Wars rage not just on battlefields grim and stark, But in the shadowed corners of every weary heart. Victory claimed by fire and steel’s cold bite, Leaves only ashes, remnants of spite.
True conquest lies not in the silenced scream, Nor in the landscapes of some tyrant’s dream. For every city razed, every mother’s tear, Sows the bitter seeds of another war near.
The mightiest force wields no weapon or shield, But the quiet strength in the human field, Where compassion roots deeper than old enmities, Where understanding breaks chains, sets spirits free.
True peace blossoms through the heart’s own door, A tranquil harbor from the inner war. When hearts are mended, so too are nations’ ties,In the soft, hushing whispers of reconciled cries.
From the heart’s peace, there springs a well so clear, That those who drink may never again fear. For only when the heart’s war ceases to rage, Will peace truly ink history’s next page.
Let us march not to the drums of war, but to the song of peace, Where every note played is a promise to cease. With each heart that chooses the path of calm delight, We find the dawn of love and end the long, dark night.
In valleys deep where shadows dwell, Where human strength succumbs and pales, Beyond the reach of weary hands, In whispered tones, true prayer avails.
It climbs the peaks of somber fears, It crosses oceans, silent, hails The dawn of hope on distant shores, Where human effort falters, fails.
Beneath the weight of life’s harsh trials, When heavy heart like anchor flails, Light pierces through the brooding storm, With gentle force, soft prayer prevails.
For there, within the sacred calm, Where peace resides and love entails, The soul finds strength not born of earth, And in its quiet trust, inhales.
So let us kneel in humble stance, And lift our voices, tell the tales Of how, when human might retracts, A whispered prayer always avails.
In the quiet whispers of dawn, you’ll find, That time has streaked grey through your loyal friend’s fur, Once a vibrant youth, now serenely refined, His eyes, a soft cloud, his steps unsure.
Remember the days, unmarked and wide, When he bounded through fields, his spirit untamed? Now he ambles beside, with a dignified stride, Through the silence where once his excitement flamed.
Children grow, they stretch and reach high, Blazing through life with a voracious thirst. But your dog, steadfast under the same sky, Watches time pass, from last to first.
He was there—before love painted your world, Before joy and heartbreak were through your door. When solitude around your heart curled, His warmth was the comfort you lived for.
Through every upheaval, he was the constant, true, From apartment to house, through every shift. In your darkest moments, when few understood you, His presence alone was a sacred gift.
Cherish the naps, the walks, each moment spent, For he doesn’t complain, though his pace has slowed. Each day a treasure, silently lent, On the unspoken pact to which he’s bowed.
One day you’ll notice his lagging tread, His need to rest, mid-path, grown deep. And you’ll recall the years that sped, Through each shared journey, his promise to keep.
Nobody warns, the days discreetly flee, With the dog who has seen all shades of you. Cherish him now, let your heart see The beauty of years carried through.
So hold him close, with love that clings, Through whispered names and soft, slow walks. For in the echoes of the love he brings, Lies the deepest talk you’ll ever talk.
In a field where the stern are revered, A Labrador’s grin broadly appeared. Roger, not one for the line, For sniffing out crime, Was “too friendly,” and thus, out he veered.
Trained young for the tasks of the law, Taiwan’s customs found one glaring flaw. Not a trace of the mean, In his warm eyes a sheen, For the narcotics patrol, he’d withdraw.
Yet, where strict doors closed, windows flung wide, In earthquake’s harsh wake he’d reside. Through rubble and fear, His mission was clear, A rescuer with bounds none could hide.
Lee saw past the bounds of the norm, In disasters, he’d eagerly swarm. With a sniff and a bound, Lost souls he found, From tragedy, hope he’d transform.
A quake shook the roots of Taiwan, Roger’s heart and his legs carried on. The temblor’s fierce dance, Gave this pup one more chance, To prove worth beyond what’s gone.
“Too friendly?” A fault turned to gold, In the tales of his rescues, retold. Though his service concludes, And quietude broods, Roger’s legacy will warmly hold.
So here’s to the dog too affable, Whose saga proves rather adaptable. From misfit to hero, His count not near zero, In hearts and in history, he’s graspable.
In the beginning, woven by the Creator’s hand, Spoke into existence, where stars and worlds stand. “God,” the singular artist of cosmos and sea, Crafted in His image, you and me.
United in essence under celestial dome, “One Race,” declared He, the earth our shared home. “Human,” He named us, kin by design, Boundless diversity, yet fundamentally aligned.
Flowing through veins, a river vivid and bold, “One Blood,” the life-force, in crimson it rolled. “Red,” the hue of passion, pain, and power, A symbol of life in its brightest hour.
Yet amidst this splendor, a shadow crept unseen, “One Problem,” whispered, subtle and serene. “Sin,” it hissed, a fracture deep and wide, A rift ’twixt the soul and the Divine.
In the murk and the twilight, hope flickered dim, A chasm unbridged, prospects grim. “One Solution,” proclaimed a voice so bright, Cutting through despair, a beacon of light.
“Jesus Christ,” He came, not in thunder, but in whisper, His life for ours, the ultimate fixer. Through Him the broken are made whole, Restoring peace, reclaiming soul.
Thus the tale unfolds, of love’s grand design, From One Creator’s breath to the end of time. Through One Race, One Blood, and One redeeming Son, Heaven’s perfect answer, where all is undone.
Without pressure, diamonds remain coal, Without pressure, character won’t find its role. Without pressure, fulfillment stays afar, Without pressure, joy but a fading star.
But tempered pressure, wisely applied, Shapes the soul, pride set aside. In this crucible, character grows defined, And through such trials, true joy we find.
Thus, embrace the squeeze, the shaping pain, For in each struggle, there’s much to gain. Refined by pressure, with grit employ, Emerges strength, character, and joy.
A thousand ways to swing a club; which is the right one for me? Is it something learned, or does it come free?
How to uncover that perfect swing, Comfort in one’s grip, oh, the joy it will bring. A fusion of faith and guided hands Shapes the motion as the moment demands.
Many will chant the mantra of repeat To forge their path and not accept defeat. Perfection a divine trait, indeed. Merged with practice, it’s all you need.
To calm the mind and soothe the soul, These are the halves that make the swing whole. Seek wisdom from those who’ve walked this way; Their learned truths will clear dismay.
Listen and learn, for they hold the key; what once was bound will soon be free. In their words, find the swing so sound, And play the greens, with peace profound.
Beneath the vast and boundless sky, We tread with hearts both low and high, Unknown the count of sands that drift, Through Time’s unyielding, ceaseless sift.
We raise our eyes with humble grace, To thank the Lord for His embrace—For mercy poured on earthly stage, In blessings penned on life’s wide page.
Each dawn awakes with softest light, Each star that guards the velvet night, Speaks of a love so vast and deep, A shepherd strong, His flock to keep.
So let us walk with quiet might, Through shadowed vale, in sun’s bright light, And hold each precious day we see, As gifts from One who set us free.
In gratitude, our hearts do swell, For stories only time can tell, A tapestry of woven hues, A life embraced, with days we choose.
Thus, hand in hand with faith, we climb, With hope engraved for endless time, Each moment laced with sacred view, Our thanks we give, forever true.
In fields wide where heaven’s care descends, Your touch upon the land extends; Streams of grace in full array, Waters flow to bless the clay.
With showers soft, the earth is dressed, In furrows deep, its wealth confessed; Ridges smoothed by gentle rains, Crops rejoice across the plains.
The bounty of Your hand so grand, Makes rich the heart of every land; Your carts brim with gifts so vast, A year crowned with wealth amassed.
Where wilderness once starkly lay, Now grasslands dance in bright array; Hills wear joy, a verdant crown, In colors loud, their praise renown.
Meadows quilted with fleecy flocks, Valleys swathed in golden stocks; All nature sings beneath Your skies, A chorus raised in joyful cries.
April 10, 2024 Created by MarkWaldrop
Psa 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. Psa 65:9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. Psa 65:10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. Psa 65:11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. Psa 65:12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. Psa 65:13 The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.
