The greatest test of courage is to bear defeat without losing heart.
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.
Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899) was an American lawyer, writer, and orator.
From Isaiah 43:19: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Be prepared to be surprised
Promises shall be fulfilled
God honors His divine Word
From wilderness, truth rebuilds
Faith’s path to mighty waters
Savior’s life rising from death
Light’s mercy conquers darkness
Resurrection’s living breath
Deliverance from sin’s death
Salvation wipes away tears
Harvest of grace bearing joy
Witness Jesus, He appears
Flesh left at Calvary’s cross
Righteousness offers new road
Christ buys freedom with His blood
Gather love from seeds He sowed
Courage found in Savior’s steps
Invitation to see ahead
Holy Spirit left to guide
Nourished with God’s daily bread
From Psalm 126:5-6: “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.”
Listening is being able to be changed by the other person.
Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.
Alan Alda (born 1936) is an American actor, writer, and director. His is well-known for his role as Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the award-winning sitcom of “M*A*S*H” from 1972-1983.
Patience
Rejoice always
Embracing each moment
Trust in God’s promises
Answering
Courage
Faithfulness leading
Mercy opens door
God’s refuge of light
Unflinching
Grace
Deepest love
Acceptance with humbleness
God’s passion for life
Forgiving
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.
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.
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
Originally published October, 2020.
Most of us would rather not wait or struggle to understand the Lord’s will. But that’s how we grow in our relationship with Him.
From Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Charles Stanley (1932-2023) was an American pastor and Christian writer. He was dedicated to leading a teaching ministry.
If you want to be happy for life, love what you do.
Happiness is like mercury. Hard to hold, and when we drop it, it shatters into a million pieces. Maybe the bravest of all are those who have the courage to reach for it again.
Mary Higgins Clark (1927-2020) was an American writer of suspense novels.
Things will happen that seem to be totally contradictory, but these are God’s arrangements. My job is simply to obey it.
From Joshua 1:9: “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Charles Swindoll (born 1934) is an American pastor and Christian author.
To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.
David Viscott (1938-1996) was an American psychiatrist and author.
Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.
Brene Brown (born 1965) is an American researcher and author. Much of her work has studied courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.
Big Sky Buckeye 