The future belongs to people who can think, hustle, and create.
Patience is nothing more than a refined sense of confidence.
Ed Latimore Quotes
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Author Archives: bigskybuckeye
Trusting Him Alone
From Psalm 62:8: “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
Sometimes waiting in silence
Seeking refuge, filled with hope
Salvation comes from the Lord
Conquers life’s slippery slope
All power resides in God
Filled with sacred, steadfast love
Eternal rock and fortress
Deliverance from above
Learning to always trust Him
Faith in God, speaking twofold
Earthly affairs, trusting God
Heavenly business, behold
Enemy of darkness plots
Lives of idleness, He seeks
All times, rely on the Lord
Prudence, uprightness shall speak
Our ship defies windy storms
Dark impulses, pushed aside
Journey on God’s trusted path
Faithful steps, He’s alongside
Conscience never contradicts
Casting burdens, hear the Lord
Serve Him with integrity
Heart fixed, trusting His accord
From the words of British pastor, Charles Spurgeon: “There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God.”
Looking Back (Elfchen Series #26)
New Start
Temperance
Traveling Companions
Moderation accompanies wisdom
Harnessing appetites, desires, impulses
Rewarded
Loving Duty
Parenting
Nurturing love
Grace filling legacy
Preparing children for life’s
Journey
Play Ball
Baseball
Opening Day
President on sidelines
Scientist throws first pitch
Ironic
Sneak Peek
Here is a sneak peek of a short story which has been sitting in my “to later be finished” folder. This preview presents the beginning of the story in a very unfinished format. There is more editing and work to be done. Right now, the title is “On the Run.”
Dateline: St. Louis (30 years ago)
The First National Bank was robbed at gunpoint this morning. The amount of cash taken appears to exceed one million dollars. Police confirmed that the outlaw couple of Liz and Winston pulled off the heist.
Thirty years later . . .
On a bright, sunny May morning, Carl steps into the kitchen to kiss his bride of 30 years. Emma is preparing his favorite breakfast with an extra helping of love. The kitchen is filled with the delicious smells of crispy bacon, hot coffee, and perfectly browned waffles.
As Carl enjoys a perfect breakfast with Emma, their thoughts center on the plans for the day. The couple, living near Noxon, appreciates the isolated beauty of northwestern Montana. With a population just over 200, the small town atmosphere suits Carl and Emma just fine. Noxon sits along Montana Highway 200 with the Clark Fork River flowing about a quarter mile from their cozy cabin.
Today is Wednesday, which means a trip to town for Carl and Emma. They complete their weekly shopping one day each week, and Wednesday offers them a chance to leave their pristine, yet isolated home. Since Carl and Emma arrived in the area nearly 30 years ago, they live almost like hermits in the trees along the Clark Fork. Very few of the local folks pay much attention to the quiet, retired couple.
As Carl and Emma prepare for their weekly shopping in Noxon, a newcomer arrives in town. Pete Martin, formerly Chief Detective Martin of the St. Louis Police Department, has traveled to the northwestern corner of Montana for a long-awaited fishing trip. Since losing his wife to a long-term illness a few years ago, his friends have been urging the retired detective to take such a journey.
Now that you have read the beginning of the story, I am sure your mind is filling with what may happen next. There is much work to go on this story, and dialogue needs to be added between the three main characters. I don’t have an exact completion date in mind, but sometime this fall should be a tentative deadline.
Charles Stanley Quote
Like it or not, hardship is part of life. Becoming a Christian doesn’t change that fact.
From John 16:33: “I have said this to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
Empty Pages
Life begins much like an empty book
Pages waiting as a tranquil brook
How will daily life compose each page?
Breathtaking words at every age
Words starting with childlike, joyful prose
Sentences fill with love, head to toes
Paragraphs arrive, smiling each day
First page finishes, much like crochet
Chapters now gather, picking up speed
Transmission accepts each tender reed
Pages adding up, never afraid
Days, weeks, months, years gather . . . no charade
Life reaches the twilight of its time
Not pausing, not even for halftime
Who will ever read this manuscript?
There’s time to add a final postscript
With empty pages, life’s book began
Words maturing, always in God’s plan
Vince Lombardi Quotes
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
Faithful Journey
From Psalm 85:8-9: “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people, to His faithful, to those who turn to Him in their hearts. Surely His salvation is at hand for those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.”
Uncertain darkness
Surrounds me this day
Humbly take a knee
Bowing now to pray
Prayers calling God
Remain unhurried
Unanswered questions
Never be worried
Christ’s teachings feed thee
With the bread of life
This eternal gift
Blessings without strife
Lord of life and love
He feeds and frees all
Through His Holy Word
Never builds a wall
Allow me to pause
God prods thee along
Hearing His questions
Answers make me strong
God everlasting
Faith remains with thee
Through life’s harsh chaos
Calming stormy seas
From Romans 10:10-13: “ For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in Him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on Him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'”
Charles Swindoll Quote
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com
God is in full control. Nothing is happening on earth that brings a surprise to Heaven. Nothing is outside the scope of His divine radar screen as He guides us safely home.
From 1 Timothy 1:17: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Still on Watch
Deserted, severed tree trunk
Shattered by storms long ago
Splitting this giant in two
Forsaken now in its woes
Nature’s hand calling the shots
Drawing dark cards from the deck
Standing alone, slowest death
Trying to salvage this wreck
Deformed snag appears lifeless
Yet, God calls this wildlife tree
Standing proudly, still on watch
Nature’s snack bar waits for free
Living nearby, log still lives
Covered with lichens and moss
Home for God’s smallest creatures
Termites, beetles . . . march across
Jagged stump remains on guard
Below the ground, roots still thrive
Life holds on, another year
Perseverance to survive
Around the dark, scuttled tree
Racing to reach sunlight first
Young saplings growing skyward
Cycle of life, marked to burst
All of the photographs were taken at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, which is located just outside of Canal Winchester, Ohio. I frequently walk this park during the fall, spring, and summer months with an occasional hike in the wintertime.
Big Sky Buckeye 