About
From as far back as I can remember my interests have been in people and their relationships. People fascinate me with their unique gifts, talents and colorful personalities. If anyone asked me to clarify and summarize this passion of mine in a sentence it would be this.
"I have always been interested in what the motivations and reasons behind what makes people tick"
Here are some truths we all have to face. We are usually our own worst enemies, judging ourselves harshly and our amazing gifts are so often our greatest weaknesses. We all struggle with where we fit in the puzzle of life, simply because we struggle to accept, love or value ourselves and recognise our true identity.
My journey through life has been a road less traveled compared to most people I talk with. Through the potholes of failure, insecurity, doubts and fears of finding myself, I am now able to draw from the well of these failing forward experiences. Through this self-awareness, I have learned so many things from life being my mentor! I have developed skills to listen with all my ears, and asking relevant questions has developed and taught me what I now know.
Hello. My name is Lloyd Portman and I have been writing poetry for over 35 years. This journey began following an exciting encounter I experienced with God. The church I was pastoring owned the local Christian bookstore, which served the community's spiritual needs. 5 volunteer workers managed the shop on a weekly rotation. I was choosing gifts for them prior to Christmas that year and as I was about to purchase them, God spoke to me. He said; "Put the gifts back on the shelves, take 5 blank cards and give them something from the pastor's desk!"
I was very excited at the time, understanding God wanted to speak to each of these faithful volunteers. What evolved was God spoke to each of them through a prophetic poem I wrote which God then fulfilled over the next 12 months. Since then, writing poetry has become my daily connection with God.
When writing my Christian Poetry, the main purpose is to define the revelation I receive. I add a reflection and questions to articulate and enhance the meaning to engage the audience.
No matter what your poetry flavor or need is, I believe the modern style of prose can be more impactful and fits the current reading habits. It is in contrast to how it was written for former generations, however, all have their place.
One constraint I had to work through was my mindset, regarding what was the accepted poetry writing standard. Is it either rhyme or prose? I choose to write using the prose style because I prefer my poetry to be short and punchy.
We are God's poetry, which I quote from Ephesians 2:10 from the Passion Translation.
As I write these poems, my heart is that these words and themes will resonate with you and bless you. I am sure you can meditate on the revelation that we have become God's poetry and enjoy the inspiration which it releases in you.
God bless you.