My Treasure

 Poem #8 in the Deadlines for Writers group is due today. The prompt is "treasure." I pushed the deadline to the last minute this time and just finished a first and only draft. 

My Treasure

In the quiet early morning

I close my eyes to the flashing lights of Now

And my ears to the cacophony of Hurry.

The clouds above me drift apart, and I see the stars shining behind.

Alone now, I gather the treasures of my life close for comfort and courage.

 

Opening my box of treasures,

I consider, and rejoice in the largest diamond therein: the presence of God -

His grace, His faithfulness, His guidance, His Truth.

His Magnificent creation!

Oh! The beauty I’ve treasured!

The daily resurrection from a good night’s sleep.

The sun, brightly welcoming me to each new day and dazzling me with a display of ever-changing colors to celebrate the day’s ending.  

Sand between my toes and the kiss of the waves upon the beach.

Crisp breezes on my face as I tread a wooded path alone.

The rustle of leaves as walk the shoreline in harmonious company.

 

I gently lift the memory of the relationships that made and make me.

My hands trace the many facets of this precious jewel.

Long-ago reprimands and guidance from loving parents.

Lifetime support and companionship of brothers and sisters.

Long and laughter-filled family dinners – Oh, the joy!

Real conversation with receptive and insightful companions.

A smile received in payment for appreciation.

Little arms around my neck.

Strong arms around my back.

A loving touch on my shoulder.

Affirmations of understanding and connection.

 

I reverently touch the jewel of Purpose and Creativity.

Each facet of the gem reflects the light of the Great Creator.  

Sharing the joy and purpose of my being with words, with colors.

Starting on a new creative project.

Learning something new.

Mixing the perfect color.

Finding just the right word.

Searching for voids to fill, needs to supply, hearts to join.

 

I close my box and greet the new day.

I have a God to serve,

Hearts and souls to nurture.

I have lessons to learn,

Visions to paint,

Words to compile,

I have voids to fill,

Needs to supply,

Hearts to join.

I have life to live. 

Poem "Song of Life"

 Poem #7 for 2025 was due yesterday in the Deadlines for Writers writing group. I submitted a very incomplete and unified poem via my phone since I was not at home during the 24-hour submission deadline. I would welcome any suggestions to unify the thoughts contained in this one. The prompt was "A Song." I submitted this:

Song of Life

When life plays a joyful song, dance!

Change the key when you must, but create

With drumming in your heart, take a chance!

Sing a song to praise the life He gave.

 

Prayer, in essence, is a sacred song.

Exulting in a truth from heaven wrung.

So celebrate life’s journey clear and strong.

Never let your song remain unsung.

Fulfillment, a Tanka

 The fifth poem for 2025 is due today. The prompt is "hollow." I wrote a Tanka inspired by a quote by Craig D. Lounsbrough.

Though I feign fullness,

I sit at the world’s table.

Achingly hollow.

Fulfillment is only found

Kneeling at the feet of God.

Inner Life: A Sonnet

Poem # 3 of 2025 is due today. The prompt is "undo." Here is the sonnet I wrote and submitted. It is very loosely inspired by the writing of Veronica Roth and Horace Mann.

The self that’s only self will undo self.

Obsession with reflection blinds the eye.

To truly live our lives, we are compelled

To focus OUT, see much more YOU than I.

 

The image in the mirror teaches naught

‘Cept selfish, unkind actions that annoy.

While reaching out in loving deed and thought

To others is the truest path to joy.

 

I choose to turn away “me” and “my.”

And give to others trust that they deserve.

I know that my successful inner life

Depends on finding ways to see and serve .

 

Projecting ever outward, self restrained,

I disappear and only God remains!

The Bridge of Repentance

 The last poem of 2024 is due today in the Deadlines for Writers group. I don't intend to continue this challenge for another year. I did an incomplete year in 2019 and have completed every month since. This poem is my 63rd monthly poem. The prompt is "forgiven." 

The Bridge of Repentance 

I journeyed with you through the days, months, and years.

Our paths converging and true.

Until one day, a boulder stood in my way,

And I needed a boost to get through.

 

I reached for you and only touched air.

Behind me, the Earth split in two.

There yawned a chasm deep and wide,

Keeping me from you.

 

The only path between us now,

As you stand on the other side.

Is the rickety Bridge of Repentance,

So I swallow my fear and pride.

 

I crawl back to you, confessing my sin,

Risking it all to regain “Before.”

Like a true friend, you take my hand.

That rickety bridge is a challenge no more!

 

Hand in hand, we press onward again,

Heads high, hearts warm, goal-driven!

We’ll get there together as we always planned.

From the past to the future. Forgiven.

Noel by J.R.R. Tolkien

I've never been a Tolkien fan. The Hobbit and all the related books just never appealed to me at all. I was totally taken by surprise recently to discover that Tolkien also wrote a beautiful Christmas poem that was basically unknown and "lost" until 2013. It had been published 1936 in an obscure literary publication, received little notice at the time and receded into oblivion, not coming to light even after Tolkien's death in 1973. I regret not ever having heard Noel by Tolkien. It is written in a traditional ballad form with a regular rhythm and rhyme, a feature that I strongly prefer in poetry. It has a strong metre of alternating 8 beats and 6 beats per line, with regular rhyme, plenty of imagery, and poetic devices like alliteration that appeal to the ear. It is 5 stanzas of 8 lines each and is a beautiful tribute to the amazing salvation brought to the weary world in the birth of Jesus. Although it was republished in September of this year, it is not very easily found with Google yet, and I have copied it into my blog for my own convenience.

Noel

by J.R.R. Tolkien

Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.

The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind,
the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.

The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.

Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.

Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.

Final Childhood

 Poem #09 for the year. The prompt was "moments." 

The child encounters life with joy!

The world, not yet reduced to inconsequence,

Looms as an immense mystery.

 

The wandering brook in the backyard

Needs no label;

It is as big as the Mississippi!

He fords it with daring and

Emerges a conqueror.

 

The dead willow nearby

Needs not be cleared away or disregarded.

It invites exploration.

He climbs,

Perches in the crook,

Surveys his kingdom below.

Finds a hole,

Secrets away his treasures.                                                                                                              

 

The child has no need for public acclaim.

He has the sky!

The masses, self-presenting and petty,

Conduct their insignificant business far below.

While he finds humble comfort and concord with nature.

 

Now growing old, I draw near to childhood again.

Outside my notice,

Public players, foolish and tedious,

Fill the world with discordant noise.

Empty souls boom, loud as kettle drums.

Strident sound by people who dread the silence.

 

Returning to childhood,

I learn to pray again.

I retire to the world God made,

To the memories of people who’ve gone before.

No longer attending the croak of the unnatural frog,

Fat and ugly and unmeaning.

I rest in the lapping of lake water on the shore

And the laughter of children.

 

 

Inspiration by:

Psalm 43:4

Anthony Esolen “The Final Childhood”

 

Good and Faithful Servant

 In June of 2002, a friend and church member of ours at Douglasville United Methodist Church, E.G. (Kel) Kelley, wrote this: 

Good and Faithful Servant

To honor: Jim Turrentine, good and faithful servant. From Kel Kelley on the day after your surgery. We all love and miss you. Get well soon. I am certain that many of those in our congregation and in past congregations would, if given this recent gift that Abba Father has given me, write exactly the same words showing the same sentiments and heartfelt feelings. 

In the book of Ecclesiastes

There is a time for everything

A time to laugh, a time to cry,

A time to dance and sing.

There comes a time to honor,

From us who have been blessed,

You who have been a blessing

Always giving us your best. 

We know you'll say it wasn't you;

But God who lives within.

But we know that God uses willing vessels,

Godly women, righteous men.

For you this day we give Him praise

For the work He's done through you;

For the sharing of the gospel

And the times you've prayed us through.

You have listened to our troubles.

You have helped to calm our fears.

You have led us to our Savior

As you've loved us through the years

In joyous laughter and happy tears

We thank you for the time

You've spent with us as pastor

In Jesus's work divine.

Because you knew our Jesus,

Because you know our Lord,

You shared with us as needed

A gift worth more than gold.

One day we'll meet in glory

And we'll walk hand in hand.

We always knew that you'd be there.

Because you took a stand.

You visited in hospital and home

And prayed on bended knee.

Jesus said, "As you've done it to the least of these

You've also done to me."

Some day we'll rejoice as you're honored in heaven

In the presence of the Son.

Because you loved, because you cared,

"Well done," He'll say, "Well done!"

A Fond Fairwell

 (Found 10/23 in my old writing notebook. I wrote it in 1990)

Fairwell to Varnell UMC

I am not the speaker in the family, but I could not let this occasion go by without telling you all what you have meant in my life and in the life of our family. Knowing that each of us is formed by who and what touches our lives, I want to thank each of you for having had the opportunity to know you for the last 3 1/2 years. Having grown up in a minister’s home and having a basically slow to get acquainted nature, I always hated moving and said that I would never marry anyone whose job required frequent moving. Of course, I ate those words when I married a Methodist preacher.

But over the last 26 years I have learned some important lessons about moving. I have learned that God's people are everywhere. I have learned that, even though I painfully leave wonderful friends in one place, God provides other wonderful friends in the new location. I used to think that I was to be pitied because I had to constantly leave situations just as I was beginning to feel at home in them. Now I know that I am blessed to have had the opportunity to make friends, true Christian friends, all over Georgia.

Had we not had the painful experience of leaving close friends after 7 1/2 years at prospect, we would not have had the blessing of living near my parents when Daddy had his first heart attack and being able to be there for my family during those rough times. Had we not had the painful experience of leaving Newman springs after six years, we would not have had the unequal joy of fellowship and support that we have experienced among this body of believers.

Now we are again going through the moving trauma. While we are fearing leaving you whom we have learned to love and who have helped us grow in the last few years, we don't know what other joy and opportunity for service awaits us. We do know that now we have friends in the Dalton area, we know that God's chuch is alive and well here, we know that each of you has friends in the Atlanta area now.

I want to say ”Thank you!” to Varnell United Methodist Church. Thank you for showing me Christian love in action through the long hours of work and the money needed to provide the community meal, local mission activities, and foreign mission support. Through the ministry of concern shown by the entire congregation when there is an illness or death in someone’s family.

Thank you for showing me Christian unity through the way everyone works together at Prater’s Mill, and through the way everyone pitches in to make a success of whatever is attempted: the nativity scene, the turkey trot, the sweetheart banquet, the children's programs, and many other instances of teamwork.

Thank you for showing me real Christian dedication through the absolutely unequaled music program which is attained only through dedicated time spent in practice, through the hours obviously spent in preparation by five of the best adult Sunday school teachers I've ever been taught by.

Thank you for being the church here for us and for the rest of this community

Please don't think me presumptuous, but I'd like to close my remarks by reading some words which Saint Paul wrote to friends when he left them. You know he spent his ministry making friends and then leaving them; so in that way, I can identify with him. The scriptures I want to read come from his letters to his friends in Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. I'd like to use the plural pronouns to include our entire family and read them now to our friends here at Varnell.

“We thank God every time we remember you. In all our prayers for you we always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the very first day until now, being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for us to feel this way about all of you since we have you in our hearts; all of you share in God's grace with us. God can testify how we love all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

“And this is our prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. And God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Pray also for us, that whenever we open our mouths, words may be given to us so that we will fearlessly make known the gospel. Pray that we may declare it fearlessly, as we should. Finally, brothers and sisters, goodbye. Aim for perfection, live in peace, and the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every day.”

Living Christmas

 Avondale-Patillo United Methodist Church was preparing a booklet of daily devotions for the Advent season in 1991. I was asked to write one. I wrote this one, but they chose not to use it. I figured that it was because I mentioned Caitlin’s impending birth; and after she was stillborn, they made that decision. They didn’t ask me; that was just a choice somebody made, with good intentions I am sure, to avoid potential additional pain.

 

Living Christmas

Scripture reading: Luke 1:26 through 22:52

The Christmas season this year finds me more aware than usual of the anticipation involved in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. As we anticipate the birth of our first grandchild and see our daughter-in-law becoming “great with child” during this advent season I’ve begun to wonder about the feelings, thoughts, and responsibilities of the earthly family of the savior as they looked forward to his birth. How did they respond to so great a joy and responsibility? The biblical record gives us a few clues to answer these wanderings. What clues we have center almost entirely on the feelings, thoughts, and responsibilities of Mary, the mother of Jesus (and to a somewhat lesser degree Joseph, his earthly father.) Through rereading the story of Christ’s birth and focusing on Mary and Joseph's character and responses to life, I find some suggestions about how any person might experience the birth, and therefore the life, of Jesus today.

 

We know that Mary had faith that God knew what was best and would provide strength and wisdom to those who follow his will. Mary first reacted to the knowledge that she had been chosen to bear the son of God by questioning. However, that questioning was followed immediately by acceptance of God's will. In Luke 1:38, Mary says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.”

Joseph also was willing to accept God's word and will for his life. In Matthew 1:24, after the angel of the Lord told joseph that he should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, the scripture says, “He did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took his wife.”

Lord, help me to have faith to live by your will in my life.

The Bible shows us that Mary and Joseph were true to the divine trust that was given to them. They provided physical care for God's son. By providing food, nurture, and training, they brought the child Jesus to full manhood.

Mary and Joseph were thoughtful and deeply spiritual parents who provided spiritual leadership for their children. The Bible tells us that Mary “pondered all these things in her heart.” Some of the most beautiful scripture we have is what is called The Magnificat, found in Luke 2;46-55. In this passage Mary expresses her feelings about this responsibility. She expresses awe, and wonder, and obedience, and gratefulness, and joy. The wisdom and spiritual discernment of Mary and Joseph was further shown in the circumcision of her Son, his presentation at the temple, and Mary's own purification 40 days after the birth. Through the years, they made the customary returns to the temple for sacrifices and worship. Every parent who gives birth to a child has received a trust from God and will someday give an account of his/her stewardship. Each of us has an area of responsibility for which he/she will be held accountable.

Lord, help me be true to the trust that you have given to me.

Jesus came to bring peace on earth. Those of us who are seeking peace in this advent season would do well to follow the example that Mary and Joseph gave us as they prepared for Jesus’s advent into the world:

·         have faith to live by god's will for our lives and

·         be true to the trust he has given us.

And this way, perhaps we can truly be prepared for the advent of Jesus in our lives.

 

Upon College Graduation - Steve

From an old writing notebook uncovered 10/23, written 1990.

Steve graduated from College in May 1990, just a few weeks before he and La Donna married. I wrote him this letter (from my heart but based partly on one I had read that Janice had written Charmaine) for the occasion.

Dear Steve,

As you accept your degree and step into a new relationship with the world, we know that the apron strings to us which have been lengthening as you've matured must soon be cut. As you have earned this independence, you have earned much more. You have proven yourself worthy of trust period now you are mature and dependable and ready to try your own wings, and we are confident that your flights will be beautiful as well as purposeful. We, your family, will observe each flight proudly, applaud enthusiastically, and be on call for you throughout our lives.

Because we love you, we have tried to instill within you morals that will withstand temptation; We have tried to help you develop a sense of responsibility. Our task was an easy one, for you are by nature a person with genuine concern and compassion. You have the ability to love generously. Though you have brought us joy and happiness that is immeasurable, we cannot shield you from disappointment nor guarantee all the things that we wish for you. We have no fortune that will help you gain favor or approval in this world. We have no easy formula for success; nor do we have a magic potion to ward off failure. We have not even been able to provide you with unblemished memories; for you have seen us cry faithless tears of despair, and you have witnessed ugliness in our times of anger and weakness. You have seen the necessity for forgiveness and beginning again in our lives and in our relationships. But the things that we have or have not been able to give you are insignificant compared to the things of real value in life that are all yours in Christ Jesus. Your heavenly father, who loves you far more than we, has riches in store beyond your and our comprehension.

We commit you now (as we committed you at your birth) to his care as the fire of the world tests the gold of your character. We are proud of you. We love you, and we will continue to lift you to God in our prayers daily.

With our love,

Dad and Mom

Jim Turrentine, My Husband

 In about 1990, I was asked to write a poem for a church program honoring Jim.

Jim Turrentine

I introduce to you here with a laugh

The man who calls himself MY better half.

 But if the truth should be known,

And all secrets shown,

He's 3/4 instead of 1/2.

 

There were two dates to remember in ‘41:

One brought destruction, the other brought fun.

The 7th of December

We all will remember.

March 12th is the other one!

 

For that day Jim entered this world.

Raise the flag. Come on, get it unfurled.

In high school and in college

He played all sports, it's common knowledge.

But a jock's not all he was, Merle!

 

At 16 he was called to preach.

 The world he was anxious to reach.

 He began his own sphere;

 He ministered to his peers.

 God's message he began to teach.

 

 

I've lived with him now half his life.

Who knows a man better than his wife?

Soon 24 years

Of blood sweat and tears;

But joy and happiness have outweighed the strife.

 

Now we come to a time of summation.

Though our lives have had complications,

I must here admit

That I love his quick wit,

And I'd repeat vows without hesitation.

Advice (from an 80-something) for Teens and Young Adults

 My sister, Carol Johnston, very generously gave each of her siblings a one-year subscription of Storyworth; so I have been trying to write my memories there. I just finished writing a verry time- and energy-consuming first draft of a chapter about advice for young folks. I will probably add to it before the end of the subscription, but I want to post this here to be sure I don't lose it. 

I grew up in a household that valued education, spirituality, responsibility, and ethics, and my only older sibling was an extrovert, so it is not surprising that I was a quiet and serious child; I read, listened, and thought a lot. I always considered myself (and my friends considered me, I believe) more mature than my age-mates. I assumed I could and would do whatever should be done in any situation I found myself in. 

In the winter of my life, looking back, I think I was mostly right in that evaluation. I believe that I have lived an honorable and valuable life, and I have had significant accomplishments at every stage of my life. However, there are things I would change about my teens, twenties, and thirties had I the opportunity to live them again -- with the wisdom that has come through life-experience. So here are a few bits of advice I'd like to pass along to anyone with ears to hear (or eyes to read as the case may be.) Some bits of advice come from my successes, and some come from my failures.

Learn and think about old adages. 

Those bits of folk wisdom are not intentionally taught like they have been in the past, so you might have to work to learn them. They have survived generations and been passed down because they have been proven true over and over. Many of those adages come from precepts in the Bible. Here are a few that I particularly value. This list is far from exhaustive.

• ·         Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Called “The Golden Rule) (based on Matthew 7:12)
• ·         Know thyself.
• ·         Knowledge is power.
• ·         Carpe Diem. (Seize the day.)
• ·         A stitch in time saves nine.
• ·         No man is an island.
• ·         There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
• ·         Measure twice, cut once.
• ·         Time is money.
• ·         You reap what you sow.

Learn them. Think about them.

Live by Biblical Principles

These have sustained millions of people through thousands of years. Many of these are included above. The following list is FAR from complete. Here are some particularly good ones:

• ·         Romans 12:12 is one of the most important guides for living. The more you think about this verse, the more wisdom is there. Your MIND is where change begins. Renew your MIND (your thoughts, your day-to-day focus) and you will transform your life. You want a better life? Have better thoughts.
• ·         And that leads to Philippians 4:8. Think about: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…”
• ·         Galatians 6:7.  Your actions have consequences (good or bad) on you and those around you – and even on those who come after you. Choose to have a good influence on the world.  This goes along with the adage listed above: “No man is an island” (a quote from a poem John Donne wrote this poem in the 1500s. Read and think about this scripture and this poem.)

Take every opportunity you have to travel.

Seeing a variety of cultures, customs, and lifestyles broadens your mind exponentially.  Travel is one the best and quickest ways to learn that all people are more alike than we are different. I had very little exposure to cultures different from my own until midlife. Reading is the best substitute for travel. My extensive reading (experiencing other ways of life second hand) gave me more of the advantages of travel than I would have had otherwise.

Make conscious and thoughtful decisions about life changes.

Don’t let life just “happen” to you. Don’t choose a college major because it’s expected or easier. Don’t get married just because it’s the time most people are getting married. I think I lived from 15-25 mostly on autopilot. Went to college where it was expected and because it was expected. Decided on a major I was comfortable with. Decided to get married without much thought. Had little input in wedding planning or living arrangements. 

Live Life NOW!

Your teens and twenties are not preparation for life. They ARE life. Start now to BE the person you intend to be throughout life. Don’t waste the best years of your life waiting for something. Do it now.

Take early charge of your education.

Schools in the late 20^th and early 21st century have become focused on teaching skills instead of educating people to think and acquire the wisdom that has been developed through the centuries. Take charge.

·        Force yourself to read classic literature (both prose and poetry), at least some basic ancient philosophy, and history.

·        If possible, find someone to discuss your ideas with. This teaches you to understand what you have read and find the ideas that you question. It helps you clarify your thinking. It also teaches you to express why you think/believe what you think/believe.

·        Find some creative outlet, writing poetry, painting, drawing, producing music in some form. It is essential to a well-rounded and full life.

·         I PROMISE YOU this approach to life will give you a happier life than you would have living on just the surface, doing mundane things through the years.

Life is full of hard and/or unpleasant jobs that HAVE to be done.

This unpleasant fact has taught me several lessons.

1.       What you do NOT do exhausts you. My mother told me this dozens of times through the years. Worrying about it. Dreading it. Dealing with insurance. Handling confrontations of any kind. Making decisions about financial or interpersonal matters. Hard. Unpleasant. I learned the hard way. Just do it! The sooner you do it, the less it burdens you.

2.       Life is a matter of CHOOSING which “hard” you will deal with. It’s hard to budget; but it’s also hard to be in debt and embarrassed. It’s hard to stay in shape, but it’s also hard to deal with illness and dying young. It’s hard to diet, but it’s also hard to be fat. Marriage is hard, but so is divorce and singleness.

 

As one who’s been where you are, these are things I wish I had really understood earlier in life. 

Growth

 The second poem of the year is due today in the poetry group of Deadlines for Writers. The prompt was "gentle." I wrote free verse based on a quote by Ruth Chou Simons: “Blooms are not the only way to see God’s faithfulness   He is actively growing you, friend, while you sow through the hard soil of affliction. You don’t have to be blooming to be growing …”

Growth

Under hard, dry earth,

Thirst reigns;

Still the tiny seed stretches,

Seeks life-giving water.

 

Darkness presses in, and

Light, known only by faith, is far above.

Still the infant flower reaches toward sustaining beams.

 

In the glorious day above,

Admiring eyes and poets’ glowing words

Find beauty in other fields.

Heedless of what lies beneath.

 

Unknown, unseen, unsung,

A flower grows.

Through the hard parched soil of affliction,

Not yet blooming,

Beauty still grows.

2023 Men

One of the things that has filled my mind since Sunday’s big family event (The wedding of AnnaGrace Turrentine and Zachary Harper) is a new appreciation of men.

I’ve been blessed with so many outstanding men in my life - beginning with my own father, grandfather, and uncles and going up through all the men (old and young) I watched Sunday demonstrating what Godly manhood and masculinity means. It is not easy to be a man in 2023. Their inborn nature is being disparaged by much of society. They are being pressured to ignore their natural and admirable tendency to provide for and protect those around them.

Before the wedding I saw the beautiful young bride, our granddaughter, reach around the door to hold hands with her handsome groom without visual connection. They were surrounded by some of the most important men in their lives. These men were there because of their love for the young couple, because of their sense of responsibility to the young couple, by their need to provide a new generation with their life experience of our human need for God's love in our relationships. They were there to pray for the couple's impending marriage.

The Groom's father - a Baptist pastor, married for over 30 years

The Bride's father - A Baptist deacon and Bible teacher, married for over 30 years

The Groom's uncle - a Baptist pastor, married for more than 30 years.

The Bride's maternal grandfather - A Baptist pastor, married for 58 years.

The Bride's paternal grandfather - A Methodist pastor, married for 59 3/4 years.

It was a holy moment.

As the prayers ended, I turned to look at the yard and saw a line of 12 tuxedoed men and one tuxedoed little boy being photographed: The Groom, his 11 attendants, and the child attendant tasked with preceding the Bride down the aisle blowing bubbles. That little boy is my great grandson; five of the groomsmen are my grandsons; the groom will be my grandson at the end of the ceremony. My son, who is also the father of the bride and tuxedoed as well, was standing just off-camera ready to help corral the active bubble-boy, his grandson. I was looking at 14 more amazing specimens of GOOD and admirable masculinity!

Side Note: Most of the women in the lives of the couple had taken care of the details to make the wedding meaningful and beautiful. They had planned, decorated, cooked, advised, dressed, combed, made up... I will probably write later about their importance and their many contributions to the day as well as to our lives.

Dawn's Enticement

 Poem 2023-01 is due today. The prompt was Entice. 

 

The scent of dawn entices me to rise

From bed, in search of rest for inner eyes.

 I drift like fog outdoors and lift my head

To greet the day that called me from my bed.

 

Though tops of distant trees hide in the mist,

The nearby grasses twinkle, shine, dew-kissed.

 The dark recedes, and morning lights the sky:

And God appears to mortals such as I.

 

His garments glow in hues as soft as fleece;

I breathe His joy and rest in promised peace. 

New Year's Resolutions

 In today's The Catholic Think newsletter, Michael Pakaluk made this interesting and valid insight into New Year's resolutions or any attempt we might make at self-improvement. "If I resolve not to eat between meals, or to put away machines when spending time with my family, I am making a merely 'corrective' resolution. If I am successful, I simply put myself back to where I should be. I don’t improve myself but keep from getting worse." He goes on to expound on how to make "additive" resolutions

or changes that add step upon step to make a cumulative improvement to one's situation. This would be something like "saving $10 every week." Then Mr. Pakaluk proposes making "compounding" resolutions - those that lead to increasing skills or knowledge. Perhaps running half a mile each day, likely increasing the distance as proficiency and endurance increase. Then he mentions "Provocative" resolutions - those that lead to other changes. He suggests several determinations or resolutions we might make that would meet this criteria. These would likely be changes that include our giving up some control of our lives. Resolving (determining) to work our way through a spiritual book with an open heart and mind might call us to make changes in outlook and give new direction to our lives. He suggests setting a regular schedule of meeting with a spiritual mentor or setting up a system to track spiritual insights and revelations - perhaps a scheduled nightly review of your conscience in light of God's grace.

The Love and the Gift of Christmas

Christmas is so often misunderstood in our society. People, even those in the church, sing about JOY and GIFTS without realizing what true joy is or what the real gift of Christmas is. In this morning's readings, I read this truth. #TruthMatters

"authentic joy ...fills the heart freed from sin. Sin carries a sadness with it that leads us to close ourselves up within ourselves. Grace brings with it the true joy that does not depend on having things but is rather rooted in the most intimate, deepest part of the person, and that nothing and nobody can take away...Christianity is the proclamation of the victory of grace over sin, of life over death. . . .It is necessary therefore to learn to say no to the voice of egoism and to say yes to the voice of authentic love." Peter M.J. Stravinskas

So the JOY of Christmas is the freedom to be truly ourselves without the burden of sin - this freedom is ours because of the GIFT of God's grace in providing us a way out of our sin and the heaviness it has put into our lives. I hope and pray that each of us will truly receive the GIFT of God's grace into our lives so that we can experience the true JOY of the season.

Ready for Christmas?

 The 12th poem of 2022 in the writing group, Deadlines for Writers, is due today. The prompt was "centre."  Here is the poem I submitted, finishing my fourth year. 

Ready for Christmas?

Can you forget the favors you have done

And ponder just the blessings you’ve received?

Can you forgo the credit due to you

And celebrate what others have achieved?

 

Can you forget that someone did you wrong

And love that “someone” as a child of God?

Admitting you have sometimes been at fault -

Not blameless – just a human, fully flawed?

 

Can you trust and know that love will win the day

And work for hate and evil to subside?

Can you nurture seeds of happiness and joy,

And in God’s love and peace each day abide?

 

If so, you’ll know that Christmas time is here.

The Light has come – a new and glorious morn!

The love of God is centered in your heart.

 Go out and live the joy that Christ is born!

God, Grace, Gratitude, and Gravy

 I would like to be able to see my father and mother face to face this morning to thank them for the multitude of loving things those two young people did to provide a good life for me, a child they had when they were themselves barely more than children.  Alas, Daddy moved beyond our Earthly reach in 1986 at age 67 1/2; and Mother made that journey in 2021 at age 98 1/2. My six aging siblings and I are in the process of liquidating and distributing the last of their belongings and settling the last of their business. 

I woke up 11 mornings ago.  I woke up. While I had slept, two small blood clots had broken loose in my bloodstream. Had they traveled a different path, I might not have awakened that morning. Or I might have awakened a paraplegic or a physical shell without mental capacity. As it was, I woke up blind in my right eye. One small clot had passed through the central retinal artery and lingered long enough to deprive my right retina of oxygen. It was without oxygen long enough to leave that retina unable to interpret light. The other clot apparently just kissed a spot in the front of my brain and left a tiny footprint there. 

In the ten days since this life adjustment, I have been repeatedly aware of how a great a gift my parents gave me by raising me in a Christian home. A Christian home in the truest sense of those words. Mother sang hymns as she worked around the house. She made sure we knew how important it was to live in accordance with God's desires for our lives; we were constantly reminded in words as well as actions that God has desires for our lives because He loves us so much.  Daddy made a point of spending time alone with each of his children, and that time was often spent in the car as he traveled between different responsibilities of his own or delivered us to one of our activities. In the car on the way to whatever, we  had meaningful conversations and even often sang and discussed hymns or Bible passages. He always seemed very interested in hearing my thoughts on whatever the topic was. He was seldom in lecturer mode. Without fail, when we arrived at our destination (meeting, visit, class, whatever) he would thank God audibly (or ask me to do so) for our safe travel and for our relationship with Him and each other. I took all that very much for granted. It was just our lives. 

And of course, as a Christian family in the forties, fifties and sixties, our lives centered around church. That entailed four church contacts every Sunday - Sunday School, morning worship, evening children/youth activities, even worship service. During the week, a Wednesday night meeting was a minimum of other church contact. Each of these instilled important words/concepts in my mind and memory. Bible verses heard, explained, discussed, memorized. Hymn and song lyrics sung, repeated, memorized, pondered. 

All that background work, done by two young parents through the years, has risen up and proclaimed its value in my life during the last eleven days. Since this huge change in my lifestyle, since I can no longer read or write or paint for any length of time, I have been very grateful for all the "words of life" planted firmly in my head by young parents who loved God enough to parent beyond their human capabilities. 

My entire childhood experience is of parents ages 18-35! That is an amazing realization for me! 

• When I was 3, my mother was the age of Ethan (Lyn's youngest.) 

• When I was in Junior High (long before the advent of Middle Schools), my mother was the age of Rachael (Steve's oldest.) 

But, back to my main point of interest this morning: My mind is fully stocked with important words of life. While concentrating on not coughing or moving during my MRI last week, my mind recited the prayer of confession from the old Methodist Communion Ritual. I've always loved those beautiful words of confession. I am grateful that they are mine on demand. "We acknowledge and bewail the manifold sins and wickedness....."
So to twenty-something cotton-mill town Charles and Ruth Baird Shaw, from 60 years ago, THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU. I MISS YOU. You did right by your children.