Take It from Me: Cautionary Tales from a Former Fool
Copyright © 2009 Tremayne Moore
www.maynetre.com
Published by Tremayne Moore at Smashwords
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, the author’s own personal experience, or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. While the author was inspired in part by actual events, the characters are not distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Love and Affection contains an excerpt from The Way of Agape: Understanding God’s Love, written by Chuck & Nancy Missler © 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Koinonia House. Used with permission.
My Vow (From This Day Forth) contains an excerpt from Crown Financial Ministries: Biblical Financial Study (Small Group Student Manual), written by Howard Dayton © 2003 Crown Financial Ministries, Inc. Used with permission.
The author makes no apology for how the presence of God in this book may impact the reader’s spiritual life.
Edited by Shantae A. Charles www.shantaecharles.com
Cover Design: ROC Studios International, Inc.
What Readers Are Saying About Take It from Me
Wedding Vows For A Marriage
“One of the best...” – Sandra Pulsifer
His Unchanging Hand
“Very strong and positive” – Andrea Charles
Seasons Change
“Just what I needed” – Tanya Footman
When Your Life Is Low
“Simply Beautiful” – Bethoria Paige
“I love it, love it, love it...” – Debbie Henderson
Take It From Me:
Cautionary Tales from a Former Fool
Tremayne Moore
Published by Tremayne Moore at Smashwords
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I give all thanks and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank You for salvation and the gift of Your Son. I marvel at all You’ve done and will continue to do in my life. You took a fool like me, and made me one of Your own.
To my immediate and extended family – I love all of you.
I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to the following individuals (who embraced the vision of this project before I saw it): Michael & Davina Stallworth; and LaShanda Callahan (and her staff at LVC Publishing) – I thank God that we crossed paths and I pray that our ministries will touch the world with His love. All that you’ve done for me will never be forgotten. Granted, the book concept would not have existed if it wasn’t for you.
A heartfelt thanks goes to the following people: Janet (Eads) Bowling for introducing poetry to me; Brigitte Marshall for writing Andrea’s prayer; Chuck & Nancy Missler (and the Koinonia House staff – also to Debbie Holland) for allowing me to use an excerpt from your magnificent book The Way of Agape (www.kingshighway.org); Howard Dayton (and the Crown Financial Ministries staff – also to Jim Armstrong) for allowing me to use an excerpt from your superb Bible Study (www.crown.org), Robert & Shantae Charles for keeping me on deadlines, for editing this book, for the great cover and photos, and for anything else I failed to mention; John & Rhesa Rudolph for answering all of my legal questions and your excellent advice; and the entire Prime Family.
I would like to extend my appreciation and love to the ministries that have impacted my life: the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship family (Drs. Ken & Deb Friendly) – Anchorage, Alaska; the Free Spirit Community Church family (the entire Kelly family) – Panama City, Florida and the Abundant Living Faith family (Dr. & Mrs. J.B. Williams) – Tallahassee, Florida. Your sermons and learning your life lessons have made such an impact in my life and it is the better after having sat under your expert tutelage.
To the young ladies at Pace Leon – thank you for keeping it real and having a listening ear during your poetry recital.
If I didn’t mention your name, charge it to my head and not my heart.
Special Thanks
To my entire Four Oaks Community Church family (Pastor Erik & Tori Braun) – Tallahassee, Florida (www.fouroakschurch.com), you are the essence of Agape love. You have opened your homes and hearts to me, and I thank God for all of you. God has so much more in store for us individually and as a Church, and I look forward to basking in the blessings of God with you.
Foreword
I need to make this statement as you proceed to read this book. My dream in life was to be a singer and not a writer. I would try to write when I was nine but because what I wrote made no sense I chose not to dwell on it. A few years later, a family member was so focused on being a rapper; he encouraged me to write as he would write songs. When I look back at that period of my life (1986-1987), Hip Hop was starting to get vulgar and I tried to blend in. After a while, I stopped using vulgarity and shortly after, a classmate in high school introduced me to poetry. After writing this one poem with this classmate, I embraced the concept of poetry. I didn’t know that God was going to use me to write poetry that would eventually be the making of this book. I was writing what was in my heart at that particular moment in my life while avoiding the idea of a book. After taking a long hiatus from writing, I started writing again. When I started writing again, two sisters in Christ prophetically spoke these words to me: “I have a vision. You will write something that will change someone's life, or even be quoted till the end of time.” Again, I didn’t think anything of it, even though numerous people encouraged me to put a book together. I was focused on writing to be a blessing to someone. Here I am, four years later, this project is no longer a vision, but a reality.
Many lives have already been blessed through the poetry God has given me to write. I pray that you open your heart to His Spirit and that you will allow Him to minister to you. Finally, I pray that you are blessed, highly favored & empowered to prosper under His hand.
For His glory:
Tremayne Moore
In Loving Memory:
My aunt Rhea Hunter
Alicia Muldrow
Makeka (Knight) Slay
You are dearly missed.
Table of Contents
Part I: Declarations
A Commitment To My Lord
A Commitment To Purity (Be Sure)
I Have a Dream
Part II: Food For Thought
Gabrielle’s Story
If I Could (Turn The Hands Of Time)
Love and Affection
My Forgive Me List
Only A Fool
What’s Wrong With Me
Part III: Love & Marriage
A Dream (The Wedding Poem)
A Marriage Proposal
My First And My Last Dance
My Vow (From This Day Forth)
Wedding Vows For A Marriage
When A Man Adores A Woman
When God Gave Me You
You Are Beautiful (To Me)
Part IV: Life Struggles
A Reflection Of Life
An Imaginary Conversation (Chapter 1)
An Imaginary Conversation (Chapter 2)
I Promise
Letting Go
The Story Of A Woman’s Life (Chapters 1 & 2)
Part V: Tragedies
A Broken Relationship
A Cheating Story
Love’s Mystery
The Story Of A Life (Parts 1-3)
Part VI: Redemption & Restoration
A Child’s Innocence
A Single Mother’s Heart
Andrea (Parts 1-3)
Starting Over
The Arms of Love
You’re Still Mine
Part VII: Words of Wisdom
His Unchanging Hand
It’s Gonna Be Alright (My Beloved Child)
Seasons Change
When Your Life Is Low
Where Is Your Dream
Who Are Your Friends
Part VIII: Closing Thoughts
A Place In My Heart
If I Didn’t Say
Thank You
About The Author
PART I:
Declarations
A Commitment to My Lord
As I look at my life, who could love me like you do?
You have given me life and I give my life back to you
There is no one who has ever loved me like you
If I ran from your presence, your love will still remain true
If I fled from your spirit, where could I go?
Your spirit is everywhere, and that's all I need to know
How could I ever repay you for all you've done for me?
If only the world and those close to me could see
The difference in me so they don't assume that I'm strange
Then they will understand that you caused my life to be rearranged
When I reached out for you, you were always there
So how could I flee from your love? I wouldn't dare
You saved my life from a lot of things
And you've hidden me under the shadow of your wings
From bad situations and bad company; Jesus, you have set me free
There's no one who changed that, no one who could ever persuade me
To go another way, no matter how they try
They are simply bad company, and their rebellion towards you makes me cry
They have actually taught me how to love the right way
And each new sunrise, I get to start a brand new day
It's because of you I can walk right
It's because of you I can talk right
I couldn't live my life without you
So, this day and going forward, I will never doubt you
When I gave my heart to you, I promised to live my life for you
So, I will forever pursue my heart to worship and adore you
I refuse to let my future be hindered by the weight of my present and past
Because I want this love I have for you to forever last
You are the author and the finisher of my faith that I will forever hold
So convict my heart when my love for you grows cold
I love you, and I mean it with all of my heart
I will perpetually praise you even if my family and friends depart
Because my life and my heart is for you and you alone
And your heart will always and forever be my home
Today, I drop my weight of problems, bad people, anger and defeat
Insanity, drama, guilt, hurts, and a heart of retreat
I refuse to play games anymore and I refuse to be bound
I lay these things at your feet because a new life is what I've found
You have given me faith and the victory to stand through it all
And I'm going all the way with you to fulfill your call
Because when my life is over, I want to hear well done
While there’s breath in my nostrils, I will worship you till the day my life here is gone.
A Commitment to Purity (Be Sure)
(This poem was inspired by Karen Clark-Sheard’s Be Sure).
When you love somebody? That sounds like a love song
When you’ve found a true love, the waiting period doesn’t seem long
And the only way it’s a God-sent love, it’s from Him and it’s pure
So as we prepare to join our hearts together, we must be sure
Yes, you’re the one I prayed for, the one I waited for
We have to make it work to make this worth so much more
If it seems like I’ve been keeping you waiting too long
Forgive me; I want this friendship and commitment to be strong
I also want this relationship to be based on commitment and not just on love
Our commitment to God is that seal of blessing from up above
I hope I’m not pushing you away, again forgive me for my delay
In order to step to you, I need to push my emotions and thoughts out of the way
I don’t want it to be infatuation, because that dies real fast
I want this to be genuine, because true love is what lasts
As we proceed to the wedding day, we must ensure
That we keep our dedication strong and allow God’s Word to keep us pure
If we ever have a problem, we know that God’s love is the cure
So, as we come closer to each other, we must again be sure
I do love our friendship, and I care so much about your heart
I know you’ve been through a lot, and I don’t want to tear you apart
I want to be sensitive to your needs and love you not on my own will
Because my love would push you away with my crazy passion that kills
My love must be His love and your love must be His love
This is the foundation to our love, deep, impenetrable, unbreakable,
We’ll fly like beautiful doves
I remember the day we met, and yes I’ll always remember
Your presence was like a cool breeze in the month of September
I want to be there for you when it’s hot like June or when it’s cold like December
When generations past, this legacy of love for each other they’ll remember
So before I truly share my life with you
I do want to say that I don’t doubt you at all, but my heart must be true
It must be right with God before I surrender my life to you
I hope you feel the same way I do
I intend to lock myself up to remain pure
So, let’s nurture our friendship and make certain we’re absolutely sure.
I Have a Dream
I stand today and see the dream inside of me
It’s deeper than what my eyes can see
Look at me, I have ambition, I have a desire
Nobody can put water on this fire
I have this dream inside of me that’s growing strong
If I can bear the short-term discomfort, the dream won’t take long
I am encouraged, I am blessed, and I am a soldier in this fight
Because I’m strong in the Lord and in the power of His might
I can’t let anything tie me down; I have too much at stake
I know I have to press forward and do whatever it takes.
Never to neglect the Lord who blessed me and saved me
Because it is He who loves me and it is this dream He gave me
I have to fulfill it; I have to nurture it with all of my heart
Because He knew this dream was for me from the start
I love you so much, but I have to pursue this call
Don’t think that I’m pushing you away; it’s not that at all
I want you to stay with me as long as you can
But I’ll understand if you breeze me away like a fan
I want to please God with this dream I’m pursuing
And I don’t want my life torn to pieces and turned to ruins.
I want to encourage you in your dream as I pursue mine
Because if we all pursued the dreams God gave us, the world would be fine
I’m pregnant with promise; this dream is kicking inside of me
Please understand, I have to fulfill this for us, you see
I wouldn’t say this to you if I didn’t love you at all
It’s time we understand and fulfill what is our call
I’ve come too far to let my Lord down
And I must praise Him for what He’s done for me in every town
If Pharaoh and Dr. King can have a dream, then I can have a dream
And when it’s resurrected and affirmed, it’s not as distant as it seems.
If I neglect this, I’m letting you, God, and myself down
This is my time, and I’m turning this life of mine around
Right now, I declare toxic people are going to be removed from me
They are a hindrance to me and I can’t be bothered you see
I have to grow with the wheat and not live around the tares
They will be burned in the end and the thought of that, I can’t bear
This is it! Destiny has to be fulfilled
I refuse to be tied down; that’s not God’s will
This poem might be hard for your ears, so it seems
But this is me, and I’m blessed to be living the dream.
PART II:
Food For Thought
Gabrielle’s Story
(I believe the church needs a serious clean-up job if Jesus is coming back for a church without a spot or a wrinkle).
Gabrielle Thomas came to me and decided to share something that’s on her heart
And from a swift assessment, I perceived something was wrong from the start
We sat at a coffee shop and she started to share with eyes full of tears
At this juncture, I’ll let Gabrielle take over from here.
I’ve only known you for a few months, but you seem like a trusted friend
I hope this friendship we have will last till the end
I’m a little concerned about churches today and what women are looking for
Whether it’s a mate, a church to please the flesh, and I believe there’s more
There are three women who I love like sisters and I pray they find the right church
I also pray they test the spirits, and trust Christ to lead them in their search.
(Scene I)
Shei is 23 and she’s always living in fear
Her pastor knows her well and says “She needs to be here”
Every time she goes to church, the pastor is always asking for money
That’s the focus of his message, but he cloaks his purpose in like honey
If you give a specific amount of money to him, you get a special prayer
That is why the church is growing and the pastor at the church is still there
I wonder how she could sit there when he is living off the poor and middle class
He demands everyone to give an additional offering so he can travel on his yacht, what a snake in the grass.
(Scene II)
Michelle is 25 and she loves her pastor and her church
When people ask her to visit elsewhere, she says no, she’s completed her search
Despite what she knows about Pastor Lawless, his down low lifestyle and his abuse of power?
She follows him blindly, talking favorably about his church and anointed choir
She knows he follows these musicians to the clubs, where big money’s paid
For them to do their pernicious acts and nothing to be said
She desires a man from the congregation but is concerned that they live on the down low
She feels the pastor is anointed while his lifestyle is something no one has to know.
(Scene III)
Mecia is a single parent and she’s 20 years old
She tries to model her life like a pastor’s wife, covered with gold
Fancy hats, expensive clothes and jewelry, and drive a flashy car
A Lexus that is, and she feels that at this church, she can go far
The pastor degrades the women of the church and doesn’t care how they feel
He will call women out specifically under the assumption he’s keeping it real
Mecia is scared to leave because the pastor can easily track her down
She feels the easiest remedy is for her to skip town.
I pray for these sisters and for those who call the name of Christ
That they would open their Bible and understand that His love alone will suffice
They need to read 2 Peter 2; 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 3-4 and Matthew 24
I’ll leave it at those chapters, but with this topic, I could give you more
The time for playing church and living carnal ways must cease
If these people don’t, they will never experience perfect peace
People must know, when you come to Christ, you surrender how you live your life
Search your heart and your church; it’s time to put an end to your pain and strife.
If I Could (Turn the Hands of Time)
If I could turn back the hands of time in my lifespan
I’d see flashbacks of my life and watch the film as it ran
I’d see how I lived as my adolescent existence
And through the curious mind, temptation was a thing that required constant resistance.
Why did I fall for you, why did I let you mistreat me?
Why couldn’t you let me live my life, why did this have to be?
Why did you take
advantage of this innocent child?
Why did you make me feel like a
child running wild?
I had to grow up fast because of my mistakes
Only to learn there were more mistakes I’d make
As my teen years blossomed, I tried to find myself
Only to learn I’m living for God and no one else.
Depression and sorrow, loneliness and despair
It seemed like no one loved me or even cared
My sin finally caught up to me
And I realize I’m in need of Thee.
Now that I found Jesus, I learn I’m still prone to sin
I’m separated from you by my sin and this new life with you I can’t begin
I confess my wrongdoings to others and to you
In order to live this life and do what you want me to say and do.
Even still, I find that even after knowing you, I still fall down
But I thank you, Lord, there’s forgiveness, and you can turn my life around
It’s one thing to stay down, it’s another thing to arise and get up
Try Him in your life; He will overfill your cup.
Even as I live my life, I find myself in conflict with sin
And my youth flashes back to me and I feel I can never win
I understand the enemy wants me to live a life of “If I Could’s”
And granted, there would be some things I’d change, believe me, I would.
I can’t do that, and tomorrow signals a brand new day
I need to shake off my guilt and encourage you as I encourage myself to walk in His way
We can’t turn the hands of time, but we can learn from the errors of our sins
For with Jesus on our side, the fight is fixed – we win!
Love and Affection
(This poem was inspired by the Bible Study: The Way of Agape)
I know this is awkward for a poem to be about love and affection
Please stay with me because this poem has a direction
This is the day where my life gets back on track
I know I’ve made mistakes that I wish I could take back
Because my human frailties have hurt those I truly love
This tells me that I need to understand this agape love from above
If I told you that I love you, does that mean anything?
If I told you that I’ll never try to hurt you, what joy can that bring?
When you put these questions together, you come up with a certain kind of love
It’s called Storge love (a human love) and it’s not from above
Hold on before you tune me out, allow me to explain
It’s hard for my heart to accept this, too much for my mind to contain
Storge love is putting love and affection together
Some people think this kind of love will last forever
This love is an instinctive love like a mother to her child
It means to cover or protect, and it can become painful to the lover after awhile
Why you might ask? Well, it must be reciprocated in order for it to survive
And when it’s not returned, the lover doesn’t want to remain alive
Or it can turn into a possessive love, not wanting to lose that comfort zone
Of being in a married or relationship status, they’re scared to be on their own
This is experienced in a dying relationship where there’s a need to protect their mate
And hold on to the relationship at all costs, some of you I know can relate
It’s not a love for the person that the lover is holding on to
And I’m sure that the lover cries out to God, “What wrong did I do?”
Understand that we need to let go and let God work in their lives
You can’t do this alone, on your strength you’ll never survive
If you don’t it will be a Storge love that’s suffocating and hovering
The one you love will leave anyway, because of the love that’s smothering
Jealousy also plays a role in this kind of love
Some of you right now know what I’m speaking of
This is the fear of losing control of someone you love to another
And it makes you think that for you, there could never be another
This fear can motivate one’s behavior or actions
And you cry when others don’t meet your satisfaction
It’s not an unconditional love for the person as to why you act this way
But it’s a self-centered, emotional love that if unchecked, will ruin your day
The end result is then that someone becomes prey to the enemy
Due to bitterness, hate, resentment, and neither of you are free
If I’ve loved you this way, please forgive me
I’m trying to understand God’s love so this love will be free
I know I’m not perfect, and I’m not using that as an excuse
But I’ll admit, sometimes I’ll throw my hands up and say, “what’s the use?”
I’m never going to get this right, but that’s a trap from the devil
I refuse to bow down and give in; I’m going to the next level
Back to the issue at hand, I understand this love has hurt you
I realize I need God to watch what I say and what I do
I love you too much to let you go this way
I would love to turn your cloudy moods to a sunny day
But I need God to help me do that, I can’t do this alone
We need each other; it’s a struggle being on my own
If I’ve ever appeared jealous or possessive, that wasn’t my intention
I only want the best for you, and I also need to mention
That I don’t ever want to be this way if we’re meant to be
Because that would hurt you tremendously and in turn would hurt me
Pray for me that I learn what agape love is supposed to be
And then I can tell others about God’s love is so they can see
That He’s the only love that will cure this world’s problems
You know and I know that He’s the only one who can solve them
I hope this encourages you as it encourages me
So we can understand His love and demonstrate agape love like it’s supposed to be
I must say that agape love is the only love in which Storge love can be built
I need Him and you do too, so we can experience this love to the hilt.
My Forgive Me List
Some of you may have heard me talk about this, but it's sad when immorality and drama creeps up in the body of Christ and wreaks havoc on women's hearts and spirits. But with all that said, and the things I've seen in my life, I've created a forgive me list to all of the women I've met in my life. And before you say (my single sisters), "you haven't met the right one" to me, I'd like to challenge your expectations in life. Second best shouldn't be in your vocabulary. You might find this humorous (and it should be), but it should also make you think about who's in your life that doesn't need to be.
Forgive me for not having a criminal record
Forgive me for not having an expensive car
Forgive me for not having gold and/or brass teeth
Forgive me for not calling sisters B's and W's
Forgive me for not being a great singer like R. Kelly
Forgive me for not having tattoos
Forgive me for not being good-looking like 50 Cent
Forgive me for not having a large bank account (but still have a good job)
Forgive me for not selling drugs
Forgive me for not wanting to have sex before marriage
Forgive me for not being a father of numerous children
Forgive me for not pimping you like a hot commodity.
And with all of that said what do I have to offer you?
Only a Fool
(Sometimes a blessing is right in front of us, but because we expect our blessing in a certain way, we miss it and learn the hard way. But God is still in control).
This poem will be a unique and unusual story
Either way; grab some tea and give God His glory
This story is about a woman who’s special to my heart
And we both knew we were inseparable from the start
She wanted to see me face to face
And she preferred the location to be at my place
Why? She feels comforted there and knows I won’t hurt her