Right Where We Are

What if God called fishermen
Because they understood the wind
The waves, the tides and the life within

So He could walk upon those waves
Fill their nets on a hopeless day
And calm the storms to teach them faith

What if God calls each of us
Right where we are to learn to trust
That WHO WE ARE IS WHO HE LOVES

And if we give Him all we do
And share His love with others who
Need to know He loves them too

He’ll fill our nets and calm our storms
Teach us to stand and right our wrongs
Because we all to Him belong

Friends with Words or Vocabunerds

Biguana means a big iguana
Logically I don’t know why
When tiles are short and patience thin
You can’t accept my valiant try
To save some face and not be creamed
By those who use words such as QI
So I don’t know if that just rhymed
A dictionary might define
It’s meaning because I never heard
A single human use that word

Your perfect placements could be blamed
Four words at once, have you no shame
After all it’s just a game
You not supposed to kill or maim
My self-esteem and confidence
Just challenge me to make some sense
Of random vowels and consonants

Oh well it’s just another thing
That eats my time and makes me think
There’s more to life than Scrabbeling
OK OK that’s not a word
At least I’m not a vocabunerd

No Escape

Insidious they stalk your life

Asking you to shed some light

Their only purpose to fill the need

For the knowledge that sets you free

Some will tease and tickle you

Their purpose only to amuse

Others may just change your life

When all their pieces fit just right

They’re always there to interfere

Pushing you to make things clear

You can’t ignore, avoid or shun

The power of your own questions

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

                                                                                                                           Matthew 7:7 (KJV)

Nuts and Bolts and Baby Food Jars

The old garage was the one place we were not allowed to play.  It was dark and dusty and it smelled of damp wood, oil and rust.  Mom said it was dangerous because of all the tools, junk, and rusty nails. The lure of the forbidden and mystery of the unknown were counteracted, at least for me, by the spiders and the wasps.  We had to go in to get our bikes and fishing poles but we made sure they were near the door so we could just grab them. The two small dust coated windows didn’t let much light in even on a sunny day.  There was one naked light bulb in the center that barely illuminated the floor beneath it, and that seemed to make the corners even darker.

When Daddy was fixing the lawn mower or building something out there we were told not to bother him. His territory, it was a much grittier version of today’s man cave. We were surprised one day when Mom told us all to go out to the garage and help our father.  I am not sure, but I think we had been complaining about not having anything to do, so as parents of bored kids will do, they found something to occupy us. Daddy managed makeshift seats for us all, near his work bench, and spilled two grease soaked cardboard boxes full of nuts and bolts on top of it.  It was our job to sort them by size and type into little glass baby food jars that he had been saving in another grease soaked cardboard box. 

It certainly wasn’t what we had in mind for an activity, but we knew better than to add another complaint to the day’s list. We were dirty and tired by the time we finished, but satisfied to see all of the little jars neatly lining the shelves above the workbench, sorted and ready to use.  What makes a lasting memory?  Stepping into the unknown and working together toward a common goal.  Hmm, and I thought they were just trying to keep us busy.

The Romance of Nature

The crackle and pop of the gravel, underneath the tires, was amplified by the dense silence. It was an hour before dawn and we were traveling to our favorite hunting spots on the family farm.  It was not only silent but eerily dark.  Darker than usual because clouds covered the legions of stars that normally blanketed the country sky.

We navigated only by our headlights which seemed to be cut short by the darkness.  Suddenly the gravel appeared to take on shape as the lights revealed a huge Whitetail buck standing in the middle of the road.  It barely glanced at us as we slowed to a stop.  It was the rutting season and he only had one thing on his mind.  We could see her at the edge of the light in the field next to the road

Before we knew what was happening, a second buck appeared out of the blackness.  The first one swung around and the battle began.  We turned off the engine and lowered the windows listening to the sounds of the antlers as they cracked together and the grunts and groans of the combatants. It was thrilling and mesmerizing.  Wild life realized far beyond the two dimensional scenes of a nature documentary.

As quickly as it began it was over and the second buck retreated into the darkness. The victor wasted no time claiming his spoils. She had waited patiently for him and like the end of an old movie, the scene faded to black as we continued down the road giving them some privacy.  Driving away, I realized that from the moment the battle began we had hardly spoken a word.  We were silent observers capturing time, not with a photograph or a video but with a shared memory that was ours alone. 

IT Forever or I'd Back it Up if I Could Find It

Overwhelmed? I don’t know

Just how low is whelmed?

How high must I go to see it below?

How will I be able to tell?

Why are you looking at me like that?

Everything’s perfectly fine

I always curl up under my desk

To prepare for approaching deadlines

No worries, I’ve got this

How can it miss?

Nothing can happen

That IT can’t fix

So what if the screen didn’t say save?

And the file name is not allowed

I’m sure I remembered to back it up

Do you think it could be on that Cloud?

Alright, I admit it, I’ve seen better days

I think I now know how to tell

My computer is down and IT's not around

That’s when I’m over the whelmed

Even Then or When Having No Secrets is a Good Thing

Even when I mumble
Even when I whine
Even when I stamp my foot
And refuse to try

Even when I’m quitting
And turn to go my way
Even when the pity party held
Is in my name

Even then You listen
And You never leave my side
Even then You love me
Because You know the Why

Sky Lights

Silken shafts of light

Unhindered by the clouds

Reaching to the earth

Descend without a sound

Light within the light

Illuminates the ground

Moving without wind

Seeking without bounds

Suddenly dissolve

Only warmth remains

Like the fingertips of God

Touching earth again

Circling Winds

The Days begin entombed in ice

Their captive beauty to behold

Frosted works of snow and Ice

Put on display by fearless cold                  

The numbing silence of the days

and howling winds of night

conspire together to delay

The time when sun and earth unite

When the sun scouts out the scene

uneasy air reports the danger

Sending warmth to stake its claim

The charcoal skies explode with anger

Waters rise to join the fight

Breaking through strongholds of ice

Led by sun's unwavering light

Overcoming fields of white

Escaping cold's relentless grasp

               With warmth its new companion

The earth claims victory at last

And re-creates with sweet abandon

Filling sky and earth alike

With colors now on full display

Hiding battle scars from sight

And cheering on the lengthening days

Shining waves of heat appear

A signal from the earth and sun

               Restoration's end is near

               A time of peace and rest has come

               Anticipating shifting winds

               The earth collects its bounty

               Storing treasures deep within

               While distant threats are mounting

               

With A show of colors flaming

Warning all to be aware

Restlessly with time remaining

Giving all it stands prepared

With a warning blast of frost

Cold pushes through to claim its fate

The battle short but all’s not lost

As earth and sun retreat to wait

There is no question of defeat

The circle slowly closing

Lingering memories of the heat

Keep hope alive and growing

Awakening

They said You were a loving God

Beyond all myth and measure

Your grace and mercy freely given

Was man kinds greatest treasure

I’d known of You since just a child

I’d often heard the story

Of how You suffered and You died

Then rose again in glory

I was not at the cross or tomb

I never heard You speak

How could I really know you Lord

And feel Your love for me

My faith had been obedience

To rules and regulations

Traditions and security

Without hope or expectation

I longed for the reality

of being close to You

To hear Your voice amidst the noise

And know that it was really You

To ask the questions of my heart

To run to You in pain

To see You move within my life

And hear You call my name

I prayed for help to know Your grace

And through it to believe

To find the truth beyond the stories

That would truly set me free

And as I spoke that prayer to You

My eyes welled up with tears

Because I knew You’d been their Lord

Waiting all those years

You paved the way and shined a light

Through the darkness of my life

That led me to this place and time

Drawn by Your love and not your might

Diving In

I don’t remember how old I was or why my father suddenly decided to teach us all to dive off of the pier that day.  I do remember being terrified.  I loved the water and wasn’t afraid to swim but something about jumping off the pier head first into the deep water scared me to death.  I was never even allowed to go on the pier by myself and now, there I was out on the very end being encouraged to jump.

My sisters went first.  Older and more experienced swimmers they showed very little fear and did well on their first try. My dad reminded me to keep my head down and just fall forward.  He assured me that he would be right there and there was nothing to worry about.  I stared at the water listening to my sisters and my dad telling me that I could do it.  Putting my hands over my head I closed my eyes and fell forward forgetting to put my head down.

 I remember wondering when I hit the water if it was supposed to hurt. After the stinging sensation came the cold and dark.  It felt like I would never stop going down but suddenly as if a rubber band had reached the end of its stretch I was propelled upward without ever touching the bottom.  I burst out of the water and into my father’s arms. He held me tight against his chest with one arm and used the other to swim toward the ladder on the pier.  He didn’t say a word as he helped me up and wrapped me in a towel.  The truth was that I had just performed the most magnificent belly flop he had ever seen.   He didn’t ask me to try again that day I think we both knew that I was not ready. 

Of all the memories of my father that is the one that is the most vivid to me.  Remembering how he was right there when I needed him and how he held me, understanding my pain and not laughing at or scolding me for my failure.  My father is no longer with us but now I have a Heavenly Father.  Even when I fail and it hurts and I feel as though I will never come out of the darkness.  He is there to lift me up, comfort me and set my feet on solid ground.  If your world is dark and cold and you are still feeling the pain of failure or the bottom has fallen out of your life, reach for Him and He will lift you up and into His loving arms.

How

How can I write of Love so pure
the story of a hope that's sure
To find the words, the rhyme, the story
that speak the wonder of Your glory

How can I paint with strokes so fine
The greatest beauty of all time
No eyes have seen the source of light
that shines through all created life

How can I sing with voice so clear
a melody the soul can hear
To play the notes that sound so sweet
the steadfast rhythm of Your heartbeat

How can I reach a heart like mine
broken and longing for hope or a sign
And lead the way to saving grace
where healing and forgiveness wait

How can I spend each day in time
knowing the promise that is mine
And not try boldly to impart
The truth, the light, How Great Thou Art!

Night Watch

            Summer days on the Fox River where I grew up were filled with swimming, boating, and barbeques. Three of my Uncles also had homes in our small subdivision creating a steady flow of relatives and visitors.

            The frantic activity of the day was eventually subdued by darkness, as boats and visitors disappeared and the river became quiet. Fishing poles lined the banks in makeshift holders and bobbers rolled softly over ripples of water that just hours before had been the large waves of the boat wakes. The low voices of the brothers playing poker on Uncle Paul’s screen porch drifted out into the night air.  If it wasn’t too cold, the aunts’ voices could be heard from our own screen porch as they chatted or played pinochle. The kids were the watchers.  We sat on the grass a safe distance from the bank and stared at the black water waiting for that little bit of movement that would bring the night to life. 

Watching the bobbers we had learned to tell the difference between the tug of a choppy wave and the real thing. On first sight we raced to see who could get to the screen porch first to let the pole’s owner know they had a bite. The cards were left in mid hand as they ran down to the bank to watch the catch.  Congratulations given, the poles were checked and re-baited and card games resumed as we all took our places again. In time the night would grow damp as a low hanging fog rolled out over the water, the fish would stop biting and we would be summoned for bed. Even now, on warm summer nights when I close my eyes, I can almost hear the soft lapping of the water and the drifting voices of the night watch.

A Toast

Here's to all my hairbrained schemes
that fed my thirsty soul.
With thoughts of freedom,
wealth and fame
when days were long and cold.

Each one the final, perfect plan
for all to fall in place.
Determination led the way.
Reality set the pace.

And after all my sweat and tears
as master of my fate.
I weigh the cost of all my dreams
against my present state.

The price I paid for being me
time wasted and time spent.
Now I have His perfect plan,
a child of God, I am content