The Seasons of My Writing

I can’t speak for every writer
of prose and poetry,
but from my own experience
this is what pertains to me.
As there are seasons in the natural,
some lovely, some not so inviting;
the same thing occurs when it comes to my pen.
There are seasons of my writing.

I’ve been through some winter like seasons
longing for inspiring urge,
but my pen felt cold and lifeless
almost like a funeral dirge.
These times of seeming deadness
when it appeared there was no inspiration,
although some of them lasted for years,
were really stages of hibernation.

Then at last there came a thawing,
a melting of my frosted pen;
sap that lay so still and dormant,
miraculously flowing again.
Suddenly, my quill, alive with bloom
and flowing like a fountain.
Free verse, limerick and haiku
come skipping over the mountain.
Poetry it starts to bloom
of various hue and shade,
stirring refrains and ballads
that sweetly serenade.
The forms that now are breaking forth
to me, they might be new,
a villanelle, a tyburn or perhaps a clerihew.

Then spring gives way to summer
with weather oh so warm;
palm trees and sweltering breeze
an easy feeling in my form.
Those hot August nights can quickly pass
with refreshing iced tea in my poet’s glass.

Then on into the next season
for fall, it now is time.
The colors are slowly fading.
Still there’s reason in my rhyme.
Hot apple cider, the pumpkin patches
And gloriously fun hay rides,
the air is stiff and cooler
yet inspiration continues to abide.

Finally, it’s ‘round to winter again,
and in spite of the holiday hustle;
it seems my pen has fallen asleep
and will not move a muscle.
I may feel unproductive
and like I’m really sluffing,
but it’s at this time God reminds me
that without Him I am nothing.
So, I’ll read and wait and pray
until God sees fit, and then,
when the timing is just right
He will send me spring again!

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Annual Spring Rant

I know I have posted about this many times before, but I just love spring!(I don’t love the allergies, but thank God for Claritin!) To me, it is glorious each year to see buds breaking forth, flowers blooming, trees blossoming, etc. After a cold, rainy winter in which everything looks dead, I enjoy seeing the colors, feeling the warmth and smelling the scents of spring.

I’m not a good photographer, but I did take a walk recently and took some pics of spring in our neighborhood, which I will share below. If it is spring in your part of the world, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Nature’s Testimony

Spring comes again upon the land

with many forms, varied stages

buds do break forth at God’s command

cycle repeats throughout the  ages.

 

Every blossom, flower strewn hill

it comes to be by God’s own will

each new lily raised to the sky

of a good Creator does testify.

 

3/7/17

 

Psalm 19:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

 

Song of Solomon 2:11,12  For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

 

 

Matthew 6:28-30  And why are ye careful about clothing? Observe with attention the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin;

but I say unto you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these.

But if God so clothe the herbage of the field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much rather you, O ye of little faith?

 

 

 

Upon What Are You Building?

 

It’s hard to believe it is March already, and typically in this month we see or are reminded of budding blossoms, weather beginning to warm up, St. Patrick’s Day and shamrocks. When we think of the word “shamrock”, most of us immediately envision that green, three part clover leaf that is popular during this time of the year. However, the word “shamrock” can also be classified as a compound word, which is 2 words that come together to make one new word.

In the word “shamrock”, we see the 2 words “sham” and “rock”. By definition, a sham is something or someone that is pretended, counterfeit or feigned. When most of us think of a rock, we get a visual picture in our mind of a large mass of stone that forms a cliff or hill or perhaps a single stone of smaller size. Another definition of rock is “a person or thing suggesting a rock, especially in being dependable, unchanging, or providing a firm foundation.

Jesus spoke the following words in the book of Matthew about His own teachings.
Matthew 7:24, 25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

The Bible, God’s Holy Word is a solid foundation upon which we can build our lives. If we are not striving to live our lives in obedience to God’s Word, then we are really building our lives upon a “sham rock”. If a spouse, loved one, movie star, super hero, etc. is #1 in our lives instead of Jesus, we are building our lives on a “sham rock”. If wealth, career, education, pursuit of worldly pleasure or some other thing is the master passion of our lives, we are building our lives on a “sham rock”. Jesus had this to say in contrast of the person who does not build their lives upon His Word.

Matthew 7:26, 27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

So what about you? Upon what are you building your life? Stormy trials and tests will come at one time or another into your life. If it is built upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word, it will be able to withstand those storms. May we all earnestly pray that we will hear and do the Word of God, that we might have a solid foundation upon which to build our lives and be not only blessed here and now, but in the life to come!

Perpetual Miracles

It’s officially spring in our part of the world. In spite of the allergies, I would have to say that spring is my favorite season. There is something so amazing about seeing plants and trees that appear to be dead suddenly start to bud and blossom. It’s a phenomenon that occurs every year and never ceases to fill me with wonder and hope. Growing up in the Midwestern United States, I experienced some very cold winters. Some of them seemed very long, but no matter how long they were, they did finally give way to spring.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we read

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 
The times or seasons in our lives when we are experiencing trials and difficulties are a lot like winter.  They can seem cold, harsh and like they’re lasting a long time, but God doesn’t mean for them to last forever.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:” 1 Peter 1:6

If God allows a winter season in our lives, there surely is a reason for it, and if we keep trusting in Him, spring will come.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” I Pe. 5:10

If you’re going through a hard time, a winter like season that seems harsh and long, keep holding unto God. Pray and seek Him earnestly. This too shall pass. Spring will come!

 
It really is a miracle

An extraordinary thing

I’ve never seen a winter

That didn’t give way to spring!

Afterward

We have experienced a lot of rain recently in the area of California where I live. I must confess that I’m getting kind of tired of it, and as I was looking out the sliding glass door in our bedroom, this limerick came to mind, which I entitled Afterward.

Afterward

 

It’s easy to gripe and complain

when it seems there’s abundance of rain

but superfluous showers

give way to sweet flowers

and loveliest hues of terrain.

When it seems like it has been raining for a long time, I enjoy when it stops, and I appreciate the after effects.

_ the clean look of the outdoors around me

-droplets of water that look like artwork on plants

-the fact that the sun is out again

– I can be outside doing things

There is an application to this spiritually, but I’m not going to write about that here. Do you see how this can relate to somebody’s walk with God? Do you know what Bible verse came to my mind and gave me the idea for this title? I would be interested in hearing from……………………………………………..you.

The Miracle Of Spring

I love this time of year. Spring just never ceases to amaze me. There is just something special about seeing little buds and blossoms break forth on trees that looked so dead or seeing a little plant sprout up in a spot where it seemed there was nothing but dirt. It makes me realize that there has been activity going on inside the trees or underneath the ground that our human eye cannot see. God has been busy doing a work.

So it is in the spirtual realm too. I love springtime in the Spirit. I love seeing “the buds and blossoms” break forth in a life that was once dead in trespasses and sins, as the person experiences being born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5, Acts 2:38) There is nothing like it. I love seeing saints of God begin to bud and blossom into new areas of service to the Lord. It could be teaching Bible studies, playing an instrument, singing in church, befriending new converts, ushering, helping people pray at the altar, going doorknocking or even a changed attitude.  Growth is just…………………………..exciting!

As you go through your day, may God open your eyes to behold the miracles of spring around you, and may His wonders make your heart rejoice. 🙂

Death To Life

Year after year, the wonder of spring never ceases to amaze me. I can be driving down my street, and all of a sudden I realize that trees which looked so dead just a short time ago are now alive with buds and blossoms. How does that happen? I don’t know, but God does. He’s the designer of the trees, and He is faithful to cause them to bud and bloom when the time is right.

Even more thrilling to me is when God causes things(or should I say people)to bloom and blossom in the spiritual realm. There are people who walk our streets with a look of “deadness”. Looking at them from the outward appearance, you might never be able to guess that something is happening down deep in their hearts. There is a hunger for something more, a hunger for a God that is real. I’ve been blessed to see some of those people who looked so hardened come to life as they began to pour out their hearts to God in true repentance, follow in obedience to the command to be baptized and gloriously receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The outward appearance of a person is not an indicator of what is going on inside their hearts, and God used the blooming trees in our neighborhood to remind me of this once again. Even after we are born again as the Scripture teaches, we may go through periods of seeming “deadness”. Maybe we can’t feel the presence of God like we once used to or it may seem like we are not growing spiritually. However, just as there are seasons in the natural, so there are in the spiritual, and if we keep holding onto God and seeking Him, He will cause us to bloom when the time is right.  I just want to be in tune with His seasons. Don’t you?

Ecclesiastes 3:1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: