Spending time at home
Relaxing bounty of peace—
Worldly noise can wait
Seeding with patience
Harvest’s bounty shall come forth—
First blossom appears
Praising second chance
Bountiful reconnection—
Restoring friendship
Selected verses from Psalm 122 bring inspiration for this poem. America, as a nation, needs healing and reconciliation. The two verses of Scripture take us on a journey from where we have been to where we wish to go.
From Jeremiah 6:14: “They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”
Praying for peace in our city
Loving Jesus takes center stage
Welcoming peace into all hearts
Hearing love of God over rage
Listening to cries of anguish
Walking with Jesus protects all
Showing empathy for neighbors
Sharing His peace at every call
Stepping forward with trusting words
Treating these wounds with Jesus’ care
Saying “peace, peace” with conviction
Lifting hands high, love fills the air
Standing and feeding His lost flock
Replacing discord, Jesus comes
Proclaiming a new dawn today
Following Grace-filled, beating drum
From Isaiah 57:19: “Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them.”
Originally published June, 2020.
From the words of Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher, Oswald Chambers: “If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly.”
Thinking as Jesus taught
Prayer’s breath offers peace
Blood enriched in one’s heart
Light fills faith’s every piece
Spurring each other on
Prayer links faith as one
Devotion encouraged
God sends His blessed Son
Believing Father’s Word
Prayer becomes hope’s voice
Each hour, without ceasing
Shepherd’s flock shall rejoice
Praising Christ for His light
Prayer leads to support
Faithful mercy arrives
Answers sail to each port
Walking always in faith
Prayer fills lungs with joy
Conscious of Savior’s grace
Holy Spirit deploys
From 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Dawn’s blanketing peace
Nourishing heart’s emptiness—
Hope welcomes daylight
Sunrise warming heart
Tender peace brightens within—
Positive outlook
Silence fills sunset
Whispers swirled with lasting peace—
Heart’s most precious gift
Sunset
Tomorrow’s worries
Spirit’s grace resets
Waking to morning’s peace
Sunrise
Burdens
Multiply baggage
Calvary breathes mercy
Jesus carries every piece
Lifted
Unmatched
Tidal wave
Facing major decisions
Father guides each step
Wisdom
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.
From high mountain meadow
River begins fateful trip
One mile follows another
Flowing at steady clip
Creator’s light precedes
Clear path to river’s glory
Journey shaping each landscape
Scripting nature’s story
Time shall never stand still
River’s persistence will win
Always forward to its goal
Streaming patience within
Day will come, very soon
River sets up final score
Faithful waters running free
Asking for nothing more
Ocean’s waters ahead
Finish line in river’s sight
Peace traveling through its pulse
Pulling eternal might
From 1 Kings 3:5: “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.'”
Life’s adaptive landscape
Father’s faithful seeding
Walking new avenues
His wisdom interceding
Dreams flow with endless peace
Father’s mercy speaks
Offering new insights
His wisdom strengthens what’s weak
Sunrise brightens each mind
Father’s steady view
Filling one’s righteousness
His wisdom comes shining through
Day brimming with praises
Father’s grace feeding
Finding mountain meadows
His wisdom superseding
Light shall topple darkness
Father’s goodness flows
Choosing each time and place
His wisdom sends love to grow
From 1 Kings 3:9: “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours?”
Driving life’s busy highway
Just needing some time away
Leaving busy, urban noise
Seeking tranquility’s home
Recharging worn batteries
Favorite place, freedom roams
Returning to hidden lake
Aligning with nature’s bond
Feeling every peaceful breath
Slice of spirit’s “Walden Pond”
Stirring calm with each sunrise
Refreshing body and mind
Leaving behind each trouble
Life as Creator designed
Enjoying one more sunset
Viewing water’s dancing light
Witnessing lasting comfort
Lake’s rhythm, now taking flight
Bringing each melody back
Life finds its own steady track
Speaking to others
Thoughtful grace shining outward—
Revealing kindness
Enthusiasm’s voice
Sunshine brightens one more life—
Spirits lifted up
Nurtured, fertile ground
Cultivation’s happiness—
Spreading seeds of joy
Your presence is the most precious gift you can give to another human being.
Peace cannot be built on the foundations of fear.
Marshall Rosenberg (1934-2015) was an American psychologist, author, and teacher. Much of his work was framed around the development of supporting partnerships and resolving conflicts.
Big Sky Buckeye 