,

somehow stirred my faith that He knows i need this in this moment

i don't panic as much as i used to when this happens

i still don't like it, but what can we do except hold on, cry out, and trust?

the sky was beautiful, the humidity high, the downhill wind a gift,

the kudzu covers the entire forest in some places on the path,

you can't even see the trees, but i know they are there....selah

life is a mess, a beautiful mess

old Bob has it right in his new song,

"down here lies nothing, nothing we can call our own"

and somehow, this is incredibly liberating!

 

wkm

 

 

the Other

without inspiration from the Other

we are destined for deep boredom

we should plead with God for His fire to burn within our hearts

the mystery of His kiss births wonder

this brings light to our shadowy meed for self awareness

being into one's self is so tired

too much self introspection leads to destruction

is like a building imploding

without God's Self, our self is less than invigorating

when we are struggling with Him and Who He is,

 we are closer to living well

when we are groveling over our own 'feelings'

we are swimming in the swamp of me

Jesus said He came so that we may have life

Lord, keep me safe from the slavery of self indulgence.

 

wkm

Taylor Grocery

tonight i played a show at Taylor Grocery

after the show i sat on the front porch of the ancient place with the owner Lynn

the building used to be a gas station/grocery store back in the 40's and 50's

two black labs sat with us waiting for their owner to come out

Lynn played a dobro and sang an old Roy Acuff tune, "wreck on the highway"

the chorus talks about how nobody prayed at the crash scene

a song to cry to, especially with Lynn's high lonesome voice

there is a slow pace to this place i live

the people take their time

i sang over 30 different songs tonight

with a few new ones i wrote this past week

it's good to try new tunes at Taylor

they let you know if it is worth holding on to

it was a good night

 

wkm