Free Life Blog

Called To Forgive

Spirit Poem by Chris Bunton

I am called to forgive.
But, I really don’t want to.
I hate what they’ve done to me.
I want them to pay, like I’ve paid.

“Forgive to be forgiven”
I want to and I try to
but it never seems to end.
Have they forgiven me?

Pride demands Justice.
The demon whispers “Revenge”.
Fear barks, “They’ll do it again!”
Wisdom says, “Safer than sorry”

The battle is daily real,
and seeks to consume.
Forgiveness releases me,
and justice will come soon.

I forgive,
And God will make it true.

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

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Animal Souls

Environmental Talk By Chris Bunton

Too many times I have sat in a church and heard a sermon saying that animals have no soul. They say that humans have dominion and that everything is for our use.

It makes me puke and is an utter lie.

God gave humanity dominion over the Earth for us to take care of it and protect it with love, wisdom and understanding. These are the original instructions given to Man in the Garden. We are to “tend and keep it” We are to “be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth.” Conserving, restoring and protecting what we use as we grow in numbers and spread out upon the Earth.

The idea that we are to rape the land, butcher the forests, poison the air and water, while driving entire species to extinction for the sake of our love of money, and our demonic ideas of dominion is disgusting.

Our treatment of the weak plants, animals and Earth is a direct reflection of our heart. It is a sign of our lack of love and compassion. If we cannot be kind to these innocents, then can we really be kind to each other?

We deserve destruction. God created us good, but we have been corrupted.

The Bible says that the entire creation groans in agony, under death and torment, waiting for humans to become who God made us to be. The entire creation is waiting with us, for us to be revealed as Children of God, and to start acting like it. (Romans 8:16-29 )

The preacher says that this happens when Christ returns. But, we will answer for it when He does. “What you’ve done to the least of these thy brethren.” might apply to humans, but if you cannot treat animals with decency, you won’t love humans either.

The love of money is the root of all evil. It destroys our world, it corrupts our hearts, it keeps us in poverty, and it leads to lies from the leaders, media and pulpit. All of which leads to more destruction.

Everything in this world was created good. Everything is alive. Energy and life permeates it all. The Spirit of God is here in all. The animals have souls and we are called to love and protect them, as much as we are called to protect and love each other.

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/

Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/

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Photos by the author

Terrible Dad

Fatherhood Poem by Chris Bunton

I’m a terrible dad,
at least that’s what they said.

Too many failures,
too many faults,
that’s what the cackling hens, said.

Not rich enough.
Not sober enough.
Not broken enough.
Not obedient enough.
That’s what society said.

Too fast.
Too free.
Too sinful.
to be; a dad.
That’s what God seems to have said.

It doesn’t matter what I said.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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Photograph by the poet, on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga Tennessee.

Am I Better?

Recovery Thoughts By Chris Bunton

Over the years I have wondered.

“Am I a better human being than I was before? or am I just sober?”

Are we really better? or are we just trying to avoid trouble, keep from hurting our family, stay out of prison, or make more money? Are we better human beings?

This journey we are on, can be the first steps toward a whole new life that is real. It can be the steps toward us doing amazing heroic things for ourselves and others. Or it can be more failure and us doing the bare minimum to just get by.

Sometimes all we can do is just hang on. Sometimes we wanna go get wasted or do something dumb to make ourselves feel better. But, we know what that leads to. It leads to more trouble and failure, in our lives.

God did not create us to be failures. He did not create us to spend our lives fighting addictions, or wallowing in defeat. He created us to be glorious and to take care of the Creation. He gave us dominion, to love and help others.

This world is about growth and drawing near to God. We will struggle, but the victory was already won. You will win, if you give yourself to Him. A child struggling to walk, is not a failure. The parents are right there, and his victory is assured already.

Keep this in mind in your struggles. You are not worthless. Every drop in an ocean matters, and every drop finds its way back one way or another.

Learn to grow, and use it to heal. Seek to be more than you are.

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No Home

Couplet Poem by Chris Bunton

Man with no home, where are you at?
I brought food to where you once sat.

“Here I Am!” A voice spoke free and bold,
“By this old bin, dead from the cold”

I was shocked to find him there,
his corpse lie froze, with a death stare.

At first, I wept at his sad fate,
then grew mad that I was too late.

“Weep not” he said. “You loved and tried,
There are those who are glad that I died.”

“My soul flies free and sings a song,
my shell lies cold, to right an old wrong.”

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Does Your Life Suck?

First, stop cursing yourself. Say good things about yourself, and your life. Speak goodness into your life, and into your mind. I know things are hard. I’ve had hard times too. But, things will not change until you change them. The hard times are designed to get you to seek God, and start you moving. Moving begins with speaking and thinking. You need to get the ball rolling and watch God work. You gotta take the steps in faith, moving forward, and keep taking the steps until eventually you notice that you are walking on water. You’ll be walking where you never dreamed possible and said it couldn’t be done.

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve been there, and I’ve tried and tried and fought and failed and it never seems to get better. But, what we need to realize is that life is not about our here and now. It’s about our eternity, and the eternity of others. It’s about drawing closer to God, and struggling through the things that come to mold us and shape us, and prune us, and melt us, to get rid of the things we don’t need and the things that hurt us.

You might be born in a bad place. But, honestly there are no good places. They all have different challenges that we must overcome. Some folks say that they need a break, or a miracle. They say they need a magical bolt from the blue. But, other folks say you need to lift yourself up by the boot straps, working hard and being persistent, and consistent. But, I say it’s both. It’s you working with God. It’s you doing what you can, following the Spirit as He leads you, and seeing miracles happen. Then, one day, you’re just there. You’re just in a different place and you do not know how it happened. It was Him.

If you want to be happy you need to be right with God, and you need to be excited about life. It is hard living in this world of death and decay, but you can be happy in the midst of it. You can change your view of it.

Think of the times when you were happy and I’ll bet you were excited and looking forward to something. You were doing things you love, with those you love. What makes you unhappy? Is it the drudgery of life? Is it getting up day after day, and slaving away with no real hope? Are negative people dragging you down? What about responsibilities you no longer want? Or maybe it’s health issues?

Start waging war in your life, start standing up and speaking good things, and truth and standing against what drags you down. Begin by figuring out what your dreams are, and what things you enjoy doing. Then, start doing them. Fight anything in your mind or life that seeks to stop you. Fight the doubts and fears. Get rid of the people or lessen your contact with them. Use the job that is killing you as a means and method for doing what you really want. What is the life you want? Do it. Stop focusing your life and time on what is hurting you and use it to help you. Pray and let God open doors and guide you. He is calling you for a purpose. He, Himself is your purpose.

Travel to places you’ve never been, even if it’s just across town. Study a new subject. Learn to do something new. Go for a walk or a hike. Sit and clear your mind and relax. Learn a new language. Try a new food or try cooking it. Try every restaurant in your town and beyond. I consider myself an expert on every Chinese Buffet in my neck of the woods. Go fishing. Do things that excite you and stay excited. You gotta look forward to what’s coming. Not dreading another hour or day. Help someone in need, and you’ll help yourself. Start a new business. Do volunteer work. There are all kinds of places that could use free help. The list could go on and on.

Figure out the things you want to do and do them. Start making progress on your dreams. Become a master at your hobbies. Create a bucket list and start doing it now. If you cannot think of things to do, then just go. It doesn’t matter where. Get the ball rolling, and pray and see what God brings into your life.

These things can help start bringing good into your life, and give you an excitement for tomorrow. It gives you a reason to live. But, you must also pray and start cutting out all the bad. Start with what you have total control over and grow from there. Eat better, exercise more, get rid of an addiction, face a fear or doubt, do what you can do.

Start cutting off the negative things and people, but be aware that there will be a battle, and more negative or trouble will come to try and fill the void left by what you have removed. Just say no. You must take control as God leads, and not feel guilty. I have become an expert at detecting negative people in my life, and pushing them to the side. Do it in love. Do it silently and unnoticed, but you must cut those things off, so you can get better. Then, when you are better you can help them or be stronger to put up with them. Be a minimalist, and reduce the things in your life that doesn’t matter, so you can make room for blessings, and have enough to help others.

Your life doesn’t suck. It is a piece of ground, given to you by God. It has weeds, and wild beasts, and giants for you to struggle with and remove. It’s your life that you need to cultivate into a beautiful garden, so you can give it back to the Master, with a smile, and a well done.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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Breathing Sea

Rhyme Poem by Chris Bunton

The sea roars as it breathes
in and out, to rise, in the tides,
along the shores of all the seas
as one, moving where the moon guides.

Waters lapping the isles tiny beach,
gently touching her from beneath,
seeking the mountain out of reach,
among rocks like jagged teeth.

On the water little rafts float,
above the sacred, ancient beds.
Down, down divers go with plunging stroke,
past the coral of blues and reds.

On the floor a searchers leg is hung.
Working they fail to set him free.
That night, a funeral song is sung
for the one who now breathes with the sea.

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Not My Job

Work Advice By Chris Bunton

You’ve heard the phrase.

“That’s not my job.”

You’ve also heard people complain about folks who say “It’s not my job”

Well, let’s look at some truth here. Who is right? Is it right to refuse to do something because it’s not your job? or should you go ahead and do it anyway?

First, it depends on the situation. Sometimes, a job needs done. It just does, and somebody needs to do it. This is a fact. Since you saw it, God has elected you to do it. Just humble yourself, and take care of it. Good things will come.

But, not every situation is the same.

As someone who has worked jobs his whole life, I can speak from experience.

If you do someone else’s job, you will be stuck doing it forever, and that creates problems for everyone. It does not help your employer, you, or the person you think you are helping.

If something goes wrong with the job you are doing for someone else, who should get in trouble for it? You?

If you get sick and can’t be there, who does the job, that you were not supposed to be doing? Nobody knows, because you always did it.

If a job is not getting done, then let it fail. It is not your problem. It is your boss’s job to solve the problem, and he is paid well to solve it.

Do you think your boss does jobs that is not his job? Nope. That is why you have a job. He pays people to do jobs he doesn’t want to do. People like you.

If you do a job, that is not your job and you get hurt doing it, should you get compensation? Do you have a real complaint? Maybe you never got the training because IT’S NOT YOUR JOB.

I have experienced this. I have had people do a job that they thought they should do. But, I had to fix all the screw ups that they did wrong, because they did not know what they were doing. So, their help, just wasted everyone’s time, and insulted the folks who normally do the job.

Your boss might want you to do things that is not your job, because they want to save money by not hiring another person. And that is the real origin of the taboo to saying “It’s not my job.” Bosses want you to do extra work. They are paying you for 40 hours, they want every second filled with labor for those 40 hours.

But, do they pay you more for those extra tasks? Why should they pay you more when they can just make you feel guilty for not doing it for free? The bottom line is that you are there to make money to provide for you and your family. If you don’t do what the Boss says, they will fire you. That is the nature of the relationship. Do not get it twisted. Your Boss might be a great person and care for you, and even be your “friend”. But, they will toss you if needed.

Folks have this idea that they want to go the extra mile, or work like God is watching. But, let me tell you. God is not a slave driver. He is not worried about your bosses bottom line. God is your friend and He is not trying to work you to death in order to make your boss rich. That is in your head. Do what you are supposed to do, and do a good job. If you’re asked to do extra, then do it with a happy heart, if able.

But, if you are just doing other peoples work, because you think it needs done, or you think you can do it better, then you are wrong. It’s not about the job, or the other person, it’s about you being a control freak. Examine your life. You probably do the same thing in other areas of your existence. I’ll bet your spouse, and children are miserable trying to live up to your standards.

The bottom line is that if the person is not doing their job, then it’s the boss’s problem. That’s their job. That’s what your boss is there for. To be the slave master.

Of course, there are times people need help, and you should help. But, ask to help. Make it known that you are helping, so that the job doesn’t become your responsibility forever.

Do not be a martyr. Do not say “Well, I’ll do it because no one else is.”

Oh boo hoo. Oh woe is you. Nobody cares. You are not helping anyone. You are just trying to make yourself look good and be useful. You can be useful, by doing your own job. If you don’t have enough work to do, then go tell the boss that he is paying you too much and you need more work.

You won’t do that. Unless, you really want to be a hero. Your boss will love you. You’ll get more work and advance. You might even get an employee of the month sticker for your car.

But, as soon as you fail you will be tossed out and replaced by morning. You are not special. You are not a hero. You are a slave.

Remember that and do your own job well, and let others do theirs.

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Back Road

Old Days Are Gone Poem by Chris Bunton

Down the deserted back road
Hand me another beer.
We plan to be free, you and me,
and bask in the blazing sun.

Is that a cop?
No, we can keep being free.
See, that lake is full of fish,
that’s another place to camp.

Go this way, not that way,
I know a really great place.
Hand me another beer dude,
and hold nothing back.

Crank that old music up.
I got busted over there.
Dodge those pot holes,
we fly around every curve.

We caught a lot of fish there,
and a few girls over there.
Stop! Is that a cop?
No. I just spilt my beer.

I remember this hill,
what a thrill to jump,
and that graffiti covered bridge,
we all peed off of.

Hurry, cars are comin,
get in, get in, get in.
I dropped my beer back there,
give me another one, man.

Hey, I got a joint,
but I don’t have a light.
Don’t steal my lighter,
or I’ll make you walk.

Where’s my lighter at?
It’s in your pocket, Dude.
I love this song, turn it up.
I think we’re out of beer.

That old car long since gone,
like favorite friends who have moved on.
Things always seem to change,
but some things never do

The long dusty road,
a thousand miles long.
Where friendships begin,
and freedom stands strong.

Where have you been, my friend?
Not on the road for sure.
I got a new life,
and I hope to see you soon.

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Photograph by the poet, a back road under Inspiration Point, Southern Illinois

Nature’s Breath

A COVID poem by Chris Bunton

In those days;
when the shutdown came.
When Mankind laid low;
and the money didn’t flow.

In those days,
Nature took a breath.
Nature began to heal.
Nature felt relief.

In those days,
the poisons stopped.
The greed died,
and the rich man cursed.

In those days,
the birds sang.
The butterflies flew.
The bumblebee worked.

In those days,
the virus stayed home.
The virus lost wealth.
The virus gave way.

In those days,
another deal awoke.

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Photograph by the poet a river outside Spokane, Washington

Called To Forgive

Animal Souls

Read more from Chris

The Great Falling Away

Give And It Shall Be Given Unto You

He Is Real

Am I Better?

Does Your Life Suck?

Breathing Sea

Back Road