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The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, “O God, forgive me,” or “Help me.”
From Joshua 1:9: “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
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Sitting in darkness
Feeling so lonesome
Dealing with sadness
Silence still fearsome
Waking at night
Harsh dreams exist
Silent images in sight
Dark visions persist
Feeling infinitely restless
Nearly every day
This mind will confess
Nothing but gray
What voices speak
To a lonely heart
No one to greet
Needing a restart
This world filled
With eerie muteness
No longer a thrill
Never a kindness
Who hears at all?
Silence sadly grows
Landing with a fall
No embers glow
Forget this life
So long ago
No more strife
Waiting to go
Too much “stuff”
To deal with
Darkness is enough
This life drifts
Special love lost
Many years ago
A ring is tossed
Away it goes
Empty, shattered heart
Now freezing cold
Alone in the dark
No longer bold
My Lord, my God
Bring light to bear
Be an awesome God
Help one to care
In total blackness
Of a lost night
Words of brightness
Feeling so right
God’s truthful voice
Speaks loud and clear
Brings a perfect choice
No longer in fear
Cutting the quietness
Like a warm knife
God brings sunniness
Saves another life
Falling to knees
Now in prayer
Sad emotions flee
This soul cares
Kneeling at the Cross
Laying down sins
Repentance, now costs
Accept Christ within
Beholding Christ’s Salvation
Help to break out
Heart fills with elation
Lighting a shout
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A disciple is a follower of Christ. That means you take on His priorities as your own. His agenda becomes your agenda. His mission becomes your mission.
From John 12:25-26: “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there will My servant be also. Whoever serves Me, the Father will honor.”
The Ridge beckons me
Bringing forward praise to God—
His Cathedral waits
Morning walk awaits
My favorite lady goes—
Sadie on a leash
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On the backyard deck
Feverishly eating more—
Tiny chipmunk sits
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No journey is complete that does not lead through some dark valleys. We can properly comfort others only with the comfort we ourselves have been given by God.
From Psalm 94:19: “When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
Hello readers, here is a new weekly feature on Big Sky Buckeye. I will repost a previously published poem every Monday. Today’s post was one of the first poem’s written by yours truly. Enjoy a newly edited version about “Morning Coffee.”
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Smelling the rich aroma on another early morn
Anticipating the initial taste, like being reborn
Certainly one cup will not be enough today
A second cup causes worries to fade away
As Dolly Parton sings, “Pour myself a cup of ambition”
Coffee will definitely be my regular morning addiction
Waking up on a chilly, frosty, dark day
Jumping out of bed to be on one’s way
Hurrying down to the kitchen, what is this?
No coffee? An empty morning without bliss!
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Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.
From Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
Living in Christ brings believers true and faithful contentment. Apostle Paul writes much about experiencing content with our faith and remaining true to God’s calling. His writings inspire this poem.
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Encourage others as God encourages each of us
Be forgiving toward others, adding to life’s plus
Give thanks for all of Father’s grace
Be His prayer warrior at every place
Allow Christ to shine through in all we do
Be filled with the Spirit, faithful and true
Hold dear to our hearts, all that is good
Be thankful to God, as we always should
Fiery ordeals and daily trials will always challenge all
Be an eyewitness to Christ’s sufferings, never to fall
God is sovereign and forever in control of it all
Be aware, all things work together, forever tall
When God’s glory is finally revealed on that day
Be shouting with amazing grace, sing as we may
We bring nothing into this world we live
Be content with little, the rest God gives
The love of money brings evil times
Be taking nothing, not even a dime
Bring together godliness with contentment
Be willing to follow every Commandment
Despite our weaknesses, Christ dwells within thee
Be content with calamities and hardships we see
God’s Grace is sufficient for everyone
Be thankful for the sacrifice of His Son
Christ resides in our hearts, He yearns to save
Be strengthened with blood and body He gave
Always rely on God’s strength and mighty clout
Be content, following His Word, never in doubt
Love of Christ surpasses all that we ever see
Be grateful and shower blessings, take a knee
How does God’s Word bring you contentment? Does a special verse of Scripture sing out to you?
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God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but He does insist on complete honesty.
From Proverbs 11:5: “The godly are directed by their honesty.”
Here is the second part of the discussion about my diabetic shadow. I appreciated the many comments from readers after posting the initial discussion. In case you missed the first part, here is the link to it:
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In the previous discussion about my struggle with Type 2 Diabetes, I really was not committed to taking charge of my health and making the necessary adjustments in my lifestyle. Once again, here are my previous lab results:
| Date | Cholesterol | HDL | LDL | A1C |
| 2014 | 218 | 42 | 154 | NA |
| 2015 | 222 | 41 | 162 | 6.4 |
| Feb, 2016 | 249 | 42 | 179 | 7.5 |
After my February, 2016 test results, my doctor began prescribing a cocktail of medications to address my condition. He was concerned that future complications could carry the risk of a major life-changing event.
My medications included:
I was dedicated to taking these medications as prescribed. However, the rest of my lifestyle wasn’t making other necessary changes.
I was missing two key elements in following a much healthier lifestyle.
I was making adjustments in my eating plan, but I wasn’t “all in” with what I needed to be doing. I was still consuming too much sugar as well as not significantly cutting down on my level of carbohydrates. Exercise continued to be pretty much the same as before—little or nothing.
My new lab results over the next 12 months showed some improvement, but not the breakthrough my doctor and I were looking for. As he told me, “sugar is poison” in your body.
| Date | Cholesterol | HDL | LDL | A1C |
| Aug, 2016 | 173 | 46 | 112 | 6.6 |
| Feb, 2017 | 155 | 38 | 105 | 7.4 |
While my overall cholesterol was improving significantly, the other numbers told a different story. The most glaring disappointment in these numbers was the drop in my good cholesterol (HDL) and the increase in my A1C.
The coming months were going to require a change in attitude about bringing my diabetic condition under control. In an upcoming final post, I will address how these numbers would change for the better.
Big Sky Buckeye 