Accepting His Challenge

From Micah 6:1-2:  “Hear what the Lord says:  Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.  Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a case against His people, and He will contend with Israel.”

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Speaking to His wayward flock

God issues new covenant

Echoing across valleys

Scaling each lofty mountain

 

Hearing God’s divine message

Called, accepting His challenge

Following with trust, grace speaks

Stepping from darkness to light

 

Watching from heaven above

God’s righteousness brings justice

Sowing seeds of repentance

Turning man away from sin

 

Praying for God’s forgiveness

His Rock, man shall climb in faith

Seeing empty tomb’s mercy

Walking every day with Christ

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From Micah 6:8:  “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”

Years Ago

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Hidden in forest’s midst

Ancient homestead’s landscape

Under winter blanket

Wakening, day takes shape

 

One more snowy morning

Old barn wrapped up in white

Barely able to stand

Making for quite a sight

 

Corral broken, rails split

Livestock forever gone

Snow-painted grass smiles back

Waiting for spring’s new fawn   

 

But wait, life still stirring

Chimney’s smoke drifting high

Rustic cabin’s fireplace

Warming urge to drop by

 

All welcome, step inside

Plenty of room to share

Coffee’s hot, feel at home

Sitting on kitchen’s chairs

 

Hilltop looking back down

So many years ago

Memories slowly fade

Covering up in snow

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Encountering His Wisdom (Elfchen Series #137)

Listening

Questions

Seeking help

Father never forsakes

Faith carries us through

Answers

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Nourishing

Waking

Each morning

Day’s agenda reset

Grace sustains another soul

Living

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Encouraging

Hearing

Daily prayers

Mercy brings patience

Father’s glory shall shine

Believing

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This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

Heart’s Reflections

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Looking through honest lens

Working from novel ways

Encouraging chorus

Filling every hour with praise

 

Setting aside worries

Embracing revisions

Writing life’s next chapter

Seeing tomorrow’s vision

 

Stepping forward with hope

Gazing at clouds afar

Embracing each treasure

Reaching for another star

 

Tasting sweeter moments

Moving from perfection

Pursuing unique path

Mirroring heart’s reflections

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Confidence Through Courage

From Ephesians 6:10-12:  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

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Evil waits in shadows

Always ready to pounce

Bending each tender rose

Courage fills every ounce

 

Darkness plays upon fears

Adversary arrives

Filling each heart with tears

Courage always survives

 

God’s armor shall protect

Against wicked’s arrows

Standing tall and erect

Courage never narrows

 

Bold light shines from above

God harbors faith’s stronghold

Sending grace, filled with love

Confidence grows and holds

 

Oh, God of Salvation

High upon solid rock

Blessing life’s narration

Confidence grasps bedrock

 

Shouts of joy, praising God

Hope now breathes, without fear

Walking on mercy’s sod

Confidence always near

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From Psalm 27:1-2:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.”

From Today to Tomorrow (Haiku Series #214)

Journey

Today’s smallest steps

Moving toward tomorrow—

Consistency counts

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Intermission

Life needing to pause

Today’s time to self-reflect—

Tomorrow brightens

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Rewards

Today sharing grace

Treasure each small victory—

Building tomorrow

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Monday Memories: Forever Awesome

From Psalm 92:1-2:  “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night.”

brown and white rock mountain

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Awesome God

Watching over us

His lasting, eternal Creation

 

From Heaven

His sovereignty covers

Always faithful in devotion

 

His greatness

Prevails over all

As the Most High

 

Standing above

His wisdom proclaims

Past, present, and future

 

His work

Scatters His enemies

Bringing gladness and joy

 

Our Father

Assuring, unselfish love

Reaching deeply into souls

 

Heavenly Father

Standing tall forever

Above any and all

 

Our Rock

He stands mightily

Each and every day

 

Forever awesome

His transforming power

Offers gift of Grace

 

Always upright

For the righteous

His path to Salvation

woman standing on the cliff

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Originally published February, 2020.

Faith’s Infinite Song

From Psalm 147:5-6:  “Great is our Lord and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.  The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; He casts the wicked to the ground.”

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Flowing Creator’s river

Filling faith’s infinite song

Catching every sweetest verse

Walking with Christ, always strong

 

Knowing heartache and despair

Finding deepest love-filled joy

Praising grace with every song

Crushing darkness, Christ deploys

 

Enriching life’s peace journey

Echoing lyrics shall sing

Leading from night to morning

Replacing evil’s harsh sting

 

Witnessing hope every day

Revealing Savior’s true love

Composing each blessed song

Praying to Father above

 

Transforming another soul

Singing with angels up high

Renewing faith’s guiding light

Looking to heavens’ blue sky

 

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American preacher and renowned hymn writer, Robert Lowry (1826-1899), wrote over 500 hymns.  One inspired this poem, “My Life Flows On in Endless Song.”

Uplifting Mercy (Elfchen Series #136)

Conversation

Daily

Blessed dialogue

God and self

Listening to His love

Prayer

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Direction

Trusting

Christ’s light

Leading one’s journey

Along His chosen path

Faith

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Transition

Creator’s

Lasting insight

Through free-flowing grace

Timing of life’s seasons

Fulfillment

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Dreaming of Conquest

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Dreaming of conquest

Favorite game show

Awesome contestant

Answer’s fandango

 

Sleeping wide awake

No longer dreaming

Clock striking midnight

Netflix still streaming

 

Sailing oceans blue

First mate now sleeping

Craft found, back on course

Prize’s safekeeping

 

Shifting direction

Away from sailing

Compass pointing west

Dreamtime’s unveiling

 

Sweeping “Price is Right”

Morning now shifting

New day with new wheels

Sports car downshifting

 

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