Weak Made Strong

Book of Poems
Vol. I
By: Jennifer Stearns

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my loving, supportive husband, Thomas and my extraordinary

daughter, Marissa. Jesus and these two make up my dream team. Thank you family for always
encouraging me, praying for me and believing in me. You truly are my anchor and my joy. I love
you!

Preface

Weak Made Strong, Book of Poems, Volume I. has been in my spirit for many years. Even
though I have been writing for as long as I can remember, my spoken word undertook a dramatic
facelift once I became born-again. Before that wonderful transformation, I used my gift to
express my own philosophy about life. And like many spoken word artists, sometimes I was so
deep that I didnt even understand myself! However, once Jesus found me, my thoughts
became crystal clear. He loves me so much that he died for me. I owe Him everything. Without
Him Im nothing. So, these days when I write, it is pure joy to express the freedom, peace and
true love Ive found in my Savior.
It is my prayer and sincere hope that you can connect with my feelings and thoughts conveyed in
in this book. I also pray for you to have a life-changing experience when you connect with the
author of life and my ultimate inspiration, Jesus Christ.

Introduction

I encourage you to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey of my life through the poetry on the
following pages. It is my pleasure to display transparency for the benefit of the readers. If some
detail of my lifes experiences can help at least one person, its well worth it. As people, we all
experience similar feelings of despair, sadness, hopefulness and joy. It is always my goal to write
pieces that encourage and empower others to believe that their lives can get better; that God is
for us and will cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.
This is just the beginning of many more volumes to come. Stay tuned for volume II.

Adrift

I feel like a boat that is adrift at sea

There are no maps or navigational devices for me
Ive been drifting lost like this, my entire life
With only glimpses of land here and there in sight
Only mirages and illusions they have all proven to be
With no substance, truth or reality
Dazed and confused I bob hopelessly about
Looking for a lighthouse, a beckon of light or a clear route
On this restless sea of life getting tossed to and fro
When in reality, all I really want to know
Is when is the day Ill finally make it to shore?
When will I find rest and peace and ultimately get restored?
When can I repair my broken down boat?
My boat that amazes me that it still even floats
I just want to find that safe inner harbor
So Im not doomed to drift away farther and farther
Floating about Ive weathered so many storms
That somehow for me it feels like the norm
But now Im ready to let God chart my course
And with that decision Ill never feel remorse
No more searching in darkness trying to find my own way
Im hanging on to every word that God has to say
And look up ahead! I see the sunrise!
Its vast beauty so stunning that tears sting my eyes
I believe this is a positive sign of good things yet to come
Because Ive never felt so blessed to see the morning sun!

Empowered

No. Stop! Leave me alone!

Those were the words that resonated in her bones
Words formed but not escaping her throat
A sweet little girl petrified, full of shame, full of hurt
Years she spent sad, hurt, angry and confused
Wondering why he felt it was ok for her to be used
See, her naivety
Was no match for his depravity
Her fear was indescribable,
Her guilt - undeniable,
The situation - seemingly insurmountable
Locked in a nightmare with no end in sight
Until one day she found her voice and decided to fight
But the damage was already done - her self-image fractured
The only way for her to go on was to become a brilliant actor
Underneath her smile was bitterness and shame
But that only kept her a victim in the enemys game
You see, she thought that if she forgave him
It meant it was ok then
Little did she know
That the only way for her to grow
Was to finally let - it - go
And once she began to release that grief
She began to feel something like relief
Help from above
Gods unconditional love
Helped her see
Who she was REALLY meant to be
God lifted her up and showed her, her self-worth
How hed always been there, even when she hadnt put him first

And once her wounds were healed & the battle of her mind was won
She came out from her clouds and shone brighter than the sun
Now that she has embraced Gods awesome healing power
She realizes that she was wrapped tightly like a bud thats now ready to flower
She let go of all the tears, pain and sadness
Replacing them with confidence, peace & gladness
Now she is stronger than she ever even imagined
Moving past everything negative that has ever happened
She holds her high
Knowing that all the DEVIL said was a lie
Now she is God-approved and of that fact very PROUD
No longer trying to hide and disappear within a crowd.
Today, she stands before YOU a proven survivor
Not only a survivor but a PRIZE FIGHTER
No longer that scared little girl - NO - Gods revived her!
Now Im a full grown woman and Jesus said this is my hour
In Him, I am strong, I am fearless, I am blessed
Im empowered!

My Beautiful Journey

I am on a journey, a BEAUTIFUL journey with God

He is fixing me and transforming me on the inside
But this journey with God has not always been an easy one
Being raised a Jehovahs Witness was anything but fun
Not too long ago the enemy had a tight grip on my life
Until I woke up one day and said this just isnt right
My family couldnt believe that I really was walking away
So they all turned their backs on me and my friends did the same
I was told I had been handed over to Satan and Id lost Gods favor
At a time when I needed Him most I thought I had no Savior
So, alone and afraid I prayed and I prayed
When I got no answer from God I figured wow they must be right
He wasnt even listening to me on this horrible, horrible night
So with tear stained cheeks and a soul filled with grief
I swallowed two bottles of pills just to get some relief
You see, I thought my life was pointless and not worth a thing
Not to myself, not to my daughter or to my former King
So, I slowly closed my eyes and said my final goodbyes
Not knowing that the next day, to my extreme surprise
That GOD would wake me up and that I would somehow arise
You see what happened to me made no sense at all
Those pills that I took couldve killed a man that was 10ft tall
It was in that very moment of utter shock and amazement
I realized that all of this was by Gods divine arrangement
I shouldve been dead and gone I thought over and over to myself
Wow, God loves me after all and I began praising him for my health
This time I prayed with renewed gratitude and appreciation
Convinced I would hear from God full of expectation

Thats the moment when - I opened up my heart and invited Jesus in

He took away my pain and washed away my sin
Hes even helped me change the way I think with the aide of his Holy Spirit
And when Im still and Im quiet in here, I can hear it
The Holy Spirit whispers to me and tells me what to do
It only tells me what the Word says thats how I know its true
Understanding this whole process, yeah its taken a little time
But its helped me to grow in patience and wisdom thats divine
As I learn to look at myself thru Gods loving eyes
Im letting go of my fears and slowly beginning to rise
But God leaves it up to me to feel the need to go higher
Thats why every day, I aim to say - Lord you are my desire
I no longer theorize about how lifes supposed to be
But now I realize how Gods love changes everything
God alone can build me up and make my spirit strong
And without Him - Im nothing and destined to go wrong
But my success is guaranteed in his purpose for me
When Im not too proud to say I need thee
Even when my problems seem overwhelming & vast
All I have to do is calm down and just stand fast
God always helps me when I take this brave stance
And when I messed up in the past, He gave me a second chance
When I humble myself in prayer and seek His great face
He overwhelms me with his love and His sweet amazing grace
As I try to obey His Word in my everyday life
God says that effort is even better than sacrifice
So, in those times when my life has felt empty & dark
Ive always been encouraged by this simple remark
God is close to those with a broken heart
Gods not mad at me for all those things that I did
He just wants to forgive me, deliver me and love me instead

Its Satan who brings up my past and who wants me to repeat it

But he has no power over this child of God cause hes already been defeated!
I have authority over my life because now Im in Gods family
My Daddys got my back, so I dont worry about failing!
No problem or situation is ever as bad as it seems
Because thanks to the precious blood of Jesus
We all have been redeemed!
And the depth of your love Lord, I am constantly learning
Because life with Christ Jesus is a beautiful journey!

In Your Presence

In your presence Father, you make me whole

You satisfy my spirit and rejuvenate my soul
In your presence time itself stands still
Its just me at your feet waiting to hear your will
I come to you with my thought & feelings all over the place
And you calm me and soothe me with your sweet grace
My tears you collect in a bottle that you treasure
And you whisper over and over that youll love me forever
In your presence I can just be me
No pretenses or formalities
Just you and me gloriously
Surrounded by your light for all eternity
THATS where I long to be!
And I can go to that place whenever I desire
Asking you Father, to take me even higher
Higher than all of my issues and lifes calamities
Asking you to pick me up and to cradle me
Because your LOVE is my security!
And of it you reassure me constantly
Fullness of joy overwhelms my spirit
As your voice grows louder & louder for me to hear it
YOU ARE LOVE its your very essence
And I am healed & transformed by it when Im in your presence

He Loves Me

My whole life I thought God wanted me to be perfect

And since I wasnt in fact far from it
That meant he didnt love me couldnt love me
I was flawed in every way
Weak, emotional, hurt easily, lacking self-control, impulsive, impatient and the list goes on
After all, why would a perfect God love an imperfect sinner like me?
I would vow to do what is right and then fail miserably
HE LOVES ME
But how could that be??
The bitterness that I lovingly nursed like a newborn
Was deep within me
All the hurts, shames and disappointments ate away at the core of me
Until there was just a shell of me
I hated who I had turned out to be so how could HE
The One who made everything - Love me?
But thats the beauty of it
I dont have to DO anything at all to deserve or earn his love
Its a gift in fact its the best gift EVER
To know that without a doubt, without any hesitation, without any reservations that.
HE LOVES ME

Grace
Grace was once described to me as undeserved kindness
But that definition didn't express its highness
You see, Grace is something that's really hard to explain
Because we're so used to guilt, shame and disdain
Grace sets you free and makes your heart soar
And when you get that gift from God, it makes you want more
How did I live my whole life without this wonderful feeling?
Simply thinking about it sends my mind and heart reeling!
God's unending love is difficult to comprehend
How he loved me before I was born and planned my beginning to my end
How he sent his son to die for me and to take my place
Even when my actions were like a slap to his face
But he never gave me exactly what I deserved
He just patiently waited for me to return
Lovingly pursuing me, never giving up
always there to offer me his mercy and his love
Even when all I wanted to do was die
He somehow miraculously kept me alive
He lifted my spirit up from a very dark place
And infused me and healed me with his incredible grace
God gave me a purpose and a place in His kingdom
And I never imagined I could feel this much freedom
He delivered me from depression, not even leaving a trace
And joy has overcome me all because of his grace!

Let It Go
How? That was the question that haunted me for years
The question that played over and over in my ears
How do I forgive when injustice, hurt and pain
Seemed to be driving me slowly insane?
How could I let them off of the hook so easily
When their actions were like broken glass inside of me
The wounds that plagued my heart that just wouldn't heal
The infection in my soul that was all too real
I wanted to hold on to those negative feelings
Because somehow to me it gave my life some meaning
It meant I was injured so you better take care
Life had been rough for me and I was beyond repair
My status was victim and I wore it like a badge
Always identifying my present with my past
Never realized I was just hurting myself
Allowing the bitterness to me ruin my health
So when I met Jesus he told me to let it go
I trusted his love and let forgiveness flow
Now dont get me wrong, it was hard to give out free passes
But Jesus rewarded me by giving me beauty for ashes
Ever since that day Ive been basking in His light
Because Ive been born again and given a new life.

Just a Thought

A thought is created by a synapsis that fires within the brain

Its something like lightening and faster than a bullet train
A thought can separate us, the way that we think
Or it can join us together, tight like a chain link
Often people who think alike form a tight bond
But I'm a little different, I swim in a unique kind of pond
I like to unite with people who all think differently
Cuz to me thats inspiring and boosts my creativity
I used to associate with people who only thought one way
But then came the day when I realized that I couldnt stay
Their close-minded mentality
Inhibited my individuality
So I had to strike out on my own on a search for the truth
I knew they were wrong but I still needed proof
All of these thoughts constantly bombarded my brain
Questions, doctrines, experiences, and pain
But in the end it was well worth all of my precious time
I found relief and refreshment for my tired, thirsty mind
It was Jesus who made me different from everyone else
And when I found him, I really found myself
Peace and joy has overcome me as His face I have sought
And its funny to thinkthat it all began with just a thought