Visions of Poetry

Sabbath Sunday March 19 2017  UNTIL YOU ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

 

UNTIL YOU ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

Kathleen Martens

March 19, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Who is to declare

That I am saved,

When only through Jesus

Is the way paved?

 

Who is to say

I do not trust?

But in order to be saved

Believing a must.

 

Who is to utter

I know God is real.

But refuses to love Him,

Has not God’s seal.

 

Who is to say

I understand.

Yet refuses

To obey God’s commands?

 

Who is to shout

Evil is mine?

When his race completed,

Will not cross the line.

 

Who affirms

I SHALL NOT perish,

Will not enter heaven

When God’s Son not cherished.

 

To enter the gates

One must first-hand know

The indwelling of God

While on earth below.

 

One must believe

With all their heart

That Jesus is the Savior

Who will never depart!

 

One must understand

Through faith we believe,

And with praise and rejoicing

His gift we receive.

  

 Even though one may acknowledge

That God is real

Until you ask for forgiveness

The deal is not sealed!

 

One must love back

The God who is Love

In order to enter heaven

For an eternity above.

 

Thank You God for teaching us to believe and receive Your salvation.

Thank You for providing atonement for our sins through Your plan of salvation.

 

GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS SABBATH DAY!

 

Following verses are from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF THE HOLY BIBLE

 

“Proverbs 3:5-6 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

 

Ezekiel 33:9

But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

 Romans 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

Acts 16:31

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

 

John 3:3  

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

 

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.¹⁸   Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” 

 

Saturday March 18 2017  WIPE OUT DAY

 

I’LL TRY TO REMEMBER

Kathleen Martens

March 18, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Today was the day I just gave in

Deciding to follow my body’s needs.

I slept in as if I were a queen

And only got up to feed.

 

Back to bed within the hour

Thinking I would just rest.

But to my shocking surprise

Sleep was what I did best!

 

Three hours later once again awake

After 10 hours sleep last the night.

Usually I am just raring to go,

But needed sleep I could not fight.

 

Now I feel like a walking zombie

Groping my way through this day.

I think all my doing just caught up with me

And my body wanted its own way.

 

But there is one last thing to do,

Whether or not I’m in the mood.

Attending a neighborhood progressive dinner

And I’ve finished preparing my food.

 

Once it’s over I care not look

To the schedule I have next week.

My greatest joy would be a blank calendar

But I’m so afraid to peek.

 

So I’ll go with the flow

And try to slow down.

I’ll try to remember that I’m older

And by my body I’m bound.

 

“My mind writes checks

My body can’t cash”*

I must act my age,

And no longer dash.

 

Slow and steady is the pace

I must learn to adopt.

And when tired to just give in

And in my LAZY BOY chair to plop.

 

 

Thank You God for the energy I have.

Thank You God for the rest you encourage.

Thank You Lord for Your endless patience with me.

Thank You for opening my eyes to Your truth.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

 

*The above is a quote I remember hearing Dave’s father repeat many times during his later years.  He lived to be 101 years of age.  Anyone who lives that long needs an award for courage and bravery. 

Friday March 17 2017  NO NEW HEADLINES

 

NO NEW HEADLINES

Kathleen Martens

March 17, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

What do I write

When I’ve nothing to say?

So early it is

And I’ve not lived my day.

 

Perhaps I should wait

Until day’s end,

And then more words

I’ll have to send.

 

So I will escape

From my screens view

Until my headlines

Are once again new.

 

To be out of words

Is just not my style.

Maybe I need take it easy

And rest awhile.

 

Dave is gone.

The house is quite,

I must prepare

For tonight’s riot.

 

Three little “punkin’s”

Coming for dinner.

And that’s how I know

My day is a winner!

 

Thank You God for friends.

Thank You God for food to share with friends.

Thank You God for every single thing you provide for Dave and me.

Thank You for the lasagna sitting in the fridge just waiting to be baked.

Thank You for this special day of life.

 

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND GOD BLESS YOU.

 

 

 

Wednesday March 15 2017  NEEDS VERSES WANTS

Yesterday as my husband and I were proofing my blog he made a statement about a sentence I wrote.  The sentence was, “I finish the appointment earlier and have a longer day ahead of me to do what needs to be done.”  The operative word in this sentence is the word “needs”.  He suggested perhaps the sentence should read, “I finish the appointment earlier and have a longer day ahead of me to DO WHAT I WANT TO DO”.

I believe his slant on looking at what I “need” to do vs. what I “want” to do is quite different than mine.  I gave that some thought and came up with the following conclusion.  I believe it may seem to Dave that most activities I do is because I want to do them.  That is not quite the way I see things.  Example:  I enjoy cooking and therefore must want to do it.  I enjoy shopping for the food items I need so therefore must want to do it.  And the list goes on to encompass working on the album I’m working on as well as a sundry of other activities I do.  I certainly do look like I am enjoying myself so therefore doing these tasks seem to be things I want to do instead of things I need to do.  But, to me, they are tasks I NEED to do.  We need to eat healthy, so yes, I do put more time into shopping and cooking and so therefore it appears I want to do it.  I have a timeline on finishing the album so therefore I work on it every extra minute I have, and thus the appearance to others may be that I want to do it.

Needing and wanting are two separate entities.  We need to eat but there are many ways to get food; fast food for some, packages for others, nice restaurants are a choice, just as is choosing to buy groceries and cooking.  We NEED to eat so however we go about it is a necessity in the long run.  The food I prefer is home cooked.  So therefore, it is a NEED that I cook, even though to others it may appear I just ENJOY cooking and want to do it for the fun of doing it.  I long ago made up my mind to enjoy doing the things that NEED to be done.  So yes, Dave is correct in saying that I want to get an early start on my day so I can “do what I WANT to do”.  The thing is most tasks I do are because I NEED to do them; and I have chosen to enjoy the process.

The same goes for working on the photo album.  I made a commitment to my sister to create this album.  I certainly do enjoy working on the album, but because of the timeline in delivering the book, it is a task I MUST do with purpose and intent in order to fulfill my commitment.  Therefore it is a “need to do item”, which I enjoy doing.

It is so much more pleasurable to live in this world when we learn to enjoy all the musts that we need to accomplish.  I did not take Dave’s comment as criticism; rather as a different perspective.  If I look and act like I enjoy something (as I do when cooking or working on the album), then it is easy to understand his point of view.  But are there times I would rather not cook?  Absolutely! 

Because I live in the moment I choose to enjoy whatever it is that I must do in the moment I’m living.  And I choose to do it cheerfully.  And all the NEEDS I must do… become what I enjoy doing.  So, maybe Dave’s comment was correct.  I want to get an early start on my day so I can do what I want to do.

It is almost 8:00 a.m. at this phase of writing this blog.  This blog won’t be published until later today after Dave and I can proof it.  And today is one of those days “I want to do what I want to do”.  And I’ve already started.  I have interrupted my writing three times to go upstairs and check on a rice dish I have simmering on the stove to make sure it is cooked to perfection.  I just made the last run and turned off the burner.  Once I finish at the computer I will go upstairs, eat breakfast, and cook all day long (or at least as long as my recovering back injury will allow).  Do I need to cook, probably not if you count all the other foods already available to eat in the fridge, but I am having dinner guests Friday and I am preparing what must be prepared ahead.  So, I suppose I am doing what I want because it is my desire to have company over. 

Think about the things you detest doing but which must be done to make life tidy, safe, healthy, and workable.  Even if you do not enjoy doing them, the next time you find yourself begrudging the time you spend in accomplishing them, stop and think about all the things in your life for which you can give thanks.  You may have the need to cook.  You may not like to cook.  Instead of cooking with a gripe in your heart look at the food and thank God that you have this food to eat.  Thank God that you are healthy enough to stand up and walk and able to do whatever task that needs to be done.  Whatever the task, be thankful you aren’t bedridden or fighting a terminal illness, and the or…or…ors… can go on and on.  Have a thankful heart for all you can do, for all you have to eat, for the toilet you flush, for the water coming out of the shower you must later clean, for the clothes you wash and dry and fold.  Your thanks will give you a grateful heart.  Your grateful heart may put joy into what needs to be done and turn your MUSTS into the “want to’s” you look forward to accomplishing. 

Dave’s right!  I do “WANT TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO” !  Because whatever NEEDS to be done, I WANT to do it!

 

WANT TO DO

Kathleen Martens

March 15, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Today is a day of cooking

Preparing for my guests.

Creating delicious food

And “doing” until I need to rest.

 

And when one task is over

I’ll do something more,

And before the company comes

I’ll even sweep the floor.

 

Doing is what I like to do

Regardless the task at hand.

If it needs to be done

My attitude is in my command.

 

I can choose how to approach

The demands that greet my day.

Happy heart or begrudgingly,

Soar, or trudge my way.

 

So I choose to “want to do”,

The path that lies ahead

Later, I’ll have time to rest,

After I am dead.

 

Thank You God for Your provision of energy.

Thank You God for the joy You place in my heart.

Thank You Father that You provide food for my table and enough to share with others.

 

GOD BLESS YOU THIS DAY. 

LOOK AROUND AND FIND 10 THINGS FOR WHICH TO BE THANKFUL.

Tuesday March 14 2017  THE YEARLY PHYSICAL

Believe it or not, I had a yearly physical this morning scheduled for 6:50 a.m.  Yes, that was A.M.  I was there on time.  When I have the opportunity of choosing my appointment times I always try to be the first on the agenda.  I do this for several reasons; it causes me to get up early and start my day earlier than I might otherwise and I usually get taken right in (if the doctor is on time) and therefore unnecessary to sit in a full waiting room full of sick, sniffling, coughing, feverish, patients.  I figure a lot of the airborne germs must die overnight.  I finish the appointment earlier and have a longer day ahead of me to do what needs to be done. And even more importantly is the fact that I weigh less in the morning!

So I am home again and deemed healthy.  At least as healthy as someone my age can be with all that I have going on in my body.  Fortunately what is “going on” is not life threatening (if you don’t consider that just living one more day is actually life threatening).  The way I look at it; each day we live is just one day closer to death.  Or perhaps a better way to look at it is, each day I live is one day longer that I had opportunity to live.  I choose to have a glass half full instead of half empty.

And so I walked out of the appointment satisfied that I have actually survived another year and that if I should die first my doctor will come to my funeral and say kind words about me.  How do I know?  I asked him to do it.  I told him to tell everyone that I was his favorite patient.  And to say it with a smile!  He assured me he would do just that.  So now I can die in peace knowing at least one person will say something good about me. 

 

IT WILL HAVE BEEN PLENTY

Kathleen Martens

March 14, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Each day I live is such a gift

And thus, I cherish each sunrise.

The question of “How long will I live?”

Is something I never surmise.

 

I take each day as it comes,

Always trying to get things done.

There is so much I desire to do

And each day I can do some.

 

Perhaps I’ll finish all my projects,

And perhaps I won’t.

But to be anxious whether it happens,

To worry, I certainly don’t.

 

I just enjoy doing what I do

Knowing someday my breath will end,

And that will be the very first day

That I’ll spend with Jesus my friend.

 

He’ll take me in his outstretched arms,

And I will hug Him back.

And then the days of my agenda

Never again will I lack.

 

I think it impossible to quantify the days

When counting eternity’s number.

And one of the very best things

Is I’ll never waste time in slumber!

 

So whether I toil here below,

A year or two or twenty,

Whatever the days God has numbered,

At my end it will have been plenty.

 

Thank You God for the beauty of this morning as I drove to my appointment at dawn.

Thank You for this day ahead of me.

Thank You for filling me with joy as I go about my day.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.  GOD BLESS YOU

Monday March 13 2017  A BLANKET OF MANY COLORS

Recently I mentioned my mother and her best friend Merle.  We first met Merle when we moved into government housing.  I think their friendship was slow in coming.  We lived in the apartment above them and my bedroom was over Merle and her husband’s bedroom.  To say the least, her husband known as Chalky, was a bit of an imbiber and was often drunk, especially in the evenings.  It was an unfortunate circumstance that the bedroom I shared with my younger sister was right above theirs.  The floors were linoleum and more than likely there was not much insulation between their ceiling and my bedroom floor.

I loved to play with marbles during my younger years and had collected a huge coffee can full of them. We children played for “keepsies”.  When you hit a marble out of the circle the prize was the friend’s marble.  On occasion I had the ill-fated happenstance of setting the can of marbles on the foot of the bed before I fell asleep.  I soon learned that I should not do that.  Perhaps the first time was excusable, but not the second or third.  When the marbles tipped over in the night they made a loud clatter on the hard floor above Chalky and Merle’s bedroom.  The noise was enough to awaken the dead.  And if that noise had not awakened everyone in hearing distance they were soon awake from Chalky’s loud pounding on our door with a few loud expletives adding to the chaos.  It was quite scary to the six-year-old me.  I think it frightened my mom too.  If I remember correctly is was the marble event(s) that opened the door to my mom and Merle having a reason to talk.  Their friendship was born and only died when they did.

I truly believe Merle was the reason I had such a happy childhood.  She was so good to me and genuinely loved me.  She was never “put out” by all my questions, imaginative stories, or my incessant talking.  At least, if she was, she never let it show.  When I was about eight or nine years old Merle and her family moved three miles away because Chalky qualified for housing in a “company town” offered by the coal company who employed him.  It was out in the country alongside a few other company owned houses.  Albert, Merle’s son, was my tried and true best friend, and I often spent weekends in the country with his family.  We explored, I got bucked off a horse and broke my tail bone, had a salamander shoved down my shirt by Albert’s “mean” older sister as we traipsed through a viaduct under the interstate freeway system, went on Easter egg hunts at the little schoolhouse across the highway, made Christmas cookies each holiday, and Albert and I slept together telling each other secrets.  I did the talking and he did the listening.  Albert was always a good listener.  We explored under the weeping willow trees, picked cumquats from a tree outside his parent’s bedroom window, ate lots of Spanish rice and tortillas, and played paper dolls on their garage floor.  We also jumped and bounced on their beds!  Those weekend and summer overnight stays were the highlight of my life.  And I fell in love with Merle, too.  Chalky always frightened me but I just stayed out of his way.  When he wasn’t working long hours he was rarely home and usually came home drunk and then gave way to sleep.  Years later after he sobered up he was actually quite a nice guy.

Now, in reference to the title of my blog “A BLANKET OF MANY COLORS”; one of the things Merle taught my mom was how to crochet. One of my mom’s first projects was to learn how to crochet little squares.  These square pieces delighted me because they had so many different colors.  I wondered how she put so many different colors in one square.  I did eventually learn it was the variegated yarn that made it possible.  After all the squares (which I counted many times) were complete she crocheted them all together and made a blanket.  It was a tight yarn made out of wool.  It was very heavy and very warm. 

That blanket followed us around as a family for many years.  I saw it on many different beds and it was often saved for company who slept on the couch or on the floor.  Wherever my mother moved she always took that blanket with her.  I think it was the first project she completed after she learned how to crochet.  From then on one of my clearest memories of her was the crochet hook in her hand as she edged delicate lace on ladies’ hankys (our word for handkerchiefs), table cloth edging, pillow edging, and once even on the collar of a dress she made for me.  Except for my mother’s mid-day nap time she was always in motion.  As she aged her motion might have been with a crochet hook or holding a book, but she was ALWAYS occupied with some sort of activity.  She was never a television watcher, seldom listened to the radio, but was always on the “do”.  She definitely knew how to rest, she knew how to visit (with a crochet hook in hand), and ALWAYS knew how to keep us kids busy if we got “underfoot”.  To be “underfoot” usually meant work (with a capital W). 

Now, back to her first crocheted blanket.  A couple of weeks ago during the warm spell we experienced Dave and I took our down comforter off our bed.  Well, the temperatures have again dropped and I woke up cold the other night.  In the dark I searched on top of the cedar chest through the pile of blankets folded there and picked up the familiar heavy crocheted wool blanket and added it to my quilt spread on my side of the bed.  When I awakened in the morning the light shown on my mom’s beautiful blanket of many colors and all the memories I have shared above came tumbling down memory lane.  I remembered my mom visiting with Merle at the grey Formica kitchen table as Merle instructed her how to crochet the squares.  I remembered leaning against mama and peering with amazement as she created something out of a string.  I remembered the blanket being packed in the car when we made visits to other places.  I remembered seeing it folded double and laid long-ways across the back of our gold upholstered couch.  I remembered seeing it packed away and then reappearing again a few years later.  And I remembered longing to take possession of that blanket.  Never in a million years did I ever think it would be mine.  After mama died it was one of the items I asked for as we sisters wrote down our requests.

Today the blanket of many colors belongs to me along with all its memories of years past. But they are only my memories and this blanket will probably hold no nostalgia to the ones who come after me.  But I still enjoy it.  It still gives me warmth and satisfaction as I sleep under its weight.  It’s as if it’s a little bit of my mama still giving me a hug at night as I pull the blanket up over my shoulders to tuck myself in.  The blanket is still beautiful in my eyes and will ever be in my heart.  In later years my mama made me a coat of many colors.  I love having the coat she made especially for me, but it will never compare to the affection I own for my blanket of many colors.

 

A BLANKET OF MANY COLORS

Kathleen Martens

March 13, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

A blanket of many colors,

A patient friend of mine.

Waiting for when I need it,

Providing warmth so fine.

 

Summer is its time for slumber

In piles which await winter’s cold.

Peacefully quite and stilled

In gentle careful folds.

 

I wish I knew its stories

Of untold nights unseen

Providing comforting warmth

During times so lean.

 

It added a spark of color

Wherever it was adorned.

As if smiling through its beauty

To those who were forlorn.

 

Not only did it travel well

But showed not its dirt.

As if it were impervious

To all it had to skirt.

 

Mama’s fingers curled each angle

As square after square was formed.

And though mama is long gone

The blanket does not mourn.

 

Its value is in the present

And the kindness it provides at night.

As it caresses the body’s warmth

Causing cold to take its flight.

 

So many years it has born

Lone nights alone.

As well as having comforted others

Through nights while they mourned.

 

Oh the stories it could tell

If it had but voice to speak.

Even if it could, I don’t think it would,

Not even one secret leak.

 

It’s a friend in the truest sense.

Made from a heart of love.

A little bit of mama’s touch,

Left behind when she went above.

 

 

Thank You Lord for my blanket of many colors.

Thank You Lord that I have blankets that keep me warm.

Thank You for the bed I sleep in each night.

Thank You for all the good memories I have.

Thank You for placing Merle and Albert in my life as I grew up.

Thank You for my mother’s heart of love for You, and for her children.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU.

Take time to stop and give yourself the pleasure of remembering a wonderful memory.

Sunday Sabbath March 12 2017  WINTER’S BREATH BREATHES AGAIN

 

WINTER’S BREATH BREATHES AGAIN

Kathleen Martens

March 12, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Winter morning in coldness wrapped,

Stark and bare of winter’s dress.

Plummeting thermometer sets the stage

That snow again will do its best.

 

Beautiful sunshine awakens the morn,

Threats of storms before the night.

If the forecast is correct

Inches of snow will be our plight.

 

Hints of spring have come and gone.

Nature tantalizing heart’s desires

Of warmer days and balmy nights

Roasting marshmallows over open fires.

 

The cold wind blows in freezing breath

Stark ground meets the skies.

But oh the beauty of a fresh new snow

May tomorrow greet our eyes.

 

Thank You God for another beautiful Sunday Sabbath in which to praise You.

Thank You Lord that You are worthy of praise.

Thank You Lord for placing music in my heart that I may lift up my song of praise unto You.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS SABBATH DAY OF REST.

Saturday March 11 2017  MORE ACCOMPLISHED BY DOING LESS

 

MORE ACCOMPLISHED BY DOING LESS

Kathleen Martens

March 11, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Time passes all too swift.

Good intentions seem to drift.

So much to do that calls my name,

But heart’s desires seem to wane.

 

So much sits on the shelf

Of what I desire to do for self.

Not just for me, but to do for others.

Yet life’s busyness seems to smother.

 

Letters to write and get in mail,

Pressing matters cause that to fail.

Keeping track of distant friends,

Undone, because of days quick end.

 

Little touches of extending a hand,

Thwarted by the urgent taking command.

So how to stop the treadmill race?

And once and for all slow my pace?

 

How do I make my days include

All it is I want to do?

A wise friend says: “SLOW-UP”

And I so desire to drink from that cup.

 

Not so I can just be lazy

But so I won’t go crazy.

I need slow down to have more time,

So with friends my hours combine.

 

And when tired I should take a rest

That in hours remaining I give my best.

More accomplished by doing less

Is something I must certainly test.

 

I’m still learning in reverse.

Perhaps life will be less terse,

That more hours will be in my day

When I can again go out and play.

 

Oh, woe is me!  This poem sounds like I’m complaining.  I guess I am, yet not intentionally; just speaking facts the way I view them.  I think it is the overwhelming task of downsizing which disrupts what I would rather be doing.  I recently read the following statement which I must paraphrase because I can’t really remember the exact words or where I read it:  “Living life only begins when your house is in order”.  And for me that about sums it up. 

I still desire to have people over, entertain, and take time to relax with friends.  At the present it just takes so much effort because of everything else that I am involved in.  I literally must plan when I am going to shop for the food needed for preparation.  Then I must make an appointment for myself on my weekly calendar in order to allow the time needed to prepare the food.  I choose to entertain because I so enjoy it and take pleasure in the friends who come over.  It gives me the needed reprieve in my never ending charade of downsizing.  Perhaps the word “charade” is not the exact description but sometimes I feel as if the word fits. 

Between having two weeks taken over by the replacement of our heating system, moving two rooms of boxes and furniture out of the way for painting, then moving more furniture and boxes out of five rooms for carpet cleaning, and straining my back at the gym, the toll caught up with me.  I think when all is said and done it was the pain of my back injury that caused my unraveling.  I am not used to being limited in my movements.

But you know what?  Even while suffering the pain, and perhaps because of it, I have much for which to be thankful.  I have learned some valuable lessons.  I think I had forgotten what it must be like for others that do not have unlimited energy and stamina.  Perhaps I even lost touch with others who suffering pain in so many different ways, and some who suffer in many ways.  Since Monday I have had to come to a halt in order to deal with the pain and what my body would allow me to do.  When we are in pain no one else can feel our pain.  Often it cannot be detected by how we appear.  But pain is real to the one who harbors it.  The pain I have suffered in my back this week has awakened my empathy and understanding of what others go through who daily suffer chronic pain.  So even in my limitations I have learned valuable lessons.  I have learned to be thankful in so many ways. 

 

Lord thank You for the lessons learned through this past week in regards to limitations and pain.

Thank You God that You have been with me through it all.

Thank You for the hope of recovery.

Thank You for the words of a dear friend who was willing to speak truthfully to me by telling me to “slow-up”!

Thank You for giving me more empathy and understanding for those suffering chronic pain.

Thank You God that I can walk.

Thank You God that I can bend.

Thank You God that I can sit and stand.

Thank You God that I can still lend a helping hand to others.

 

GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE. 

I pray you are healthy and pain free.

Friday March 10 2017  WISDOM, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

 

I AM THE WISDOM YOU SEEK

Kathleen Martens

February 6, 2011

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

I AM

The Wisdom you seek.

Read My Word.

Your heart will keep

What I desire

For you to know

Tucked in memory

Wherever you go.

 

My first plan this morning was to write a poem about Wisdom.  So I looked up the synonyms for wisdom.  Then I looked up the synonyms of the synonyms and on and on.  WOW! Mind boggling!  Then I started reading in Proverbs which in essence is about Wisdom.  In the past I have studied this word, its meaning, and how it pertains to my life; only to discover that it is a topic I can never learn enough about. 

I wonder what the word “wisdom” means to most people.  Actually it was years before I finally understood the meaning that made sense to me.  I heard a sermon that defined wisdom as using the knowledge we have attained in life to make the best possible decisions in the present.  This statement presents the idea that in order to have wisdom one must first attain knowledge.  And in order to attain knowledge you much search to understand that knowledge and how it can best be applied to your daily life.

And then I started studying the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.  Over and over I read the scriptures making certain I understood who and what the pronouns were referring to in the Scriptures.  My inclination was to copy and paste to this blog all the scriptures that pertain to knowledge, wisdom, and the seeking of both.  If I did, I fear this blog would end up being a book. 

 

WISDOM, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Kathleen Martens

March 10, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Wisdom but a word we use

Do we know what it means?

It appears there are so many ideas

Of what the definition seems.

 

Over the years I’ve studied much

But to knowledge there is no end.

I desire more and more to learn

So that wisdom becomes my friend.

 

I checked back in my archives of poetry and found a few poems I have written in the past pertaining to the topic of wisdom.  I will share a few below.  Realize I am on a life journey of learning and changing, accepting, and growing.  By reading these poems I look back and view my journey.  I hope you enjoy the ones you read.

 

WISDOM

Kathleen Martens

June 8, 2010

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Wisdom

Appointed from eternity

From the beginning

Before the world began.

 

And we are told to attain it

By living our lives

In prudence & understanding.

 

By choice we attain these qualities.

By choice we choose prudence.

By choice we choose understanding.

By perseverance we choose knowledge.

By seeking we gain

 

Seeking Wisdom

Kathleen Martens

July 8 2010

www.visionsofpoetry.com

This poem written in 2010 are the thoughts that came to me after I asked the Lord: 

HOW DO I FIND WISDOM?

I ask the Lord

How do I find Wisdom?

 

“When you hear My voice”

 

How do I know it is Your voice I hear?

 

“My voice will not go against My Word.

Listen for My voice.

Obey my command.

But first you must seek Me

In Solitude

Without outside interference.

Turn off the phone,

Music, sounds.

Just listen to the quiet

For I am in the stillness.

Quiet…

A thought…

Though not audible

Your heart hears

And knows.

 

Act on what you hear.

Perceive My presence

Through your senses.

Visualize Me.

Smell the sweetness of my presence.

Taste and see that I am good

By digesting my scripture.

Feel My caress

As I sooth your body,

For your body longs for Me.

And then listen

Intently

For I want to speak.

 

You will have wisdom

When you know Me.

For wisdom and I

Go hand in hand.

 

When you know My spirit

You know wisdom.

You will have knowledge and discretion.

You will hate evil

And have understanding.

 

The more time you spend with Me

The easier you will distinguish

Your own thoughts from Mine.

The fear of the Lord is wisdom

And when you shun evil

You will have understanding.

 

WISDOM CRIES OUT

By Kathleen Martens

February 8, 2013

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

WISDOM stands at entrance of door

At gates and cities she cries out more.

“To you, O men, I call

Heed my words lest you fall.

Listen closely sons of men

Against Your self do not sin.

You simple ones PRUDENCE understand,

O, you fools, allow UNDERSTANDING

Your heart to command.

“Listen, for I will speak of excellent things.”

When I speak—righteousness I bring.

With my mouth truth I speak,

Find KNOWLEDGE, and INSTRUCTION seek.

“Wickedness is an abomination to my lips”

Turn toward me, lest you slip.

Receive my INSTRUCTION, silver is worth less

And choice gold will not impress,

Better than rubies I am to own

Or any desire you’ve ever known.”

 

WISDOM IS THE TOOL

By Kathleen Martens

January 23, 2013

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

So much truth

You Give Lord

That we should

Seek to find.

 

Your Instruction…

As love from a Father.

 

Your Knowledge…

That which we learn.

 

Your Understanding…

So to comprehend.

 

And that which results

In use of instruction, knowledge, and understanding

 

IS WISDOM

 

The beautiful tool

That allows us

To use the knowledge, instruction and understanding

Which you have provided

In Your Living Word.

 

“Proverbs 2:1-11 New International Version

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

2 My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.”

 

Thank You God for providing a way for man to receive wisdom.

Thank You for this beautiful winter day.

Thank You that my back is feeling so much better.

Thank You that You listen when I call our Your name.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

GOD BLESS YOU!

Thursday March 9 2017  MAYBE I’LL TAKE A NAP

It is amazing how much one person can do to fill up a day.  I overslept this morning so that shortened the beginning of this day.  If I desire to get up by 4:30 a.m. I must be faithful to my 9:00 p.m. bedtime. Sometimes that just doesn’t happen. I was an hour late getting to bed last night and thus an hour late waking up this morning.   And therefore, my poem was not written before my 7:45 a.m. departure.  It was time for my yearly fasting blood work.

I went from home to the lab, from the lab to the gym, from the gym to Hobby Lobby, from Hobby Lobby to the barber; and from barber to home again.  And I have been longing for sleep since I arrived home.  It’s as if I have been drugged.  I am trying ever-so-hard to stay awake, accomplish a few things, and then get to bed earlier tonight as I also have a very early day tomorrow.  Since I get up so early now perhaps I should plan for a rest (or short nap) each afternoon.

As I’ve pointed out before, as we age we go backwards in regards to bodily functions.  Maybe I have hit the stage of a toddler who still needs that occasional afternoon nap.  My sister keeps telling me a short nap each afternoon really does help.  I guess I have to get to the point where I am willing to admit that.  I think my body has arrived but my psyche is not willing to admit it.  Maybe I’ll get over it!

 

OLD AGE, A TIME OF LOSSES

Kathleen Martens

March 9, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

The aging old, a time of loss,

Is what my doctor said.

But I draw the line and resist

Afternoons in bed.

 

I like the hours I have to live

And choose not to squander.

I’d rather live to the fullest,

Using my brain to think and wonder.

 

But bodies stiffen with the years

And legs seem to swell.

Perhaps if I just keep resisting

These losses I can quell.

 

Eye exams not quite the same,

The charts seem further away.

The big black letters no longer black,

But now a small, dull grey.

 

And my hair has lost its luster

And seems to shed like a cat.

Soft and limp it now feels,

And that’s a plain old fact.

 

Luckily I still have my teeth

And can eat what I like.

And as long as I get my prunes.

I can do my daily hike.

 

I’m up and down through the night,

The toilet my best friend.

Then I swish my mouth with gunk,

And back in bed I always end.

 

Early to bed early to rise

So I have been told

Will make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,

Even when He is old.

 

But I can’t tell if it’s working.

Maybe the nap I need everyday

Will give less time for losses

To find a place to stay.

 

So I’ll keep on keeping on

And do as much as I can do.

Whatever it is I’ll just enjoy…

Even if it’s taking a nap or two.  (Shhh…just don’t tell anyone!)

 

Thank You God for everything I can still do.

Thank You God that I can still use my hands for lots of things.

Thank You God for toilets.

Thank You for the invention of eye glasses.

Thank You for false teeth because I know they have helped many people.

Thank You for hearing aids for those who cannot hear.

And most of all Father, thank You for the privilege of living these “old age” years.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON.  GOD BLESS YOU!

 

P.S.  Who knows, maybe I will go take a SHORT nap.

 

“OR NOT” !!!

 

 

Wednesday March 8 2017  DO NOT BE LEFT BEHIND

As a child we barely had enough income to live on.  Once we moved to California my mother seemed to eke out a bit of money here and there to afford little trips to museums, fairs, gardens, and out of the way places that offered learning experiences.  I don’t remember that happening with my older sisters but they were married and out of the apartment by the time I was, 9, 11, and 12 years of age.  So it was then just me and my sister Faith who was about 7 years younger.

My mother had a friend named Merle who lived in the apartment below us.  She had a son my age named Albert.  We bonded at age six and have since been lifelong friends.  Merle owned a STATION WAGON!  I looked the model up online and recognized it as the 1957 model.  It was red and white!  When we went on excursions Merle would drive the station wagon and we kids felt like royalty all packed into the long back end behind the second row seat.  Gasoline was about twenty to thirty cents a gallon at that time.  I imagine my mom and Merle probably split the cost of gas in able to afford the excursions.

Albert had two younger siblings and with the two kids from our family we made a great troop.  We would all get in the back of the station wagon and had a grand time while our moms were in the front seat shooting the breeze.  The trips I remember best are the ones we took each year to the state fair.  We didn’t get to ride on the rides due to cost but we paid the quarter to get in and it was the best quarter I ever remember spending.  Of course when it was time to eat we all trekked back to the car, pulled down the back of the wagon door and ate our homemade fare.  So did a lot of other families.  It was what you did when you had a brood of kids to feed and not much money.

The adventure was being together.  Of course I don’t remember ever being naughty or cranky but I remember my sister being that way.  Perhaps that is selective memory.  But the things I remember most are the adventures of going through the displays and exhibits and demonstrations housed in the BIG BUILDING! 

This morning I read a newspaper article about a self-driving car, (BMW Series 7)  that is already at the Car Dealerships.  It is actually a model already available to the public that uses minimal human control. The car cost over $81,000.  The article reported the skepticism of most people and how many do not believe it will eventually be the new normal.  Reading that article catapulted my memory back to the late 1950’S when I saw the “future kitchen” in the big building at the State Fair.  It was amazing.  There was a large metal and glass box that could bake a potato in 10 to 15 minutes and it could heat up food on a plate in about 5 minutes.  Of course the demonstrations were extremely fascinating to the kid I was back then.  And even though it didn’t seem possible “EVERYONE” would someday have one in their kitchen, it still mesmerized and astonished my young brain.  I remember jumping on the bandwagon declaring and believing that it would happen!  I couldn’t wait to tell my friends, and even those I didn’t know, about the amazing thing this machine did.  Those who knew me thought it was just one more of the imaginative stories I made up.  About 17 or 18 years later Dave and I had one in our kitchen.  When I used our huge microwave oven I often thought about that day so many years before when I saw the amazing capabilities of what it could do.  By the time we owned one it was able to go far beyond the expectations of that pioneer model.

So, who is to say what kinds of cars we will be driving in the future.  For that matter, who is to say that with the way the world is going that there will even be a future?  All I know is that today I am alive and I will live in the circumstances I have.  However, I might add, I do enjoy the “modern kitchen”!

And one more thing, I still love “going through the displays and exhibits and demonstrations housed in the BIG BUILDING!”  I learn something new every time I go.  In this age of technology there is always something new to learn.  Actually, it seems that technology advances so quickly I barely hear about it before there is something even better coming along.

 

CHOOSE WHAT WORLD YOU LIVE IN

Kathleen Martens

March 8, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

This world is rapidly changing

In terms of technical matters.

A new invention of today

Tomorrow could be in tatters.

 

So swiftly do things come and go

On which economy depends.

As quickly as the new is offered

Sooner the masses will spend.

 

A new model or a new App

Can hardly wait to be tried,

It’s all the rage to have the latest

So to others you can confide.

 

But my choice is to go slow,

Choose what I need and no more.

As far as knowledge I choose to seek!

So I can be aware of future’s door!

 

To keep up with all that is changing

New facts you must seek and find.

Just because you are getting older

It’s still important not to be left behind.

 

The world is advancing every day,

Be aware of what is taking place.

From politics to modern conveniences

Look facts straight in the face!

 

So many refuse to advance with change,

Of new knowledge they have little to show.

How sad it will be to wake up and find,

You live in a world you no longer know.

 

Thank You God that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Thank You that You are the grounding of my existence.

Thank You that this world is not my final home.

Thank You for preparing a mansion for me in heaven.

 

“John 14:2 King James Version

² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

 

GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Tuesday March 7 2017   THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

It is a challenge to take a verse or chapter from the Bible and ponder on what each Scripture speaks to me.  Those ponderings become my Scripture poetry.  I take a verse and read each coupling, then add my thoughts as to what I perceive them to mean.  In no way is it my intent to change the Word of God, add to it, or distract from the meaning set forth by God.  I do it for my pleasure to increase the value of what those words are speaking to me.  I hope you enjoy the poems I write using Scripture as my inspiration. 

Remember the red ink highlights quotes from the Bible and the black ink are my thoughts.  It is fun to come up with meaning that will harmonize and rhyme with the words I read from the scripture.  I hope you enjoy the poem I wrote today.  Following the poem is the full chapter of Psalm 19 so you can read it in its entirety.

This morning as I was saying goodbye to a friend on the phone I asked her to give me a poem topic.  My friend Lana quoted what would become the title of the poem (Psalms 19:1).  I wrote it down, and then the poem was born.  Thanks Lana.

 

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

Psalms 19 with embellishments by Kathleen Martens

March 7, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God:

The skies proclaim the work of His hands.”  Psalm 19:1

And when we listen in His presence

We hear what His sky commands.

 

“Day after day they pour forth speech:

Night after night they reveal knowledge.”  Psalm 19:2

And our hearts must be open to receive

Lest we succumb to folly.

 

“They have no speech, they use no words;

No sound is heard from them.”  Psalm 19:3

God’s voice delivered in silence.

What the heavens speak is from Him.

 

“Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

Their words to the ends of the world.”  Psalm 19:4

Like beautiful jewels being delivered

In mass being unfurled.

 

“In the heavens God has pitched

A tent for the sun.”  Psalm 19:4

Contented mass of glorious light

It’s work is not done.

 

“It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber

Like a champion rejoicing to run his course,”  Psalm 19:5

Sated, calm, and invigorated

Energy with such force.

 

“It rises at one end of the heavens

And makes it circuit to the other.

Nothing is deprived of its warmth,” Psalm 19:6

As God’s Words over the earth hover. 

 

“The law of the Lord is perfect

Refreshing the soul.”  Psalm 19:7

So to walk in righteousness

Should be our purposed goal.

 

“The precepts of the Lord are right

Giving joy to the heart.”  Psalm 19:8

What better way is there

That our morning we start?

 

“The commands of the Lord are radiant

Giving light to the eyes.”  Psalms 19:8

Casting rays of hope to the world,

With a joy that never dies.

 

“The fear of the Lord is pure,

Enduring forever.”  Psalm 19:9

Which ensures everlasting life

Never to be severed.

 

“The decrees of the Lord are firm,

And all of them are righteous.”  Psalm 19:9

And walking in His Commandments,

To accomplish is our must.

 

“They are more precious than gold,

Than much pure gold.”  Psalm 19:10

And must be passed on and on

As God’s story continually told.

 

“They are sweeter than honey,

Than honey from the honeycomb”.  Psalm 19:10

And should dwell continually in our heart

And never just on loan.

 

“By them your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.”  Psalm 19:11

And of utmost importance

In your heart they should be stored.

 

“But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.”  Psalm 19:12

That I will not sin against God

And all sin in my life will halt.

 

“Keep your servant also from willful sins;

May they not rule over me.”  Psalm 19:13

That as my heart hears Your Word

So from sin I am totally free.

 

“Then I will be blameless,

Innocent of great transgression.”  Psalm 19:13

That when Your heavens declare Your glory

My heart is a heart of confession.

 

“May these words of my mouth

And this meditation of my heart

Be pleasing in Your sight,”  Psalm 19:14

As each morning I start.

 

“Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”  Psalm 19:14

 

Thank You God for Your Word.

 Thank You God for friends that give me suggestions for poems to write.

 Thank You too Lord for opening my heart to receive the words that come to me.

And thank You too for all the couches I have been privileged to sleep on.

HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON AND GOD BLESS EACH ONE WHO READS THESE WORDS

 

 

Psalm 19  Holy Bible New International Version

“For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
⁵     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
¹¹ By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

 

 

Monday March 6 2017  CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE

Despite the fact that March designates for me that Christmas is right around the corner, I waved the truce flag of leaving our tree up until then.  As of Saturday it is boxed away and stowed in the closet.  I neither gave it to my son, who didn’t want it, nor did I sell it.  Once I had it up I remembered all the reasons I purchased it in the first place.  To me it is beautiful, but not to everyone. I enjoy it and have no need to try to please the world.

There was only one reason I put it away.  We decided to have our lower level carpet cleaned and decided to have upstairs rooms cleaned as well.  Most of our floor space upstairs is tile but since the tree was not vacationing on the tile I decided having a clean carpet was more important to me than having the tree gather dust.  My decision was not premeditated.  I spontaneously knew it was the day to do it.  As I was leaving the house I asked Dave to retrieve the boxes from their hiding place and I would dismantle the tree when I returned home from exercising.  And so I did.  The best part was that I didn’t have to look forward to the day.  The right day just arrived and I used it to do the job.  It took me two hours. 

 

CHRISTMAS PAST

Kathleen Martens

March 6, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Winter snow graced this week

In puffy white, like cotton balls.

So soon spring will come alive

And then comes summer and fall.

 

Two hours of time is all it took

For me to tuck away.

All the falderal of Christmas past

Now in the closet to stay.

 

I suppose each and every season

Should have its time to shine.

And perhaps by next winter

A Christmas tree will again be fine.

 

Thank You God that a job is behind me and I didn’t even have to dread doing it.

Thank You God for the delicious salad I ate for breakfast.

Thank You God for all the people in the world who work at so many different jobs so that what is needed is available.

Thank You God that there are still kind people in the world.

Thank You too for plumbers, and heat repairmen.

Thank You that I have a bed to sleep in.

 

HAVE A GREAT DAY.  GOD BLESS YOU.

 

Sunday Sabbath  March 5 2017  A SACRED PLACE TO DWELL

A SACRED PLACE TO DWELL

Kathleen Martens

March 5, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

Lord, once again I thank You

For this day of Sabbath rest,

Gathering with your followers,

Worshipping You at Your behest.

 

You are faithful to those who love You

And obey the commandments You give.

Your Word is our blueprint for happiness,

And it teaches us how to live.

 

Your commandments show Your character,

And You teach through Christ’s example.

You give us purpose to be righteous

That our souls will not be trampled.

 

You’ve given atonement for our sin

And have taken it all away.

You have covered our sinful nature

So in Your Company we can stay.

 

We must make room for Your sacred presence,

A place where You can dwell.

That our hearts are the destination

Of  Your love that never quells.

 

Thank You God for the commandments You have given us to follow.

Thank You for covering our sin nature.

Thank You for Your love.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS SACRED SABBATH.

Saturday March 4 2017  THE SCRIPTURE SPEAKS

 

As I was reading in the Scriptures this morning I again pondered at all the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs alone.  If we used the book of Proverbs to rear our children it would ground them for life; so much wisdom in one book, yet unknown to so many.

This morning, as I was reading God’s Word, it was as if I was reading poetry.  The scripture fed my soul.  I took the liberty of copying a few verses, which each consisted of two lines each.  I then added my own two lines to each verse in order to create a four line stanza.  So thus, a poem was born from the scriptures and from my heart.  I have referenced the verse following each quote.  Red lettering is Scripture from the New International Version of the Holy Bible; blue lettering is my additional phrase.  Please take time to allow the wisdom of the Scriptures to permeate your heart.

 

POETRY IN SCRIPTURE

Kathleen Martens

March 4, 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

“Each heart knows its own bitterness

And no one else can share its own joy.”  Proverbs 14:10

We all have our own secrets

And hidden thoughts we can’t avoid.

 

“He who guards his lips guards his soul,

But he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”  Proverbs 13:3

And we must be careful to guard our hearts

Because what we allow in, will come out soon.

 

“The righteous hate what is false,

But the wicked bring shame and disgrace.”  Proverbs 13. 5

When we love truth and seek God

We will someday see His face.

 

“The light of the righteous shines brightly,

But the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.”  Proverbs 13:9

So choose to be God’s resounding voice

As The Father’s business you go about.

 

“Righteousness guards the man of integrity,

But wickedness overthrows the sinner.”  Proverbs 13:6

Only when we walk in the footsteps of Jesus

Are we then considered the winner.

 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”  Proverbs 13:12

When we put our hope in God alone

Eternity is viewed without strife.

 

“The teaching of man is a fountain of life

Turning man from the snares of death.”  Proverbs 13:14

And the peace of God is beyond understanding,

And is ours until our final breath.

 

Thank You Father for Your Word.

Thank You Lord for the Wisdom written in Your Word.

Thank You that I have eyes to see and the ability to read Your Living Word.

And thank You Father that I have hands that can touch and hold Your written Word.

Thank You that I have access to a Bible.

Thank You for another day of life.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU!

Friday March 3 2017  THE END OF THE WEEK

 

A BUSY WEEK

Kathleen Martens

March 3, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Some days go quite fast.

In busy bustle they do not last.

Yet, the week interminably long

When it seems things go wrong.

 

Thankfully, all becomes right,

Work and money corrects the plight.

The heater breaks because it’s old

And of course the days are cold.

 

And life happens between the mess,

Yet I’m full of joy I must confess.

I have a house in which to live,

Though it gobbles money like a sieve.

 

And thus today the painter comes

To patch and paint the ceiling some.

Entire mess in every room

But we have hopes that very soon

 

Finally our library will be done.

And days of work will turn to fun.

Our disarray will soon be past

When our room is finished at last!

 

Still much to do, much sorrow to face

Because I will never have enough space

For all the books which are my friends,

Alas, their time with me will end.

 

I’ll pass them on without stealth

Giving to others part of my wealth.

So much pleasure and knowledge found

When we open a book that is bound.

 

There is something special feeling the pages,

As history speaks throughout the ages.

And such comfort in the written word

Where voices of the past can be heard.

 

All these thoughts go through my head

As another thought to me is fed.

No matter how difficult the week may start

The joy in my heart never departs!

 

Thank You God for opening the door to allow the painter time to come today.

Thank You God that my circumstances cannot rob me of joy that comes from You.

Thank You Lord for this amazing week.

Thank You for the heat we have today especially since the temperature outside is 15 degrees at present.

Thank You God that You are an awesome God.

 

GOD BLESS YOU AND I HOPE YOUR DAY IS AWESOME!

Thursday March 2 2017  MOMENTS COUNT

 

OUR GOAL IS SCORED

Kathleen Martens

March 2 2017

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Moments count when I’m in a hurry

Less time to write as I must scurry.

Just remember I am retired

But to me it means being RE-FIRED.

 

I’m really trying to take things slow

I do well unless I must go.

And best laid plans sometimes go astray

When I can’t do things my own way.

 

Mr. Repairman must once again come

And it causes our day to be on the run.

But first our appointment to “do” the taxes

Which cannot be changed as our boiler relaxes.

 

We must have heat that will not fail

So day four of workers we do not quail.

And then tomorrow an added delight,

A day the painter can fix our plight.

 

So lots of work we must do

In order this week to get through.

When it rains it seems to pour

But if all goes well our goal is scored!

 

A note of explanation as to why I chose the topic of today’s poem:

I think I previously mentioned that our heat system was not working.  Mr. Repairman came on Friday and tried to repair it but needed a part.  We had no heat and he could not return until Monday.

Monday bright and early Mr. Repairman returned.  With Dave’s help he was able to dismantle what was needed in order to replace the new part.  After he was gone we discovered that no part of the system was working.  We made it through another cold night.

On Tuesday Mr. Repairman returned with a helper.  After much consternation it was determined that the system had died after $650.00 worth of labor and parts has been paid.  The entire boiler had to be replaced.

With the promise of returning on Wednesday to replace the aging system we weathered another freezing night.  In the morning it was snowing.  This time Mr. Repairman came with three additional workers.  The boiler was made of cast iron and it took the back breaking labor of four strong men to get it out of the house and into a truck.  Once it was loaded one man took off and three stayed and worked the entire day, from sun up to sun down. 

All was well…ALMOST.  As I was working on my computer my circuit breaker started making noises and seemed quite stressed.  I have a lot of equipment plugged into a large CYBER POWERED unit that will keep my appliances working for one half hour if there is a power outage or major power surge.  Something definitely was happening.  I went into the boiler room and asked what was going on with the electrical system.  They didn’t know but they did know they had a problem.  They worked for several more hours and determined that when the copper pipes above and been soldered some of the metal particles had worked their way through a small opening on the top of the unit and short circuited the computer system which manages the boiler.

You guessed it!  They are coming back today to replace the “mother board” of the system.  No extra charge and they also deducted what we had already paid for the “repair work” from the total installation fees.  This heating system cost almost nine thousand dollars.  Even with all the extra workers they did not increase their estimate of cost.

So, needless to say, sometimes things just happen to discombobulate our best laid plans.  We did not want to reschedule with the tax man this morning because he books up ahead.  So, Mr. Repairman is working around our schedule today.  But it means we may abort some of our plans in order to be back on time to accommodate him.   

And then, just before going to bed last night I receive a text from the painter who will be repairing and painting our ceiling in the dismantled photo studio in the lower level.  We had metal tracks on the ceiling for years which allowed me to maneuver hanging backdrops during photo sessions.  I had three shooting bays and so we have three areas to patch.  I sold the system and the buyer removed all the hardware which left us with lots of repair work.   Our painter was scheduled to come in five weeks to repair and paint the ceilings.  We asked that she would call if she had any cancellations.  And so last night amid all the other chaos, she texted us saying she could come on Friday.  So folks, this week “ain’t” over yet!  We said yes, and now we have even more work to do in order to be ready for her at such short notice.

As soon as Mr. Repairman leaves tonight we will start moving things into our utility room which is quite large.  The larg pieces of furniture will be moved as needed while she is here working.  We have many recessed ceiling lights and all the light canisters must be lowered in order for her to cut in properly.  That makes it necessary that everything is cleared for ladder work.  We have our work cut out for us.

Though this was not to be a blog day I just wanted to explain why I wrote the poem I wrote. 

 

Thank You God for the early call from the painter.

Thank You God for keeping our bodies strong and able to work.

Thank You too for the invention of portable room heaters!

Thank You that we have a home to heat.

That You Lord for Your provision that allows us to pay for repairs.

 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU!