Just Another Sunday

It's just another Sunday:
Go to church, take a nap,
Except reminders everywhere
That a child's not in my lap.

"Stand up, all you Moms!
Here's a rose for all you mothers!"
While I sit here in my pew --
Just a Sunday like all others.

Don't forget me sitting here --
a longing in my heart --
It's not like other Sundays;
Today I'm not a part.

Celebrate National Poetry Month

Purchase a copy of  . . . And a Poem to celebrate National Poetry Month! Visit www.andapoem.com for sample poems (some from this book, some from . . . And a Poem, Too).

. . . And a Poem

Read Bible poems about passages from both the Old and New Testaments in my book, . . . And a Poem.

Get the Kindle edition for $.99 here.

Get the Nook edition for $.99 here.

Get the paperback edition for $6.99 here.




Read samples of poems from . . . And a Poem at the following blog: http://andapoem.blogspot.com/.

Grandpa's Apron - UPDATE

Grandpa’s Apron

Once as white as snow
Now stained with blood and sweat,
Butcher’s string for ties,
The hemline frayed like net.

Butcher’s hat crisply starched
High above his brow;
A proud workingman--
I can see him even now.

Grandpa was a butcher. I remember him coming home from work with his white butcher's hat. I'm sure he usually left his work apron at work, but he had a few at home that Grandma would sometimes wear when she cooked. I didn't realize until last Christmas that Mom had one of his aprons. Here's a picture of me modeling it.

Grandpa died when I was 9 years old, so I only have snapshots of memories of him -- the smell of chewing tobacco, the image of him sitting in his chair on Grandma's front porch, the gruff sound of his voice (never mean, just deep and kind of gravelly).

Mom doesn't collect or display lots of family mementos like that apron, so I was pleasantly surprised to see she had it. I was glad to have the opportunity to place that piece of family history over my neck and pose for posterity.

Next step: Find a picture of Grandpa in that apron . . .

UPDATE: Mom sent a picture! My Grandpa is on the far right in the white cap.

The Gold Compact

The dainty gold compact
So intricately designed
Holds memories of a romance
From another day and time.

He gave it to her early
In their young courtship days
A promise for a future—
A symbol for his praise.


The years flew by too quickly,
And death came much too soon,
But the memory of their love
In this trinket had been hewn.

She laid the much-loved object
In her only daughter’s hands—
With the hope that love’s legacy
Would continue in God’s plans.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

The pastor's sermon today was from Luke 16:19-31 - The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Instead of writing down notes, I jotted down a poem. Sometimes that's just the way I roll.


Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31

Once there was a rich man
Who lived in luxury,
At his gate a poor man lay
With sores from head to knee.

Finally, the poor man died
And went to Abraham.
The rich man went to Hades—
The place of the damned.

The rich man shouted, “Abraham!
I’m in anguish in this heat!
Send the poor man, Lazarus,
With cool water for relief!”

But Abraham said to him,
“Remember how it was?
You had everything you wanted—
Now it’s Lazarus who does.”

“No one goes from here to there;
A chasm separates.”
So the rich man pleaded, “Tell my clan,
Lest they should share my fate.”

Abraham reminded him,
“They had Moses—prophets, too.”
The rich man pleaded, “Send the dead!
That will make them see what’s true!”

Abraham just shook his head
And said, “They still won’t listen.
They ignored the words of God
And will ignore the One who’s risen.”

Holidays Back Home

It’s holidays back home,
Where time somehow stands still,
It’s holidays back home,
Where I go back to what is real.

When we get there Mom will say "You've gained a little weight."
But, bless my soul she’ll pile her cooking high upon my plate.

Dad will ask the umpteenth time, “When ya’ll gonna have kids?”
By the time the sun goes down, he’s snoring behind closed lids.

On the roads you’re sure to see gun racks on every truck,
The daily news is filled with color pics of “first-kill bucks.”

Cotton bales are piled up high and catfish fill the ponds,
Our family spends the afternoon picking up pecans.

Screen doors slam and cowbells ring as day turns into dusk,
Mom hollers for some help -- peas to shell and corn to husk.

After supper we take a walk and slap mosquitoes from our arms.
We watch the lights go out down the road at neighbors’ farms.

No matter where life takes me, no matter the heights I climb,
Back home is where I go when I need a quieter time.

It’s holidays back home
Where time somehow stands still,
It’s holidays back home
Where I go back to what is real.

Riches

My belly's full,
My house is warm;
I am very rich.

My job's secure,
My friends are near.
I am very rich.

My husband holds
My heart and hand.
I am very rich.

My family loves
And cares for me.
I am very rich.

My God forgives
My sins and past.
I am very rich.

I don't deserve
The life I have.
Yet, I am very rich.

Let's Just Read!

Why not read a book
(And talk about it, too),
And eliminate the need
For "read-and-then-go-do."

"Read, and then go write."
"Read, then take a quiz."
"Read, and make a diaroma."
. . . Let's just read! Gee whiz.

Five Years and Counting

Five years ago I felt a call
To go beyond the sea
To reach a little girl
Who was chosen just for me.

The paperwork began;
I felt certain in my call,
But soon the wheels of progress
Slowed down to just a crawl.

Why would God say, ”Go”
And then make the wait so long?
Is it Godly-discipline
For all that I’ve done wrong?

How can I have patience?
Will I persevere?
When will God deliver
What once was very clear?

Prayer Life?

I prayed to God each day;
I asked for many things:
"Bless my home, my job, my kids,
And help us live like kings."

I asked for help with money.
I asked for pain-free life.
I asked that as I go along
I never would see strife.

Then one day it hit me --
God has never said,
"Life is all carefree
And never filled with dread."

Instead the Bible says
That trials and grief will come,
And through those times we learn
All that God has truly done.

He gives me what I need
To tackle every foe;
He provides me strength and grace
To help me as I grow.

Now my prayers have changed --
Instead of "Give to me,"
I thank the Lord for life
And whatever it may bring.

Flirting With NLT

Today the pastor flirted
With a little NLT.
It made the sermon real;
It spoke so much to me.

But then he shifted back
To old favorite: NIV.
The pastor ended up
Explaining words to me.

Why explain God's Word
When the explanation's here--
Waiting to be read
From NLT, the Truth made clear?

42!

Secret clues; A scavenger hunt--
The reward: A MacBook Air!
My forty-second birthday
Began with lots of flair!

I used to dread my aging--
The wrinkles, sags, and sores,
But now I treasure every day
And all God has in store.

I still have much to learn;
I still have lots to do.
I look forward to the day
When our family's three, not two.

I think about the future--
About who I will be:
Mom? Author? Teacher still?
How will God use me?

I'm Batgirl

In my mind I'm Batgirl,
Fighting evil ways;
A cape and mask by night--
A librarian by day.

No one knows my secret;
I seem so mild and meek,
But once I don my suit,
It's criminals I seek.

By day I tell the children:
"Keep reading all those books!"
By night I prowl the streets
Looking for the crooks.

Why the secret life?
Why the nightly sprees?
It's the only way I know
To get my late book fees!

Parakeet?

I heard the pastor say:
"God gave a parakeet--
To give us peace of mind
When we feel we have been beat."

I just don't understand
How a bird inside a cage
Can give me peace of mind
And turn my heart from rage.

My husband said: "Oh, no,
The word is paraclete."
So, now it's running shoes?
I get peace from my feet?

I think that they are both wrong,
I know my Bible reads,
"God gave a Counselor
To help us with our needs."

Again

It's happening again--
Announcements all around:
"A baby's on the way!"
And then showers will abound.

It's happening again--
The questions naturally come:
"When's YOUR baby due?"
And I'm left feeling numb.

It's happening again--
Paperwork to renew:
Fingerprints, Home Studies,
And more money that is due.

It's happening again--
Depression, tears, and grief,
A longing for a child,
A pain beyond belief.

It's happening again--
Doubt invades my soul.
Are we doing what God wants
Or digging endless holes?

Lent

I gave up Cokes for Lent
To avoid a sugar high,
But two weeks into it,
I'm starting to wonder why!

The pounds aren't melting off.
I crave my sweet caffeine.
And in a time of stress,
I turn really, really mean.

I guess the purpose was
To turn to God instead.
Instead of guzzling Cokes,
By Him should I be fed.

This sacrifice for me
Has one goal--one intent:
Trade a craving for God's word;
That's the reason I do Lent.

Middle-Aged?

I went to the doctor yesterday,
And said, "I'm in a poorly way!
My muscles and joints ache and ache,
I sleep all day; at night I'm awake."

"I think my hair is growing thin,
After a walk, I ice my shins.
My lower back has gotten sore,
I need to rest more and more."

My doctor calmly looked at me,
And said with all sincerity,
"My diagnosis might leave you stunned--
It's all because you're FORTY-ONE!"

Ode to NLT*

I love the NLT;
Yes, that's the book for me.
No more saying "Thou" and "Thee,"
It renders speech realistically.

No more language hard to read;
Simple words are what I need.
No more wondering what God said
From ancient phrases long since dead.

When I read this book out loud,
The "a-ha!" moments leave me wowed!
The Psalms and verses that I hear
Are finally the Truth made clear.



*NLT = New Living Translation
(sung to the tune of "The B-i-b-l-e" -- an old VBS tune)

Teacher Snow Poem Works!

Our school counselor sent this poem out on email the day before we had a TWO DAY SNOW VACATION! It worked!

A TEACHER'S PRAYER FOR SNOW

One night as I lay almost sleeping, I heard a voice, softly peeping.
I saw my wife devoutly praying. This is the prayer I heard her saying:

Oh, Lord, let it snow.
Let it drift and let it blow.
In the morning, no real fuss,
Just enough to stop the bus.

Enough to make the County say:
"There will be no school today."
Let the radio report: "Snow's deep!"
And I'll roll over for more sleep.

Then later on, say maybe ten,
I'll turn the radio on again.
Just in time to hear them say:
"It's strange; the snow has gone away!"

And then I'll know, You made it stop,
So I can go to the mall and shop.
Please, Lord, just hear my teacher's plea,
And make it snow for the kids and me!

Amen