Visions of Poetry

Thursday December 8 2016  TRUTH RATHER THAN FICTION?

 

TRUTH RATHER THAN FICTION?

Kathleen Martens

December 8, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

If I were once again a kid

Would I have the joy of believing

That there was a Santa Clause

And gifts I’d be receiving?

 

Fantasy was never taught

Though I truly wanted to believe.

Oh, how I had wished Santa was real,

It would have made me so relieved.

 

There was no magic in the air

Or anticipation of what was to come.

Though I hoped for lots of presents

I was fortunate to receive even one.

 

And the little tree was an added nuisance.

And it always cost too much.

No center piece on the table

And never a Christmas brunch.

 

Though we had no fancy ornaments

We strung popcorn and paper chains,

And we always had a Christmas dinner

But there were never any games.

 

Mama and Daddy did what they could

With a crowd of five girls and a brother.

But Christmas memories held no excitement

Unless we invited others.

 

And those were the times I remember,

When we had lots of noise and fun,

And everyone brought a dish to pass

So out of food we would not run.

 

But the truth my mother taught

In her calloused, austere way

Was that Christmas happened because

Jesus was born on that day.

 

And never has that thought diminished

From earliest memories until now.

All the gifts we received in the past

Were temporal and did not last.

 

The only gift that survives forever

Is the one that Jesus gives.

And that was His gift of death

So that eternal life with Him we live.

 

His gift of life is the greatest gift

Made available to every soul.

It is the gift he offers to all

Through His salvation which makes man whole.

 

So I think mama did okay

By teaching me truth rather than fiction.

Through those early, impressionable years,

She pointed me in the right direction!

 

Wednesday December 7 2016  WHAT IS YOUR WORTH?

 

WHAT IS YOUR WORTH?

Kathleen Martens

December 7, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Do you ever question

What your life means?

Do you wonder what it’s worth?

If it were redeemed?

 

Is there any value

In all that you do?

Have you found an admirable cause

Within scope and view?

 

How would you even know

If worthy are your plans?

As you walk among millions,

What does your life demand?

 

Is there even a reason

You were placed upon this earth?

Do you hold yourself sacred

When morality is so dearth?

 

Not until you understand

That another suffered unto death

To offer you a valuable future,

Even past your final breath.

 

That what we do is pittance

As our life is consumed

By all the unnecessary

That takes us to our doom,

 

Until we finally realize

We must lay our life down,

Only when it is surrendered

Is our true worth found.

 

The answer is found in a book

Written over years of time,

Giving man the knowledge

To grasp our one life-line.

 

And it began in a stable

On the first Christmas day.

Only through that infant

Was our hope and future paved.

 

The solid hope of salvation

Through a man laid on a cross,

And he hung and died for us

That our lives would not be lost.

 

And only when we receive

The message that is so true

Do we understand our value

And that our life has meaning too.

 

For we are but dust

And our bodies will someday die.

But our spirit will live eternal

And it’s to heaven I want to fly.

 

So by understanding

That being on earth is to prepare

For what lies in our future

We must live our time with care.

 

And what we decide today

Decides upon where we will go.

I choose to go to heaven

Because I do not choose below.

 

So take note on the eves

Of this season’s celebration of birth,

It is because of this sacred event

That gives our life priceless worth.

 

I was listening to a talk news commentator this morning (which I cannot remember who) and he shared the following words that a friend spoke to him.  These words resonated with me so I copied them down and then ended up using them as the basis for this poem.  One little quote, a new idea, and a new Christmas poem was born.  I wish I knew the friend’s name.  It was quite a thoughtful and interesting observation to put into words.

 

“This life will never mean anything

Until you realize it means nothing

And once you realize it means nothing

It will mean everything.”

 

I am enjoying my “time off” but I am just as busy as ever.  But it does mean I have more time to be busy doing other things than writing.  It is a much needed break. 

Tuesday December 6 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

THE JOY OF THE LORD

Kathleen Martens

December 6, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Joy seems to come from within,

Some people have it-some without.

What actually makes the difference

When one is lacking-another paramount?

 

It seems we abound with joy,

Reaped from a simple attitude

Of a heart full of thanksgiving,

Continuously filled with gratitude.

 

IT IS NOT JOY THAT COMES FIRST

IN THE LONG LIST OF THINGS WE RECEIVE.

JOY IS THE RESULT OF OUR GRATITUDE TOWARD GOD,

WHEN IN HIM WE BELIEVE.

 

We believe, because Jesus was born

As a fulfillment to God’s plan

As a way of fulfilling redemption,

Providing eternity to the heart of man.

 

And it is because of the baby Jesus

Placed in a rough hewn manger,

That we and The Mighty God of the universe,

No longer live as strangers.

 

This little baby called Emmanuel,

Became the Savior for all on earth,

His identity He gave to man;

A distinctive honor of great worth.

 

He placed in reach the greatest hope

That mankind could ever dream.

He offered forgiveness to the fallen race,

His righteousness for them He deemed.

 

Security, the Lord promised to all

Through His bloodshed on the cross,

He instilled peace in hearts

That they never again be lost.

 

And as we celebrate the Holiday

Of the biggest birthday party of all time,

His glory is forever sung in heaven,

He is sinless and free of all crime.

 

Baby Jesus, born and died

Yet His Christmas gifts live on forever.

Identity in Christ comes with hope and peace

And forgiveness that will not be severed.

 

Always remember an attitude of gratitude

Have returns of joy beyond measure.

All the thanks we give to our Lord,

He receives as bountiful treasure.

 

And everyday a part of Christmas

Lives deep within my soul.

The joy of the Lord that comes from within

Is the Christmas gift that makes me whole.

 

Today’s poem was inspired from a sermon I listened to today from http://www.southlandchristian.org.  Sermon title:  “Amazed by Joy”.  Speaker: Jon Weece  

 

Monday December 5 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS

Kathleen Martens

December 5, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

The gifts of Christmas

Tied with pretty bows.

The outsides beautifully decorated

The insides no one knows.

 

Sort of like our lives

Dolled up to look so fine,

The outsides look so great

While our insides may be in binds.

 

The outside fresh and clean,

The inside who can know?

We are adept at camouflage

What inside, resides; no one really knows.

 

Secrets are a passion

Hid and well maintained,

But in our earthly package

They cannot be sustained.

 

We were born to receive

The gifts God loves to give,

The first is exposure of self

To let others know how we live.

 

We must open up our hearts

And accept God’s blessings each day.

Then the gifts of Christmas

Will freely come our way.

 

And so to you freely given

So you too can rejoice in heart,

Let Christmas happen all year long

Allowing each day a brand new start.

 

A sleepy time poem as I had very few hours of sleep last night.  Thanks to all of you who have sent in comments about the Christmas poetry.  I am glad there are still a few people who enjoy reading poetry.

 

 

 

Sunday Sabbath  December 4 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

GOD’S ART-WORK

Kathleen Martens

December 4, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Oh the freshness of new fallen snow

In muted light the forests glow,

Each trunk, each branch, and each small limb

In nature’s glamour, is God’s beautiful art-show.

 

I wonder what beauty the angels could see

The night the lamb was born to change eternity?

I wonder at the magnificence of God’s due reverence,

And the awesomeness of the shepherd’s deference.

 

Overwhelming splendor penetrated the sky

Through an incredible phenomenon meeting the eye,

A star which led followers through the nights

To the place of holiness, the source of all light.

 

Born with no pretense, in humble surroundings,

A simple Babe; became Man most confounding.

And just as beautiful as a pure white snow

Is God’s plan of salvation He wants you to know.

 

That someday we, in His presence could stand.

The crown of His creation; God’s art-work is man.

So in this season crowned by everlasting love,

Look no longer in the manger, but toward heaven above.

 

The above poem is the poem that came to me these past few moments as I typed on my office computer.  Following is a poem that came to me this morning at the end of church service written in my journal.  I don’t usually print the poetry I write free hand as it is quicker for me to pen another poem on the keyboard than it is to transcribe the one written long-hand into the computer.  This poem is a bit more serious but I still wanted to share it with you in “A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION”.

 

BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE

Kathleen Martens

December 4, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Desiring to honor His Father

Jesus entered into fleshly form

As a fragile helpless baby

With attributes of the new born.

 

It was His love to submit

Knowing He would be the slaughtered lamb.

Even before He entered earth

He knew His earthly body was damned.

 

Damned by those who falsely accused

The very love He came to share,

As the first Christmas gift which God gave

Man handled him without any care.

 

Because of His love He gave His power away,

He walked the world, experienced temptation and pain.

He innocently suffered as He spilled His blood,

Because of His love He died for our gain.

 

So as we remember the birth of Jesus,

Remember too all God has done in the past.

Be careful to not presume God’s patience

Because your time for repentance may not last.

 

All was changed on the day of Jesus’ birth,

And completion culminated at His death,

For then he arose to fulfill the plan

That man could experience eternal breath.

 

And God is still giving life through His Son,

All you must do is in Jesus believe.

And accept that He died for your sins

And eternal life is yours to receive.

 

AND GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY OF WINTER’S FIRST SNOWFALL IN OUR AREA.

P.S. I tried to upload some photos but for some reason they would not upload.  They are photos taken a few moments ago out our back door.  I’ll try again to do so later.  However, once I am published the photos will appear at the top of the blog instead of at the ending.

Saturday December 3 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

BE CERTAIN TO TELL HIS STORY

Kathleen Martens

December 3, 2016 

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Sounds of music flood my ear

Melody of praise, oh so near.

In my heart these sounds reside,

Always with me by my side.

 

I think of Christmas, I think of song.

The tune of deliverance in my heart belongs.

This is the season we celebrate love,

The purest love from heaven above.

 

Years ago to a lost world

An amazing God to earth furled

That which would change forever more

Eternal truth to settle all score.

 

No longer necessary to live in shame

Because God’s son to earth came.

A soul forever let out prison

Was the reason of Jesus’ mission.

 

We celebrate the birth of Christ,

But worldly desire has enticed

That men would demean the very reason

Why we celebrate Christmas season.

 

The very task of Christ’s birth

Was to confirm man’s very worth.

And now so many do not receive

The extraordinary truth they need believe.

 

Instead, man chooses to walk in shame,

Never pausing to call out God’s name.

The message of salvation so easily shunned,

And a new life is never begun.

 

So this month when we observe Jesus’ glory,

Be certain to tell His story.

Live your life so the message is heard.

And occasionally you may need use words.

Friday December 2 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

AND STILL TODAY HIS SONG IS SUNG

Kathleen Martens

December 2, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Every person’s life is a story

In the design of God’s plan.

God prepares the original sketch

For each woman and each man.

 

God designed a purpose

That should man choose to follow

That our time while on earth

No life should remain hollow.

 

He knew us before the earth was formed

He knew that man would fall.

He so desired intimate contact

Though He knew Satan would call.

 

In the beginning God planned a way

So man and God reunited.

He sent His Sinless to the earth

So the world would be lighted.

 

In the form of an infant babe

Prophesy was ultimately fulfilled.

God once again paved the way

For all to choose His will.

 

Born in a lowly stable,

For there was no room at the inn.

The story of love and redemption

Was that He save His people from sin.

 

God in flesh, born of a virgin,

And they called Him Immanuel,

Which means “God with us”

The One whom sin would quell.

 

The human form Mary carried

By the Holy Spirit conceived.

He was to be named Jesus

And would offer salvation to those who believed.

 

And it all happened on a lonely night

Far away from family and kin.

And since that hour His story began

No other like Him has there ever been.

 

Celebrated across the world

In many cultures and varied tongue.

Not a year passes without recognition,

And still today His song is sung.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday December 1 2016  A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

 

A WOODEN BOX TO A WOODEN CROSS

Kathleen Martens

December 1, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

This is the day that the Lord has made

In which to live and rejoice.

A day to savor each moment, each hour,

A day to lift up our voice.

 

This is the day to give thanks,

Even amidst all the world’s pain.

This is the month in which to remember

God’s son was born for our gain.

 

A Holy Father in spirit being

Embodied deity in the form of a baby.

Jesus became flesh in the truest of Word,

It was no accident nor even a maybe.

 

In the beginning was The Word,

And The Word in a wooden box was laid.

He was born for one reason,

That a wooden cross for Him would be made.

 

Born to die, He gave life,

His purpose to save all men.

His miraculous birth and death

Was to free all man from sin.

 

So in this month of celebration,

Take pause to remember the reason.

Jesus was born with eternity’s view,

Not only for a short season.

 

The wooden box His first abode,

The wooden cross His suffering death.

But it was not to be His end,

Because He rose with life and breath.

 

And today He sits at His Father’s right hand,

In a heaven He has prepared for you.

He too celebrates each Christmas season,

Knowing His death created life anew.

Wednesday November 30 2016  SETTLED IN FOR MY LONG WINTER’S BREAK

Though Christmas hasn’t yet arrived I feel as if I need to start getting ready for next Christmas (2017).  When March rolls around I always feel like it is almost Christmas.  AND NOW CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE and therefore March is right around the corner.

I’m trying to get settled in to watch Christmas movies.  The kitchen is clean, the mousetraps have been set (and checked daily), and my warm fluffy blanket is on the couch.  The freezer is stocked with soup, there are bags of cooked cubed chicken to add to the soup, and I have lots of winter root vegetables to roast when the craving for hot food hits, which is about now.  It is suspected that we may be blessed with our first snowfall this week.  But, weather reports are quite often incorrect.  At least that is what we hope!

The Christmas tree is “dressed” and the lights still work.  Most of the shopping is accomplished and I’m stocked up on toiletries (I don’t like running out of supplies in the winter).  So therefore I am all settled in for my long winter’s break.

 

‘TIS THE MONTH OF CHRISTMAS (TOMORROW)

Kathleen Martens

November 30, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

 

‘Tis the month of Christmas

And all through my house

I am anticipating

Catching a mouse.

 

The traps are checked

Every day with scrutiny,

Hoping not one little mouse

Will be running free.

 

My blanket is settled

Neatly in place,

Right on the couch

Which is my space.

 

The TV is tuned

And ready to record

Christmas movies I’ll watch

And over months hoard.

 

The tree is dressed

In finery of gold,

Stars and angels

For the eyes to behold.

 

Red flowers grace

My garden room

As large pot of geraniums

Generously bloom.

 

Our down comforter

Adds warmth to our bed,

And a beautiful quilt

On top of it spread.

 

The freezer is stocked

With soups galore

So I won’t need to cook

For many days more.

 

Darkness greets

My first yawn

When I awaken

Before the dawn.

 

The shortened days

Indicate time to rest,

And I try to accommodate

And do my best.

 

I am really trying

To be still long enough

To watch an entire movie,

But for me it is tough

 

I’d rather be up

Than being so still.

But I am learning

How time to kill.

 

So at the stroke

Of midnight tonight

I will change my attitude

And will no longer fight.

 

I will be lazy

And wallow all day,

And if I like it,

The entire month I’ll play.

 

So in this season

Of fun and toys

My hope for you

Is that God gives you joy.

 

Merry Christmas

To one and all,

Watch lots of movies

And have a ball!

 

Thank You Jesus for all the Christmas’ You have given us.

Thank You Jesus for being the true meaning of Christmas.

Thank You Lord for being Love, that we might experience love.

Thank You for this day.

 

REMINDER NOTE:  I earlier stated that I would not be writing a blog for the month of December but will include my poetry.  I have given that some thought and have decided to revise that statement.  I will not write a blog on a routine basis but if my heart gets so full of words, I might just write one periodically as my mood insists.  If you are interested please check in occasionally to see if I have news to tell.  

Wishing you all a happy holiday and a time of refreshment and rejuvenation.

Kathleen

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Tuesday November 29 2016  “DEFINE LIFE FORWARD”

 

“THEN LIVE IT BACKWARD”

Kathleen Martens

November 29, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

When looking ahead

At your life.

Plans must be considered

To avert strife.

 

Allow God to speak

Before you embark.

Planning ahead

Is not just a lark.

 

Consider the future,

Define your goals.

Look deep inside

To stop the holes.

 

Aim for your dream,

Know your objective.

With the end in mind

Be not subjective.

 

Ambition is good,

But use care.

Remove personal traits

That should not be there.

 

Define your tactics,

Put what’s needed in place.

Grow your integrity

As challenges you face.

 

Trust in God,

Always keep Him in view.

Be aware of pitfalls

That will try to woo.

 

Guard your heart

That your motive is pure.

When you define life forward

Your step will be sure.

 

Then go backward

Into your plan.

Facing all challenges,

With God you can.

 

All your aspirations

Put in God’s care,

His plan is perfect

To get you there.

 

Trusting in God

Is the way to go.

Because the ending,

He already knows.

 

Allow God to prune

Where it is needed.

Put your trust in Him

As His word is heeded.

 

Be not careless

As you forge ahead,

But trust in God

For your daily bread.

 

And once surrendered

To God’s plan for your years,

Live it backwards

Without any fear.

 

Know what God wills

As you begin,

Shed the unnecessary,

Be free from sin.

 

And when you go forward

You’ll be where you should be,

Knowing your step is sure

And God holds the key.

 

The above poem might take some pondering to grasp my meaning.  It was inspired by a quote I heard today in a sermon online.  The quote sums it up in two lines much better than all I wrote above.  I hope it makes sense to you having not heard the context from which it was quoted.

 

“Define life Forward.

Then live it backwards.”  Soren Kierkegaard

I looked Kierkegaard up on line after I wrote the above poem.  Here is another quote I came across while reading his on line biography:

“What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know, except insofar as knowledge must precede every act. What matters is to find a purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth which is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die.”*

* Born May 5, 1813 in Copenhagen, Kimgdom of Denmark

   Died November 11, 1855 (aged 42)  

Would love to hear any comments.

 

Monday November 28 2016  LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED, EXPLORED, AND TASTED

We are never too old to discover new insights to ourselves.  Well, today that happened to me. 

When our children were quite young I was listening to a program on the television that our daughter was avidly watching.  I didn’t like the sounds of the dialogue I heard on the TV as children were speaking in disrespectful tones, going behind their parents back and doing what they were told not to do.  I also did not like how the young teens in the show talked back to their parents. 

I called Rebecca to the dinner table and she had a fit.  She wanted to watch the rest of her show (we never had television on during dinner) and have me postpone dinner until it was over.  The food was hot and already on the table, ready to eat.  I insisted she come and sit down and she spoke to me like she had never done before, quite insolent and rude.  I already didn’t like the show and she had just made me realize exactly why.  Her tone was that of the kids on the show, belittling and sarcastic.  A light bulb moment for me!

After dinner I spoke with Dave and told him my light bulb idea.  I wanted to take the television out of the home.  I did not want our children influenced by the things I heard, the ideas being presented, the commercials, and the availability of what I termed as “trash” that was available back in the early 1980’s.  Dave had another idea.  We would just turn the TV off and he could watch TV in his office after the kids were in bed.  We owned a VCR and allowed the children to tape certain shows to watch on Saturday. 

Perhaps the above scenario sounds a bit controlling and it probably was.  For a few weeks our son and daughter were given one VHS cassette tape and they could tape the shows that passed our scrutiny.  Most shows were off limits.  Courtland was in Kindergarten so he wanted a few cartoons.  Rebecca chose a few shows a bit more sophisticated which passed our inspection.  They were so excited to get up on Saturday and watch a couple of the shows.  That lasted about three or four weeks and then they lost interest in taping anything.  The weaning from TV was accomplished successfully without many labor pains.  Not watching TV became the new normal.  There was never any further discussion about it.

Now let’s fast forward to today as I listened to a series of sermons online that were preached in January 2010.  The series was titled “The Decades” and it went through the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, with 2010 written like this “The Decade of 2010 and Beyond – The decade of…”.  With the use of video footage the minister spoke about different aspects of each decade such as television shows, movies produced, people who were popular, law changes, and behavioral changes, as he built a scenario as to where our society had been, was currently, and was heading. 

The sermons were quite an interesting capsule of each decade.  I was presented with a lot of reminders and memories of news events, styles, and fads.  There were also entire aspects of the decades that were totally void to me.  As I watched the video unfold while the minister spoke I realized I had never even heard of most of the television programs.  I had heard of the Simpsons but I have never even seen one episode, even to this day.  Show after show was foreign to me.  I finally had a realization of how a huge segment of my life is really different than what most people have experienced in theirs. 

Very seldom did Dave and I ever go to the movie theater so I didn’t know many of the stars over the decades.  I didn’t read many magazines that had to do with mass media and so I guess we (and our children) have been deprived of having the messages of the world poured into our lives over the past 40 years or more.  Years after Rebecca was grown she said to me, “Mom, I don’t know how we would have accomplished doing so much if you had not turned the TV off”. 

When Rebecca moved away from home we gave her a brand new television set.  Rebecca did not take the TV with her when she moved.  Each time she came home we asked her to take it and she said she had no use for it.  We had even purchased a 3 year extended warranty policy.  The policy long ago expired.  I kid you not, that huge TV lived in its box, in my library closet for 20 years, nestled securely in its original packaging.  We gave it away at our garage sale this past June, box and all.

Our son has two boys and they do not watch television either.  They do have movies and some select games they play on electronic devices for short periods at a time.  If time allows they do get to enjoy movies that Dad selects on their Friday night movie night.  And sometimes gramma and grandpa are invited over to watch the movie with them.  I’m living the childhood that I never experienced.  The “I Love Lucy” show made me upset so my mother curbed my TV diet as well.  I never missed it because I was too busy playing outside!  I pretty much had the run of the projects we lived in and was always coming up with new ideas as to how to do things.  Maybe that will be another blog. 

 

LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED, EXPLORED, AND TASTED

Kathleen Martens

November 28, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Oh the memories

That we keep.

Some instilled with purpose,

Some just seep.

 

Think of the messages

Kids see and hear

On television screens

When parents aren’t near.

 

Violence and profanity

Heard and seen

In stereo sound

On a 52 inch screen.

 

Over and over

Commercials tout

What their life

Should be all about.

 

Trailers of upcoming

Horror pictures

Just seem normal,

Like a simple fixture.

 

And we wonder why

Our children cry

And bully and kill

Without a blink of an eye.

 

And the profanity

That is spoken,

Signifies a society

Which is broken.

 

Television uncensored

With no concerns,

While the receptive mind

Of a child learns.

 

Movies and news

Beyond comprehension,

Cause children to waver

In a lost dimension.

 

Such a different world

A child lives in

When influenced by TV

And has no friends.

 

Life should be lived

Explored and tasted,

Rather than sitting,

Their childhood wasted.

 

Give pause and thought

To what your children see.

Are you helping them become

The best they can be?

 

Being extremely selective

With limited use

Helps grow awesome kids

Without a short fuse.

 

And life and love

And gentle behavior

Are what you’ll sow

Without waver.

 

Children are different,

Home life improves

When they play outside

Instead of by the tube.

 

And mom and dad

May even find

That there’s a whole new world

That’s a lot more kind.

 

Thank You Lord for our son and our daughter.

Thank You for placing in my heart the desire to be the best mom I could possibly be.

Thank You for protecting their young minds from the ravages of the world that is allowed into the home via the TV.

Thank You God that You are a good, good, Father.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

 

 

Sunday Sabbath November 27 2016  SIMPLIFICATION OF TODAY’S SERMON

 

WORRY IS A CHOICE

Kathleen Martens

November 27, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

 

Worry is a choice of wear,

What we think is our fare.

Anxiety of past, present, or future

Might determine if we’re a loser.

 

Our actions begin deep within,

How we think is how we win.

What we say comes from our heart,

How we believe is our start.

 

So put aside worries of woe,

Those of past do not hoe.

Those happening in the present

Usher discreetly to the exit.

 

As to what may come tomorrow

From future troubles do not borrow.

When you give all worry to God

Worry free is no longer odd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday November 26 2016  STOP AND TAKE A BREAK

“STOP AND TAKE A BREAK”  is a phrase I borrowed from my friend’s *“THOUGHT FOR THE DAY”.   I just opened the email she sent me thing morning with her thought and realized that in simple synchronicity that is exactly what I did today (and yesterday).  I simply took a break from my normal routine!  It was awesome!

 

And not only did I borrow her thought for today, I borrowed my friend for the day!  Though I am not supposed to be writing a blog on Saturday I just had to share this lovely interlude into my otherwise normal routine of being over booked and often over worked.

 

STOP AND TAKE A BREAK

Kathleen Martens

November 26, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

“Stop and take a break”

Are really powerful words

If you can but put into action,

The meaning that is heard.

 

And so it was my goal

Two consecutive days in a row,

And all on the spur of the moment

No plans and no place to go.

 

I called my friend not knowing

What was her wisdom for this day.

But it was exactly what I needed

In the form of wonderful play.

 

I desired a partner in crime

And I called her on the phone

Wondering if she would come with me

And roam away from home!

 

I picked her up and off we went

Like two little sweet young things,

Making today an adventure to happen

Simply because of the joy it brings.

 

First we shopped our heart’s content

Until our stomachs began to growl,

And then back to my place,

For food, we were on the prowl.

 

And so I prepared way too much

But she ate every single bite,

Thanksgiving leftovers on our plate

And it was really quite a sight.

 

Then we talked and talked some more

And roamed around the house,

And fortunately I did not find

Even one dead mouse.

 

Though she saw all my mess

I feared not scowl or scorn,

It was because I felt her acceptance

And the undone no cause of forlorn.

 

I certainly enjoyed my needed break,

But too soon time to return her home.

And then I realized she was a great subject

On which to base my poem.

 

And so I say, “Thank you friend”

I enjoyed our hours together.

I hope I didn’t wear you out,

Because tomorrow will be even better.

 

GOOD NIGHT ONE AND ALL.  GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU ENTER SUNDAY SABBATH.

 

P.S.  I sure am glad I opened up my friend’s “Thought for Today” when I sat down at my computer a few moments ago.  My poem was totally inspired by her thought as well as the fun memories we made today.

 

*THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Stop and take a break from the busyness of life,

So that you can refuel your soul.

The Daily Bread

 

Thursday November 24 2016  SO BLESSED

 

SO VERY BLESSED AM I

Kathleen Martens

November 24, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

A table spread with bounty

Food to sate the soul,

A son and daughter in good stead,

Could there be a greater goal?

 

A warm house beckons me close

In sanctuary of peace,

And my cup runneth over

With a joy that does not cease.

 

What more can I say

On this Thanksgiving day,

To show my true gratitude

In an over abundant way?

 

For every single morsel,

And for words left unsaid,

I daily give thanks to God

As on His word I’m fed.

 

At His table I daily eat

In solitude of heart.

He prepares a table before me

As each day I start.

 

And so today I give thanks

For all He has bestowed.

On this day of national rejoicing

I am so thankful from head to toe.

 

 

Lord, thank You that You are my King.

Thank You Father that I am under Your care.

Thank You for blessings, both big and small.

Thank You for THANKSGIVING DAY!

Thank You Lord that it is You who is the creator of love.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS BEAUTIFUL THANKSGIVING NIGHT.

Wednesday November 23 2016  I HAVE A DREAM

 

The world is falling apart around us and each year people die by the thousands from starvation in underdeveloped countries.  Innocent people are being murdered because they are in the way of someone else’s religious persuasion. Wars mercilessly ravage some countries, women are held captive as sex slaves, and nature leaves paths of destruction.  We (U.S. citizens) go about our daily lives as if none of this is taking place around the world.  So many silently dismiss the thought that here in the U.S. thousands of innocent babies are murdered each year as they are excavated from their mother’s womb at abortion clinics.

I stated the above because of the title of this blog.  I actually was thinking of a dream I have and then when I gave pause as to what is truly happening in all parts of the globe all those scenarios popped into my mind and it put my dream on the back burner.  It even made me embarrassed to even bring it up.  As I thought about my dream in the light of the difficulties and horrors of so many individuals on this earth it made me ashamed.  I always ask myself, what can I do?  I do not feel even the least bit effective in helping with the horrors that are happening even as I sit here writing.

Contributions can help a cause if it gets in the right hands.  Adopting children from worn torn countries can help if you are in the right circumstances.  Some people go to foreign countries and work among the sick, homeless, and starving offering the services of their professions for a limited time.  But what can I do?  And when I stop to think about all the aforementioned I realize that I am where I am for a purpose.  I am here, living in the United States because this is where I was born.  I am here living in this house because this is where Dave and I decided to raise our children.  I am the neighbor of the people next door.  I am the face across the table at the Senior Center, I am the older woman shopping at Aldi’s, and there are hurting people all around me.  There are those who are at times blessed by a simple smile, a friendly greeting, or an act of kindness.  There is always something to do to make someone’s day brighter, if and when you make yourself available.  And then the answer comes to me about what I can do.  I can do whatever it is God wants me to do in any one day.  I can give a smile, a word of encouragement, volunteer for events, or lend a listening ear.  I can share my story if it is appropriate and I can share God’s story of divine intervention.

Whoever we are, wherever we go, regardless our talents, resources, personality, age, or race, we can extend love to those around us.  I am the vessel that God uses to extend His love to others.  And it is awesome when someone else bestows that same feeling of love and acceptance on me, a total stranger.  That happened today.  I was at Aldi’s shopping when I rounded a corner and came face to face with a woman who looked at me, gave me a bright, sincere smile, and caught me off guard.  I’m the one that usually smiles at strangers.  Occasionally I’ll even receive a smile back or even a short conversation.  Well, today it was reversed.  I was actually shocked to see such a glow on a woman’s face when she looked me.  There was light and life in her eyes and a beautiful smile upon her face.  I found myself startled for a second, I gave her a slow smile in response thinking perhaps she knew me, and I continued past her.  I then turned around and spoke to her.  I said, “I really appreciated your smile, it was awesome”.  She turned and looked me in the eyes with a glow about her.  I told her “I love to smile at people too but I was caught off guard by your smile because seldom do people make eye contact and very rarely smile in return, much less be the one to smile first.”  She looked me in the face with such sweet sincerity and said, “I smile because I am a Christian”.  I responded, “I too love God with all my heart and am a Christian”.  I then said, “It shows upon your face because it’s as if the glory of God rests upon you”.  And it was so true.  I hope that I have that same sincerity and that Jesus shines through me like He does with that woman I met today.  And in my heart, I now know, that though I can’t go overseas and rescue the hungry and dying, I can give a smile to everyone I met.  Try it, you might like it.

And though I am so blessed to live in the United States, to live in a house, have food to eat, and own things, I do not need to feel guilty.  I am where God intends me to be and I can still have dreams.  And the dream I was thinking about as I wrote the title of this blog was wishing that I could afford a crew of workers to come in and clean my house from top to bottom about once a month.  It seems so trivial in the light of global issues, but as I age it would certainly make it easier for me.  And when I think about it I wonder if it would be selfish or stingy for me to do just that.  Well…when it comes right down to it I don’t think it will happen.  Perhaps I could live guilt free if I only did it once a year.

The reason I even thought of such a dream is because yesterday I spent quite a few hours cleaning my kitchen surfaces.  I paced myself; slow, easy, and thorough.  And oh what a delight it was to get up to such a clean and sparkling kitchen.  It gave me a feeling of peace and calm.  Mostly it was just the knowledge that the dust and grime was gone and the surfaces had been disinfected.  

Perhaps it is too soon to give up my dream.  Who knows, maybe dreams still come true.

 

I HAVE A DREAM

Kathleen Martens

November 23, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

What is in one’s heart

No one really knows.

Unless it is shared it with others

Rarely do dreams show.

 

No dream is too small,

Nor is a dream too grand.

In quiet reverie of reflection

A dream never demands.

 

A dream is really not much more

Than a wish unfulfilled

And most likely will not come to pass

When in time left un-tilled.

 

To make a dream into a goal

A date of accomplishment set,

And that dream will not happen

Until certain qualifications are met.

 

So any dream can come true

When the mind sets its aim,

With a future timeline in place

It is no longer a wishful game.

 

So set your sights.

Put a work plan into action.

With realistic deadlines in place

Your goal will gain traction.

 

And no longer will you have a dream

Because reality will take its place.

Once your goal has been accomplished

It will have been worth your race.

 

Thank You God for the beautiful smile I received today.

Thank You Lord that You smile through me.

Thank You too for my dreams.

Thank You for my house, even though it is not always tidy.

Thank You God for watching over me.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS  YOU!

REMEMBER, WHEN YOU GET DRESSED TOMORROW DON’T FORGET TO PUT YOUR SMILE ON! 

Tuesday November 22 2016  PREPARATION

 

THE STORY OF MY DAY

Kathleen Martens

November 22, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

I am tired but my kitchen is clean,

Even my sink has a shiny sheen.

Every counter emptied then scrubbed down,

And I want it be known all over town!

 

Every surface dusted and even the walls,

No more cobwebs from ceiling falls.

Each little knick-knack scrubbed by a brush,

It took several hours without any rush.

 

Utensils all washed, scrubbed too with a brush,

I now behold my kitchen in reverent hush.

The toaster oven sparkles both in and out,

Just one more accomplishment about which to shout.

 

The cup holder scoured and cups re-hung,

And in my heart a melody sung.

The pile of cookbooks no longer a stack

But to the library they’ve been sacked.

 

The stove is glistening ready for use

Odds and ends washed and no longer loose.

I climbed high and stooped down low

There wasn’t one place I didn’t go.

 

Cupboard doors washed and spots removed,

And counter-tops cleaned and wiped smoothed.

There’s more yet to do before we have fun,

And I’ve one more day to be on the run.

 

And then comes Thursday, my ulterior motive,

So my company can see “how clean I live”.

Clean as a whistle to impress the crowd,

But only my son and his family are avowed.

 

So why so much trouble when they’ve seen my mess?

To tell you the truth, it was for me I confess.

I was just so tired of so much dust,

For my peace of mind it was a must.

 

And now I can cook and make my meal,

And while I do so, better I’ll feel.

Going into the holidays I’ll have a better self image,

And I can have guests without any scrimmage.

 

Just the good feeling of getting things done

Will make my tomorrows a lot more fun.

The only problem is I’ve more to do

But at least for Thanksgiving I can get through.

 

I will enjoy every moment with my two little boys

Because we are having a party with movies and toys.

We have three birthdays we will celebrate,

And for every single one their party is late.

 

And we have much for which to give thanks,

And for out grandsons thanks highly rank.

I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving Day,

Remember; count your blessings as you pray.

 

GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU THIS DAY

Monday November 21 2016  A CURIOUS SOUL

 

I WANT TO KNOW THE STORY

Kathleen Martens

November 21, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

I want to know the story

Of everyone I meet,

Of all the faces that pass me by

As well as those I greet.

 

Each life both public and private

Has a story to tell.

Some have lived fairy tale lives,

While others a living hell.

 

What words would I hear

If I were but to ask?

Just exactly what could I write

If I were but up to the task?

 

Some faces friendly and open,

Other discreetly disguised,

You can never tell what the story will be

If by the outside you have surmised.

 

And sometimes my curiosity

Gets the best of me.

And I simply ask outright,

Tell me your story please.

 

And oh how I would love to capture

All that is told in bits and pieces,

Never can a full story be known

Until the person ceases.

 

And no one knows the inner workings

Of what goes on in another’s heart,

And perhaps even the self

Wouldn’t know where to start.

 

So instead of life’s adventures

I ask what in life have they learned

That they would share with all mankind,

What wisdom have they earned?

 

And so today I did as such

With two lovely ladies sitting at a table,

Ruth was eighty nine and spunky

And Doris, ninety three and quite able.

 

Doris responded quite quickly:

“Fear and love

And trust in God above all things”

Then confided, “Someday I’ll live above.”

 

And Ruth replied

“I tried to live right

And tried to show Gods love,

And sow into people God’s light”

 

Just a little part of their stories

Relative to eternity’s plan,

Their wisdom in the simplest form

Was to love God, and to love man.

 

What better way to celebrate life,

With creases of time etched on faces.

The ladies were so beautiful to me,

Regardless their outward cases.

 

Our bodies are but what houses our spirit

And today I was ushered in

To hear the stories of two lovely ladies,

Confident they are forgiven their sin.

 

What better wisdom I could not tell

Than to share their destiny’s path,

Both knowing they are bound for heaven

To an eternity that will forever last.

 

When I sat down to write it was one of those moments when I thought I had nothing to write.  I simply prayed and asked God to bring to light what He wanted me to share.  Then the conversations with these two lovely women came out in a poem.  I stopped by the Senior Center this morning to pick up some bread (delicious day old sourdough bread) and became engaged in a conversation with two beautiful elderly women.  After talking with them for about 30-40 minutes lunch time was looming and the crowd was coming in to eat so it shortened our conversation somewhat.  Before I left I asked them if I could record their words of wisdom.  I figured that sometime in the future I might be able to write a blog about them, I just didn’t know it be in poetry form on this same day.  The poem says it all, at least what I thought to be the most important.  Don’t get me wrong, I heard lots of stories, lots of back grounds information, and either life stands alone to be the making of an interesting book.  Such a plethora of stories that go unnoticed all because their faces are wrinkled and their bodies are slow.  There was nothing slow about their minds however!  What two such amazing women!  As each older citizen dies we lose a bit of our heritage, a bit of our country’s history, and a lot of the population who have close relationships with God.  What a tragedy that more voices are not asked to be heard.

 

God, thank You for the years of life which I have lived.

Thank You Lord for the stories I hear from others.

Thank You Lord for Ruth and Doris’ salvation.

And thank You Lord for something as simple as a poem to share their story.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU.

 

P.S.  I didn’t get my bread today because the sourdough is dropped off on Tuesday.  Today’s trip was well worth my time.  I guess I’ll just have to go back!  I wonder with whom I will have the pleasure of talking with tomorrow?  (I enjoy being retired!)