Autumn Celebration

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Reflecting back to summer one final time

Thankful now, fall air has arrived—so fine

 

Enjoying late night, chilly times around the fire pit

Roasting marshmallows, everyone warms and sits

 

A pre-dawn morning welcomes an autumn walk

Bringing opportunities for a brisk God-filled talk

 

Grooming up the yard before winter cold arrives

Raking leaves as long as tired muscles survive

 

Friday nights bring fans to exciting high school football games

Which teams will stand out on their way to victory and fame?

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Observing another magnificent setting sun

Rich hues and shadows generate much fun

 

The sun settles below the horizon, very distant

The harvest moon will soon arrive in an instant

 

Farmers work steady throughout the busy daytime

Harvest will soon finish up, making families feel fine

 

Walking through a peaceful and empty city park

Falling leaves cause trees to look bare and stark

 

Enjoying this most favorite season of the year

Let’s take a road trip, to someplace far or near

 

The calendar fills with festivals and celebrations

Octoberfest and bazaars reach out to a nation

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Fall and Halloween décor showcased on time

Encouraging autumn’s images to further shine

 

Nature prepares for another frigid, winter season

Squirrels and chipmunks stay busy with a reason

 

A camera lens wakes up to spectacular views

Autumn’s pigments captured, brilliant and true

 

Driving down the highway on a sun-filled afternoon

The dazzling show of autumn’s colors will end soon

 

Sorting through mothballed clothing once again

Finding that winter coat—where have you been?

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Monday Memories: Never Taken for Granted

Here is another edition of “Monday Memories.”  This poem was written back in December, 2018, and its message may be even more relevant today than nearly a year ago.   May America or any nation never take anything for granted.

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Never taken for granted

 

A young nation moves forward to be brave and free

To remove the shackles of oppression so others see

 

A soldier takes a bullet in a far, distant land

To protect freedoms that will always stand

 

Thomas Jefferson will never have to write a sequel

To state for all to read, “All men are created equal”

 

A minister preaches to a racially divided nation

To envision “free at last” will be his final station

 

A newspaper criticizes the government with much to say

To reinforce freedom of the press is always here to stay

 

A hesitant nation awakens while its other allies fight

To bring her vast resources in a victory full of might

 

A mother takes a stand at a school board meeting

To support a worthy novel that is taking a beating

 

A crowd protests peacefully in a city very near

To bring attention to issues without any fear

 

A writer uses his words to bring an issue to light

To encourage all to make a difference and fight

 

A President hides behind the sins of Watergate

To shamefully resign from office will be his fate

 

Workers strike to protest low wages and more

To organize labor unions to even up the score

 

A young politician inspires and leads the way

To become a worthy leader with much to say

 

Other nations come to the aid of a valued friend

To bring support with the troops that they send

 

Students stare into TV cameras with one voice

Violence in schools is truly not about a choice

 

A former republic declines and fades away

To witness freedom’s erosion without delay

 

Christ’s red blood stains an old rugged cross

To bring a second chance for all who are lost

 

Never taken for granted

 

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Man from Galilee

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Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Born on a cloudless, starry night

No rooms available at the inn

A feed box becomes His bed

 

Holy Spirit brings forth this child

Virgin Mary becomes His loving mother

Humble beginning for Christ the King

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Nation of Israel burdened by hopelessness

Oppressed under cruel, harsh Roman rule

Waiting for their God fulfilling Messiah

 

Little do the people really know

God has arrived in their midst

Bringing a way to eternal Salvation

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Mary and Joseph care for Immanuel

Angels of God watch over all

Providing wise counsel through Joseph’s dream

 

Sending the family to Egypt’s safety

Avoiding Herod’s bloody and inhumane wrath

Fulfilling Scripture, God calls His Son

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Returning home from the Egyptian lands

A dutiful boy becomes a Nazarene

Learning the worthy trade of carpentry

 

At twelve, He visits Jerusalem’s temple

Amazing all with His Godly perspectives

Spending time in His Father’s House

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Baptized by John at the Jordan

Spending forty days and nights alone

Tempted by the evil one’s craftiness

 

Facing temptations like any of us

Overcoming and banishing each of them

Materialism, hedonism, and egoism mean nothing

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

This Nazarene man moves to Galilee

Beginning His ministry with a purpose

Calling out to twelve imperfect men

 

Take up your cross, follow Me!

God’s Word becomes bread of life

Disciples now fish for lost people

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Reaching out to forsaken, sinful people

Performing miracles, left and then right

Preaching the Sermon on the Mount

 

Turning simple water into wedding wine

Healing the sick and the lame

All signs of His glory with God

 

Who is this man from Galilee?

 

Feeding the 5,000 seems truly impossible

Walking on water before Peter’s eyes

Few can imagine His ultimate fate

 

Eyes and ears closed and unaware

This man called Jesus brings light

On Resurrection Day, fulfilling God’s promise

 

The world now knows Jesus Christ!

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Haiku Series #23 (With God)

Peace

Morning brings warm light

Feeling God’s peace through His Word—

Faith for another day

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Moonlight

Pre-dawn sky looks down

Crescent moon glistens above—

Feeling God’s presence

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Prodigal

Parents pray to God

Child walks a life filled with sin—

Coming home to God

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Are We Worthy?

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From 2 Thessalonians 1:11:  “To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of His call and will fulfill by His power every good resolve and work of faith.”

Feeling lost, alone, and unworthy

Walking forward to seek God

 

Questioning and asking, crying out

Gathering together, we trust God

 

Seeking Christ must come first

 

Contrasting himself to the Messiah

Foretelling of the One coming

 

Crying out in the wilderness

Baptizing believers at the Jordan

 

Sending John to baptize Jesus

Sensing himself to be unworthy

 

Finding Christ must come first

 

Expressing love now for family

Adoring father, mother, son, daughter

 

Returning from his sinful journey

Rejoicing, a prodigal son found

 

Suffering dishonor for Christ’s sake

Preaching, Apostles speak the Gospel

 

Loving Christ must come first

 

Accepting God’s gift of Grace

Blessing us as worthy Christians

 

Coming to believe Christ’s Salvation

Humbling praising His blessed truth

 

Creating all things, God cares

Receiving glory, honor, and power

 

Standing alone at the Cross

Ransoming His body and blood

 

Loving and accepting our Savior

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Haiku Series #22 (Humor)

For Sale

Only in America

Selling garages and yards—

A curious sight

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Fresh Pie

Yummy pie awaits

My sugar angel arrives—

Absolutely, no pie!

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Caffeine Fix

My morning coffee

Deliciously mountain grown—

Good to the last drop

 

Giving credit to

Folgers and Maxwell House

coffee brands.

Monday Memories: Making a Difference

Every Monday, Big Sky Buckeye will edit and update a poem from December, 2018.  This “Monday Memory” carries a great deal of significance because it salutes the hardworking staff at Buckeye Middle School in Columbus, Ohio.  This was my final school assignment during the last nine years of a fulfilling teaching career.

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Anchoring the Southside on Parsons Avenue

Buckeye Middle School presents quite a view

 

Providing a safe, caring, and nurturing school

The dedicated staff is the definition of “cool”

 

Displaying patience despite the everyday grind

Everyone makes a big difference in all they find

 

Working as a team throughout the school year

They face many challenges with nothing to fear

 

Laboring patiently at their craft each and every day

All have chosen a worthy profession, they will say

 

Giving a great deal of themselves and even more

A humble and hardworking team has much in store

 

Saluting the Buckeye staff as heroes above the rest

Hats off to all of them for performing their very best!

Buckeye Middle School

Here is Buckeye Middle School!

Christ Prevails

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From 1 Peter 2:24:  “He himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”

Chosen and precious in God’s sight

To believers, Christ’s Spirit brings Salvation

Jesus Christ turns darkness into light

 

Our faith’s chosen and precious cornerstone

Christ comes forward to redeem us

We can live by His bread alone

 

Jesus becomes our Holy, High Priest

Believe and never put to shame

God’s own Son takes His seat

 

Nonbelievers reject God’s Holy, chosen one

Christ prevails to become our Rock

Salvation goes through God’s Holy Son

 

Christ suffers mightily for His flock

Yet, He never commits any sin

Following God’s steps around the clock

 

Christ never waivers, He follows through

Entrusting Himself to His Heavenly Father

Bearing our sins, Resurrection’s glorious view

 

Our lives feel threatened with gloom

Jesus never ceases caring for us

Standing by, Christ prevents our doom

 

Jesus at our side, always a friend

Loving us with passion and intensity

Our opportunity for Salvation, God sends

 

Christ, the Good Shepherd, beckons us

No longer gone astray and lost

Christ’s body and blood heal us

 

The old, rugged cross stands tall

Freeing us from our endless sins

Washing us white, Salvation calls all

 

Living in bondage, forever in sin

Emancipation by Christ, paying the ransom

Accepting Christ, brings all believers in

From Luke 24:6:  “Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

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60’s Rock America

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People recall the 60’s, a very “trendy” decade

Rocking America into a new era, never to fade

 

Momentous events and life transformations arrive

Creating a cultural revolution, just trying to survive

 

The youngest President ever elected in this land

Sending JFK with a new generation’s eager hands

 

President Kennedy challenges a waiting nation

Landing on the moon brings wonder and elation

 

Civil Rights for “all” people lights a hope-filled beam

Marching to Washington to hear “I Have a Dream”

 

Ford creates a flashy and stunning sports car

Rolling out the Mustang, best ‘lil pony by far

 

The British invade with innovative music to bring

Introducing the Beatles, their tunes endlessly sing

 

Southeast Asia slowly captures more of a nation’s time

Making Vietnam, a catalyst filling emotions that climb

 

Rock music festival invites all to a muddy field—Woodstock

Continuing to sing his top hits, Elvis Presley’s movies rock

 

Beautiful music and worthy films reach out to all

Singing and acting, Julie Andrews’ fills the call

 

Television comes into its own with new innovation

Viewing “The Fugitive” becomes a nation’s fixation

 

Assassinations tear through a nation, they sadly ring

Losing two Kennedy’s and Dr. King, forever will sting

 

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God’s Compass

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From Psalm 51:3:  “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

Lost soul in the wickedest valleys of life

Needing directions, take away this strife

 

Life’s transgressions mount, God knows them all

Living a life of denial, witnessing an arrogant fall

 

Every day takes one deeper and deeper into sin

Losing awareness, asking where have we been?

 

When born, God knows our sinful ways

Needing God to teach wisdom each day

 

Life continues to carry us on the very same road

Walking and falling, becomes frustrating and cold

 

God delivers His judgement, He feels justified

Viewing our sin-filled cravings, never satisfied

 

Life’s journey demands we find a different route

Using God’s compass, His directions carry clout

 

God brings deliverance, a better means to live

Declaring praise to our Lord, offerings to give

 

Another wayward life takes a detour from the Pit

Cleansing of sin, God’s road creates a better fit

 

God teaches an upright way, follow and trust

Purging all evil, washing white our sinful lust

 

God’s steadfast love delivers a redeeming route

Hearing God’s joy, His compass brings us about

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