The air is sharp, cuts to the bone
Why should each face their life alone
Because we’re made in pairs to start
Including body, mind and heart.
T’was God Himself who made that choice
So Adam’s rib would have a voice
And be his partner and his wife
To share with him for his whole life !
My wishes for a pleasant day
To you are wending fast their way
I hear the church bells as they sound
With joy and worship heaven bound.
For all who listen to my voice
Your time’s arrived to make a choice
Choose God and learn how to obey
To love your neighbor and to pray.
Be kind remembering the need
Of all God’s children and their seed
For all are meant to heed His Word
And cherish all that they have heard !
Of recent times I’ve been so ill
With lengthy days and endless nights
That brought my life and mind a chill
And filled my soul with countless frights.
Tis true I am far better now
But need to be secure and smart
I’ll have to figure out just how
To keep God’s Word close to my heart !
Two thousand years ago or more
When God’s own Son did tred the shore
And angels still had free access
To every spot that earth possessed
There was a man of great repute
Round whom there was a huge dispute.
This humble man of power and fame
Then known as John, his given name
Who thrived on honey and locusts
With leather belt round his waist trussed
O’er his robe of camel hair made,
So sad that he won’t make the grade.
The “Baptist” was how he’d been called
Beheading was his final fall
Remember Herod’s Salome
It was her dance did John away !
I’ve heard the stories told by men
Of events took place way back when
Catastrophes of world wide note
About which men of science wrote
Sagas of danger we have heard
Chock full of facts in every word.
They spin tales of this our Lord’s earth
In detail and for all its worth
Assured that God creates it all
Through summer, winter, spring or fall
I find in this no mystery
Just part of His Divinity !
Across the miles of earth and sky
The days of man are flashing by
How long before this age has passed
And we receive its final blast ?
Seems there’s no voice now reaching out
Explaining what it’s all about
We need a word, some sort of sign
Assuring us there still is time
A book of rules, instructions too
From experts on what we must do
To cover each iota of
God’s wisdom and His words of love !
There is a God, I know it’s true
I’d really like to share with you
However that is not my choice
Each must decide with their own voice.
I cannot but supply the facts
Depends on you how one reacts
There is a book, you know which one
It’s older than the Sugar Plum.
This book was writ on parchment roll
And wound up in clay jars of scroll
Hidden away two thousand years
Written by scores of ancient seers.
It is the world’s most famous book
Perhaps one day, you’ll take a look !
I’ve lately come to understand
That memories are ever grand
But only last a lifetime long
And to our history belong.
While words we place upon a page
Remain forever throughout age
With many lasting years and years
To heal our wounds, allay our fears.
We would not know about God’s word
If all those crowds had only heard
And scribes had then not set it down
For men to spread His words around !
There is this book we all know well
That has so many tales to tell
It’s been around thousands of years
Chock full of joy, promises, tears
They’ve not forgot one single thing
Bout love and lust of prince or king.
It speaks of fear, hate, jealousy
And those who can’t or will not see
Of wisemen, prophets, soldiers too
With visions of our dreams come truth
Life history since time’s begun
There’s nothing new under our sun !
Now Moses was a Hebrew lad
So long ago in Egypt land
Twas quite a temper that he had
And such great strength within his hand.
One day a soldier in the field
Assigned to watch the slaves at work
Did beat a slave and would not yield
Because he thought the man did shirk.
When Moses struck him to the ground
This was a crime, the soldier died
In fear he ran not to be found
To Sinai, forty years did hide.
Then through the Burning Bush of Flame
That’s how God called him home again
He donned the role of Bible fame
To lead his people out of pain !
In God’s Eden one peaceful morn
Was the first time a lie was born
As Satan turned from good to bad
And ruined the paradise they had !
Sly Satan spoke strong words to Eve,
His purpose meaning to deceive
He answered her as she asked why
“I tell you that you will not die !”
“Come eat of this forbidden tree
That opens eyes so you can see
The difference of wrong and right
And what is wise here in God’s sight.”
Oh foolish child you could not know
How perils of your act would grow !
EXCUSE ME but have you been searching for the rainbow ? Did you know that Methuselah of Genesis fame lived 969 years and was the grandfather of Noah, known for his construction of the Ark ? Wow, a mouthful ! God introduced the rainbow as a reminder to all that He would honor His vow to never again flood the world in perpetuity ! I learned that when I was but a small girl and since then each rainbow I have seen reinforces my belief. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our leaders could instill in us that kind of trust ? Oh how I wish ! Remember Daniel 2 and his feet of clay, well welcome to reality ! Clay just reminds me of a lot of mud ! How about you ?
The poet paints a picture but not with paint and brush
His words create the image there’s music in his touch
Each has his own conception there are no two the same
Tis an old profession and Shakepeare’s favorite game.
Some think the words are foolish and pale in empty air
Please remember David and his Psalms we all still share
His words were so profound they will live forever here
They brought us close to God they will never disappear !
Throughout our history we’ve learned
That words are more than image earned
From Cain’s admonishment reply,
“I know not”, that was his deny.
“Am I my brother’s keeper ?” so
From that day hence God made him go
Into the land of Nod went he
To live and raise his family.
( The first lie serpent spoke to Eve
“Ye shall not die”, and she believed
Alas, her true naivety
Willed us our real heredity ! )
Judge Samson was a man quite strong
With curly locks ever so long,
His hair should never feel a knife
As he was raised a Nazirite !
Tis said he was a foolish man
Preferring pagans to his clan,
Delilah she became his wife
And knew the secret of his life !
She cut his hair a shorter length
To steal away his godly strength,
His enemies they made him blind
Chained him to posts to be unkind !
He begged God’s help, his final plea
Destroy this temple ! Set me free !
Now long ago there was a man
He ran away from Pharaoh land
A fugitive from death was he
Demanding all his brethren free !
Well Pharaoh was a stubborn sort
His men searched hard but never caught
This man who started on his way
Babe in reed basket swept away !
A story told through ages past
Ten plagues that left the world aghast
To show the power that God must be
And how He shapes our history !
Those memories that we recall
At eventide before nightfall
Range from the sweet to discontent,
And wonder where the dreaming went ?
Since dreams are an integral part
Of wishes sent from each one’s heart
They speak to us with questions bold
And query what our futures hold !
The answer won’t be quite complete
It may be vague or indiscreet
For only God can know what’s next
He is the Author of the text !
Which came first ? You’ve heard the rhetorical question a thousand times over the years. I think the answer is more complex than it appears ! However it was answered for us many millennia ago by the recorder of the book of Genesis in the very first chapter. One of the secrets of the Bible as a literary work is a “colophon” the signature or mark of the author of a chapter, section or verses. It is never missing but one must learn to discern each writer’s grammatical mark of ownership. I am inclined to believe that we are the generation of the “feet of clay” spoken of in Daniel, chapter 2. My favorite part has to be the handwriting on the wall, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN; thrilling, TEKEL; PERES; if I were forced to choose, Daniel would be my favorite after Ecclesiastes ! I think ! But you can ask me again tomorrow.
Sincerely, Claire B.
This morning I awoke with lyrics in my head, “look, look, look to the rainbow, follow it over the
hill and the stream”. It reminded me of God’s promise to Noah after the deluge that He would
set “His bow in the sky” as a token of His covenant with mankind. Isn’t that a lovely thought?
Just the image of a rainbow brings quivers to the heart and gladness to the eyes, so very
magical . Good choice ! Lyricists romanticize rainbows as in “Finian’s Rainbow” ; “The
Wizard of Oz” with its wistful classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, which leads us to
William Wordsworth in a similar vein: “My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the
sky: So was it when my life began; So it is now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die ! The Child is father of the Man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to
each by natural piety”. Wow ! However, today I choose to embrace the last stanza of “Look
to the Rainbow”. “Look, look, look to the rainbow
Follow the fellow who follows a dream
Follow the fellow, follow the fellow
Follow the fellow who follows a dream”.
I’m okay with that, how about you ?
Sincerely,
Claire B.
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Claire V. Bogdanos 