Love Comes Alongside

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In tomorrow’s shadows

Worry waits to jump out

Disappointment crashes in

Filling waves with doubt

 

Aspirations seem dashed

Sunrise seemingly locked

Yesterday not forgotten

Seeing future blocked

 

Breath of sorrow surrounds

Hope seen flowing away

Another storm standing tall

Searching through its gray

 

Dreams no longer brightened

Today’s voyage postponed

Been at this moment before

Feeling self disowned

 

Freedom shares patient heart

Journey no longer drowned

Faithful love comes alongside

Sailing homeward-bound

 

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Redemption’s Seed

From Genesis 15:5-6:  “He brought him [Abram] outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’  Then He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’  And he believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

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Faith’s wilderness journey

Trusting Father above

His righteousness shineth

Doubts transfigured with love

 

Aimless breath transitions

Believing without fear

Promised Father’s actions

Salvation coming near

 

Faith’s encouraging steps

Absorbing Father’s voice

Comfort’s forgiving tone

Witness light’s blessed choice

 

Hope’s unshakable rock

Following Spirit’s lead

Connects with Father’s grace

Planted redemption’s seed

 

Faith’s confidence matures

Harvesting Father’s peace

Awakened from darkness

Savior’s risen new lease

 

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From Psalm 27:1:  “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?”

Fountain of Life (Haiku Series #320)

Cherished

Tender memories

Child’s early steps remembered—

Milestones filled with love

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Determined

Young boy clearing path

Throwing shoveled snow behind—

Never looking back

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Loved

Coming dearest wife

Arriving in a jiffy—

Lifetime partnership

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Monday Memories: Beyond Compare

From the words of English novelist and poet, Mary Webb:  “Nature’s music is never over; her silences are pauses, not conclusions.”

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Creation’s wonders, lasting treasures

Beyond compare, by any measure

 

God’s unique Spirit molds, creates

Earth living as His domain, first-rate

 

Forests dazzle with matchless beauty

Witness to our Lord’s sacred duty

 

Animal species roam, some quite rare

Others appear to be everywhere

 

Distinctive flowers color the land

Their music soothes, like any jazz band

 

Unequaled majesty reaching high

Rugged mountains climbing to the sky

 

Creatures with their eccentric pursuits

Actions showing off, fun attributes

 

Man taking note of what God has done

High praises, He stands second to One

 

One and only one master designs

Each day, smiling at His nature shrines

 

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From Genesis 1:29-30:  “God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.  And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’  And it was so.”

Originally published October, 2020.

Well of Grace

From Colossians 3:1-2:  “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.”

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Experiencing God’s grace

Feeling His generous love

Tasting heavenly goodness

New life found in Christ above

 

Renewing spirit of grace

Casting aside former ways

Escaping darkest trials

Christ’s sunrise erases gray

 

Drinking from God’s well of grace

Reading His Word, laced with hope

Sharing His righteous message

Faith matures, viewed through Christ’s scope

 

Embracing truth in God’s grace

Nourishing faith, now rejoice

Sustaining joy with each step

Christ’s glory in risen voice

 

Harvesting gifts from God’s grace

Setting mind on peace above

Filling heart with blessed hymns

Harmony flows from Christ’s love

 

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From Colossians 3:15:  “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Everlasting (Elfchen Series #243)

Faith

Patience

Rejoice always

Embracing each moment

Trust in God’s promises

Answering

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Always

Courage

Faithfulness leading

Mercy opens door

God’s refuge of light

Unflinching

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Presence

Grace

Deepest love

Acceptance with humbleness

God’s passion for life

Forgiving

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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.

Sun’s Rising Reset

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Early morning light

Missing in action

Shrouded in darkness

Each tiny fraction

 

Heavens open up

Twinkling Milky Way

Lighted gateway beams

Eagerness to play

 

Midnight comes calling

Harvesting full moon

Nestled with intrigue

Dish capturing Spoon

 

Gentle breeze waking

Stirring quiet chimes

Composed every night

Harmony’s crisp rhymes

 

Horizon still sleeps

Casting morning’s net

Awakened at dawn

Sun’s rising reset

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Faith’s Risen Place

From Joel 2:12-13:  “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.  Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment.”

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Even in our darkness

Hearing call from God above

Troubled waters’ rising tide

Vanquished by boundless love

 

Caught in sin’s wilderness

Mourning with daily fasting

Come now, embrace repentance

Trusted peace, long-lasting

 

Born in sin’s emptiness

Pursuing redemption’s door

God, create one more clean heart

Wandered away, no more

 

Broken righteous spirit

Escaping evil’s fire pit

Better days waiting ahead

Restored faith now submits

 

Hope’s journey pursues light

Thirsting for faith’s risen place

Glory waits at Calvary

Witnessed in Savior’s grace

 

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From Psalm 51:10-11:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your holy spirit from me.”

Just Another Day (Haiku Series #319)

Hoop’s March Madness

Witnessing upsets

“Cinderella” storylines–

Underdogs rise up

Lessons from Dad

Time for spring cleaning

Hey son, use more elbow grease—

Ouch . . . tennis elbow!

Missing Link

 Humor striking out

“Generation Gap” witnessed—

Dad’s jokes falling flat

All images courtesy of Pinterest.

Monday Memories: Season of Change

In December, 1989, the Romanian Revolution ignited with passion, which would no longer wait in silence.  The rest of the Eastern Bloc countries under Soviet influence had already experienced peaceful change from communist dictatorships.  Under Nicolae Ceausescu’s harsh leadership, Romania was the final holdout as the democratic wave of freedom blitzed across Eastern Europe.  The city of Timisoara was the first in Romania to secure its freedom, with the rest of the country to follow. This poem shares some of this revolution’s story.

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Ruthless, authoritarian rule controls the cards

Harsh, brutal regime crushes dissenting voices

Quietness hides the remaining, burning embers

Daily life conceals wounds, offering few choices

 

Citizens endure lack of even the basic needs

Challenging days, facing endless heartbreak

Darkest days of winter, hunger and little heat

Voices stifled, experiencing numbing heartache

 

Freedom routed, plummeting to rock bottom

System of repression forcefully controls lives

Defiant opposition, beaten down to nothing

Dictator’s untruths cover up with empty lies

 

Scattering of small voices continues to speak out

Smoldering protests fueled with hungry passion

Government crackdowns to silence any dissent

Voices growing bolder, backed with compassion

 

Massive protests ignite courage in a distant city

“Timisoara” becomes a rallying cry for liberation

Unexpectedly, dark and evil house of cards folds

Season of change witnesses rebirth of a nation

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Originally published October, 2020.