The Bigger Picture
By Kristopher Ivie
Copyright 2012 Kristopher Ivie
Table of Contents
The Bigger Picture
A Plant Among the Rocks
Calculus
Now We Stand a Chance
Open Up Our Eyes
The Journey
Who Am I
The Infinite Reward
Treasure
The Cost of Our World
The Bigger Picture
I’m looking for a higher purpose
I’m standing on the stepping stone
Surrendering my heart to worship
I’m hoping that I’m not alone
I’m searching for my deeper conscience
Where my walls begin to crumble
I’m simply waiting on the doorstep
I’m simply meek and humble
I’m looking at the road I’ve followed
I wonder where this journey ends
Are all these hopes and dreams just hollow
Can my journey begin again
I’m studying the world around me
Know there had to be a reason
No purpose found in a destiny
If there’s nothing to believe in
I’m staring at the bigger picture
Seeing how small I really am
But in the end a spec still matters
I’m just the start of something more
A Plant Among the Rocks
I was a sheep without a shepherd
Just running with the flock
An animal of burden
A plant among the rocks
I was dancing with the devil
He was playing his guitar
I was living in the limelight
He was making me a star
I was living for the moment
But the moment wouldn’t last
I was searching for a purpose
But was living in my past
I was looking for salvation
Hoping for a second chance
All my dreams had become empty
And the devil wouldn’t dance
He was sitting on the sidelines
Knew this star was meant to fall
I had fallen onto hard times
But I hadn’t lost it all
In the darkness a hand reached out
It grabbed me by my shoulder
His voice whispered into my ear
Your music can start over
A sea of light came over me
My past was swept away
I’m Born again; can sing again
Through the glory of his name
I was a sheep, he was my shepherd
He put me with his flock
He took away my burden
And he became my rock
Calculus
How many leaves in the forest
How many grains of sand on the beach
How many lives that came before us
How many things still out of reach
How big can a number grow
How much to make a difference
How far past the decimal
How do you divide the infinite
Stats and figures, representation
Somehow they help us understand
Just small matters for interpretation
Adding the digits on your hands
Complex equations, LaPlace transforms
Integration of man and machine
The limits reached and numbers stored
Still little more than silicon dreams
Where is God in your equations
Does infinity even come close
Is he a matter of interpretation
Or is he an absolute
Now We Stand a Chance
Slipping away, slipping away
Passing on to the end of our days
Long past twilight lies the dawn
Born again to serve our god
Nothing of blood to tame the soul
Nothing of flesh in our spirit
Both blood and flesh are paid in full
By the sacrifice of Jesus
Now our sins can be forgiven
Now we stand a chance at heaven
But only if we can believe
In the sacrifice of Jesus
Have faith, Have faith
Offer your repentance
The gift of your life
Will gain you admittance
A sacrifice was made for you
Don’t let it be in vain
Live for him in all you do
Sing praises to his name
Now our sins can be forgiven
Now we stand a chance at heaven
Thank you Jesus for all you’ve given
It will never be forgotten
As we walk this narrow path
We know that there’s no turning back
Temptation waits just off the trail
Waiting there to watch us fail
It grabs at us as we pass by
Leads us into endless traps
It catches us within its snares
And only Christ can bring us back
Now our sins can be forgiven
Now we stand a chance at heaven
Thank you Jesus for all you’ve given
It will never be forgotten
Open Up Our Eyes
All who come to seek shall find
For all are welcome here
The truth is given in the word
For all who want to hear
None of us are now alone
Our hearts are joined in praise
The Son of God makes us his own
Sing glory to his name
Praises to the Son of God
Jesus Christ on high
You are the one who loves us all
And for our sins you died
Now we take upon ourselves
Every gift that he supplies
That he might dwell within our hearts
And open up our eyes
The Journey
Breaking tides against the sands
Open skies above the sea
The reaching out of distant hands
The distance cries for peace
A world of strangers
A world full of dreams
It is the beginning of our journey
Across that endless sea
No man alone can bridge the distance
No boat can tame the tide
We all begin the journey
To reach the other side
The waves all crash against us
The waters chill our bones
We’re forced to band together
Or forced to die alone
There is a light on the horizon
A beacon to the lost
The hope of our salvation
The only hope we’ve got
We struggle not to lose it
But the waves can rise so high
We need a hand to guide us
So we band side by side
Some day we’ll cross the distance
Be on solid ground again
We’ll find a new existence
When we reach the shores of heaven
Who Am I
Here I am so far to go
There you were to let me know
One for all you sacrificed
All to give the gift of life
Who am I now left behind
Come so far while walking blind
Guided by an unseen hand
Please Lord tell me who I am
I’m much more than flesh and bone
In your presence I have grown
In your footsteps I must walk
&nb
sp; But I’ll never be alone
All to know who I might be
All to try to set me free
Free to live for something more
Who am I, please tell me Lord
Do you know who I’ve become
Have you seen what I have done
Am I living as you planned
Lord please tell me who I am
The Infinite Reward
Voice of angels sweetly falling
On all your hopes and dreams
All you are amounts to nothing
If you have nothing to believe
Tender moments slowly taken
Your actions left behind
All you are to those around you
Will they follow when you’re blind
All to find what really matters
To find a word of truth
On the edge of something better
Past the carelessness of youth
Giving up your self-ambition
Giving up your control
Living up to your decisions
Find salvation for your soul
Becoming less than those you love
Growing bigger in their hearts
For you alone are not enough
Everyone must play their part
Nobody knows what happens next
It makes our lives worth living
Just try to find some tenderness
And learn to be forgiving
For God alone must understand
The purpose found in life
And so with us he made his plan
And sent his son as sacrifice
So become less to become more
Put faith into someone else
The infinite is a reward
When you’re not living for yourself
Treasure
I met my creator at the theatre
And it gave me great pleasure
When he told me of treasure
It was within reach, he started to preach
Still, there’s something you might dread
It isn’t yours until you’re dead
What do you mean? I suddenly screamed
Losing my life – what a cheat
I just about fell out of my seat
How’s this instead – you will break the bread
And even when you are deceased
Your happiness will be increased.
The Cost of Our World
Mark 8:36
“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.”
All the Earth in all its splendor
More valuable than life itself
Everything a part of nature
And a part of whom we are
This world will fade as does our health
But the spirit still goes on
Try to find what really matters
The world demands a heavy price
Not gold, not silver, not power
But the cost of one’s own soul
Money and power may seem nice
But heaven should be your goal
What is it worth to gain the world
And spend your life with no purpose
For what is Earth but one small pearl
In the Lord’s endless ocean
All might seem calm on the surface
Undertow puts you in motion
Sometimes this life is a gamble
And it leaves us left in shambles
Darkness waits at every bend
And deception is its friend
Hidden costs in life we spend
When we answer for our sins
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Other Works:
On The Verge of Live, Love, and Lyrics (poetry)
Words to Paint 1000 Pictures (poetry)
In The Works:
I have more poetry to share and a number of books in the works. This is a preview of things to come:
The Dragon’s Eggs – This will be the longest poem I’ve ever written. I wanted a science fiction story written in poetic form similar to Beowulf. When finished, it will be longer than this entire book including the commentary. It was started back in 2002 and has been sitting and waiting for completion.
I am working on a 7 book science fiction series that will take the reader through the world of death and distant planets. It incorporates many religious principles from multiple religions and will make you wonder what really awaits us on the other side. The first book is underway and I’ve completed a rough outline for the series.
30 Minutes To Quitting Time – This is a fiction book that I started and plotted out. It is a Christian book about a young man dealing with the conflicts between society and his faith. It also deals with many cultural and workplace issues that people face every day.
Find more information and updates @ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKIvie
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