Wednesday July 15 2015  COURTLAND DO NOT READ UNTIL SATURDAY!

You know what the definition of INTEGRITY IS???  It is doing what is right even when no one else is looking!

Okay.  So who is Courtland?  He is my son.  He dropped the boys by while he went to a meeting and we (the two boys and I)did a little art work.  I wanted to take them to Olbrich Gardens to the butterfly release but they wanted to stay home with grandma and grandpa and create.  I encourage their creativity.  We had a lot of fun doing it.  I did some artwork too!  Friday is Courtland’s birthday and we are hosting the birthday dinner here at the house.  I am trying to make it a tradition that I always have the birthday person here on their birthday and do some fun decorating and partying.  The boys just love it!

So our day began with our two precious grandsons, then to the infection disease control clinic to see Doctor and have infusion.  I left Dave there after the Doctor visit because the infusion takes a long time and worked out at the gym.  Then time to come home and put the evening together.  Food prep, dinner, clean up, make more food in order to use up everything I can in the fridge before tomorrow’s food box delivery, clean up again, and now blog and then bed.  It is 8:31 p.m.

So, not much in the way of travel but I did want to sign in to let you know I am still here.  NOW TOMORROW IS A DIFFERENT STORY.  I almost fear writing down what I am going to record here.  I don’t want to jinx myself.  Tomorrow is Thursday.  The delivery of food boxes will arrive but I don’t need to be home when it happens.  When I am down on the lower level of the house I may as well not be home because I cannot hear anything else happening in or around the house.  Our home is all brick and the downstairs level has the entire front side underground.  It is a walkout level and has windows on three sides.  Brick and double pained windows shield us from all exterior noise.  We can hear thunder however, but not too loud.  It is awesome!  Tomorrow I plan to work all day on the wedding album.  No phone calls for me, just bathroom and food stops and the food is already all made.  How awesome is that!  So the big question is… will I or won’t I accomplish what I have planned?  I surely do hope so.  I’ll let you know tomorrow.

No poem written yet today but I’ll see what I can come up with.  Let me know if you even read the poetry.  I know that poetry is not everybody’s “thing”.  When you look at the title of my blog you may see that I intentionally intended it to be about poetry and photography.  The poetry to conjure up mental images of what I wrote about and the photography to tell a story (translation: poem) in the visual realm.  Don’t know if that makes sense to you but it does to me.  I wrote poetry almost every day but only recently have I put any up on the blog due to time and late nights.

SO YOUR SEARCHING CAN COME TO AN END

By Kathleen Martens

July 15, 2015

What in life is worth living for?

Is it THINGS and always getting more?

What “under the sun” must man do,

To have enough to get him through?

To have satisfaction what does it take?

Perhaps a big boat out on the lake?

Perhaps more money for a bigger car?

Or maybe just to be a great big star?

Perhaps just another impressive degree

So you can charge a higher fee?

Parties and drugs may entice

For there is always another vice.

What makes life real?  No longer hollow?

Perhaps you need someone to follow.

But who? So you search some more

But there is nothing new, that’s for sure.

Living seems empty yet so crowded.

And what you want seems so clouded.

Searching and searching under the sun,

Always trying to find more fun.

But there is a place in the heart unfilled.

A place that seems something has killed.

It is place made for the likeness of God

And to most, seems quite odd.

It was placed in man at the time of creation,

A place for joy and Godly elation.

The very place empty, was designed to be filled

With the presence of God that can never be killed.

The truth of God is all that is needed

Found in His Word, to be heeded.

He offers life and a fullness of peace,

The only kind that will never cease.

The empty hole will be assuaged

Like a weary soul being massaged.

And an intimate relationship will begin

When you ask God to forgive your sin.

So your searching can come to an end,

When you accept Christ as your friend.

Lay down you burdens at His feet,

No one else like Him will you ever meet.

This poem was inspired by a sermon by Damien Kyle from Modesto Calvary Chapel.  I listened to sermon #3 of Ecclesiastes while at the gym today.  It just so reminded me of that recent word of wisdom “only one life, will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”.  Stop and ask yourself what have you done for God’s kingdom in the past few days.  Every day counts.

I send my love to all of you!  And it’s only 9:25 p.m.  Less than one hour!