Pursuing Wisdom

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.”

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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 

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

A Writer’s Way

silhouette of trees and mountain under blue starry sky

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Discovering words with something to say

Penning poems and stories every day

                                                             

Draining cups of coffee, right on cue

Feeling emptiness, like singing the blues

 

Holding on to thoughts, waiting to give birth

Sailing onward, words waiting to unearth

 

Painting with dazzling textures, shapes, and hues

Viewing sketches, filling these eyes with clues

 

Searching for future poems, like twinkling stars

Linking verses while traveling to Mars

 

Crafting words, really not science you see

Navigating this writer’s mind, feeling free

 

Seeking prose, lost deep in this writer’s soul

Uncovering a few, making each day full

 

Looking for stories, over each rainbow

Finding inspiring words, eager to flow

 

Drinking more coffee, than one should consume

Creating endless text, now ready to bloom

 

Grasping this pen, creating one more tune

Drafting a masterpiece, ready by Noon

 

Writing encounters monumental quests

Hoping these words will always pass all tests

 

Honoring these writing moments, so sweet

Dreaming of fashioning each splendid treat

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Infinite Road

This poem is inspired from viewing one of the posts from Alex Markovich Art.  His Watercolor Sketch 43 stopped me in my writing tracks.  Check out his site for further watercolor sketches, Russian postcards, and much more.  There are plenty of incredible images.

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Walking this lonely road

Losing count of each step

Packing life’s hefty load

Careful not to misstep

 

Miles of infinite road

Where will it finally end?

Life scanned, like some bar code

What lies around the bend?

 

Few answers on this road

Walking day after day

Needing life to reload

Feeling like nature’s prey

 

Danger lurks on this road

Always staying alert

Life delayed in safe mode

Old, worn boots kicking dirt

 

Life resembles this road

Challenges come and go

Heavy, infinite load

Never walking too slow

alone autumn mood forest cold countryside

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Love Sings Hallelujah

From Genesis 2:24:  “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

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Creating a rainbow, love inspires

Connecting two lives, becoming one

Merging together, feelings inside

Celebrating, we’ve only begun

 

Meeting at life’s crossroads, love brings truth

Confessing before our Lord, now one

Living as a twosome, sharing love

Spending time together, never done

 

Cherishing our love, always special

Sharing our dreams, dwelling between us

Leading us on a life adventure

Capturing a moment, on life’s bus

 

Depending on each other, love bonds

Growing tired of each other, never

Celebrating God’s gifts, shared with us

Changing our minds about us, never

 

Weathering life’s storms, love conquers all

Singing Hallelujah, love declares

Leaning on each other, love endures

Treasuring us, God’s love truly cares

 

man in black long sleeved shirt and woman in black dress

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From 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:  “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Journey to Jerusalem

From John 10:9-10:  “I am the gate.  Whoever enters by Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,  I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

green bamboo leaves

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Triumphantly

Jesus enters a joyous city

Jerusalem sings

Praising His name . . . Hosanna!

 

Witnessing

Emotional betrayal

Denying Christ

Then a rooster crows

 

Watching

Stunning procession fills the streets

Mocking with scorn

Would-be king, carrying our Cross

 

Hopes

Dashed by cruel Roman justice

Absent of sin

Son of Man, never to walk free

 

Numbness

With tears, seeing and hearing

Experiencing anguish

Horror at a blood-stained Cross

grayscale photo of the crucifix

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Silence

Covering the land, Father weeps

Messiah suffers

Many rejecting our Holy God

 

Hearing

Good News on Easter morning

Our Savior

Defeating sin and death

 

Empty

Dark tomb proclaims God’s plan

Jesus Christ

Risen!  Reigning forevermore

 

Connecting

Dots between manger and Cross

Our Father

Love for us never wanes

 

Lingering

In the shadow of a criminal’s cross

Singing Alleluia!

To lasting, true meaning of the Cross

 

Glory

Residing forever in the Cross

Good Shepherd

Caring for His precious flock

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From Ephesians 2:8-10:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God–not the result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Life Looks Back

man in green jacket

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Dusty top of the kitchen fridge

No worries about cleaning

Unless . . .

Taller guests come to play bridge

 

Windshield wipers, broken and worn

Needing to be replaced

But never . . .

Attempt when rain becomes airborne

 

Congested and overmatched table

Keeping life healthy and in order

Looking like . . .

Walgreens, filled with pill labels

 

Remembering school days past

Time to take another test

Pausing . . .

Hoping the “ditto” smell will last

 

Self-driving cars, soon to be the craze

Sitting in one, with perplexed look

Pondering . . .

Will the back seat driver be unfazed?

 

Raiding the freezer for a midnight snack

Hunger disrupts blissful sleep

What’s this . . .

Cookie Dough ice cream has been hijacked

 

Installing a terrific app on her “hip” phone

Grandson helps his Grandma out

Meanwhile . . .

With his flip phone, Grandpa feels quite alone

 

Finding a parking spot is tonight’s mission

Free valet parking

Guaranteed . . .

When you drive a manual transmission

 

So many toilet paper choices and sizes

What ever happened to having just one?

Confusing . . .

Mega and Super Mega waiting in disguise

 

Enjoying a late night film on television

Fearful of falling asleep

Always prepared . . .

Setting an alarm, allows for night vision

 

Reading and proofreading, reading once more

Retired English teacher

Never satisfied . . .

Writing a “perfect” text with words to adore

 

If you have enjoyed this bit of fun

Wait for the next round

When . . .

Doughnuts and coffee for everyone

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If I Was a . . .

This poem is inspired by a song which has been sung by many artists.  Bobby Darin and later Johnny Cash and June Carter recorded their versions of “If I Were a Carpenter.”   The song was written by Tim Hardin, and other artists have recorded and performed the song as well.  Here is Bobby Darin’s version:  “If I Were a Carpenter.”

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If I was a teacher

Bringing energy, passion, and patience

Transforming all into knowledge seekers

 

If I was a firefighter

Serving with unselfish duty and pride

Protecting all, making worries lighter

 

If I was an architect

Designing buildings for many uses

Looking ahead to challenging projects

 

If I was a farmer

Rising at dawn, working until sundown

Bringing a nation food, as God’s armor

 

If I was a nurse

Sharing with patient, compassionate care

Filling lives with hope, never for the worse

 

If I was a writer

Crafting words into stories and much more

Witnessing through eyes, open and brighter

 

If I was a musician

Creating good vibes through words and music

Bringing pleasure across generations

 

If I was a preacher

Instilling God’s Word with a church’s flock

Encouraged to be one of God’s teachers

 

If I was a soldier

Preserving peace and freedom in the world

Band of brothers, stand shoulder to shoulder

 

If I was a young tyke

Looking up to these inspiring adults

Growing up, each day feeling more alike

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God’s Team

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Jesus gathers up His apostles from humble ground

Making up God’s team, their witness shall abound

 

God’s Word oversees the performance of this team

Standing as chief executive, seeing holiest theme

 

The Holy Spirit earmarks the hearts and brains

Serving as the binding glue, better than chains

 

Returning to the beginning of God’s creative time

Transforming a land, His Word continues to climb

 

The Creator conceives of a perfect place for man

Placing Adam and Eve in Eden, always His plan

 

But, Adam and Eve journey on a sin-filled path

Leaving the ample garden, under God’s wrath

 

From this moment, God’s team stumbles and wanders

Facing estrangement from God, His people squander

 

Jesus comes to bridge what separates us from God

Sitting at the right hand, coaching a humbled squad

 

God establishes His expectations, perfectly high

Faltering and imperfect mortals, will never satisfy

 

The team continues to collapse over and over again

Forgetting God’s Commandments, sin seems to win

 

Many teams measure success by the flashy show

Works by themselves, will never add much glow

 

But, Jesus shepherds His team on a brand new track

Following by faith alone, Jesus always has their back

 

He reminds us to always love our God in Heaven’s seat

Loving each other as you have loved Me, always repeat

 

A bloody, criminal’s Cross summons all to take a knee

Accepting Jesus as Savior, teammates look up to see

 

Our Father orchestrates, with infinite patience and love

Creating and molding, the Great I Am looks from above

 

Jesus remains alert at the Creator’s side

Carrying keys to eternal life, all bona fide

 

As team members, we must trust, follow, and abide

Playing for Jesus, His coaching is forever our guide

 

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Writer’s Journey

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Leaving memories from a classroom

Now pursuing and writing a new tune

 

Exciting, unfamiliar journey begins

Seeing life through a creative lens

 

Retirement offers a different team

Fulfilling hidden, unexpected dreams

 

Waking up in the very early morn

Coffee and writing, refreshing norm

 

Discovering a passion for poetry

Let’s see where words will take me

 

Finding a unique style to nurture

This pen flows with adventure

 

Short stories stir up this open mind

Enjoying the fun, these words find

 

Thankful for readers, such as you

This writer’s journey, quite a view

Charles Swindoll Quote

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So if you want to smile through your tears, if you want to rejoice through times of suffering, just keep reminding yourself that, as a Christian, what you’re going through isn’t the end of the story . . . it’s simply the rough journey that leads to the right destination.

From Psalm 106:3:  “Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.”