Monday Memories: Walking with Us

This poem is inspired from a post from Jan Beek, based upon a recent Sunday message from her church.  The message enlightened me with some wonderful applications to “The Walk to Emmaus.”  Visit her post for this wonderful message, complemented with some great hymns.

empty highway overlooking mountain under dark skies

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Empty, very little hope

Weary, walking this grim road

Lonely, life hides in darkness

Misery, each step feels slowed

 

Believing, He would be king

Remembering, life seemed alive

Listening, His words brought hope

Blessing, barren lives would thrive

 

Ignored, a bloody Cross stands

Vanquished, His tomb sitting hushed

Restored, hope rises again

Conquered, sin and death now crushed

 

Raised, Savior walking with us

Transformed, our hope now restored

Energized, with daily steps

Saved, by our Lord’s new accord

green leafed plant on sand

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From Luke 24:13-16:  “Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”

Originally published April, 2020.

Charles Stanley Quote

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Because He is gracious, God saves us on the basis of faith in His Son.  Then He gives us a new nature empowered by the Holy Spirit who comes to live within each Christian.

From 1 Peter 1:3-5:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Reverberations (Haiku Series #268)

Clarity

Blinded with troubles

Still hoping to see again—

Hidden light echoes

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Assurance

Longing to find hope

Searching forgotten places—

Retrieving echoes

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Optimism

Misplaced hope stirs

Blowing in from yesterday—

Echoes ride with wind

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Monday Memories: Suffering No More

Reading from Psalm 38, one finds David’s words as he asks for God’s healing.  This poem’s verses bring to the forefront an active voice with feeling, praying, finding, healing, praising, and seeing.

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Feeling darkness

Feeling unknown

Feeling empty

Feeling alone

 

Praying with faith

Praying this Psalm

Praying for hope

Praying for calm

 

Finding God’s love

Finding what’s heard

Finding new life

Finding His Word

 

Healing these wounds

Healing this soul

Healing my heart

Healing me whole

 

Praising Father

Praising accords

Praising heavens

Praising my Lord

 

Seeing the Cross

Seeing the light

Seeing Christ’s love

Seeing God’s might

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From Psalm 38:15:  “But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.”

Originally published June, 2020.

Trusting in God (Elfchen Series #191)

Navigating Troubles

Faithfulness

Righteous actions

Emerging with strength

God’s river of grace

Goodness

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Taking Our Place

Justice

Deserved, but

Kneeling before God

Cross bears every sin

Forgiveness

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Faith’s Lantern

Darkness

Hope hidden

Hearing God’s voice

Rising over every valley

Light

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Have You Never Known?

From Isaiah 40:28:  “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Have you never known?

God’s grace, covering this earth

Have you never heard?

Cold stable, virgin gives birth

 

Filling heavens with praises

God builds, He provides

Seeding faith with righteousness

His light serves as guide

 

Have you never known?

God’s Word shares His peace

Have you never heard?

Savior’s love renews faith’s lease

 

Hearing of Christ’s healing hand

God’s divine plan leads

Empowering man to change

Mercy’s tender reeds

 

Have you never known?

God’s desire to send His Son

Have you never heard?

Redemption forever won

 

Lamb of God, in heaven’s wings

God envisions hope

Bridge built between man and God

Savior levels every slope

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

From Mark 1:38-39:  “He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came out to do.’  And He went throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

Heartfelt Reflections (Haiku Series #264)

Noise

Emotions boiling

Hate-filled rhetoric building—

Where has reason gone?

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Pause

Mankind’s fading peace

Far too many emotions—

Bleeding in silence

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Future

Hope in tomorrow

Listening to each other—

Emotions stand down

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Monday Memories: Failing Once Again

woman in gray tank top showing distress

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Failing once again

Life’s troubles bomb away

 

Whom shall I turn to?

 

Failing once again

Darkness moves ever closer

 

Where is the light?

 

Failing once again

Shame swallows me up

 

How can my spirit be restored?

 

Failing once again

Life’s torments engulf me

 

Why . . . why?

 

Failing once again

Loneliness surrounds my heart

 

What recourse do I have?

 

Failing once again

Life’s hour glass, now nearly empty

 

When will I be free?

 

selective focus photography of hour glass

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Failing once again . . .

 

Turning to my Heavenly Father

Never thinking of me as a bother

 

From a Cross, Salvation’s light sheds hope

Pulled up from the Pit by a Holy rope

 

Kneeling before the Savior, sins and all

Humbling following Him will be my call

 

Through a broken body and shed blood

By Grace alone, escaping life’s flash flood

 

sky sunset person silhouette

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The structure of this poem features dual parts.  In the beginning verses, the reader is taken to a much darker place.  Using themes of sorrow, darkness, and hopelessness presents a challenge to both the reader and the writer.  In answering the questions found in the poem, the ending verses are structured around common Christian themes of hope, joy, light, and rebirth.

Originally published May, 2020.

Love Descending (Elfchen Series #187)

Deliverance

Foreseeing

Insurmountable force

Against all odds

Trusting in God’s promises

Hope

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Transformation

Surrounding

Darkness surfaces

Never feeling forsaken

Heavenly light breaking through

Peace

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Jubilation

Encountering

Stormy seas

By faith alone

Grace delivers blue skies

Joy

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Faith’s Resurrection

From Psalm 118:1:  “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!”

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Hope’s refuge, waiting in Lord’s highest place

Father’s steadfast love endures forever

Lighting way for each faithful endeavor

Proclaiming Savior’s song of victory

 

Bond of peace, opened at Calvary’s cross

Unified as one with body of Christ

Sharing patient gentleness, though high-priced

Bearing one another in faithful love

 

Measure of forgiveness, joy’s lasting gift

Marvelous in Lord’s single, faithful breath

Overcoming lasting darkness and death

Waiting at heaven’s gate, His love-filled grace

 

Witnessing Savior’s nail-pierced hands and feet

Faith’s Resurrection, forever complete

 

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From Luke 24:36-39:  “While they were talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’  They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.  He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Look at My hands and My feet; see that it is I myself.  Touch Me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.'”