Spirit Fire Review Issue #15 Including the Best of the Net Announcements.

A Way in the Wilderness Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:19 KJV I didn’t know he was abusive when we married. Henry was more than perfect when we dated. We prayed and went to church together, he was on the church baseball team, he did volunteer work, bought me flowers and groceries, washed my car, was patient, kind, and good-looking, too. Then we got

Fabrice Poussin teaches French and English at Shorter University. Author of novels and poetry, his work has appeared in Kestrel, Symposium, The Chimes, and dozens of other magazines. His photography has been published in The Front Porch Review, the San Pedro River Review as well as other publications.

Untitled There was a hymn in the night clouds in the sky sailing like great ships and the moon was full, ablaze with light. The entire mountainside mirrored the light. The only voices were the leaves in the valley that were trembling because they saw God passing. . A Psalm You are more beautiful than the mountains, the sea waves breaking in the night. I cannot deny your love. Your words of kindness are like the wind that bends the coastal trees, the pines, fir and the redwood

Incendiary So many small lights banishing night. Beeswax, white Small, lit column by row In round burnished copper holders melts into puddles of pleading. Sweetened waxy Aroma pervades the space, a fragrance unto God marking place as holy with incendiary prayer. Persistent Night Night stretches out, past its appointed time. Monstrous gray fog pitches its tent over my patch of sky. Air thick with dew carries promise of rain, without fulfilling. Light may be breaking through so

Crystal Tear Have you ever been in bed awake in awe over someone or worry with wonder until daybreak Have you ever had a tear that welled up in your eye and spilled over the reservoir Have you ever heard the crinkle, the chip, the pop of the crystal in a tear as it dropped Have you ever felt the fountain of tears in your valleys, mountains and rock Have you felt the tears trickle down your neck to your chest when you released the waterfall onto your burdened breast That’s

Into Discovery When you have risked it all just to have a taste. When you have feasted on victory, and swallowed defeat. When you've achieved ambitions, yet still felt unfulfilled. When you realized it's not about what you own, but more about what you experience. When you see the sun on the horizon, or the rising full moon. Can you feel it's unrelenting pull? When wanting to explore becomes the need to explore. Take the time to praise your God and seek the rare, the unknown.

SINKER 6 year-old neophyte angler begins his journey after daybreak surf fishing with his Father vacant beach Jersey shore steadies the rod practices the cast again and again until a nod from The Master says he’s ready ties the lure, live bait on the hook extends the leader bait-casts into the sea reels in again reels in bare hooks all— both are joyous fling rods over their shoulders cheer bring empty pails back to Mother © Veronica Michalowski April 11, 2017 Peter John Pau

Praise In cathedrals and churches, abbeys and convents; in the small chapels on the top of the mountains; in pilgrimages and spiritual retreats and in the rooms of those who are secluded in house and cannot leave anymore; in the sound of the wind that cradles and pushes us and in the rain that washes and makes us grow; even in the mute silence of the hidden seed in the womb of earth, that knows and expects its time to join our world; everything and everyone congregates at the

“I’m Just Passing Through This World” A soul steeped in Christ, eyes closed the last time, Left this broken world to soar above. He preached across continents in his prime— Praising the Savior’s boundless love. His message was stark and sharp: The Bible says . . . Today is the time to decide! Examine with fear, your hearts and your heads. Christ’s cross shall draw you to His side. And me? Who heard him once in Chapel Hill, “Reason to Live” was his refrain and plea. I still fe

Lord, only You can... Turn my pain Into power Makes things in my life sweet That's gone sour Who can provide for me Like You did for Elijah Because You are my Jehovah Jirah Turn my sadness Into laughter And are able to keep it that way Ever after Be with me like You've been with Daniel and the three Hebrew friends And bless the works Of my hands Fill me with the patience That Job had And even reconcile Me with my dad Protect me like You Protected Da

The Name Name so holy none could speak, nor hope to venture near; astounding, that the awesome One would choose to meet us here. To grace our undeserving path with His steps close to ours, lift us up in tenderness by Hands that made the stars. Unworthy souls, unworthy! We know it to be true. He would not disagree and still He came for me and you; by the perfect Blood of Christ – He is our Passover Lamb – we dare to breathe the Name of Him who is the great “I Am”. (by Cindy Bo