My Struggle and Strive

ETERNAL INK

I dreamed I was in heaven Where an angel kept God's book. He was writing so intently I just had to look.

It was not, at first, his writing That made me stop and think But the fluid in the bottle That was marked eternal ink.

This ink was most amazing, Dark black upon his blotter But as it touched the parchment It became as clear as water.

The angel kept on writing, But as quickly as a wink The words were disappearing With that strange eternal ink.

The angel took no notice, But kept writing on and on. He turned each page and filled it Till all its space was gone.

I thought he wrote to no avail, His efforts were so vain For he wrote a thousand pages That he'd never read again.

And as I watched and wondered that This awesome sight was mine, I actually saw a word stay black As it dried upon the line.

The angel wrote and I thought I saw A look of satisfaction. At last, he had some print to show For all his earnest action.

A line or two dried dark and stayed As black as black can be, But strangely the next paragraph Became invisible to see.

The book was getting fuller, The angel's records true, But most of it was blank, with Just a few words coming through.

I knew there was some reason, But as hard as I could think, I couldn't grasp the significance Of that eternal ink.

The mystery burned within me, And I finally dared to ask The angel to explain to me Of his amazing task.

And what I heard was frightful As the angel turned his head. He looked directly at me, And this is what he said...

I know you stand and wonder At what my writing's worth But God has told me to record The lives of those on earth.

The book that I am filling Is an accurate account Of every word and action And to what they do amount.

And since you have been watching I must tell you what is true; The details of my journal Are the strict accounts of YOU.

The Lord asked me to watch you As each day you worked and played. I saw you as you went to church, I saw you as you prayed.

But I was told to document Your life through all the week. I wrote when you were proud and bold, I wrote when you were meek.

I recorded all your attitudes Whether they were good or bad. I was sorry that I had to write The things that make God sad.

So now, I'll tell the wonder Of this eternal ink, For the reason for its mystery Should make you stop and think.

This ink that God created To help me keep my journal Will only keep a record of Things that are eternal.

So much of life is wasted On things that matter not So instead of my erasing, Smudging ink and ugly blot.

I just keep writing faithfully and Let the ink do all the rest For it is able to decide What's useless and what's best.

And God ordained that as I write Of all you do and say Your deeds that count for nothing Will just disappear away.

When books are opened someday, As sure as heaven is true; The Lord's eternal ink will tell What mattered most to you.

If you just lived to please yourself The pages will be bare, And God will issue no reward For you when you get there.

In fact, you'll be embarrassed, You will hang your head in shame Because you did not give yourself In love to Jesus' Name.

Yet, maybe there will be a few Recorded lines that stayed That showed the times you truly cared, Sincerely loved and prayed.

But you will always wonder As you enter heaven's door How much gladder you would have been If only you'd done more.

For I record as God sees, I don't stop to even think Because the truth is written With God's eternal ink.

When I heard the angel's story I fell down, wept, and cried For as yet I still was dreaming I hadn't really died.

And I said: O angel tell the Lord That soon as I awake I'll live my life for Jesus- I'll do all for His dear sake.

I'll give in full surrender; I'll do all He wants me to; I'll turn my back on self and sin And whatever isn't true.

And though the way seems long and rough I promise to endure. I'm determined to pursue the things That are holy, clean and pure.

With Jesus as my helper, I will win lost souls to Thee, For I know that they will live with Christ For all eternity.

And that's what really matters When my life on earth is gone That I will stand before the Lord And hear Him say, well done.

For is it really worth it As my life lies at the brink? And I realize that God keeps books With His eternal ink.

Should all my life be focused On things that turn to dust?

From this point on I'll serve the Lord; I can, I will, I must!

I will NOT send blank pages Up to God's majestic throne For where that record's going now Is my eternal home.

I'm giving all to Jesus I now have seen the link For I saw an angel write my life With God's eternal ink.

>>Author Unknown>

Artist: OutKast f/ Big Rube
Album: ATLiens
Song: 13th Floor/Growing Old

Intro: Big Rube
Conceive true deception multiplied a million fold Visualize the yin and yang in a battle so intense that we get em confused The resident evil specialize in misconstruing We wanna be at a presidential level -- what are we doing? Foolin ourself, clownin ourself, playin ourself By not bein ourself We can't babble no more than we can bob our head offbeat Nimrod by the time we forty cause we can't get our meat While we ask no reason for the misplacement of the season look at the picture that's painted Tainted as the mind who's blinded to the point where Sodomites get all the rights We fall for fights with fisticuffs Get pissed enough to miss the bus It disgusts me to see my folks run up on I say stand up on deception of time all of Revelations And recognize this mind on the reality of horror known as mankind Jesus and his twelve disciples make thirteen A righteous number of righteous men Even Judas the Betrayer came true in the end The Devil say the end is the beginning They teach that we were the product of incest Invest no level of self into their system of Paganomics Stand with us and don't look back upon it Just face this mindstate Otherwise Babylon...

(My memories of yesterday...) cut and scratched: "Ninety-six gonna be that year..."

Verse One: Andre
I bet you never heard of a playa with no game Told the truth to get what I want but shot it with no shame Take this music dead serious while others entertain I see they makin they paper so I guess I can't complain... or can I? I feel they disrespectin the whole thang Them hooks like sellin dope to black folks And I choke when the food they serve ain't tastin right My stomach can't digest it even when I bless it I'm confessin one mo' lesson from the South we in the house tonight Now hootie who wants to oppose? Suppose We rolls through Headland and Delowe where me and my niggaz surpassed the flow And got down for ours like hind catchers My mind catches flashbacks to the black past while my close niggaz laugh at The Southern slang, figure ways and mojo chicken wangs I grew up on booty shake we did not know no better thang So go 'head and, diss it, while real hop-hippers listen Started by Afrikan Bambaata, so you and your potnah Gather your thoughts Musical Interlude: Debra Killings (Something's gotta change Songs of laughter and happiness comes from teardrops to rain When daring despair, fortune may lead in my day And slight breezes of longing finally move my way

(Like memories of yesterday...)

Verse Two: Big Boi
Uhh, born Antwan Patton but my potnahs they call me Big Boi It's the nigga the B-I-G, be speakin the truth not talkin that shit boi I'm thinkin of checkin my traps and bustin my raps and throwin them craps Seven-eleven is no convenience, you pumpin your gas, they're watchin yo' back For the robbin crew, thinkin they robbin you, you must be cautious To stand up on yo' game and pimpin these crows you must be flawless Like Mortal Kombat, but fuckin these wombats got you dizzy My nigga you know of I wanna be playin but runnin up on me like you miss me You catchin the wrong vibe, packin yo' shit and rollin yo' eyes back Flexin up on the corner tossin your dice and rollin your Cadillac But man it seems I'm reachin out and touchin the wrong nigga Don't expect me to be pimpin get your index off the trigger As we bust, us, we leavin em in the dust So keep that clean up out of your nose I said my piece and then I hush As the candidate keeps flippin... niggaz dippin...
Musical Interlude

Verse Three: Andre,
Big Boi I really be love it we are gathered to life So pissed to lather we come clean Some issues need to be addressed like envelopes I mean Oh like Liberty Bells yes them bullets keep on rangin On fire like the Georgia mass choir we keep on sangin Bringin our folks closer together cause they severed us from the get green Light and we ain't gon' stop until we hit the big screen Psych because no one is free when others are oppressed So, we hit the stage and then we fly back to our nest Growing old Like some eagles, people don't understand Just like their parents don't be carin I'm speakin about you playin with that phony stuff you sharin in your raps Mercedes Benz and all your riches Thinkin you got it, but get it get it, but you ain't pimpin no bitches Cause you flaw, in, fallin like leaves into driveways Isn't it lovely smokin good and sloppy head on highways Friday's are tight but Saturday just makes it old When tonight's are hot warm enough to feed your soul Growing old Musical Interlude 2X ("96 gonna be that year...") (Like memories of yesterday...)

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