Friday Smiles (Haiku Series #113)

Incoming Message

Microwave blows out

Houston, where’s our hot pockets?

Hungry astronauts

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Always Prepared

Impassable roads

Remember the ice outside—

Putting on ice skates

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Into the Moonlight

Nursing home “Rec Night”

Dancing through the starry night—

Golden oldies night

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Coming Home

This poem is dedicated to the many lives which have come and gone along the tracks of the Great Northern Railroad from years ago.  Perhaps you can feel the living spirit still riding the Empire Builder passenger train across the Hi-Line of Montana.

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Feeling a bit like heaven

Blessed Big Sky, almost home

Paradise spelled as two words

Riding free, spirit’s train roams

 

Scanning God’s creative touch

Mountains shaped by nature’s hand

Valleys carved out by rivers

Dreaming of this treasured land

 

Stirring up past memories

Iron horse roaring at top speed

Long ago, been here before

Coming home, spirits now freed

 

Flashing by Hi-Line’s vast farms

Cropland caresses these tracks

Golden fields of wheat ripen

Waiting for harvest’s comeback

 

Fading daylight turns to night

Darkness covers Montana’s peace

Town lights twinkle here and there

Thinking back to life’s past lease

 

Climbing through Marias Pass

Glacier Park saying good-bye

Big Sky’s wonder never fades

Ageless spirit, dropping by

 

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Without Faith

From Hebrews 11:6:  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

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Living without faith

Never pleasing to God

Scripture grows musty

Seeing life as a fraud

 

Lacking true knowledge

Missing God’s living Word

Whole heart feels empty

Running with the wrong herd

 

Callous attitude

Faith absent, lonesome walk

Mind unbelieving

AWOL from Shepherd’s flock

 

Holy Trinity

Faith’s long forgotten light

Father, Son, Spirit

Blessed angels take flight

 

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From Proverbs 3:5:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.”

Reality Talks (Haiku Series #112)

Believe It

TV land update

“Big Brother” resumes taping—

Renamed “Quarantined”

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Home Schoolin’

Monday morning class

Readin’, Ritin’, Rithmetic—

At home, nothing new!

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Delicious!

Traveling back home

Nothing beats Mom’s home cooking—

Filled with warmest love

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Monday Memories: Be a Doer

This faith-based poem was written in October, 2019, and it was inspired from reading James 1:22-24:  “But be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who deceive of themselves.  For if any are hearers of the Word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.”

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Actions speak loudest for ourselves

Walking in a Christ-like manner

Be a doer of God’s Word

God builds with a benevolent hammer

 

God calls upon each of us

Acting in faithfulness each day

Be a doer of God’s way

He always knows what to say

 

Being responsible with life’s rewards

Witnessing God’s work on this earth

Be a doer of God’s Word

Docking our ship at God’s berth

 

Our blessed Lord sends His harvest

Leaving us with a bountiful taste

Be a doer of God’s Word

Listening with intent, never in haste

 

Reading the Holy Ten Commandments

God declares all that is good

Be a doer of God’s Word

Now following all that we should

  

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Joy in Christ

From Luke 2:10-11: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'”

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Holy anticipation fills nightfall’s air

Preparing hearts, prophets’ promises fulfilled

Experiencing moments of boundless joy

Heavenly Father’s love, sharing grace to build

 

With life’s struggles, faith deepens in reflection

Celebrating the Messiah’s coming birth

Singing with host of angels, hearts fill with joy

Hope and peace, descending from heaven to earth

 

From above comes Immanuel, God with us

Lighting His way, never ceasing to cherish

Witnessing life’s true meaning, rejoice in joy

Love rekindles earth’s lamp, never to perish

 

Brightest stars illuminate earth’s darkest times

Fulfilling salvation’s journey, God’s love brings

Lighting Shepherd’s candle, delivering joy

Angelic hosannas, forever shall sing

 

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From Philippians 4:4-5:  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  The Lord is near.”

Living Truths

From Proverbs 23:23:  “Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”

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Philosophy breathes steady, faith’s living truths

Waiting with wisdom, long missing from our youth

 

Life’s daily chase may not be worth small treasure

Reading God’s Word, bringing life’s honest measure

 

Plan on giving more to others than ourselves

Blessing us with far more than dusty bookshelves

 

Jesus teaches us to treat others with love

Harnessing our Lord’s grace and peace from above

 

Trust lives as hope’s virtue, never to be lost

Securing it tightly, at ultimate cost

 

Our daily comfort zone brings false sense of peace

Rising up with Christ, offering life’s new lease

 

Failure teaches toughest lessons of living

Earning later success, praise with thanksgiving

 

Mankind’s world spins daily, filled with too much change

Praying to God, calms life with daily exchange

 

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From James 1:17-18:  “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  In fulfillment of His own purpose He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”

Life’s Golden Rule (Elfchen #37)

Be Polite

Timeout

Really listen

Taking the time

Appreciating each spoken word

Sincerity

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Be Gracious

Daily

Living as

Best person possible

Pay it forward with

Kindness

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Be Empathetic

Compassion

Speaking softly

Helping others more

Expecting nothing in return

Understanding

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Charles Spurgeon Quote

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Jesus wept, but He never complained.

From Philippians 2:14-15:  “Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.”

Under the Big Sky

Looking westward toward southwestern Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains, with the Madison River flowing through the valley below.

God’s creation under the Big Sky

Treasured landscape covers this vast land

Immense prairies flow into mountains

Few places on earth looking this grand

 

Rugged backbone of the continent

Chiseled spine of the Rocky Mountains

Stray mountain ranges dotting the plains

Cascading streams flowing as fountains

 

Three distinct rivers form its headwaters

Mighty, boundless Missouri River

Eastward, collecting the Yellowstone

Precious mountain rains move downriver

 

White-tail and mule deer camp in thickets

Pronghorns graze in the midst of grasslands

Mountain valleys gather elk and bears

Ducks and geese pilot into wetlands

 

Frequently titled the Treasure State

Montana shines under its Big Sky

People flocking to witness its gems

You just might meet a Buckeye nearby

 

Montana’s Yellowstone River continues its eastward journey, eventually flowing into the Missouri River.

I could probably write something about my native state of Montana every day.  It will always be a very special place to me.  Watch out, you just might run into a Buckeye returning to the Big Sky.