***Currently, submissions for Relief are OPEN. Submissions for The Midnight Diner are CLOSED.***
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Relief: A Christian Literary Expression:
November 1 to March 1 → Spring Issue (published in May/June)
May 1 to September 1 → Fall Issue (published in November/December)
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Have you ever willingly seen something that you wish you could unsee, hear something you wish you’d never heard? When you bite off more than you can chew, pick up the wrong rock and find dirty things underneath; you can’t put it down without doing something.
There is so much in my mind at the present that resembles that of the above. Part of me wishes I had never delved into the learning process that lead to my knowledge of these things, and the other part knows that I would lack the passion I now possess if I had never learned these things.
I am His and He is mine
Need to form relationship
Let Him in to guide my life
So that I am in His grip
I must learn to listen more
Shunning all that is around
Place Him first in all I do
So that my intentions sound.
I need help with this desire
Cannot do it on my own
I have toyed for twenty years
It's my trumpet I have blown
Time to get more serious
I have nothing left to lose
Here I am Lord, I am Yours
It is You I gladly choose.
We are members of an army
Anglicans we're proud to be
Always ready for a battle
Love to set the captives free
Armed and ready for the conflict
satans demons have no chance
Then I wake up from my slumber
Back I go into my trance.
We are members of an order
Anglicans anonymous
Say the words that threaten ozone
Do not want to cause a fuss
We're equipped to spread the gospel
But we seem to hold our tongue
Maybe we should bite the bullet
Go and preach to everyone.
Being British we stay silent
Someone somewhere has the knack
We'll be here to smile so sweetly
When they bring the convert back
We are treading costly water
One day He will ask us why
Beneath the mask you're wearing,
There lies a crumpled heap,
A mass of contradictions,
That you're desperate to keep,
If only people knew you,
A heap of sin and shame,
They would surely shun you,
They wouldn't be to blame.
As you keep on sinking,
Into this pit of guilt,
The devil has the victory,
With all the lies he's built,
God doesn't want to know you,
He wouldn't waste His time,
So carry on your life of fear,
Slide deeper in the slime.
God loves you very deeply,
He wants to hold you near,
To bring light to your darkness,
And banish all your fear,
Through Jesus you have power,
To change your sense of worth,
And be just as He wants you,
No More Tears Have Fallen From My Eyes
No more tears have fallen from my eyes
I look to Heaven and The Starry skies
To comfort and guide a spirit broken
Destiny takes charge:God has spoken
Bewildered and blessed,now I am free
Sadness fades as spirit lives in me.
Giving our all,expecting the best
of all lifes pleasures,not excepting less
Trusting life's tides will carry us along
To a better place and uplifting song
Reaping the benefits of a life well done
Enjoying the fruits of victories won.
A Patient Time
A time for waiting,a hibernation
Before we follow through on dreams
Careful planning,with determination
Putting away half baked schemes
No day or night is ever wasted
Patience builds slowly day by day
The fruit of forbearance is soon tasted
Sweet as honey where we lay
Suddenly we are engaged in life
Our souls’desire reaches out
And wraps its lasso around the moment
Discarding all our useless doubts
From Sorrow to Acceptance -By Frances Ayers
On sorrows'wings I journeyed to a land where I had never been.
Each loss was undiscovered country,landscapes I had never seen,mountains I had never climbed.
I had taken a journey past familiar landmarks I missed, and memories that were past.I had buried the familiar stories and neglected the happiness,which lay buried deep beneath the earth,only now and then pushing to the surface.
I drank from bitter springs and sat among the weeds,neglecting to seperate them from the flowers.
Beheld only the sunsetting but forgot the beauty in each new day.
When I had shed enough tears,I remembered the laughter echoing in the valley and heard the birds chirping a new song.
I saw the sun reflecting on the water.
This morning I hear an all too familiar sound of knocking at the front door at an ungodly hour of the day.
"Do they come and knock as loud as they can on purpose?" I groggily ask myself
The constable states that "they" said my rent's late even though it's only the 19th and we don't have rent due.
"I've heard that before," I wearily reply.
This "they" is the apartment management. I've come up with a new term for them: "chupacabra." You can Google that one if you don't know what it means.
I say "Okay, you have a great day sir."
Why don't I say what I really think?
What I really think is, "How much do 'they' pay you to come and deliver this note to me at 5:51 in the morning?" and then I think, "How much are 'they' charging me for this note you're delivering?"