Inning by inning
Baseball’s enduring fabric—
Life in a box score
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Baseball broadcasting
Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson–
Game open to all
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Iron Horse plays each game
Playing in Yankees pinstripes—
Lou Gehrig stands tall
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Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it.
From Mark 12:29-31: “Jesus answered, ‘The first is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'”
This poem was written in November, 2018, to honor one of my granddaughters for her dedication to her sport of gymnastics. Her passion and skills definitely show how far she has progressed over the years.
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Music accompanies daring tumbling moves
Elegance and personality match the groove
Connecting a back layout with a back handspring
The floor exercise generates applause that rings
A most challenging event brings a fearless test
Strength, agility, and balance need to be best
Moving from the lower to the upper bar with such ease
The uneven bars finish with a dismount sure to please
A front handspring explodes from the springboard
Elongated body soars high to earn a worthy score
Twisting with a half or a full displays superb skill
The vault produces athleticism to deliver a thrill
Forward and backward walkovers with such poise
A 360 degrees pivot creates a hush with little noise
Connecting all the rhythmic moves with no doubts
The balance beam ends with a precise dismount
A spectacular gymnastics meet delivers the very bold
The crowd watches in amazement, nothing seems old
Competing for a high score and a gold medal, too
Such graceful precision will see this girl through
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In many communities across America, traditional Memorial Day ceremonies have included a public reading of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This solemn tradition honors the lives given by all American military personnel. Here is the address in its entirety:
Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
This speech was delivered by President Lincoln on November 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the commemoration of the National Cemetery at the Civil War battlefield. In less than 275 words, Lincoln perhaps gave the greatest speech ever presented by an American President.
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The Bible offers a rich source of thanksgiving, hope, and deliverance as Psalm 107 inspires the text for this poem.
From Psalm 107:1-2: “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those He redeemed from trouble.”
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Thanking our Lord above
Seeing His wondrous deeds
His Holy, steadfast love
All humankind, He leads
Overwhelming distress
Crying out to the Lord
Discovering His light
Living by His accord
Bringing us from darkness
Satisfying our thirst
Saving us with His light
Loving us, always first
Filling endless hunger
Breaking these sinful chains
Reaching out to His light
Trusting God, with the reins
Halting all wickedness
Calming all stormy winds
Healing us with His light
Forgiving dark-filled sins
Praising our Redeemer
Hearing cries, not ignored
Delivering His light
Giving thanks to our Lord
Thanking our Lord above
Seeing His wondrous deeds
His Holy, steadfast love
All humankind, He leads
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From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll: “Circumstances occur that could easily crush us. We can hand the circumstances to God and ask Him to take control or we can roll up our mental sleeves and slug it out.”
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Our faith becomes stronger as we express it; a growing faith is a sharing faith.
From 1 Timothy 2:7: “For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
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Sportscaster Joe Buck has been sidelined with the postponement of the Major League Baseball season. The legendary play-by-play announcer has been looking for opportunities to stay in the game. Let’s join Joe Buck, live on the air.
Good afternoon baseball fans! Coming from the home of Billy and Tony Bennett is today’s Backyard Home Run Derby.
This amazing duo will be challenging each other as pitcher and batter with a whiffle ball and bat. While most of the sporting world has been silent with their contests, these two brothers have definitely discovered their niche.
Billy has been assigned as the pitcher in today’s contest. His assignment will be to prevent any and all home runs. His brother, Tony . . . yes, he’s named after the famous crooner . . . will be stepping into the batter’s box to crush one of Billy’s fastballs out of the park.
Let’s set the scene. The Bennett’s backyard is a formidable challenge for both pitcher and batter. Home plate is located in the corner of the yard up next to the house. The pitcher’s mound is tucked behind Mom’s favorite rose bushes. The outfield fence is lined with a forest of Lombardy poplar trees . . . the wall looks quite reminiscent of Fenway Park’s “Green Monster.”
Billy stands ready on the mound to face Tony. Freddie, their neighbor friend, has volunteered to be both the catcher and the umpire.
Tony steps into the batter’s box. He looks all set.
From behind the roses, Billy winds up with his first pitch. “Strike One!”
Tony watches the fleeting fastball cross the plate without even taking a swing. I guess he’s sorting out the speed of Tony’s stuff.
Billy receives his sign from Freddie. The pitch is on its way.
Swing and a miss. “Strike Two!”
Tony steps out of the batter’s box. What’s this?
Defiantly, he points his bat toward the massive outfield wall. Yes folks, Tony is calling his shot just like the Babe did at Wrigley Field in the 1932 World Series between the powerful Yankees and the upset-minded Cubs.
Tony steps back into the batter’s box, digging both feet into the plush, green grass.
Billy takes the sign from Freddie. It looks like another fastball will be on its way.
Here’s comes the pitch.
[Crack of the bat crushing the ball]
Deep to center field. Is it enough? Gone!!
Easily clearing the majestic center field wall . . . a tape measure shot into the next yard . . . splashing into the Snyder’s backyard swimming pool. Mickey Mantle would be proud!
There you have it baseball fans. Tony is one up in today’s Backyard Home Run Derby.
We will pause for a commercial break while the game ball is retrieved from its watery splashdown. We’ll be right back with more of this backyard classic.
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Through it all, God is with us, leading us, teaching us, humbling us, preparing us.
From Psalm 91:1-2: “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.'”
Have you ever visited any of America’s western badlands? Some of my travels have allowed the me the privilege to experience these wonders of nature.
A panoramic view of the Painted Canyon Overlook off of Interstate 94 near Medora, North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Hidden beauty, waiting to be found
Western badlands, ready to be crowned
Nature proclaims its rugged features
Wildlife views from its austere bleachers
Kaleidoscope of creatures around
Falcons, eagles, deer, bison abound
Barren environment, a wasteland
Native tribes nicknaming this “bad land”
Slippery clay gumbo, sinking sand
Fur trappers evade these harsh badlands
Timely erosion unearths treasures
Fossil beds offering up pleasures
Late spring rains transform the quiet view
Green velvet covers buttes, right on cue
Sleeping landscape erupts with color
Prairie flowers dazzle and holler
Brilliant colors reflect morning’s light
Ravines, gullies paint prismatic sights
Another view of the North Dakota badlands. If one looks closely, there is an American Bison in the center of this photo.
My journeys out West have allowed me to visit three of America’s treasured badlands: Makoshika State Park (near Glendive, Montana), Theodore Roosevelt National Park (near Medora, North Dakota), and Badlands National Park (near Rapid City, South Dakota).
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Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.
Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.
Big Sky Buckeye 