Lord, Take This New Year

This New Year dawns untarnished, clear-

To some brings sighs, new hopes, a tear:

Some souls its unknown paths may fear,

But God assures us “He is near.”

Christ walked before the path we tread,

Escorts us on the path ahead;

He only leads where grace will feed,

And He supplies our every need!

“Lord, take this year – unscathed as yet-

Take full control, that we not fret;

Lord guide us on, each step, each day:

For You already know the way.

You know the trials up ahead,

You know the blessings we’ll be fed;

True grace and strength for us You hold,

To pour on us – refine as gold.

We trust the future to Your hand-

Glad we don’t know the whole that’s planned:

For anxious fears may then arrest-

Cause us to doubt that You know best.

Lord, lead and guide us, hold our hand,

Renew each day our inner man;

Each day, week, month this whole year through,

Help our resolve to walk with You!”

Keturah Martin

"I Will Take You By the Hand"

A field of snow all white and clean -

With awe I view its glistening sheen:

No tracks I see, just purest white,

Which glimmers even in the night.

Just so, each morning dawns so clear,

With yet no tracks of dirt or smear;

An opportunity from God

To choose just how it will be trod.

A field of white is each New Year,

Which as of yet has no shed tear;

And at the threshold of its door

Stands Christ with all His treasure store.

His offer stands so true and strong,

“I’d love, with you, to walk along;

To be your Guide each day and night,

Your Refuge, Strength and leading Light.

For every step I have rich grace

To pour on hardships you may face;

My love, unending, will surround

Your every step in un-trod ground.

So at the dawn of this New Year,

I welcome you, My child, Come near:

 For I will take you by the hand

And lead you to a better land!

Keturah C. Martin

Christmas Light

Light From the Morning Star

He came as an Infant to Bethlehem’s stall,

That night long ago, as the angels did call-

Their loud Hallelujah’s rang out through the sky:

Announcing the Christ-Child, sent down from on high.

He came to the world in its darkness and night,

To be our Redeemer - become the world’s Light;

The people in darkness a great Light have seen-

In death’s blackest shadows so long they have been.

Up Calvary’s hill did this Prince of Peace trod,

Fulfilling redemption as planned out by God:

For He paid our ransom through death on the tree-

Arose in great triumph that we can be free!

The love, life and light from the Bright Morning Star

Still penetrates darkness, though near or afar-

Illuminates wholly, each life where it shines,

Thus hope springs alive and dark death no more dines.

Now “Glory to God!” with the angels we sing,

For sending His Son and for light He did bring;

From bondage and darkness He truly sets free-

“We bring now ourselves, Lord, as gifts for just Thee!”

-Keturah

Christmas, Jesus Reason for Season

 The Star of All Hope

The Lord, Jesus Christ was sent down to this earth-

Was born in a stable in lowness of birth;

His Father in heaven had for Him a plan-

That Christ be “the Answer” for all needs of man.

The Babe in the manger was sent down to save:

For He paid our ransom from sin and the grave;

He purchased redemption through death on the tree,

And rose from the tomb in a full victory!

The kind Prince of Peace came to heal broken hearts-

To bind up the wounds which were tattered apart;

This Jesus can heal insurmountable pain-

Midst ruins, impossible, bring a great gain!

Though born midst the lowly, near beasts of the stall,

Yet King of all kings, He is Lord over all;

He sets captives free, and gives sight to the blind,

He walks with the down-trod and lends a hand, kind.

The Star of all hope shineth brighter today:

For Jesus our Star is the Life, Truth and Way;

To grief He brings solace and heals every pain-

The deepest of needs He can fill and sustain.

As angels near Bethlehem sang out that night-

We too would proclaim His great love, grace and might:

Christ heals and delivers, He saves and makes new-

Those things thought impossible Jesus can do!

-Keturah Martin

Choose Forgiveness & Live

Choosing to Forgive

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matt.6:14, 15

Forgiving one’s abuser or offender goes directly against the human nature and is not possible in the truest sense without the divine assistance of Jesus Christ. The flesh cries out for revenge when one becomes an innocent victim of life-shattering abuse or destruction. The more prolonged or intense one’s suffering may be - the greater is the attempt of the enemy to implant his poisonous seeds of malicious anger and bitter hatred within the tattered depths of the victim’s heart, mind and soul. Once he gains that foothold the downward spiral of destruction gains momentum with each step taken in that direction of hateful unforgiveness.

I would like to testify that one of the most liberating experiences (outside of receiving salvation through Jesus) is to renounce and reject every bitter thought and hateful intent which one may harbor against anyone who has hurt or even shattered them. Once we have chosen, with God’s help, to reject the bitter seeds of Satan’s sowing we then reach a distinguished crossroads. Here we will have to make a conscious choice of following our feelings and travel the dark road of anger, revenge and bitterness; or we will choose against our will, feelings & natural inclinations to take the steep, impossible-looking ascent on the rocky unbeaten path that leads to forgiveness.

The moment one decides to choose forgiveness’ path, even though “they don’t feel like it,” Jesus, the Master Forgiver steps right beside that soul and enables them to proceed against all other argument or obstacle. With Jesus at our side He freely pours out His divine love, abundant strength and Spirit-led direction. With His divine assistance we can then make a choice which overrules the will, mind, pain and all the bitter lies & interference of Satan.

AND THEN THE MIRACLE HAPPENS!

At the cross of Jesus and kneeling at His feet, He aids us in love as we completely release into His hand all the agony of our abuse/hurt, the perpetrator of that pain, all the resulting damage, consequences and everything spoken or enacted against us. What a tremendous burden lifts from the heart, mind and shoulders as Jesus takes each released item into His control! He then gives the abundance of grace, love and power to pay for the damage done as we surrender it all to His nail-pierced hand to take full charge over. The glorious freedom that overwhelms the body, soul and mind as the Master has full control is so miraculous; and gone is every poison seed of unforgiveness/hatred! Jesus has replaced it with a deep compassion and love for the soul of the abuser/offender and the freed individual is filled with a longing that this person who ravaged so much destruction in their life would experience Jesus and join them in eternity’s bliss! 

To refuse to forgive our offender/abuser is to deliberately choose to be that person's slave: for the consequent bitterness and hatred will bind one in chains which cannot be broken except by the power of God. Bitter hatred will drive one to depths and bondage never dreamed possible keep that person under the control of the perpetrator.

But with Jesus right beside us to lead and help, we can choose to forgive the most grievous offense and damage, with the perpetrator/offender – and in choosing thus we choose life, freedom, peace and a position of “joint-heir” with Jesus who forgave all our sin and debt! Let's choose the only true way to be free! Forgive!

To God Be the Glory!

  

A Voice For the Trafficked & Abused

 A Voice for the Trafficked

The call comes a-ringing this universe o’er,

For hearts that are open through which love can pour

On all of the broken, oppressed and abused,

Or in darkest horror are trafficked and used.

Is there not just one who can hear the pained cries?

Midst agony’s ashes which mount to the skies;

Hear pained, shattered children cry out in stark fear

As lust-driven perverts abuse midst filth’s leer.

Can anyone hear how the chains clank in death?

While used as a slave throughout each daily breath;

Their terror runs rampant with heart bleeding sore,

While pain-filled emotions are shred to the core.

Is anyone out there upon the earth’s map?

Who’s willing to serve and to stand in the gap?

So bruised, shackled victims can find some escape

From trafficking slavery and harsh, brutal rape.

Let’s lend them a hand to break out of the pit

Where lust-driven pimps on the power throne sit;

Do not leave them crying in destitute pain,

But on broken lives let us love and care rain.

Accept them and validate horrors untold –

Expose all the truth amid facts harsh and cold:

For Satan would have us conceal all his deeds

Of violent abuse and perverse, filthy creeds.

There’s hope for the shattered, the crying and used,

And healing in full for the shreds of abused;

Though one feels their life is reduced to filth’s rot,

Yet friend, there is hope for all things brought to naught.

For God up in heaven has seen every act

Committed against you, each vile gruesome fact;

Twas He that was there and did carry you through –

Preserving your life when dark death was in view.

 He loves to enfold you within His embrace,

And for every breath He renews His rich grace;

He holds your full healing and freedom anew,

And daily seeks vessels to pour His love through!

- Keturah Survivor

written Dec. 1, 2013

Hope For Satanic Ritual Abuse Survivors!

Hope For the Ritually Abused 

“We plead your mercy, Lord, be used on all those ritually abused,

Who have survived the horrors past - in Satan’s realm they have been cast.

The perpetrators of this crime are sold to Satan, filled with grime,

Who seek to shatter hope and trust of victims: for this is a “must.”

A broken trust in God and man- to sense from God eternal ban:

Midst torturous rituals, bloody crime, extolling Satan all the time.

Diverse abuses heap and pile on helpless victims, feeling vile:

Abuses here of every brand, in cruelty dealt by forceful hands.

Most oft essential to survive- that mind and body stay alive,

The victim’s mind will block the deeds of bloody horror, threats and creeds.

These memories locked ‘neath lock and key, dissociated oft may be

From knowledge of the victim’s mind, but side-effects are undefined.

Midst Satan’s rituals cruelty rules- the victims forced through brutal schools:

They’re brainwashed thoroughly each day- in suicide’s dark programs lay.

“You may not speak to anyone of what you’ve seen or here’s been done:

For you’ll be locked up as “insane,” and I will kill you – not in vain!”

In chains of bondage, hopeless bound, so bruised & broken, hopeless found:

These battered victims long for aid- of worth divested – helpless made.

So many folks don’t understand the broken lives throughout this land,

Proclaim these things can happen not- by-passing pain abuse hath wrought.

Each broken piece of all your heart which writhes in anguish from the start,

The surging terror, should you tell, the hopeless guilt which ceaseless swells:

Christ Jesus understands it all and waits to answer every call;

Though shattered, lone and left to die, He knows and hears your feeble cry!

“There’s hope in Christ, Oh broken heart: for God hath loved thee from the start-

Your anguished bondage, pain and strife, Christ Jesus heals and brings new life!

The life that’s marred and broken worst, e’en though it seems has been accursed,

Can be repaired by Christ above - there’s naught too hard for His great love!”

-Keturah

SRA Survivor

* Written to educate Churches, send awareness to the public, identify with survivors, and in honor of Jesus Christ, the only and Greatest Physician Who can understand, help, heal, and break the consequent bondage and agony of this horrific abuse. The abuses perpetrated against me by this SRA abuser were at gunpoint and without my consent when he got his clutches on me in the most shattered and vulnerable time in my life in 1985.