In the heart of the land, under wide, open skies,
Lies a world far removed from the city’s cries.
Where the clip-clop of buggies, in the morning’s embrace,
Speaks of a life held at a different pace.
It’s not just the bonnets, nor the horse-drawn cart,
But a tapestry of values, woven heart to heart.
Simplicity’s virtue, in each task and chore,
Finds beauty in less, not in wanting more.
Community’s bond, like the quilts they create,
Stitched together with love, eschewing hate.
Each thread a promise, a support, a friend,
In a fabric of faith that does not end.
Their faith, not just words spoken in a church,
But lived in deeds, a constant search.
For a life of meaning, away from the world’s noise,
Finding peace in prayer, and communal joys.
It’s a rich mosaic, of tradition and belief,
Of autumn harvests, and the relief
Of summer’s end, when work is shared,
In barn raisings, where no burden is spared.
In the silence of dawn, or the glow of a lamp,
Lives a testament to a life, serene and damp.
With the soil, the seed, the handmade and homegrown,
A culture deep and diverse, proudly, quietly sown.
So look beyond the bonnets and buggies, see the essence,
Of a life embraced with deliberate presence.
For in the Amish way, there’s wisdom to find,
In living a life, simple and kind.
March 31, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
The Book of the World with many pages to turn
There are many chapters from which much to learn
Chapters of joy, chapters of sadness
a theme throughout of human kindness
God planning His Book whence Creation had begun
Continually being written by the old and young
My few lines will reveal the soul for everyone to see
Will I be content or anxious what others read of me
When the final chapter is scribed
God will seal it with access denied
No entries added, no lines deleted
Time itself will be eternally completed
March 30, 2024
MarkWaldrop
In a garden grown with care and pride, Lies a sundial, elegance personified. But shrouded beneath the shadow’s glide, Its purpose lost, its essence denied.
“Hide not your talents,” a wise voice said, “For they were made to shine, to lead, to spread. Just like a sundial under the sun’s gaze, Revealing the hours, the minutes, the days.”
In the light, it dances, a story untold, Marking time’s passage, bold and bold. But in the shade, its purpose folds, A silent witness as life unfolds.
So let your talents, your gifts, your light Shine forth, break free, take flight. For what’s a sundial in the shade?But potential unmet, a parade unstaged.
Embrace your strengths; let them be seen In the sunlight, where they’re meant to gleam. For every talent, every dream, every theme Is a piece of the world’s grand scheme.
And remember, as you journey through, What’s hidden in shadows is still a part of you. So let it out, let it grow, let it brew, For the world’s much brighter with the talents of you.
March 30, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
"Hide not your talents; they for use were made; what's a sundial in the shade?"
Ben Franklin
I'm here to give my life as a sacrifice if you need me
To satisfy God’s Laws if it is meant to be
I have heard He has sent His Son Jesus as a sacrifice
For His Great Mercy and Love to Magnify
His Ultimate Sacrifice for all Mankind
Will forever stand till the end of time
For God sent His Only Son for whoever believes in Him
God’s will be done as in Heaven to defeat sin
March 29, 2024
MarkWaldrop
In the quiet spaces where thoughts softly tread,
Seek the silence, the calm, where peace is bred.
Calm your mind, let it gently unfurl,
Find the stillness that lies beneath the whirl.
Calm your soul, let it be your guiding light,
In its tranquility, find the might to fight.
This harmony, a sanctuary for the soul,
Brings together the parts to make you whole.
With every breath, let worries slide,
In this calmness, let your spirit abide.
For in this serenity, so pure, so bold,
Lies the secret to becoming whole.
So breathe in peace, let calmness flow,
Let it heal you, in its quiet glow.
For by calming mind and soul, you’ll find,
A strength, a wholeness, intertwined.
In the quiet spaces where thoughts softly tread,
Seek the silence, the calm, where peace is bred.
Calm your mind, let it gently unfurl,
Find the stillness that lies beneath the whirl.
Calm your soul, let it be your guiding light,
In its tranquility, find the might to fight.
This harmony, a sanctuary for the soul,
Brings together the parts to make you whole.
With every breath, let worries slide,
In this calmness, let your spirit abide.
For in this serenity, so pure, so bold,
Lies the secret to becoming whole.
So breathe in peace, let calmness flow,
Let it heal you, in its quiet glow.
For by calming mind and soul, you’ll find,
A strength, a wholeness, intertwined.
March 29, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
Kids need Love and Discipline today
Building character: there is no other way
Character builds endurance. Endurance builds Faith and Hope
With these attributes in all of life's trials, one can cope
A spoiled child has nowhere to turn
Their inner soul-seeking for what they yearn
They desire to be great as God has planned
Squelching that urge will leave an empty hand
Love, Build Up, and Encourage every child you can.
This act will make a strong person, family, and land
March 29, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In whispered tones, beneath the sky so vast and still,I send a prayer, for it’s in God’s own perfect will,Healing and a life both long and true for you,A journey marked with joy, in skies forever blue.
God understands, in every tear and silent plea,Within His hands, your heart’s unrest He’ll gently free.He’ll grant you peace, a solace deep within your soul,A guiding light to lead you towards your destined goal.
Through storms that rage and winds that howl with might,In His embrace, you’ll find the strength to fight.With every dawn, His mercies new, a sacred gift,Upon His love, your weary spirits He will lift.
So may you walk in fields of grace, where angels tread,With faith as your shield, and His blessings on your head.For in God’s will, a promise of renewal, ever bright,A path to healing, bathed in His eternal light.
March 29, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In mercy’s embrace, we stand firm, unfazed,With ministries graced, our spirits unrazed.For though we are fragile, in clay jars we hold,A treasure divine, in His power bold.
Pressed on all sides, yet unbroken, we stand,Perplexed, yet our hope in despair does not strand.Persecuted, not forsaken, in trials we’re found,Struck down, yet in us, His life does abound.
Carrying within, the death of our Lord,So in our mortal frames, His life is outpoured.Though outwardly fading, inwardly we glow,Renewed day by day, His grace we come to know.
Light and momentary, our troubles seem to weigh,Yet they earn for us a glory, that forever will stay.Not on the transient do our eyes set their gaze,But on the eternal, unseen, through the haze.
“Keeping Heart in Jesus’ Power,” we proclaim,For in His strength, we overcome every flame.In weakness, His power is made perfect, complete,In jars of clay, His treasure, our victory’s seat.
March 29, 3024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In whispered prayers, a soul’s decree,“Thank God, when I pass, I’ll be set free.”A journey’s end, not bound by earth,A passage to a second birth.
No shackles of pain, no chains of despair,Just boundless skies and fresh, sweet air.A freedom that the heart does seek,In quiet moments, when spirits speak.
Through valleys dark and mountains steep,The promise is His to keep.A solace found in faith’s embrace,A journey to a sacred place.
So when the final breath does flee,And eyes close to what was and will be,With grateful heart, the soul does see,“Thank God, I’m free, eternally.”
March 28, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In halls where echoes softly tread, beneath the steeples high,
A chorus of the ages, beneath the vaulted sky.
The hymns of old, with words like gold, are fading day by day,
A treasure trove of wisdom, in silence starts to fray.
“Bring back the songs,” the whispers plead, in every wooden pew,
The melodies that souls would feed, with truths forever true.
The ancient notes, in harmony, a balm for every pain,
A bridge across the centuries, in every refrain.
For in those lines of grace and fears, of battles won and lost,
Lie messages through all the years, that hold no costly cost.
The youth in search, with hearts aflame, for answers deep and wide,
Need hear the hymns that once did claim, the truth that does not hide.
Why let them waste, these hymns of old, with power to mend and save?
Their stories, precious, bold, a light in every grave.
The hymns that once did shake the walls, and stir the soul’s deep sea,
A call to arms, when duty calls, for you, for me.
Let not the chance to sing them fade, like mist at morning’s light,
Their legacy should not be laid, in shadows of the night.
For in their verses, strong and clear, a message does reside,
That every yearning heart should hear, a guide through time and tide.
So, churches, raise those hymns once more, let them your services fill,
Their truths are what the young souls yearn, their void, no modern song can fill.
A hymn of old, a heart made bold, can light the darkest way,
For songs of old, their worth untold, are what we need today.
March 28, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
