My Naked Soul

Crystal Joy Browne Webb

Description

Crystal bares her broken soul through poetry. Inspired by her grandmother, Vinnie Collins, a Christian poet, the spiritual forces behind her words eventually scream hope.

Jesus, that Holy night You invited me in,

You knew how much anger I still harbored within.

Too deep-rooted to simply release

Far too long I’ve felt like an evil beast.



But something changed today.



My Naked Soul shares author Crystal Joy’s brutally honest and sometimes heart-wrenching poetic quest to make sense of her world. Inspired by her grandmother, Vinnie Collins, a Christian poet, she allows the spiritual forces behind her words to eventually scream of hope.



In these verses, Crystal presents the perspective of a spiritually hot and cold soul struggling with past trauma and bipolar disorder. She knows she isn’t perfect and sometimes wants to simply surrender to life’s journey, but her fight to live always wins—or, more accurately, her faith in Jesus wins the victories for her. Crystal describes her spiritual wrestling match among sin, faith, grace, suicide, hope, praise, and redemption. She kneels at her Savior’s feet for dear mercy and praises Him.



Through her pain and her triumphs, Crystal’s poetry shows one can never deny the work of Christ in her life. God is the only reason she is alive today.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Inspirational
• Themes
• Subjects
• Religious
• Poetry

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 07 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781973698944
• Langue: English

Extrait

My NAKED SOUL
 
SPILLING My GUTS
 
 
 
Crystal Joy Browne Webb
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Crystal Joy Browne Webb.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-9736-9895-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-9736-9894-4 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023909576
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 5/31/2023
 
 
 
 
Thanks to:
Mother and father, Rhonda and Dave
Husband Danny
Sister Donna
Good friends Mike and Deb
 
As you read these words, look to Jesus…
You know the beautiful sunrays when they filter through the clouds and shine down to the earth in the distance? You can still see the clouds, but the beauty is in the sunlight. The gorgeous rays wouldn’t exist if there were no clouds. Yes, my friend, undergo the clouds. But focus on the sunrays…
And praise the God who made them.
Psalm 8:3-4
“When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Contents
Chapter 1Sizzlin’ Sampler: The Appetizer
Stuff ‘n’ Things: The Public Bathroom
My Anchor
Ain’t for Nothing
Destined
Dear Self: The Cards You’ve Been Dealt
The Gospel in a Nutshell
Here I Am
The Hypocrite’s Cry
Crimson Stains
When I Close my Eyes
Love Story
Grand Finale: The Take-Away
Chapter 2My Scrambled Heart: Finding Hope Amongst the Hopelessness
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Examining Our Spirits
Hopefully Someday
God Understands
The Tears of my Soul
Keep Healing Me, Jesus
Hold On
Dear Self: No Pressure
Broken Within
Note to Self
Journey of Grief
Extra Close to Me
Haunted
Camouflaged Tears
One
The Band Marches On
Victorious Crimson
Baby Steps
Finding Beauty in the Brokenness
Lies
The Demons Within
Dear Self, You Have Hope
Leave Them to Die
Dear Self, What Do You Do?
Knees
When Free Isn’t Free
The Bottle
Was…
Joke’s on You
You Will Carry Me On
Chapter 3Taboo Files & “Dear Self” Commentaries
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Examining Our Spirits
Instincts
Dear Self: You Have a Mission
Tomb
Dear Self: There’s Power in the Blood
Stricken
Dear Self: He Will Listen
Invasive Thoughts
Dear Self: Hold Out
Your Perfect Time
Dear Self: Don’t You Dare Surrender!
Chapter 4The Good News: The Knocking Door
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Igniting the Fire
Third Day
Crimson Flood
You Did Whaaaaat??
It’s All You, Jesus!
Divine Trade
Dear Self: Kneel in Awe
Slaughter
My Refuge, My Rock
An Heir
Terrifying Cross
Dear Sef: You Only Have One Master
Chapter 5The Element of Belief: His Unleashed Power
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Rickety Bridge
Question Is…
Beckon
The Kiln
The Proof that I am His
Wait Upon Me
Chapter 6Raw Repentance: Answering the Door
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Car Accident
Hostage
Imprisoned
Relinquish
Burning Coals
Crushed
Travesty
All Along
Chapter 7Embracing Grace: The Open Door
Stuff ‘n’ Things: I Didn’t Seem Savable
Living a Lie
Giving In?
On Humbled Knees
Anointed
Not as it Seems
Worn Around the Edges
Under No Other Authority
Deadly Reality
Divine Pardon
Just Be
Chapter 8Genuine Praise: Admiring His Ways
Stuff ‘n’ Things: Big Daddy
I Bow Down to Your Name
Worthy is the Lamb!
Publicity Stunt
Incense
Could Not Ask for More!
You Alone
Upside Down
Rags to Royalty
Consumed
An Unraveling Mystery!
Totally Won Me Over!
Live Wire
Spectacular!
Tender Authority
The One Authentic Savior
Your Spotlight
Your Living Word
Through My Eyes
Dear Self: Give Him a Shout Out!
In My Heart
Let’s Get Real
Chapter 9Dedications: The Personals
Stuff ‘n’ Things: The Big Decision
If You Really Felt My Love
And I Love You for That...
Spiritual Adoption
I’d Do Anything
Fritter
Chapter 10Grand Finale: The Take-Away
All I’ll Ever Be
Chapter 1
Sizzlin’ Sampler The Appetizer
This diverse Sizzlin’ Sampler is an opportunity
to whet your appetite for all chapter themes!
Chapter 1
Sizzlin’ Sampler : The Appetizer
“Stuff ‘n’ Th ings”
                                    Psalm 116:1-2 NIV
                          I love the Lord,
                    for he heard my voice;
                                    He heard my cry for m ercy.
            Because He turned his ear t o me,
                        I will call on him as long as I live.
Check This Out
Just picture this. You’re standing at a public bathroom sink, minding your own business. You hear a toilet flush from a stall behind you. No warning. Your friend comes flying over the top of the closed stall door. What do you think? Don’t ask me. Ask my friend who stood by the sink and watched me fly over the bathroom stall!
Long story short, it was my first encounter with the Almighty Automatic Toilet. Li’l ol’ innocent me was standing in the stall as the toilet unexpectedly flushed itself, scaring me up the wall! I know, I know… you had to be there.
My Guts
But what does this story have to do with these verses? No matter how absurd our petitions seem, God hears us. He longs to comfort us. So even today, as I sit on an automatic toilet and get weirded out, God hears my cry. Taking it a step further, as you read through these poems, you will see I depend on God greatly in every way. As I go through life’s occasional crises, I work through them by writing poetry. As I bare my soul, you will experience my sorrows, hopes, regrets, praises, encouragement, and passions…
Enjoy!
Crystal Joy
Sizzlin’ Sampler: Chapter 2
My Scrambled Heart : Finding Hope Amongst the Hopelessness
(Hopeless Segment)
 
My Anchor
        Empty inside,
                    Just a shriveled soul that already died.
No ray of hope, not even a slice,
        And my gas tank is running on fumes
In this thing called life.
 
 
        Take a hike, wise guy!
Excitement has arrived!
 
 
                                Unstoppable power! I’m bigger than life!
                        Uncontrolled energy?
                                        Is that what you’re telling me?!
                                Believe me, there’s nothing wrong,
                Sometimes I just feel as brave as, well…King Kong!
 
 
                                I thought over 20 years of bipolar disorder shipwrecked my life.
                        Looking back, it left me clinging to my Anchor, Jesus Christ.
                                        Sometimes the waves still crash on me from every direction,
But when I reflect on Jesus’s death and resurrection
                I know I can trust in His loving salvation.
 
 
                                Once again, now completely lost.
                        My life is uprooted, shaken up, and tossed.
                                Yes, Jesus, I do know You conquered death on the Cross,
                                But right now, it just feels like another inner holocaust.
                        So those times when I feel completely off ,
                        May I remember Jesus, You bought my soul at the steepest cost,
                                                                        …Your life.
 
 
 
 
                                                Philippians 4:13  KJV
                        I can do all things through Christ who strengthen s me.
Sizzl in’ Sampler: Chapter 2
My Scrambled Heart : Finding Hope Amongst the Hopelessness
(Hope Segment)
 
 
Ain’t for Nothing
 
        Friend, does the pain that grips you
                        Hold you hostage at a dead end?
                        Feel like there’s no way out? Wait!
                                        Jesus came to save, my friend!
       
 
                                Your soul’s sadness, anger, shackles, imprisonment,
                Are too heavy to cross this bridge to freedom.
        Friend, God calls you to do one of the hardest things ever
                        Offer Him your heart, your pain, and fully surrender.
 
 
                                God didn’t choose this pain for you,
                But if you let Him, He can certainly see yo