Plain and simple, rhyme and meter
When to consider self a poet? How many poems published appear In pages of the printed zines? How much of the art to understand, And cite the rules, the dos and don'ts? How many famous tomes to read By modern and ancient pens and pixels? Must one or many how-to books Take precious space on crowded shelves? How many stages of style to pass Before he's judged as Poet Mature? Ask these questions and a…
We were made for something greater Than the greatness for which we’re grasping, Than puny powers for which we’re reaching, Than weak lights to which we’re aspiring. God created man for knowing, Walking in his blessed presence, Living in his sweet communion. We pursue the shiny tinsel.
There was a Man, and still there is, Who more than man became; I learned his name -- I-AM -- and since I’ve never been the same.
Why bounce back and forth between So many options? Choose one and glean From others what you can, but fix Upon the one. Else you will mix Together what should remain clean. Evaluate as best you may Within a time, perhaps a day, And don’t look back, but be serene. Avoid the mental politics. While choosing, don’t forget to pray.
This was created for a social-media spot, but it seems to deserve sharing here, which has become the poetry empire of YoursTruly. Now, who's to say that we should tell What's on our minds, to pull from the well Of thoughts and share with worlds our ways? We're humans, and that's just what we do, Created by God who spoke the phrase, “Let there be light!” From that it grew To a land of men who live…
My verse(s) for today: For unto this, Christ died and lived again that He might rule over both the dead and living. Romans 14.9, Berean Literal Bible (2016). .1. The BLB, at least, a decade ago, translated this text literally, rendering the last verb as “rule.” The BibleHub site now shows it as having been changed. It's a testimony that Christ now reigns. Sorry, but no future reign on earth. HT:…
Didn't they used to say that we have two ears and one mouth so our listening ought to be in proportion, or something like that? I have 10 fingers to type with ... ¶ This is not merely another morning, but a unique one. One I will never see or experience again. I thank God for it. ¶ I had stated that no Bible version (in Portuguese) that I know of uses the terms optimist or optimism. I must now…
The end is coming soon ─ not what you think ─ But maybe worse ─ we stand upon the brink Of Armageddon's armies ─ the final clash When all will turn to lead and dust and ash. Both earth below and heavens above will burn; All evil, gone, for Jesus will appear. We pray and watch the skies for his return, The righteous have no reason to quake or fear.
When fires go raging, tornados tear, Hold loved ones closer to your breast; Of failings, fears and wounds beware: Together you may pass the test.
Give me simple, give me plain -- Help me avoid the geeky pain. The simpler the better, none too soon, Will send this simpleton over the moon.
The ups and downs and coming arounds ─ We've been this way before; The race between the hare and hounds Is one we'd rather ignore.
The thankful list hasn’t made an appearance lately. Let’s remedy that. Thanks be to the one true God for: refreshing rain that brought down the temperature; almost crossing the finish line with the latest book; the help that several friends, and wife, gave for corrections and suggestions.
¶ Quiet day, hard work, lots of corrections, finally getting there. A few friends are helping with revisions and suggestions on the book text. ¶ This book is directed specifically to our own people, as a wake-up call and last-ditch effort to pull some back from the brink. ¶ I filled in for our song leader tonight, he had a scratchy throat. Glad I knew all the songs he had selected from the digital…
Blessed rising of the sun Blessed day to greet and live Blessed prayer of thanks to God Blessed power to serve and love tzag goodmorning greeting
Today's summary, published in a couple of social places: More rain today. More writing today. More fleeing today. More chewing the cud today. Less talk today. That's a win. ¶ I like short URLs. Or is it URIs? The shorter the better. Some services or social spots have indecently long links. Discouraging. ¶ The one-column Bible I bought in the Almeida Século 21 version is so nice, it's a shame the…
37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:37-38 NKJV) 37 Коли Я не чиню діл Свого Отця, то не вірте Мені. 38 А коли Я чиню, то хоч ви Мені віри й не ймете, повірте ділам, щоб пізнали й повірили ви, що Отець у Мені, а Я ув Отці! (Від…
No matter whether we’re early or late, It's how we run, not bolt from the gate. Our life is not a horse’s race; Each has his moment, gift, and pace. Once on the Way, let’s walk it straight; And offer to each a measure of grace. I scatter my poetry around the social media; but should bring it all together. Another “should” ─ am on a roll today: I ought to move away from didactic pieces like this…
Twas a quiet day at home, the Missus and me. Rain fell off and on, and temperatures wavered. Not a foot was set outside the door, at any time. Reading much for life, in more ways than one. AI wrote a book for me, and I shall write one for ... Ah, no. 3 is wrong; we breakfasted out with friends. Life is good. No, God is good. Life in Christ is wonderful.
I “borrowed” this from a place far, far away ... and tweaked it to make it even more applicable. Bored? Read the Bible. Stressed? Read the Bible. Rainy day? Read the Bible. Can’t sleep? Read the Bible. Had a bad day? Read the Bible. Tired of scrolling? Read the Bible. Lacking inspiration? Read the Bible. Waiting for someone? Read the Bible. Not sure what to do right now? Read the Bible. I posted…
Grateful to the Lord God, the Omnipotent One, for: the beauty of creation which proclaims the glory of the Lord; divine wisdom, discernment, knowledge of what is essential; more prosaic: the use of email for simple communication. ¶ Be safe. Above all, protect your mind and heart and soul. “Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life” Proverbs 4.23 ISV. Or: ERV…
Let God be thanked today for the first day set aside for Christians to remember that Jesus died for our sins and arose from the dead on the first day of the week; his providence which takes our smallest and often unconsidered actions to produce a blessing to many people; a fine initial response to yesterday's news that sign-ups are now open for our big event in April. The daily habit of writing…
The Kingdom, O God, is Yours, And I but a speck. I seek You and the King To know and serve and love. So little can I do ─ Nothing without You. Make me alive today.
To God is thanksgiving due: for allowing us entry into a new year, more time to serve, learn, repent, or praise; for protection, patience, providence, and all the other “P” words of the alphabet ─ and for the whole alphabet; for bringing us through one of the most difficult years in recent history. ¶ Because of travel and guests in December, I declared, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that I would begin…
God deserves praise and thanksgiving for all the Missus's tests, including echo, coming back normal; a move made at the right time, none too soon; the work group getting officially registered. ¶ So much rain. And wind. At least, temps are way down. ¶ Christmas is not a good time to lose weight. Just so you'll know. ¶ What you think may be a necessity that God is not providing may in fact be a…
Three things I thank God for: DD made the move to Hville safe and sound, with good help; What first appeared to be a skin blemish turned out not to be; Friends confirmed to spend Christmas with us, arriving Mon. ¶ Found my iPad mini Mom bought for me years ago, charged it up. Might use it for my sermon notes tomorrow. ¶ Started reading several books at once, one by LaGard Smith, Male Spiritual…
God be thanked that the high winds and storms in the region have not affected us here; some problems for a family member have been resolved quickly; the Bible has something to say to us every day, and for every situation. ¶ If all goes well, tonight's meeting will be the big step in creating the Project Reach Association as a legal entity. It will be our publishing organization, and under it will…
This quote comes from A.T. Willis, Jr., The Biblical Basis of Missions, chap. 2 (p. 13 in the document I have): The Old Testament sketches God’s efforts to form a holy people. Holy means to be separated unto God. God called Abraham to leave home and family and live a life of loneliness. His descendants became a pilgrim people. Israel’s history is a saga of God’s efforts to keep her true to her…
God be thanked for: time to rest and recuperate from our trip; confidence that the saints continued steadfast in the faith and work during our six-week absence; comforting promises of God that keep the heart from despair and nurture our hope. ¶ It's amazing the difference a day can make, be it in productivity, mood, etc., for good or ill. So we must take the long view, or the average, if you…
Thanks be to God for these: We arrived safely at home yesterday. Are now catching up on sleep. Old people need lots of sleep. Especially after long international journeys. My to-do list for today was long, but much got done, even with a longer afternoon nap and running the Missus to her morning appointment. Two issues of the Spiritual Sword arrived in the mail today, for July and Oct. The latter I…
Things to be thankful for today: Improved condition after detox last week--am almost 100% today; Survival of this trip of many weeks and miles and states; Time to be with family and friends, most recently, with DD these last days. ¶ Lord permitting, tomorrow we head home. Will be a night flight. We might make it home by noonish, local time, if all goes well. ¶ New work group about to be officially…
Somebody made a post to the idea of using your fine china. (They applied it to stickers that eventually lose their stickiness, if you don't use them.) I replied: There's an old hymn that starts: Earth holds no treasures but perish with using, However precious they be; Maybe it needs to be amended. Treasures also perish without using. ¶ Somebody else quoted from an old CIA manual, the “Simple…
Was nominated to chime in on this topic by Weylan . Have been going back in history for older tomes. Here they are: Crosshairs , by James Patterson. Nice, quick read for a few hours when you want to check out of reality. Not a high suspense book. Was a pretty clean read, but did it have to include profanity in the very last sentence? His Love Compels , by Tho. Olbricht. Not as strong as his OT…
Three things, among the many, that I'm grateful to God for: Daughter is better after a bad night; Good rest the last several nights after long and stressful days; Coffee, tea, and other fine beverages to enliven the mind and body. ¶ My meditative text recently was Matthew 6.11. It cures many a mind and heart's ills. ¶ Psalms 37 and 73 treat similar themes. Remember that. (Notice the switched…
These questions are going around. I got them from Kev Quirk . Do you floss your teeth? Sometimes, but not often enough. Tea, coffee, or water? All three. Almost every day. Footwear preference? Flipflops. When it's cold, flipflops with socks, as per local custom. Favourite dessert? Pavé de chocolate. The first thing you do when you wake up? Bathroom. Doesn't everybody? Then a shower. Age you’d like…
Have been writing couplets lately, the perfect form for the internet, on an instance of Misskey that Chris has spun up for me. Most are proper five-meter lines and rhyming, or almost so. Some take a spiritual turn, others not. Here's a set, each one independent of the others. Good morning, humans, goats and cats and dogs -- And ETs too, who're reading our earthly blogs. To speak in verse might be…
God be thanked: For his mercy and kindness shown in so many ways in my life -- in all of our lives. For health even at this age, for as long as it may last. For the relative ease of travel these days, compared to a hundred or more years ago. ¶ Updated my Now page on Sivers's site, as per his request. ¶ This is one of the best articles, for me, that I've written in recent times, as I search for the…
Spent the morning and first part of the afternoon in the hospital to discover the reason for a problem. Blood work and tomography came back normal. Thankful for that. Doc thought it might be a bacteria. Gave me antibiotics. Typical doc thing. Plus zinc, floral, and funny tasting water to keep me hydrated. I hate guesswork. Find out soon what's the problem, and let's fix it. Was home around 1 or…
It is God who deserves all praise and thanksgiving: for his protection and care; for good food, friends, life, love, and all the enjoyable things of this world; for the most pleasant time last night spent with a few saints talking about scriptural teachings on prayer. ¶ I love monospace fonts, even though I'm not a coder techie, terminal user guy. Maybe from learning to type on a manual typewriter…
Gratitude demands expression: For the long view; For the presence of God now; For the depths of divine wisdom. HAIKU Up to, I'm living, Finding in each day meaning To welcome the next. When your pet needs a sun bath:
Thankful am I that: Good things are happening in my children's lives; Not a small amount of writing was accomplished today; Friends are studying with others to show them the Way. ¶ So much evil in the world, but saints can see the good that God is doing. ¶ Time is a gift of God, which, once spent, can never be recalled. Spend it well. ¶ More often might we feel that we have been blessed far above…
God gets credit, we give thanks: For a very fine time last night in a Guarulhos congregation, she speaking, me driving; For mind, logic, reason, and writing ─ and reading; For fast transportation that allows us to move far distances quickly. ¶ Did a bunch of study with a lot of words. A biblical commentator then clinched it with a fine phrase. ¶ Has been a quiet day, which we needed after the trip…
God be thanked that: Our hope does not depend upon man; Our faith is based upon the word and promise of God; Our present suffering is but a light and brief burden. ¶ God, help us and save us, for injustice rules and evil prevails. ¶ Unfollowing some people on social-media accounts. It's that time. Again. ¶ Profoundly saddened by Charlie Kirk's death. It's a sad, if not final, day for dialogue,…
Thankful to God today for: a quiet place to work (most of the time), at home, in a converted bedroom and varanda; no lack of ideas for writing projects; the Lord's sovereignty over this world, so I don't have to worry. A simple box for writing A profile made exciting Words and thoughts inciting That's me here, inviting
God be thanked: For his protection and care and security; For my getting the Forthright editorial written today; For the prayers of friends and fellow laborers in the Kingdom of God. And his goodness be praised! Took a Bible tonight, already signed and dated, to give to a fellow we've gotten to know. Was informed he had been fired from his position. Sent him an audio message. Fortunately, I'd…
Three things I thank God for, yeah, four: Bad scare this morning, with the specter of surgery, turned out to be much less serious than suspected. Great time last night doing a last-minute online group, sort of an “Ask Anything” within the biblical field. Close to 30 participated. Great conversation with a friend this afternoon, helping him set up a personal blog site. Some personal-share time,…
Upcoming teaching opportunity on Saturday in the city of Taubaté. New Bible reads well, feels good, is a great size, a possible new version to move to. (More on that later.) Water from the street is back on. ¶ Middle son of a sister in Christ, in Taubaté, died today of a heart attack. He was 36. Burial will be tomorrow morning. Pray for the family. Only the mother and youngest son are faithful. ¶…
The temps are up and down, The weather is back and around; But we complain In sun or rain, Dissatisfaction unbound.
God be thanked, first of all, for these three good things: a productive day; a seminar getting worked out in record time (for the 30th); electricity and indoor running water. In the middle of a conversation, I wrote to a friend ─ translating from Portuguese: A church name means nothing; this is a thing of men. What matters is that the brethren 1 are faithful, active, and loving. Faithful to the…
Have been trying to write a post for days. A half-finished piece is laying in a corner somewhere starving. Radio program went well this morning, I’m still dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. Or is it the other way around? Either way, no one can be unsure of what we are saying, based solely on the Word. Jim Massey’s book on church organization may be a good fit for Brazil just now. Changes are…
For these three things I thank God: Abundance. Grace in all its many forms and manifestations. Divine providence and patience. SUNDRIES: John 8.21 caught my attention and has me pondering. (See also 7.34.) God sees, God knows, God holds, God rewards. The mount of transfiguration was a life-changing experience for the witnesses. Even without knowing what was going on. After many a moment and event…