Big Sky Buckeye

A writer's journey continues

Daily Blessings

Posted on January 13, 2021 by bigskybuckeye

From Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

**Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com**

Accepting life’s ongoing gifts

Filling wonder, never adrift

Marveling at heavens above

Inspiring vastness of God’s love

Walking in righteousness with God

Comforted by His love, unflawed

Looking ahead, with peace and hope

Holding tightly to God’s firm rope

Treating others with words which say

Sharing compassion’s rich bouquet

Gathering strength for life’s travels

Trusting God, nothing unravels

Listening to deepest feelings

Surveying each moment’s healing

Receiving mid-course corrections

Hearing God’s faithful directions

Sailing in darkness, never cursed

Navigating by God, headfirst

Achieving goals, each passing day

Tasting our Lord’s hope-filled buffet

Tackling challenges without fear

Taking risks, with God set to steer

Stepping forward beyond life’s dreams

Following each path as God deems

**Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com**

From 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?”

Witnessing the Underdogs

Posted on November 28, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

**Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com**

Life stories fill with the forgotten

Overlooked by the small world at large

Overcoming, life’s spirit takes charge

Victims of ridicule and slander

Entering life’s game as underdogs

Trailblazing amazing monologues

Asking, “Do you believe in miracles?”

Orchestrating man’s quest for a cause

Representing smallest underdogs

Breathing life into new dialogues

Dealing with dark, social injustice

Led by a resolute man, named King

Peacemakers marching, civil rights rings

Daily life recalls profound upsets

“David versus Goliath” contests

Lessons taught from these demanding tests

Smallish Texas Western steps forward

Meeting great Kentucky on the court

Historic win transcends college sports

Never dismiss the ugly duckling

Therein lies a most beautiful swan

Beauty, from deep inside, to act on

Crippled at birth, yet strong in spirit

“Forest Gump” defies the odds on his way

Encouraging us on life’s highway

Holding underdogs close to our hearts

Feeling lost, little to celebrate

Beating back the odds, changing life’s fate

Three different events are highlighted in this poem, with each one claiming a distinct place in America’s cultural perspective of life. The civil rights movement is greatly influenced the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the greatest college sports upsets takes place in 1966 when Texas Western upsets Kentucky. While civil rights continues to move forward, the racial landscape of college basketball is forever transformed as Texas Western’s all-black line-up outplays Kentucky’s all-white line-up. The film “Forest Gump” touches countless hearts with its inspiring story.

Season of Change

Posted on October 1, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

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. This poem shares some of this revolution’s story.

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

Endless Race

Posted on September 16, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

Running on this daily treadmill, filling life’s gloomy story

Falling behind in life’s endless race, without much glory

Working Nine to Five, five long days each week

Stumbling through every month, looking bleak

Forgetting when life last paused for any vacation

Punching in, punching out . . . time clock fixation

Heating up life’s pressure cooker, deadlines loom ahead

Hoping the lid doesn’t blow off, propelled into tiny shreds

Watching everyone trying to row in the same boat

Rowing in separate directions, now barely afloat

Refueling the tank, this coffee break no longer helps

Scurrying on empty, might just as well holler a yelp

Taking the elevator to another miserable meeting

Ending up on the wrong floor, no warm greeting

Driving home each night, worn down to a blown-out frazzle

Stopping at the same red traffic light, it no longer dazzles

Racing every day, life delivering this hour’s final, saving grace

Looking left, then right . . . who’s even winning this rat race?

Surrounded by Blue

Posted on July 19, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

From Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Normally for many

This world looks full and bright

Cups overflow with blessings

But then, dark dims faith’s light

From this window, world turns blue

Hope was filled with each seed

Life’s harvest seems in doubt

Farmers’ fields fill with weeds

Harsh rhetoric and gloom

Positivity hides

Lost in negative times

With whom shall we abide?

There has to be a way

Let’s not fight over masks

Turning blueness to light

Remind us of our tasks

Jesus, faith’s Bread of Life

Fills our empty hunger

Leading us to His peace

Hearts feeling much younger

There are days during this Covid pandemic in which I feel at a loss. The roller coaster ride of life suddenly takes a dark turn, and I feel left at the gate. This poem was written following one of these “blue” moments in my life. Together, we can continue to share prayers and encouragement with others. God’s peace!

Quintet of Brothers

Posted on July 9, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

College basketball star and high school majorette

Growing up under Montana’s brilliant Big Sky

Destined to raise this band of brothers as their sons

Rearing five boys, better than any Fourth of July

Household of boys born over a span of twelve years

Perhaps their father dreams of a basketball team

While their mother nurtures with love and care

Quintet of brothers’ thoughts filling with biggest dreams

Brothers grow up, facing life’s many challenges

Inspired by a father with amazing courage

Battling back from near-fatal car crash in his youth

His steadfast work ethic always encourages

These driven brothers discover their niche at school

Excelling with their academics in the classroom

Competition fuels a welcome outlet through sports

Lives mature too quickly, future destinies zoom

This family story would never be complete

The boys’ mother remembers God’s lovely bouquet

These five brothers always cherish their one sister

Believe it or not, she’s born on Valentine’s Day

**Photo by Molly Champion on Pexels.com**

This poem gives you a quick glimpse into my childhood family. Growing up under Montana’s Big Sky was a blessing for my brothers and sister. The memories will last a lifetime.

Life’s New Page

Posted on July 5, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

From Ephesians 4:31-32: “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

**Photo by Alexander Zvir on Pexels.com**

Life’s battered bucket sometimes overflows

Facing daily challenges, too immense

One challenge standing apart from the rest

Using forgiveness seems much too intense

Our righteous Father teaches forgiveness

Extending His mercy through earnest hearts

Breathe every truth in its entirety

Receiving His grace with humble hearts

Take in God’s Word, His Holy Commandments

Burying bitterness, it lifts the heart

Always best to forgive, forget, move on

Beating with freedom’s light, opens the heart

As humans, reacting much too quickly

Expressing heated anger, fixing blame

Slow to forgive, even more to forget

Stepping now with humbleness, drowns the flames

No longer in the enemy’s darkness

Praying the sun does not set on one’s rage

With our Lord’s truth, filling with righteousness

Following God’s way, life writes a new page

From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Jim Cymbala: “Looking back over my life, all I can see is mercy and grace written in large letters everywhere. May God help me have the same kind of heart toward those who wound or offend me.”

Calming Our Fears

Posted on June 25, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

From the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: “Courage faces fear and thereby masters it. Cowardice represses fear and is thereby mastered by it.”

**Photo by Gianluca Grisenti on Pexels.com**

Worry arrives with concerns never to come

Building upon past fears, stoking future ones

Life’s landscape fills with looming mountains

Instead of gentle molehills, fear gathers and stuns

Concerns about future challenges come forth

Transforming into worries, fueling more fear

Darkest clouds come together and gather

Who will grab the wheel and start to steer?

Waiting for our Lord, He renews our strength

Living by faith, His Word restores our soul

Rejoicing in hope, patient in suffering

Renewed by the Spirit, we feel more whole

God always walks with us, seek Him in prayer

Darkest valleys ahead, His love casts out fears

With compassion for our sufferings, hear His Word

Comforted by His rod and staff, God never veers

Asking of our Father, seeking His counsel

Bringing clearer witness, through His precise scope

His guidance renews our hearts, calming fears

His wisdom touches minds, filled with Gospel hope

From Mark 5:35-36: “While He was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.'”

Pursuing Wisdom

Posted on June 14, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

From the words of Latin priest and theologian Jerome of Stridon: “Love Holy Scripture, and wisdom will love you. Love her, and she will keep you. Honor her, and she will keep you.”

Pursuing wisdom over a lifetime

Gathering, enriching a single life

Applying to everyday challenges

Loving Scripture, supplanting darkest strife

Seeking wisdom with a hunger for more

Searching in the truthful and proper place

Persevering with consistency now

Tasting God’s Holy Word and loving grace

Sustaining the tree of life, holding fast

Following a righteous path, leads to peace

Finding God’s wisdom, life’s only true wealth

Blessing His wisdom, sustains life’s new lease

Trusting these blessed fruits of God’s wisdom

Turning evil away, aligned with Him

Refreshing mind and body, healing flesh

Respecting God’s Word, singing a new hymn

Treating our neighbors better than ourselves

Trusting, loving, supporting each other

Walking together with God, hand in hand

Partnering with each sister and brother

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

From Proverbs 3:13: “Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding,”

Never Alone

Posted on May 27, 2020 by bigskybuckeye

I keep a daily journal of “take-aways” from my devotional readings. This poem was crafted from some of my February entries.

Photo by Jaymantri on Pexels.com

Sitting alone and hopeless

Faith’s shadow, covered in rust

God awakens mind and soul

In His Spirit, words bring trust

Turning to God, always there

His footprints walking ahead

Through life’s hefty challenges

Our Lord brings our daily bread

Reading from His Holy Word

Always giving thanks and praise

Marvelous things, God has done

Our hope alive and ablaze

Growing in faith, from our woes

Therefore, pray . . . listen . . . follow

Righteous life following Christ

Savior’s hope, never hollow

Facing temptation each day

Alignment with Son of God

Blood and body shed for us

Boldly fleeing evil’s fraud

Photo by Michael Morse on Pexels.com

From Galatians 6:1-2: “My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: