Thank you, Abigail Gronway for sharing on your
Blog: Dark Side of the Moon, this poetry idea:
Scansion – a Than Bauk
This Burmese form is shorter than the haiku, but more structured.
It is written in three lines, with four syllables per line and a descending step rhyme:
XXXA
XXAX
XAXX
Government hype:
Crazy type news.
Let’s gripe loudly!
?!!!! 420,000 government workers – working without pay?!!!!
Wake up, America!
In his blog, https://cristianmihai.net/, Cristian wrote today,
“But, actually, if you want to be successful, and it doesn’t matter if all you want is to become a great dancer or actor or writer, or whether you want to pick up pretty girls in bars, you just have to be willing to make a fool out of yourself.”
Well, I am about to see if it’s true! I asked Cristian to site an example for me. When did he make a public fool of himself? And what constitutes that?
Anyone who volunteers to do face painting and can’t create a better spider than this, definitely is making a fool of him/herself. 😜🤪
What have you done to make a fool of yourself?
Tomorrow is December 21, 2018
Winter Solstice
It’s the longest cold night of the year.
All the stars are a’peepin’
And folks are a’keepin’
Their lights on o’er here.
It’s the Winter Solstice tonight.
All the folks are surprised by
The moon as it shines by
At 4:00 pm clear.
It’s the shortest day of the year.
It’s the Winter Solstice, my dear.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
I am going to try my hand at this Scansion shared by Abigail Gronway on her
WordPress Blog: Dark Side of the Moon
Daisy Chain
Created by George Ellison
The Daisy Chain may contain any number of lines.
The last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line.
Finally, the last word of the last line is the same as the first word of the first line, completing the chain.
Like the Wreath, the Daisy Chain requires no meter, rhyme, or mandated line or stanza length.
Abigail added, “I threw in a little twist of my own: a poem within a poem. The first word of each line can be read together to give the theme of the whole.” That REALLY makes it challenging! Try it!! Here’s mine:
CHAIN OF DAISIES
Daisies are a little like angels.
Angels with a certain white flair are…
Are an invitation to serenity.
Serenity with a heart of golden yellow.
Yellow gold at the core.
Core of gold is a gift from our Father in Heaven.
Heaven is where serenity lives always.
Always seek that peace in your imagination.
Imagination can be real now –
Now that you’ve see the chain of daisies!
Today’s devotional e-mail from titw@moody.edu – spoke to me. I have included it here for you, my friends.
Have a beautiful day, and let us remember to be grateful for all our many blessings as we remember, “You are blessed to be a blessing.”
|
| The Gospel of Matthew: The King Has Come HOLDING ON TO WHAT IS VALUABLE Wednesday, December 19, 2018 | Matthew 19:16–30 |
| In the children’s novel Where the Red Fern Grows, the main character, Billy, tries and fails to trap a raccoon until his grandfather teaches him a foolproof method: drill a hole into a log, place a shiny object at the bottom, and then drive nails into the hole at a downward angle. This allows the raccoon to reach its hand in, but keeps it from pulling its hand back out so long as it is holding the trinket. The trap works because raccoons are too greedy to let go of shiny things.
A raccoon in such a predicament has much in common with the rich young man Jesus encountered in Matthew 19. The man’s initial question indicated his desire for eternal life. But the man’s hold on the shiny things of this world prevented him from pursuing that desire. When Jesus told him that if he wanted to be righteous he would have to sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, the young man went away sad. And one can understand why. He wanted it both ways: to be defined by his financial wealth and to receive the spiritual riches of eternal life. With his hand grasped tightly around worldly possessions, he could not pursue the heavenly treasures reserved for those willing to sacrifice such things to follow Jesus (vv. 28–29). Because of the tendency of wealth to elicit such grasping, we might regard it as inherently dangerous. But the deeper danger is the grasping response itself, for we might also grasp after power, status, or other earthly goods (see 1 Tim. 6:10). As we hold too tightly to such things, we find that they are in fact holding on to us and hindering us from pursuing the kingdom of God. |
| APPLY THE WORD |
| What earthly goods or status do you most desire? Does your desire hinder you from following Jesus? Pray that God would help you to loosen your grip on anything that might keep you from pursuing His kingdom with your fullest devotion. And give thanks to the God of salvation with whom “all things are possible” (v. 26). |
If you enjoyed this devotional, you may want to subscribe to “Today in the Word” and receive your daily devotional from Moody, also. Just write to titw@moody.edu.
In addition to giving thanks for my earthly goods, and praying to loose my grip on them, I also am giving thanks today to God for answered prayer. Earlier this month I had an ultrasound that showed a mass in my bladder (Of course, hearing that, we all thought CANCER). The doctor ordered a CT scan to confirm the mass. The results were inconclusive. Yesterday was my appointment with the urologist to get to the bottom of what’s going on “down there.” Friends from far and near prayed for me and for conclusive results and a “fix-it plan.” I felt the love and concern of those prayers. I relaxed, and knew I was in God’s hands. I am ever so grateful for family/friends, their love, and God’s grace. The camera that scoped the bladder revealed NO TUMOR. God is good. All the time!
Yesterday my grandson and I attended the delightful Christmas program
performed by pre-school through fifth graders at our local elementary school.
What a kick! They are so deeeelightful!
Here is my Musical Quad-Haiku and a mini-concert for you:
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Learn bells with colors.
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Sometimes it’s lovely.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Sometimes it’s painful!
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
God bless our teachers!
Tell me about your experience learning an instrument. Was it painful at first? My mom used to make me go out to the tin shed across the driveway to practice my clarinet when I first started. The squawking was more than she could bear! Eventually I was first chair in my high school band and orchestra and then at the University of the Pacific, as well. Takes a lot of practice and years of painful squeaks. Do you relate?
Sermon notes – Dec. 16, 2017 – Rev. Jean Johnson – Madison Valley Presbyterian, Ennis, MT
Recorded by Jan Beekman – in poetry (as is my habit) – while listening intently today.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
The Cost of Christmas
Ebenezer Scrooge was transformed.
He hated Christmas and all
That talk of love and peace.
His dream helped him hear God’s call.
He bought a goose and invited
All to come to his feast.
He had love and joy to spread
To rich and poor, the most and the least.
It cost Scrooge a fortune
To pay for all that food.
What does Christmas cost you?
Does the cost put you in a Scrooge mood?
Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com
John the Baptist warned us that
Christmas will cost a lot.
But it’s not the money he referred to;
It’s the deliverance we may not have sought.
Purifying fire and judgement wait
For those who fail to believe.
The fire is a punishment for those
Who are stingy and cause others to grieve.
If you have two shirts or coats,
Be ready to give one away.
If someone owes you money,
Don’t overcharge them any day.
Jesus taught people to love and forgive.
“Get ready for the Christ Child.
Give from your surplus,” John preached.
He didn’t ask us to do anything wild.
Jesus’ message was a tough one
For many who held hate in their heart.
John asked folks to prepare for Christ
By repenting, turning, making a clean start.
Be on the true path, headed right
As you prepare for Jesus Christ’s birth.
You’re on the right road in church today.
Let’s be God’s witnesses on earth.
Are you?
Am I?
Let your life preach His message,
And as Mother Theresa is quoted as saying,
“Only use words when you have to!”
(Isn’t that a heck of a message for a blogger?)
Gloria
Angels We Have Heard in High
Sweetly singing o’re the Plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their sweet refrains
Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,
Oh-oh-oh-oh,oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-
Ria!
In excelsis deo!
(Repeat Gloria)
In excelsis day-ay-oh! 😘🎼🔔😇
Sing along!
Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com
Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening?
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful site
We’re happy tonight
Walking in a Winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird
Here stay is the new bird
He sings a love song
As we go along
Walkin’ in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird
here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song
as we go along
walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say: Are you married?
we’ll say: No man
But you can do the job
when you’re in town
Later on
we’ll conspire
as we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
the plans that we’ve made
walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
and pretend that he’s a circus clown
We’ll have lots of fun with mister snowman
until the the other kids knock him down
When it snows
ain’t it thrilling
Though your nose gets a chilling
We’ll frolic and play
the Eskimo way
walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
walking in a winter wonderland
Photo by Flo Maderebner on Pexels.com
Are you enjoying winter weather?
We are!
What do you love to do in winter?
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
