Waking up early
Tasting morning’s sunrise
Brewing extra coffee
Blessed exercise
Turning off headlines
Producing one’s own news
Looking outside for joy
Always better view
Extending kindness
Helping neighbor with chores
Finishing up early
Never keeping score
Praising each minute
Gathering, coffee’s up
Meeting with cherished friends
Rewards with each cup
Witnessing sunset
Putting past hours away
Giving thanks for life’s pulse
Every gifted day
From Psalm 92:12-15: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
Our Father, our Creator
Sowing faithful seeds of grace
Bearing Spirit’s endless fruit
Upon every earthly place
Father’s love thaws frozen heart
Enriching trust with each gift
Bringing hope into darkness
Faith’s ship no longer adrift
Father’s divine plan transforms
Sending His Son in harm’s way
Knowing glory to be praised
Calvary’s cross won’t delay
Father’s peace walks with Jesus
Reconciling wayward hearts
Proclaiming new creation
Freshness of faith, grace restarts
Father’s breath shall never rest
Stirring color without gray
Planting righteousness from light
Salvation rises this day
From 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the One who for their sake died and was raised.”
Feeling defeated
Heavy shadow weighs upon—
Procrastinating
Welcoming freedom
Sunrise lifting confidence—
Invigorating
Nurturing habit
Tackling biggest challenge first—
Prioritizing
From Deuteronomy 5:12-14: “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work.”
Keeping His Sabbath Holy
Cherishing God’s blessed day
Strengthening our faith journey
Worshipping Commandments’ way
Submitting to Father’s way
Following His righteous road
Rescuing us from darkness
Relieving our burden’s load
Supplanting with mercy’s load
Praising Resurrection’s flight
Proclaiming Jesus as Lord
Allowing in grace-filled light
Trusting faith’s heavenly light
Walking daily with God’s Son
Shining His mercy upon
Stepping boldly now as one
Joining together as one
Sowing forgiveness of sin
Healing our relationships
Hearing Christ’s spirit within
From 2 Corinthians 4:5-6: “For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’s sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Light will shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
Hope
Never forsaken
Revealed at Calvary
Flesh nailed to cross
Love
Love
None greater
Messiah conquering death
Saving each of us
Jesus
Jesus
Faith’s builder
Risen Savior experienced
Emmaus Road’s transforming light
Redemption
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.
Searching for quiet respite
Following dreams, each detail
Escaping from mankind’s noise
Finding narrative’s hidden trail
Crossing nearby forest bridge
Forgetting work’s last email
Arriving at paradise
Sweeping away narrative’s veil
Discovering prairie ahead
Saddling up, each thought exhales
Envisioning where time stands
Framing narrative’s rhythmic scale
Scanning landscape’s tranquil scene
Treasuring every inhale
Climbing each majestic peak
Flying narrative’s parasail
Grasping reins tightly in hands
Riding forward to prevail
Looking for more tomorrow’s
Writing narrative’s precious tale
From Psalm 98:1: “O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things. His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him victory.”
Praising Lord high above
Singing favorite hymn
Overflowing with His peace
Returning love to Him
Revealing mercy’s grace
Descending from God’s rock
Filling earthly, mortal place
Shepherding wayward flock
Declaring His purpose
Severing chains of sin
Forgiving each indictment
Teaching what should have been
Praying for faith’s new hope
Calling upon Lord’s name
Grasping heaven’s righteous rope
Granting grace, without blame
Climbing final mountain
Leaving this worldly dome
Dwelling jointly, wolf with lamb
Summoning to God’s home
From Isaiah 11:6: “The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them.”
Morning’s gentle light
Welcomed sunrise testifies—
Heavens shine with hope
Evening dusk returns
Landscape’s relaxing sunset—
Tomorrow’s peace rests
Dreamy stars waken
Galaxy twinkling with love—
Stirring nightly joy
This poem features photos taken of a majestic American sycamore tree, which is found at Walnut Woods Metro Park. The tree is likely over a hundred years old. The location is part of an extensive network of nature parks in the central Ohio area around Columbus and Franklin County. These photos were taken during a series of walks that I’ve made over the past few years.
Far older than every one of the neighboring trees
Standing taller than many, all take notice and see
The prized King of Walnut Woods reigns today
Calling him Mister Sycamore, his subjects say
With branches elevating up towards the sky
Measuring his girth, takes many hands to try
Visitors pause to salute nature’s monarch
Standing in reverence as park’s landmark
The Woods change from season to season
Watching over all, is the King’s main reason
He holds on to his leaves longer in fall
Guarding the land in winter, always tall
His leaves take some time to fill out in spring
Providing ample shade in summer is his thing
His expansive canopy of branches spreads wide
Peeling off sections of bark, creates whitish sides
His heir, the Prince, waiting in the wings
Rising lean and tall by a creek, he sings
Farther away, a thick grove of younger ones wait
Dreaming who will grow to be the tallest, so great
Mister Sycamore loves many Bible stories
Lifting Jesus up in total and brilliant glory
The story of Zacchaeus climbing a Sycamore tree
Being much too short for Jesus to find, there he be
Ohio’s biggest recorded tree is an American sycamore found in Ashland County near Jeromesville. The tree is at least 200 years old, stands 88 feet tall, and measures 326 inches around its circumference.
Originally published September, 2019.
From Lamentations 3:55-56: “I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; You heard my plea, ‘Do not close Your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!'”
Facing distant horizon
Lingering darkness ahead
Knowing Jesus always hears
Providing His daily bread
Thirsting for living water
Drawing drink from Jacob’s well
Knowing Jesus always hears
Giving thanks, gratefulness swells
Waiting follows each sunset
Rising sunrise, full of hope
Knowing Jesus always hears
Scaling Zion’s mighty slope
Kneeling at Calvary’s cross
Praying for redemption’s seed
Knowing Jesus always hears
Harvesting from tender reed
Seeking His mercy’s comfort
Looking to heavens above
Knowing Jesus always hears
Responding with steadfast love
From Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Big Sky Buckeye 