On Memorial Day, We Remember

Proud of our servicemen and women who
Step up to the call of the red, white, and blue;
Duty and honor, hard work, concentration,
Distinguishing themselves and serving our nation.

Possibilities of a Poem

Oh, to write a wonderful poem
Quite full of perfect words in a sturdy frame;
Playing with ideas eager to be sung,
      Or, painting a picture of a valid reason;

Enjoy The Moment

“Enjoy the moment;” remind yourself,

You don’t know what today will bring,

But thank the Lord anyway,

He will give you a song to sing!

You’ve taken a look, prudently planned,

You’ve done your best to be prepared,

And though unexpected things lie ahead

Trust the Lord and don’t be scared.

Norwegian & Slovenian Versions

It was fun recently to find two foreign language translations of "Make a Memory," first stanza.

Recuerdos!

What a delight to find this poem I wrote, "Make a Memory" translated into Spanish and published in the April 2010 pdf from Texas Title 1 newsletter, "Escuela y Casa: Juntos Podemos Hacer la Diferencia."  I have written to thank the director and the newsletter editor.

Construya recuerdos con su hijo,
Importante es pasar tiempo con él;
Pues juguetes y baratijas no reemplazan
Los preciados momentos vividos a granel.

Peter Tells What He Knows

Peter: fisherman, follower, walker on water;
Three times he denied the Lord,
then repented, was restored.
Pentecost’s teacher, a powerful out-reacher;
Writer of two letters we read,
teacher of topics we should heed:

Mother's Day, Again

Seems only last year there was mention made of Mother’s Day,
We sorted through the old closets of memory to find
Treasured recollections, some dusty, some new,
A necessary exercise or a tedious task for some,
But it does each heart good to recall
the woman who gave us birth.
We face the facts of life and death,
And ponder why we are here!

Quit Mumbling Those Memorized Prayers! (Another Look at "That" Prayer)

     Last night I started to pray in my usual way. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven,” I recited the long-ago memorized words.
     Half-way through I suddenly realized I was talking to God as if He was just a man. I spoke like I would to any other ordinary person, as if we were equals.
     Ooops! With a sudden dawning of recognition I stopped short. I pictured myself, dashing up to the very Throne of the Creator of All the Universes and Maker of Everything. I realized my conversation was too phony, my attitude was too casual.
     Did Jesus say the words so quickly, so empty of expression when He taught those followers that day? Was it mumbled like the congregation does on Sunday morning?