Old decrepit cabbage tree 
there in my garden foreshore.
 Spoiling view, or thing of beauty.
I'm really not so sure?
Some say its past its best, 
cut it down, can't you see?
I fondly look at my cabbage tree and say, 
just let it be.
Last winter, and the one before,
a branch lost its leaves and died.
Oh my cabbage tree please don't give up, 
you are my mate I cried.
Its winter time,  again it faces 
 salt laden polar blast.
Isolated and alone it stands, 
waits for spring to come at last.
Spring came, from hidden strength stored up, 
my cabbage tree
joins in nature as new life comes forth. 
Amazing flowers for all to see.
Those dead old branches from winter, 
and the one before, still there.
Special to my old  cabbage tree, twisted branches, 
so stark and bare.
Summer comes and some would say my cabbage flowers 
point the way.
Tell us what lies ahead. How dry future summer will be. 
They do say.
My cabbage tree has no such fear
  bright shimmering green leaves now come out.
New branches on which pussy climbs, and birds enjoy, 
and  play about.
Autumn comes, my cabbage tree seems satisfied, 
at its peaceful best.
Quietly unnoticed by passing world it now 
prepares for winter test.
The symmetry and beauty of my old cabbage tree 
too easy just to miss.
Can only be understood and felt by those closest, 
like a lovers kiss.
As I gaze out past cabbage tree and admire seascapes 
changing mood.
It is my cabbage tree I keep coming back to, 
that others have just pu-hooed.
Dear old cabbage tree if you could talk 
I would ask you how and why?
Winters blast did nearly kill 
part of you did suffer, and did die. 
Why does that dead part still cling to you 
so much later I must ask?
Reminding of your defeat in winter woes
 as you struggled with the task.
Drop those dead branches that serve no purpose? 
And do not look that smart.
Though  I often admire them, silhouetted there.
Somehow they do look the part?
There amongst fresh new growth
when are you going to let them go?
A failure for all the world to see.
Your vulnerability,  does it need to show?
Beautiful flowers and lush green leaves
we all like to see.
Not sure want to be reminded of
obvious failures in me.
Yet it is true that things of beauty
we most love and admire.
Often have major blemishes, that add to
somehow to inspire.
And so it is my old cabbage tree 
is a picture of beauty to me .
Reminds me people still admire  though, 
failures so obvious  to see
Some hopes dead, battered and bruised,
yes sometimes feeling forlorn.
yet survived each test life threw up
Victorious over winter storm
by Asaw Miller 

Many have taken the Christian faith to be a simple and easy matter,  And even numbered it among the virtues.  This is because they have not really experienced it, nor have tested the great strength of faith.        Martin Luther

Thou the fig tree does not bud, and there is no grapes on the vine . Thou the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food. There are no sheep in the pen or cattle in the stalls.  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will be joyful in God my saviour.  The sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of deer, he enables me to go to the heights.  Hub 3: 17

Living a life of hope, that all would be proved right.

Working and trying so hard, with all of my might.

One crisis to another , struggling,  seems every day.

When will it end? Feeling so weary I have to say.

Others are watching, starting to feel such a fool.

Living constantly  on  edge, no longer really so cool.

So when does dreams and hopes become biblical faith.

Be not anxious for tomorrow is what the word saith?

Yet reality is, that from a life lived with so much hope.

I have to acknowledge I am now struggling to cope.

Have I wasted my “talent” on chasing wild dreams?

Deluded have I squandered all of my riches, it seems.

Hope fulfilled can only happen as faith kicks into gear.

,In hope I trust, or is it just plain foolishness I fear?

I have to ask the question is God really in this?

If that is so , why is my life not a picture of bliss?

If it all turns to custard, and seems to prove otherwise.

Is God looking down saying, he needs cutting to size?

It is then hope turns to faith, and I determine to follow.

Others may question, but this hope of mine is not hollow.

What may seem a disaster God has worked out in his plan.

To prosper not harm, hope and future assured. for this man.

Not futile hope, nor my wisdom or strength will prevail.

My faith in a God who history and the bible tells me never will fail.

While I wait to see my dreams and hopes in God truly fulfilled.

Having learnt in faith, his plan, in his time, will be perfectly instilled.

Thou struggles will continue, no doubt giving me more stress.

I know God is in control, even when life appears such a big mess.

Asaw Miller

Sometimes I wonder, I know it is true.

Drawn a line in the sand, I won’t go through.

Just who I am, yet you hint, ‘There is much more than this.”

Feeling uncomfortable, but God’s blessing I don’t want to miss.

Cannot, yet you still ask, must cross my demarcation line.

A rule I have lived my life by, feeling safe, comfortable, just fine.

But you are insisting must happen, if I really want more.

I can refuse; life will go on, just as it has done before.

Think of Peter in upper room. Would like Jesus to be king.

Washing feet as servant? That is a totally different thing.

Not right, must be wrong, not happening to be honest.

Not logical, not reasonable, not what I know is best.

One day you must realise, Peter heard his Lord say,

I’m asking you  to be a servant too, to the people of your day.

Yes could be claiming what is rightfully mine.

But my love has no barrier, no demarcation line.

May go against all natural inclination of heart.

Pulls down all barriers, love will set my people apart.

Am I like Peter of old, having rules that impede?

Has he watered the garden and scattered the seed?

Is my ground parched, trodden, and full of weed?

My expectations nearly dead, withered and shrunk?

He would say, not at all, your hopes need not be sunk,

Much more is for you, just let me first wash your feet.

Then we can go forward, all your aspirations I will meet.

So much more, yet we struggle to believe can be true.

Jesus now showing that, this is not how he sees you.

As I take this to heart and see all that he says.

Others may see something in my life of his ways.

No line in the sand, to halt his work in my life.

Freedom to follow, no argument and  no strife.

Just  relax let him do the work, that is his to do.

Then see what he told us, will surely come true.

This world today would claim to have freedom.

No demarcation lines, yet in truth only for some.

History would tell us that all down the age.

God has come calling, said time to turn page.

What has become acceptable has never been true.

Drawn a line in the sand, can never cross say you.

Might upset status quo that has come into being.

Blinded to the truth, the world has stopped seeing.

All in agreement, yet the Lord he would ask?

Can I break my prejudices, am I fit for the task?

Wilberforce, Luther, Mother Teresa, and other such men.

Challenged their world to face the wickedness around them.

Is it possible, seems so unlikely, yet this story tells me.

The world does change when God’s love they do see.

An amazing destiny I now claim to be mine.

Determined to now cross, my demarcation line.

by Asaw Miller

Sometimes we wonder, all those promises of old.

The hopes, dreams, visions will happen we are told.

Even in our own heart something tells us, it could be true?

It always feels that believers are so lonely, and just so few.

Alone we seek the promises that inspire us on each day.

It seems to all the world that things never will go our way.

But then I remember the old man who waited all his life.

To see that hope promised him. Others could just see strife.

Simeon faithfully looking, everything still seemed just the same.

Every day he went  to the temple, to worship once again

Then one day this young couple, with baby, amazed was he to find.

The hope of the world was in his arms, praises just filled his mind.

That God had revealed his promise to this old man, gave hope to all.

Praise, hope, light,  glory and salvation his clarion call.

Not alone was he who had waited so patiently, and so long.

For also in the temple that day,  unnoticed in the throng.

Was Anna an old widow,who had faithfully waited for that day.

Joyfully she agreed. Mary was amazed what she did say.

So as we wait and wait for what our heart tells us must come true.

And sometimes ask ourselves is it real, will it really happen too.

Remember Simeon and Anna and for with them we now concur,

That they saw their hopes confirmed, so all satisfied as they were.

Those years of waiting patiently seemed absolutely nothing  now.

A dream fulfilled when it happens, all will have to say a mighty wow!

For God is still working with the little known and so often overlooked.

They alone have the time to seek the Lord, they are not overbooked.

So this year may seem just another year again of strife and turmoil.

Terrible news that make us mad and from this world want to recoil.

But in my heart I wait and wait for this I know my dream is true.

I will see my God at work, even in the likes of me, and in you.

Just like that day in temple court while busy people went there way.

Simeon, Anna, Mary, Joseph, amazed for baby Jesus there before them lay.

Asaw Miller

I read of Paul’s testimony given in defense.

Proving his theology, while giving no offence.

A powerful argument. that nobody can refute.

A life that proves the theology, nobody can dispute.

A life transformed, from doing what was right.

Discovering not good enough, not in God’s sight.

Everything he believed was totally stripped away.

Confronted by a risen Christ, he now recalls the day.

What devastation, all his efforts had been in vain.

Determined to do God’s work, instead had caused him pain.

From that day on this man really had no doubt.

It’s by God’s gift alone, that our salvation comes about.

Our efforts to win God’s favour dispute this very claim.

Pride would tell us otherwise, instead it leads to shame.

This truth so easy to forget, as Christians we often will distort.

God’s blessing deserved, with all those ticks on our report.

My testimony tells like Paul’s, something I cannot deny.

Confronted with my total failure, and crying out a why?

The risen Christ turned up, my failure now did not seem the same.

Instead I looked and saw his success, was now mine to claim.

Each one of us have had God turn up in a special way.

So transforming our lives, that ever since that day.

When people suggest , obey some rule, then God will bless.

No! God showed up when we were failures, we have to confess.

Had “leaned on our own understanding” to control my fate.

Now ” in all ways acknowledging him, he made my paths straight”

No longer “wise in my own eyes” yet so wanting to obey.

Somehow all my troubles are no big deal, I have to say.

How blessed I feel, others see and sometimes ask why.

The answer, my confidence is only in Jesus I need rely.

They cannot then refute the life I live out every day.

May Christ reveal himself to them that very same way.

Asaw Miller

Was a busy day, much on my mind.

This order so simple, easy to find.

Kept reminding myself, the longs , but too late.

How foolish, suddenly realised, made a mistake.

Now used up all the timber that could be had.

Oh such a fool, in fact, it made me real mad.

Often I set out feeling I am sure that I can.

The opportunity there,  I have a good plan.

Then realise missed out, need to prioritise.

What a fool, it’s all gone, I then realise.

Maybe another chance, I am sure I will heed.

Just slows up the process of try to succeed?

Yet too often it happens I have to confess.

Could it destroy the chances of any success?

posted Asaw Miller