Monday Memories: Our Father’s Goodness

From 2 Peter 1:5-7: “For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.”

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Our Father’s goodness

Glory, God and King

Bless and praise His name

Mighty greatness sings

 

Through generations

Honor His great deeds

Infinite wisdom

God’s faithful Word leads

 

Glorious splendor

Kingdom never ends

Eternal, Holy

Wondrous works, God sends

From Psalm 145:8-9The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made.”

His greatness declares

Lord everlasting

Praising righteousness

Mercies broadcasting

 

Cries, our Father hears

From darkness, redeemed

He stands, always near

God’s goodness, esteemed

 

Truth, call upon God

Grace, freely given

Love, witness a Cross

Sins, now forgiven

 

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From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll:  “There are four words I wish we would never forget, and they are ‘God keeps His word.'”

Joy’s Vision

From Psalm 17:15:  “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding Your likeness.”

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Darkness surrounds

Searching for light

God’s vision breathes

Faith’s trusted Knight

 

Peace from God’s Word

Lighting new road

Vision forgives

Mercy’s love code

 

Conscience wakens

Beholding God

Renewed vision

No longer flawed

 

Prayer’s answers

Hearing God’s voice

Hope’s fresh vision

Truth’s blessed choice

 

Purest in heart

Tasting God’s grace

Joy’s vision found

Faith’s trusted place

 

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From Matthew 5:8:  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Lasting Peace (Elfchen Series #274)

Eternal

Faith’s

Divine garden

Seeded without weeds

Nourished with Living Water

Maturity

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Everyday

Hope’s

Fertile soil

Cultivated with grace

Sunrise offers endless bounty

Harvest

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Benevolence

Joy’s

Fruitful journey

Sustained with love

Sown with trusted hands

Gratitude

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Bountiful Grace

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Evening’s darkness deepens

Silence now awakens

Nature never rests

While daylight feels forsaken

 

Gentle spirit’s exhale

Dreams stand ready to climb

Day now forgotten

Headlines swallowed up in time

 

Starlight scatters its dust

World seemingly asleep

Patience to unfold

Caught up in submerging deep

 

Harmony’s dawn rises

New day set to embrace

Morning shares goodness

Propelled by bountiful grace

 

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Hope Breathes

From Psalm 146:1-2:  “Praise the LordPraise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.”

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Sunrise filling eastern sky

Singing praises to God’s love

Trusting in His divine Word

Hope breathes form heavens above

 

New day faithfully arrives

Reigning forever with grace

Nourishing with righteousness

Hope breathes from Savior’s birthplace

 

Prophecy’s promises true

Holding mercy in His hands

Sending His Son in man’s place

Hope breathes from Father’s heartland

 

Faith pursues with endurance

Approaching eternal light

Witnessing redemption’s peace

Hope breathes from Christ’s risen flight

 

Savior’s precious blood now shed

Granting forgiveness of sins

Calling all to walk with Him

Hope breathes from His love within

 

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From 1 Timothy 6:12:  “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Transforming Landscape (Haiku Series #350)

Another Afternoon

Backroad’s autumn drive

Invigorating colors—

Endless leaves’ parade

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Almost Gone

Farmer’s pumpkin patch

Invitation to pick some—

Harvest of orange

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Cozy and Comfy

Quilted with color

Warmest blanket nearly done—

Each cascading leaf

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Monday Memories: Lonely Heart

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Alone and isolated

Empty calendar pages

Absent family and friends

Life walking in Dark Ages

 

Hour’s darkest shadows lengthen

Day’s hope missteps and stumbles

Sudden tears, any moment

Faith now tumbles, then crumbles

 

Day awakens, same old drill

Memories fade, bit by bit

Miles from nowhere, so alone

Silence fills heart, not close-knit

 

Few good days dwarfed by bad ones

Sunny smiles becoming few

Lonely heart needs titan’s lift

Shining light makes its breakthrough

 

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Make it a point today to reach out to someone who could use a warm hug, a trusting smile, or a kind word.  Lonely hearts fill many people with emptiness; share your light.

Originally published January, 2021.

Faith’s Vision

From Luke 17:5-6:  “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’  The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.'”

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Remaining at life’s station

Waiting, always watching

Living with righteousness

Faith’s vision of salvation

 

Trusting in hope’s fortitude

Adopting God’s patience

Committing to His ways

Faith in Him shall be renewed

 

Believing in Savior’s grace

Facing life’s rising tides

Revealing light to come

Faith rekindled to embrace

 

Repenting of sinful ways

Floundering no longer

Accepting forgiveness

Faith powering up each day

 

Pulsating heart filled with joy

Hearing God’s truthful voice

Witnessing through Christ’s love

Faith gathers peace to deploy

 

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English hymnwriter and theologian, Frederick William Faber (1814-1863), wrote the hymn “Faith of Our Fathers” in 1847.  The lyrics reflect upon an inspiring vision of faith at work.

Nourished Faith (Elfchen Series #273)

Redeemed

Witnessing

Man’s shortcomings

Our perfect Father

Christ’s victory at Calvary

Grace

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Strengthened

Embracing

Gospel’s truth

Salvation’s precious breath

Forwarding gift of peace

Light

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Emboldened

Becoming

Christ followers

Trust’s precious steps

Taking up thy cross

Disciples

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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.

Time’s New Lease

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Sunrise brightens this day

Framing with precious light

Adventure comes this way

Guiding morning’s delights

 

Clearest blue sky above

Releasing gentle voice

Blessed with Creator’s love

Calling self to rejoice

 

Stillness of ocean’s breeze

Finding life’s missing piece

Each hour dissolves unease

Unlocking time’s new lease

 

Peaceful waters spread out

Prevailing winds called forth

Navigation’s new route

Setting compass true north

 

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