Wedding Poem for My Daughter - spring

My daughter and her husband met at a  dance-

You danced

      into each other’s lives

    with a holding of hands

     and a marriage of eyes;

       two separate people

          moving as one

    discovering the beauty

     of what you’d become.

    Romance would blossom

     as flowers in the spring,

   commitment would follow

      with vows and a ring,

       entwining together

     as closer you’re drawn

 may your hearts move in union

         to God’s loving song.

 

          April 26, 2014

                                                                             s.f.g.

                          



We Believe - Easter

To He,

who made the song of spring,

we believe

in Your transforming.

Winter bare

when growth was gone,

lives again

as comes the dawn.

Giver of all life anew

coming from the grave

it could be only You.

Bear our hope,

and see us through...

To He

who made the song of spring,

we believe

in Your transforming.



I Am Into Epic-spring

I am into epic -

where everything's about the whole.

Mundane tasks aren't challenging,

life's about the soul.

Each day is but a drizzle,

each hour no power enfolds,

capturing eternal truth

is what my heart desires to hold. 

Every Evening - spring/winter

I've a window to the west

and ne'er a sunset escapes me.

Every evening a picture framed

changing with seasons' scenery.

Embracing our spirit with its ebb and flow

moving our emotions

if you let it do so.

Lose not this passing moment

share in silent sun and shifting clouds

edifying through changing light

what God and His beauty are all about.



The Whole - spring

Tie the threads together,

you'll see my life complete

all under the umbrella

that God's Spirit makes replete.

I can document events,

tell time by the mirror

while the whole of it is His disposing,

His is the gifting while I'm here.

I will then take upon me

nothing outside of what He sends

and be inside His sovereign will

when to heaven I ascend.



Goodbye to Sochi - winter

Olympians are poets

who play to the stands,

lifting each other

to great heights by their sports' demands.

Nose to nose and toe to toe

launching themselves

as far as athletes can go,

testing the limits

on Russian ice and snow,

it will be sad to say

"goodbye" to Sochi's

"poetry in motion"

that we've come to know...

voice of reminder - winter

 

Bird in the forest

you sing of my past.

Voice of reminder

of what couldn't last.

Cherished emotions

that defy words

surface through the song

of one familiar bird...

The Light - winter

 

The more oppressive

the darkness becomes

the brighter

seems the smallest light...

why is it you don't fold?

Why aren't you freezing

when everyone else has turned cold?

The Light keeps you alive

the Light makes you free

the Light makes others look at you

and say "why isn't that me"?

It's So Cold - winter

It's so cold

even the snow groans

when trod upon so

it cries out saying

"Go back inside

where warm things stay alive

to remain intact

until spring comes back".

Music Every Moment - winter

Music at the University,

as in Elizabethan times,

was as living in a castle

playing songs and singing rhymes.

Full expression of the soul,

heart and mind,

how much longing lives in me

to return to that liberating time...

Survive - winter

 

The temperature plummeted -

dangerously cold.

The thought was, no one outside

could survive.

It's true if left

to your own devices

you couldn't stay alive.

Hope lies on the horizon

for God of the Polar Vortex,

so dire,

also created a forest of trees;

wood for a warming fire.

We gather around its protection

from there cold's harm is forced to subside

as we continue to anticipate spring

knowing Providence will provide.

Snowy Blanket - winter

Lay down your snowy blanket

snuggle me in

with solitude

silent thoughts

family

friends

it really doesn't matter

they're still blessings that you send;

so lay down your snowy blanket -

snuggle me in.

Pad the Earth with Snowing - winter

 

                                 This is the creek by our house this morning...

                         

                         God will pad the earth with snowing

                        to quiet down our coming and going... 

 



 

                                                      May beauty follow you today...

Winter Window - winter

Winter window

shines so bright,

sun reflecting

off wintry white;

how I love to admire

its entirety

that covers the land

like a rolling crystalline sea.

I walk,

I ride upon its froth

my mind and imagination

caught

by its transformation of lament

with which life is fraught...

comfort me thus

if just

for awhile

and bring to my world

your smile.

Merry Christmas Friends!

-

Wandering the world

pursuing others for their love:

Jesus is the One

who comes.

-

Searching ourselves,

so empty inside:

Jesus is the One

who comes.

-

Unfulfilling are philosophies,

looking for love, the mind finds none:

Jesus is the One

who comes.

-

Inside our soul

His work is begun:

Jesus in the One

who comes.

-

Let all ears hear

as the angels gave tongue:

Jesus is the One

who comes.

-

In bodily form

to a manger, a Son -

Jesus is the One

who comes. 

New Steps - Winter

Fresh flakes fell today,

a rebirth of the earth,

creating the pristine...

covering over

all that lay before,

oh, what a glorious

new beginning to explore!

I must take

new steps out into this wonder

and make

a path

that I've never forged before.

As it lays in front of me

so I am drawn toward

beauty, and a respite that is pure;

as the silence surrounds me

I feel once again assured

that there is nothing

that this God who makes snow cannot do -

and He will ever lead me to Him

and make all my steps

new.

 

Cloudy Days - fall

Underneath this canopy of cloudy days,

we wonder if the sun will turn again to shine;

yet somehow this builds character

with "seek and ye shall find".

What we're outright given

lends an air of complacency,

while denial can draw us out

to find that which we really need.

Building strength of character

that lives inside the core

draws from true necessity

as we seek to restore.

So exists the challenge

when things around are dreary;

to discover and uncover

what brings relief to the weary.

We can find a candle

midst this yearning that we're living

and bring light to a darkened world -

and find hope in the giving.



saturday nights - fall

Saturday night

sits by a warm fire and reads,

gently singing itself to sleep...

outside the door the errant leaves

chase themselves where're they please

as all tonight are free...

whether of the mind or in reality,

preparing for the day of rest -

sink deeply into quietness...



In Silence - Fall

I sit

in silence

and contemplate

-

all other matters

must wait

like gravity

we all return

to earthly matters

and their concerns

but finding moments

such as these

helps me keep

my sanity

Season's Embrace - Fall

Fall is here

crisp and clear

with the smell of wood smoke

from a chimney's pipe.

The river runs still

and the trees are alight.

There's a warmth to the woods

with their dusky color

clothed in their

covenant with one another;

we'll cloister inside

mid the seasons embrace

and not think of leaving

for any other place.

The Green Light - Fall

Everyone else was looking

at the red light,

waiting for it to turn green

but not me, not me.

I was gazing at the white puffy clouds,

above and far away;

at the moment of blue,

shining through.

So easy to be trapped here

with all the mistakes that I make

and all the problems with people,

sometimes too much to take.

Dear God of Heaven

who am I

that you should put
my mind at ease

and send me moments
such as these 

with Your eternal peace?

Within each day,

in every way

let me keep my gaze

only on Your ways

always watching out

for lights turning green...

A Bride to Be - fall

This chilly air is bringing

color to your cheeks;

the orange, reds and yellows

are almost at their peaks.

I can see your face is blushing

like a radiant bride, is flushing;

it seems you're rushing

far too quickly

toward wearing your dress

of purest winter white.

Fragrance of Fall - fall

The fragrance of fall,

earthy and raw,

like the forest floor

after a rain

fills me with longing

for hills I can't see

my mind roams among them,

an attempt to be free -

far from constraints of society. 

I choose to walk in the fields

of forgiveness,

realizing we are being

preyed upon

by a malevolence

that's unrelenting

that we all resist

until our strength

is gone.

 

 

May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,

even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:21-22

One Place - Fall

I'd rather stay in this one place

and watch the world pass me by

than to be lost within the whirlwind

never understanding the "why"?

Remaining stable keeps your thoughts straight,

"good things come to those who wait".

So I agree with Solomon the wise

that so much of life is chasing after wind,

it's so hard to get off the track

once you begin,

so,

I for one, am truly fulfilled,

while just

standing

still. 

This Girl's World - fall

This girl's world

is not like mine.

I could never understand

what's going through her mind.

A life of hardship

far beyond her years,

what's happened in so short a time

sends me into tears.

First impressions

sometimes send

a message that they don't intend;

we find ourselves apprising others

so easily, with the slightest little nudge,

what happened to my empathy

when I was quick to judge? 

September Slumber - fall

September is time

in suspension:

summer's burst of energy

spent

with everything left

to sit and wait,

wondering where

its vitality went...

lengthening shadows,

plants grown high

everything stretching

its way to the sky

life is reaching

for the ever waning sun;

in a sort of stasis resting

between what was

and what is to come...

Oh, to be heard... - summer

This Saturday, Sept. 3 I will be meeting all kinds of people at the author event in Grabill.

My book "Seasons for Your Soul" contains my thoughts, Psalms from the Bible and also a place on each page to place your own thoughts permanently in written word. You can find my book on the links above, and my event on this link:  http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/

Click on "next" to show my event listing.

 

There are not enough people to listen,

we all know it's true,

so many things you'd like to say

and no one to listen to you.

A few thoughts here,

a few thoughts there,

still so many

we're desperate to share...

You're reading my thoughts just this moment,

written words hold definite power

to make the transference to other's minds

is a seed given over to flower

with what's inside

that life itself has stirred -

if you're reading this then I can rest,

knowing I've been heard!

Sculpted Sky - summer

The clouds are being sculpted

both here and in Tibet;

when light begins to paint them there

we are left with a waning silhouette...

Forming, drifting, disappearing,

imagination billows white

Sea of blue send them sailing

ever into westwards sight... 

Tree Song - Summer

Deciduous trees,

with their close-knit leaves,

slap and splash in the wind

as they please;

waving a waterfall

kind of sound

so happy and free

'til they fall to the ground.

The forest tones down

when winter arrives,

the fir trees song is all

that survives.

Hear the sad wind

as it howls through their hollows;

a forest filled with firs

carries with it winters' sorrows.

The Message - summer

Whatever you may think of my writing,

whatever you may think of me,

I'm praying the message may not be ignored;

that God is forever our Life and Love

and all eyes be on our Lord.

Southern Porch of Comfort - summer

There's a southern porch of comfort

I once knew,

where all my loved ones gathered

on a lazy afternoon.

Talk was of the family or neighbors

down the way,

wafting with the sleepy sound

of a porch swings serenade;

there was no place for to go,

and nothing much to do,

so time sat with us patiently,

not inclined to move.

*

Sometimes it all comes back to me,

I see and hear so clear

all the people long since gone

but with just a thought

drawn near...

the more the years in passing,

the more I choose to stay

on that southern porch of comfort

before the colors 

fade.

A Wedding Poem - summer

A wedding has a way

of bringing us together -

what a special day

as you both will enter

into union

by the Lord's design,

celebrating the original Love

that He had in mind

for all of us -

so now it will be,

as you share life in His joy

so abundantly!

 

 

Hosea 2:19

I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,

in love and compassion.

Sinking into Summer - summer

I'm sinking into summer

like a cozy stuffed chair,

all warm and barefoot

surrounded by the soothing air.

Nothing here so pressing

that I have to jump and run,

so lazily I'm lounging,

moving slowly like the sun.

Living in the outdoors

whose arms are open wide,

there's a different pace

in this place of grace

less confined than when inside.

Sinking into summer

like a warm cozy chair,

storing up for winter -

Like a hibernating bear!

Living Truth - summer

If lately we would look

into the heavenly realms

of You, Lord, here on earth

and the revelation it tells

of a Holy God,

Hallowed and Supreme,

fighting back the forces of evil

who are desperate to the extreme:

who know they are defeated

and are clutching at our souls

that through the Power of Jesus Christ

are beyond their ability to hold.

God is working through people and prayer

to provide others with release

from all the devils tempting and schemes

so we can exist within God's peace.

More the miracles lately I've seen

and more the affirmation lived

that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life

waiting to be given.

As the end of times is drawing near,

He will give us personal proof

that He is unconditional, saving Love

and the only Living Truth.

It's Dark Down in the Valley- Summer

It's dark down in the valley,

where morning is delayed

and the shadows deepen

at the close of the day,

but such a stillness lies within,

protected from intruding air,

you may make your bed while tucked in there,

settle in and don't despair

God will be with you -

anywhere. 

Oh sweet robins,

how you shared your melodies

from the glimmering of dawn

I heard them drifting from the trees...

now that it is dusk

at the keyboard I shall play

the heartstrings of my lyrical soul

at the ending of this day.

Though the sky has decided

with a rain, to lightly weep,

accept my tender song dear robins,

and gently go to sleep. 

I Am Redeemed! - spring

I am redeemed by another

there is no other

who can do this for me.

Life has been given

and I have received

eternal connection

with the One True God,

I have been redeemed!

As Life Continues to Unfold - spring

Babes in arms we once were

at the family reunion,

held with care;

older holding younger

we were all there.

Three generations of vibrant folk

born of Grandpa and Grandma,

a heritage we shared.

We filled the white farmhouse,

in the yard children played

all throughout the afternoon

until no longer day.

Then the Patriarchs left us

 in more ways than one

and the children

formed their own families

but still got together some.

But now they too are fewer,

only a remnant remain

and seldom are they with each other -

it will never be the same.

What is most startling of all

is that as my lifetime

continues to unfold -

I see those of us who are left to remember -

are now Grandchildren Growing Old.



Delicious Breeze - spring

Spring brings

breezes through the screens

of the open windows

so inviting -

air, freshly baked by warm sunshine

sweetened by the flowers scent,

so delicious we partake

'til our senses are content. 



Green Things - spring

Green things,

taking care of me...

in the spring I'm reminded

by the scenery

of a Providence

who's in residence

and providing for my needs.

When I'm feeling down

I can look all around

and I see that the seeds

produce a nurturing green -

He's taking care of me. 

Free! - spring

I've found relief

from the pain of this world,

use the word "redeemed".

Truly treasured,

my wrongs not measured,

what an honor -

He reaches out to me,

as to Peter, failing, falling,

to the Lord calling,

rescued from the sea,

brought in Love's surrounding arms

where we were all meant to be.

*

The book of Matthew chapter 14 in the Bible

 

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

To Live with You Lord - spring

To live with You Lord

is a thousand dawns,

pure delight in Your presence,

going on and on....

*

To live with you Lord

is a million springs,

life continually new and everlasting...

*

To live with You Lord

is never to die,

in Your Love we will praise You -

eternally satisfied.

Stretching Arms - spring

Spring itself is spreading

the limbs all fuzzy green,

bushes bursting yellow buds

and grass with thick covering.

Sunshine soaks its way within

and rains go full and deep.

Joyful is the mood they're setting

stretching arms from winter's sleep!

A Loving Prayer - spring

I am human -

my mind is small;

much of what it wraps around

is of no significance at all.

Daily, I speak the language

of earth and of mankind,

so when my heart is heavy

and feels so confined -

I open up in prayer

like a flower in the spring,

no boundaries could ever contain

this purest of offerings,

soaring far beyond the sky

yet intimately told -

the simplest words of a loving prayer

change the seasons of the soul. 

No Love is Lost - spring. Poem written in memory of Ken Smyth.

Dedicated to Ken Smyth, missionary to Hong Kong who went to be with the Lord  this week.

No love is lost,

no matter where it falls:

even after those who gave are gone -

still it calls.

Cutting through the conflagration

love alone still lives;

No love is lost

for God is love

and all the Glory - His.

Return - Spring

The eastern sky

faintly rises

like a single strain of violins,

ushering its many colors,

gradually filling in.

My prayers, with this light,

will rise

to bring in ever brightening skies

as they crescendo with the sun's appearing

we live with this hope -

His return is nearing.

3 Times Grace - Good Friday

3 days in the grave.

3 days grace.

Jesus took the penalties

and put forgiveness in their place.

 

One

Barabbas, was the first to know,

how it felt to be freed

by the Christ who took his guilty place

on a cruel Roman tree.

Two

Next were the criminals,

one on either side,

also under sentence

and sure to die -

one calls out for mercy

and is promised

paradise.

Three

Third were the soldiers

and the crowds

cruel cries,

forgiven without asking

by the man they crucified.

 

3 days in the grave.

3 times grace.

Jesus took the penalties

and gave forgiveness in their place.



Islands - spring

those places

in the spaces of a week

when all of the

waves and storms cease;

whose harbor

holds a blessed peace;

whether it's an evening

or an afternoon

find an island in the sea

of "shoulds".

Winter's Lady - winter

She's an elegant lady

with all her lace

forming the doilies

to cover earth's face.

Whisking the surface

(while not soiling her hem)

she brightens every

space she fills in.

The antecedent of cousin rain

who grinds in the ground

with her pounding refrain:

her touch, so light,

glides downward with ease

as you sit in her presence

she brings pleasantries

all the while

charming the scenery

into her bridal,

formal white -

she's an elegant lady

and the winter's delight!

February - winter

February.

Dull and dreary.

Nothing cheery.

Winter’s punch is lame and weak.

Only boredom is at its peak.

All good things must come and go

but February is arduously slow.



Joy - winter

Joy

is like snow,

flake upon flake

compiling many times over

eventually to create

an entire landscape

that's been given for our sake.

A picture of beauty,

a pathway to peace

that stretches out like a blanket

underneath.

This delicate gladness

so kindly accrues

we're remarkably filled

before we ever knew

what it's meaning was

and how it could be true.

Let's pray a prayer for all of us

who are at a loss to see

the joys of God that fall all around,

oh, so gradually.

Change - spring

He changed history.

He changed who we can be.

The world keeps turning

but with the rise

of each new sun upon our eyes

Christ's Love brings us

new hope for our lives -

to walk with God in forgiveness of wrongs

that would otherwise bring our demise.

With renewal of what life can truly be

let us share this Love so peaceful and free

so that no soul is left who does not know

how He changed the world to rescue our soul.

Humbling View - winter

The sun is setting on the winter snow.

The ground and trees have a golden glow

that will, so very soon,

turn into winter's shade of blue.

God does not need the hand of man

to paint the landscape of sky and land,

and lest we feel inclined to be great;

we are humbled by what only God can create.



Author's Anecdote (inside info on my book "Seasons for Your Soul:Psalms and Poems") #1

When I was approached with the idea of turning my poems into a devotional - I laughed! 365 days? Your kidding? I had that many poems already written but knew that I needed them to be of a certain genre. They were all too diverse to work well in a devtional format. But the seed had been planted. I've always been given to be open to the Spirit's leading and about 2 days after the idea, I wrote a new poem. It had to do with the idea of the beginning of a devotional and can be found on p. 193, Winter, Day 1. That was on a dark, rainy night in November. The poems kept coming, sometimes every day , but I might go 2 or 3 days without one and think "Ah, that was a good idea but it'll never happen" and then 2 or 3 poems would come to me to make up for the days they were not. After 14 months from the day that I consciously began writing for "the project" I had 365 poems. I couldn't believe it, but God could. I still smile, remembering how easy the thoughts were penned. God always wins in the end!

Savior - Christmas

We were never meant to

deal with evil.

In the garden, in the beginning.

God made sure it wasn't revealed,

but in keeping with His truthful nature

the tree of knowledge wasn't concealed.

Perhaps it existed because He wanted to show

that He was protecting us

from what we shouldn't know.

We couldn't handle the conflagration;

distrust of his words led to our fall,

far from His protection

the direction we took

would condems us all.

*

The Son of God - Jesus by name,

came to live out the perfection

that only God Himself could maintain

and offered to us the restoration

of life, once again,

with God - delivered from evil's deadly grasp,

returning once more to Him at last!

Saved from the terrible

penalties of sin -

let all souls rejoice

and may all come to Him.

Amen

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with conficence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

My book is now available!

"Seasons for Your Soul" is a 365-day devotional using my original poems and quotes from Psalms.
Each day has one of my original poems, a quote from the Psalms of the Bible and some days have a reflective thought by two contributing counselor friends. Click on the front of the book labeled "Look inside the book" and you will be able to see what the book is like.
http://www.amazon.com/Seasons-Your-Soul-Psalms-ebook/dp/B00AR8DS1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UT F8&qid=1356118895&sr=8-1&keywords=seasons+for+your+soul+gagen#_

Children and Heaven

When you're with the children,

God seems very near,

all false pretense we have is dropped

and truth is very clear.

Love is so available,

spontaneous and real,

you lose yourself as walls come down

and you open up to feel.

How innocent the children are

and so very genuine;

Jesus said to enter heaven

we need to become like them.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:2-3

Consolation - winter

No spring, no green,

no snow to see -

only stark reality.

With the growing sorrow

and loss that you feel

may more of God's

Love and Peace come to heal.

May you know His presence

deep inside,

a place of safety

no pain can find.

True security,

faithful rest,

no matter how bitter

the storms are pressed;

His touch, so consoling,

affirms He's still there,

let go of all else

and fall into His care.  

victory - winter

Dark winter night

 

you are given to flight

 

of fancy -

 

in my mind,

 

I am dancing,

 

to spring!

 

and there's not a thing

 

you can do to stop me,

 

no matter the misery

 

you may yet bring!

My devotional book -  Seasons for Your Soul - will soon be available in paperback, hardcopy and e-book. This book is the result of several years of personal preparation with help from a few friends. Details and exact date of release will be forthcoming soon. We would appreciate your prayer concerning the outreach and response to these writings and the Word of God in peoples lives. Hope you will come back soon to this site....

Caution - Fall

Caution -

what an earthly concept.

Sin -

the cause at its very core.

Relinquishing these is the promise

in heaven - no fear in giving more.

Eternal praise, everlasting life,

fear forgotten, forever blessed,

giving and forgiving reign

with no remembrance of the rest.

At home in heaven with the Lord,

caution will be thrown to the wind;

just peace and trust with the Author of Love

with no threat of winter coming in.

Refreshing - fall

Refreshing Stream

flowing free

fresh from the Fount

of Eternity -

clearing out earth's

sin and debris,

Oh Lord and Savior

be Life for me. 

Deepest Offering - Summer

How did John on Patmos, feel

when He'd finished writing what had been revealed?

Has anyone ever been able to explore

the messengers' greatest reward?

How worship is simply the humble return

of what God has given,

we have not earned,

this praise to Him which is part of the flow

of the God of the universe

as all to Him we owe!

Keep coming then, so I may sense

Your Spirit that is too immense

to ever convey

upon this earth in any way.

By Grace You choose to remain a part

of the blessed ones who have given their heart;

so Almighty God, and Beloved Son,

penned by so many

but captured by none,

please bless whatever I can bring

to You, and to others

as my deepest offering...

As One - summer

We ride the same wave,

searching for more,

desiring all that God

has in store

with His promises

that He always keeps,

we share a hunger

that never sleeps.

Some may see us as

never at rest

but we know without saying

we are at our best

turning 'round the next bend,

discovering treasures

He has to send.

The more we're rewarded

the easier it becomes

to share together

in His Son -

we believe as one.