The Fourth Week of Advent: The Star

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Matthew 2:10

The Star

The star was present through the night 

A shining ray of guiding light

They saw the shimmer in the sky

Knowing for a reason why.

A promise that so many knew

But countless thought that it not true

How can God come down as man

Live on earth and take a stand?

A booming blessed trumpet blared

For those who listened and prepared

It was no secret if truth be told

But man assigned a lie so bold,

Kill the firstborn, that will save

A world of people from all He gave

Have them look not at the sky

But in the hearts of those who cry.

Dim the star, the breathtaking Light

That guided man this wondrous night.

Every mother, father, daughter, son

Will behold this Glorious One.

As we grieve the world that shatters

For man consumed with earthly matters.

Remember the Gift, the glorious start

Of Christmas day found in your heart! 

Luke 2:11-14 (KJV)

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Pss. 118: 17  “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.”

Happy Birthday to Me...I am Special

I had a dream last night with my brother-in-law, M, and sister-in-law, B, in it; they crept into my dream to point out that I am special. In the dream, he said I couldn’t go to the store he goes to because I wouldn’t be allowed to register. M went on to say that I was above that store, meaning I was too good to shop in the store. At first, I was offended but my S-I-L was saying that he meant it in a good way. He said that I was special in my thinking and very rare and that the people wouldn’t allow the likes of ‘my kind’ in their store. Geez, I never even got to see what kind of store I was too good for, but since he is an avid member of agriculture and all things Monsanto, it might have been a feed store, in my mind anyway.

I have to admit, I am kind of special. I came into this world on my Mother’s twenty-ninth birthday, the last of six kids. Every year on our birthday my mother gives each of us kids our birthday story and of course, my day was special for different reasons than theirs. Besides the special day, the thing that stood out to me the most was her doctor had told her she had plenty of time before delivery and to relax. He left the room and within minutes I popped out! As the nurse called the doctor back into the room, I was already in her hands, covered in ooze for the doctor to clean up. 

Ironically, in my twenty-ninth year, I gave birth also. It wasn’t on my mother’s birthday instead it was three days before my dad’s birthday, both right after Christmas! And my doctor did the same exact thing, he said I wasn’t ready to deliver; I was hours away from delivering. I said to him, “Stay close because that is exactly what my mother’s doctor said when I was born and made a hasty arrival.” The doc left the room chuckling and bam! I was so ready to push! He wasn’t minutes out the door, he didn’t even have time to put his scrubs on, hurrying back to the scene and there my son was, arriving in a hurry, my after Christmas special surprise.

Then there is the fact that I’m the baby of the family. My mother always treated me special and my siblings made sure I knew that she treated me more special than them. 

Then there’s God. I woke this morning to gusty winds and clinging cloudy skies. I sighed. But it’s my birthday, I’m special remember I uttered softly to the morning. As I continued on in the quiet of the morning reading my scripture I could see light outside the window meaning morning was near. I opened the curtain a little because I love looking out at the sunrise. It sure didn’t look like I’d get one today with all of the clouds.

Then it happened, the clouds parted just enough for me to see a glimmer of sun streaking its rays out of the clouds. There it was, God said to me, “You ARE special!” I hurriedly snapped a picture. Then I sat down and the sun burst momentarily through the clouds so bright I had to close the curtains a little! I looked at the weather for the day: windy, clouds and chance of storms later. 

3 23 18 Sunrise

Yes, I am special! A thunderstorm this evening will be icing on my cake! No, I didn’t have cake, I don’t miss it either! I had a glutenfree pizza! That’s my Friday treat. It’s been five days without the use of my cane. I went shopping yesterday on a sunny 65-degree day and am almost (not 100%) myself again! I’m special!

I have wonderful friends who all took time out of their day to wish ME a Happy Birthday! I thank them from the bottom of my heart! My sister called, my husband was home as was my son, my mother-in-law gave me a beautiful card and an enormous fruit tray! And to finish off the day… A thunderstorm! It is well…with my soul! 

God Bless you ALL! 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

One of my favorite songs!

Letting Go ~ To Astri and Christopher

Matthew 18:10 ESV “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Letting Go

They say my wounds are open

That I must set you free

If I am ever to heal myself 

Of this illness now in me

I loved you and your brother

You left me here alone

So many years I cried for you

Although you’re not my own.

They say this cut is pretty deep

That it could halt my healing

I need to find a peace within

So yearly I’m not reeling.

I need to let God do His job

His need for you was great.

I'm worthy and I’m honored 

To give Him all the weight.

I release you to the heavens

Where I cannot come as yet

God still has some work for me 

As your place, I can’t forget.

Go now little children

Let your voice be heard

I give you to my Lord above

As the stars are being stirred.

I find a peace in knowing

That you’re in a better place

We all are being used now

As we’ve all been saved by grace!

I cannot shed pained tears for you

I know you didn’t die

You were with me but a moment

Before God gave you wings to fly.

Angel Always… Godspeed

God has blessed you both! 

Christopher Alexander (12-2-82) and Astri Celia (4-26 04)

My children who were STILL born!

Always loved and never forgotten

Galatians 1:15 ESV “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,”

Abandoning The Seed Within

Jer. 2:21 “Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?”

Have you ever felt like just giving up on God, tossing your faith and all that you’ve built with your faith right out the door? You know, because of all the pain he allows you to go through doesn’t seem worth the trials that you have to endure on a daily basis? Yeah, me neither.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was a young teen and life has never been the same, it’s been a roller coaster ride, going up and down ever since. There have been times when I thought (briefly) that this fight just wasn’t worth the suffering. The time, the dedication, the daily nurturing; accepting the Lord felt more like having a full-time job, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, just like having a child.

What? Accepting the Lord felt like having a child? Yes! What, do you think, you just get to utter words like ‘I accept you Lord’ and everything goes smoothly from there on out? I’m sorry friends, but if you think that then no wonder your life is all fun and games, no worries, no commitment, just playtime all the time. Be honest, that isn’t your life at all is it?

If you want Jesus in your life there is a commitment just like having a child, which you don’t get to toss away whenever you feel like. Just like when you find out your pregnant (or your wife), you make a commitment to taking on the responsibility of that child, raising him or her in an upright manner, feeding his soul and nurturing his spirit or just toss the life away via an abortion. With free will, the CHOICE is yours. If you’ve never married or know what having a child is like, the seed of God is in you also. He doesn’t abandon anyone for anything just because He feels like it and doesn’t have the time for you.

Many parents take on the responsibility of keeping the child, whether planned or unplanned but many are not seriously ready for the time and commitment that it takes to raise a child. That’s why so many births are met with abandonment after the baby is born, left in dumpsters, thrown off bridges, just disposed of because they were too hard to take care of and didn’t realize that this one time of lustful pleasure was going to turn out to be a lifetime commitment. Note: Pleasures cost.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

The God cell is inside you at birth, a seed that you dispose of or tend and allow to grow through nurturing. Some people feel the seed and know it is there, others don’t know what the origin festering inside is and don’t want to know so they try and abort the kernel by putting chemicals in their body that will destroy the tiny bud or they ignore the seed completely allowing the weeds to smother the grain as it grows. We all know what happens when a weed grows, right? It takes a long time people to annihilate the seed that God planted in you at birth. You can try to rid yourself of the essence burning inside but the root is never dead.

When you accept God, it is like having a child, an embryo within you. You recognize the spirit that God planted as a blooming cluster of flowers not the false covering of weeds. You nurture the seedling with the Word of God until the foundation, with time, endurance, patience and love has become rooted, and slowly painstakingly allowed to climb the vine to flourish into a blossoming stem that grows along the Vine of the Lord. We were all meant to be flowers in the garden of life. Some allowed the weeds (satan) to strangle our beautiful bud but know this, the flower is still inside of you waiting to grow and become the beauty you see in a botanical garden. You can never abandon the seed within.

Luke 22:18 “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.”

Astri Celia ~ Still Born

Hos. 9:11 “As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.”

Astri Celia 

b. 4-26-04 d. 4-26-04

So many have forgotten her

They never knew her name

What people here don’t realize 

I’m left not quite the same

I held her tiny body

My fingers brushed her face

Life was taken out of her

Right from this earthly place

She never felt the sunshine

No chance to run and play

I was faced with living

Without her near me every day.

Seven months of bonding

As all pregnant mothers know

You’re threaded by conception

To this child you’ll watch and grow.

So many have forgotten her

Astri Celia was her name

What people here don’t realize

I’m left not quite the same.

Ecc. 7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.”

Poetry Sunday ~ In His Glory

Luke 23: 34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

~ In His Glory ~

(c) Joni Zipp 

I’ll deeply inhale the mornings breath

walk through the day of your death;

Weep as tears falls from the sky

raise my eyes to ask You why?

Why did you leave us, why let man win

to bury the burden of human sin?

Will we sit idle and watch as you hang

forgetting all the Hosannas we sang?

Will we remember the blood on the cross

as we lust for life forgetting the loss,

can a man walk ‘round with his head held high,

knowing you came if only to die?

Agony washes through my veins

my heart laments for all of your pains.

I don’t pretend as hypocrites do

to immerse in honor every holiday or two.

I walk in the path that is set before me

trying to bathe in all your glory.

You rise to bask in heaven's glow,

and gave to me the right to sow.

I’ll carry your words, I’ll heal my heart

knowing that you will never depart.

Man tries to mask all that you’re seeing

not knowing You’ve leaked into his being!

I drench myself in the beckoning light,

that cradles me through day and night.

I drink from the cup of all your words

that fill my soul like fluttering birds.

My heart weeps red but unlike you

it only seeps my garments through.

Your bloodshed gives to me new birth

a righteous soul unveiled on Earth. 

All rights reserved: © Joni Zipp

Matt.28: 19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The Nativity

image from google

poem by Joni

Isa. 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The Nativity

They walked… in the still of the night.

On an ass… as the two took to flight

They fled… to save their unborn child

They paused… for grace was mercy mild.

The inn… no room for them to stay

A manger… is where the babe would lay.

The Light… would guide this virgin birth

He came… to save this fallen earth.

The lamb… would watch and bow his head

The beasts… huddled ‘round the hay-filled bed.

He lay… against His mother’s breast.

She wept… for now the earth was blessed

They came… to see the Newborn King

The star… led the wise men to sing.

He’s here… wrapped in swaddling clothes

Come now… His living water flows.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Oh Israel

To you has come Emmanuel.

Luke 2: 11-12  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Quotation Saturday ~ Christmas

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

CHRISTMAS

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.”
~ Sigrid Undset

“How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!”
~ Benjamin Franklin

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
~ Charles Dickens

“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,' returned the nephew. 'Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”
~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

“Don’t spoil Christmas Day by anticipating how it will be. Let is unfold as it does, and be grateful for whatever comes.”
~ Toni Sorenson

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
~ Dr. Seuss

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

“Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas.”
~ Ronald Reagan

“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
~ Steve Maraboli

“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“As Christmas day unfolds in strips of ribbons and bows, I’m reminded of Christ and His birth, when the Glorious King came to earth wrapped in swaddling clothes.”

~ Joni Zipp

“And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Angel's Called

Ex. 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
 
~ * ~ The Angel’s Called  ~ * ~
The angels came from mounted high,
cradled his soul I don't know why.
Wrapped in fleece-like softened wings;
silenced now he no longer sings.
 
Nestled within a tidal womb
fertile bed becomes a tomb
Shrouded in the serene abode
a vacant place his body stowed.
 
Earthbound duty not his call,
a rain of stars on him did fall.
Whisked away before I could hold;
a lifeless body lay there cold.
 
Summoned to be an angel himself;
journey of breath put on a shelf.
Though I miss his earthly duty;
I savor now his angelic beauty.

To think on this day 32 years ago I gave birth, blows my mind. The grieving process has minimized but it will never go away because Christopher is a part of who I am today. Even though I didn’t get to hear his cries, or see him walk across the floor for the first time, his voice played out in my soul day after day, year after year. His footsteps were heard in other children running and playing; his laughter was deep in my soul comforting me.

On this day as I remember the images all to vividly, I hold my child who was STILLborn in the essence of my being. As some people wish that grief would end, I don’t because grounding is necessary to move me forward in life and to always keep him alive in my heart.

My prayer for him today is that he is doing his heavenly duty for our great and Honorable King of Kings, and may he welcome me into Heaven when the time comes.

I’ve never stopped loving you, Christopher. 

Poetry Sunday ~ The Nativity

pic from google images

Isa. 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The Nativity

They walked… in the still of the night.

On an ass… as the two took to flight

They fled… to save their unborn child

They paused… for grace was mercy mild.

The inn… no room for them to stay

A manger… is where the babe would lay.

The Light… would guide this virgin birth

He came… to save this fallen earth.

The lamb… would watch and bow his head

The beasts… huddled ‘round the hay-filled bed.

He lay… against His mother’s breast.

She wept… for now the earth was blessed

They came… to see the Newborn King

The star… led the wise men to sing.

He’s here… wrapped in swaddling clothes

Come now… His living water flows.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Oh Israel

To you has come Emmanuel.

Luke 2: 11-12  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Poetry Sunday ~ Today...

The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too. 

~Teresa of Avila
***
Today...

I saw you in the sky today
floating o’er my head
I glanced you in the field somehow
but not a word was said.

I felt you in my soul today
you pierced a hole right through.
I clutched you in my hand today
Lord God I know it’s you.

You saw me in the world today
approving of my worth.
You saw my inner thoughts and said
“I molded her at birth!”

You carry me around each day,
like I’m a floating feather.
You are the umbrella to my soul
through any kind of weather.

Cast me not in the sea today
like all those gone off course;
Cradled in your arms always
with hearty heavenly force!

A Story is Born...

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! 

~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!
***

Did you ever wonder how a story is born? The foreplay, the inception, the follow through, and then the BIRTH of a short story or novel, or maybe even an article?

A lot of times it is through idle gossip or a man walking with flowers and as your mind wonders where he is going, who the flowers are for; you are now having the foreplay of a story being born.

I remember when I first began this journey of writing, one of the things I learned or was taught about how to find a story idea, I was told to stop/look/ and listen. Stop to take in my surroundings, observe the people, this is where our characters are being formed. The man in a suit on a 100 degree day, with a mutton chop mustache, and a cane by his side. That stands out in a observant day, and you now have a character to build a story with.

Listen: You’re in a cafe, minding your own business when you over hear two elegant older women talking. You take a quick glance and you automatically get the feeling that you are going to pair one of them with old mutton chops. Your mind is reeling now. They start talking about Barb, the hair dresser having an affair! Oh my, you are now in on the good stuff.

Well Barb is having an affair with this dashing fellow, (who sounds an awful lot like old mutton chops.) You begin to take notes on a napkin because this story starter is just too good to pass up!

As commotion begins in another booth with a bunch of teenagers. You over hear the one declaring, “She was my girlfriend first!” Then the a gun is pulled out and the teen tells the other to leave. The two ladies behind you gasp so loud, you record on the napkin OMG!
An officer who happens to be seated at the counter, out of uniform, stands, pulls out his pistol...

Do you see how one thing leads to another in the making of a story? This is how simple it is for us writers. Not all of us mind you have this innate ability to make point A meet point B! Some of us get stuck in the dungeon with writers block and we can’t see old Harry mutton chops with Esmeralda the town snot. But it’s there! A story is waiting to be born!

In the corners of your imagination; in the stench of the dank and dark dungeon, awaits a story, just wanting to be unraveled. And you, the writer, are going to be the one to unravel it, thread by thread, until you blanket the reader with...satisfaction!

Now get writing and remember, there is a story in each and every one of you just waiting to be told!

***

The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person. 

~Frank Barron, Think, November-December 1962

Birthday Girl

Ps 103:20-21 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
***

Many many years ago a mother was scurrying around in her duster robe, rollers bouncing in her head while ironing the days clothes. Her mother sat in the far corner of the room watching and shaking her head in disbelief, as her daughter, nine months pregnant and about to burst, would not take it easy.

The pangs grew and grew until finally she whimpered, “I think I need to go to the hospital.” It was her birthday, but this was not a time to think of herself. Squirming inside was a little bundle who wanted to come out kicking and screaming to greet the world and be her mother’s biggest birthday surprise ever.

As the mother watched her daughter writhing with pangs of labor, she dialed the phone of the cab company. “Can you stop ironing long enough to have the baby?” she grumbled.

“Wait, I have to get these rollers out of my hair!”

“NOW?”

“Yes now!” she screamed at her mother while unwinding the rollers and quickly running a brush through her hair. “Where’s my purse?”

After applying lipstick, the horn could be heard honking loudly at the front curb, ready to escort the two ladies. Waddling to the cab and shutting the door, the cab takes off in a slow manner, as all cab drivers do to make the meter run. “Uh, sir? I’m having a baby!”

“Wha- WHAT???” he stammered. “I could of just went down the one way street and got you there quicker!”

This is my daughters sixth child so it will probably come pretty quick--” she trailed off seeing the hospital in view.

The emergency room was packed and after the formalities and sign ins, a room was found and the doctor notified. “You just get as comfortable as possible, I’ll be back to check on ya in a bit. You’re not ready yet.” The doctor said as he walked out the door.

Five minutes later, what seemed like two, a little baby girl was in the arms of her mother, looking up in wonder at the new world that greeted her with a kiss. Snow gently falling outside the window, warm arms cradling the bundle, the doctor exclaimed, “You just couldn’t wait could you?”

“What a wonderful birthday present you are!” the mother whispers to her new gift.

Joni Zipp was born on this day...a girl of wonder and dreams all lay before her. The embodiment of love, light and beauty; she embraces everything that is tossed in her path and now finds herself bouncing through life like a curl fresh out of  a hair-roller. This day in history marks the birth of an angel, one that will give hope to the hopeless, love to those unloved, joy to the sad, inspiration to the lost, and Light when all the world seems dark.

Yes, she is human, every fiber of her being is human, but she has soared to heights unseen carrying with her, the wings of an angels spirit. God blessed her and her mother on this day in history, so to her I wish...a BLESSED birthday among many, and many more to come!

Ps 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

The Legend of St. Nicholas~ a poem

The Legend of Saint Nicholas

***

There he sat in a great big chair,
velvet red suit, snow-like hair.
Full of laughter, joy, and cheer;
once again that time of year.

"Mommy, mommy, who is he?"
are words I longed to hear.
But what do you say to innocence,
to make the story clear?

Do I grant him imagination,
his mind set to explore?
Or thrust him into reality,
allowing his soul to soar?

I tell the story of Jesus,
His gracious, humble birth;
about how wise men brought Him gifts,
because He blessed this earth.

St. Nicholas too, was a humble man,
who loved all girls and boys.
He gave them joy and laughter,
by blessing them with toys.

His giving to children once a year,
to feel enormous pleasure;
throughout all time, each child will hold,
a day they'll always treasure.

Chosen was the day of our Lord,
I'm sure He wouldn't mind;
sharing His appointed birthday,
with a man so warm and kind.

Jesus had inspired a man,
to lovingly care and give;
and through the spirit of both these men,
their memories will live.

So once a year, St. Nicholas' spirit,
dwells in the hearts of men.
Bringing imagination to life,
in any way he can.

Poetry Sunday~ Remember the Reason

Remember the Reason

It’s not about presents it’s not about bows,
It’s all about the heart that grows.
As Christmas day draws ever near,
I lost the luster of good cheer.

I dig in the snow, my dog runs ‘round
We both seek for nothing found.
I’m off to a dismal Christmas day
Not much to do nor much to say.

But wait, there it is, I see the gleam
shining down as a radiant beam
it scans the snow covered lawn
it peeks in my window at the crack of dawn.

He taps on my shoulder I’m startled awake
my body shivers I begin to quake.
He whispers words into my ear,
“Have you forgotten about me here?”

I rub my eyes I see what he means,
its all around in Christmas scenes.
“I haven’t forgotten, please don’t leave!”
But gone is the hand of which I’d receive.

I stumble to my bedroom door,
to see the angel perched once more.
a nativity scene is flooding my mind.
the tiny babe lay warm and kind.

How did I miss this glorious sight.
It visits me yearly on this night.
I feel his presence all year through
What’s so hard in getting it through.

Arrogance, pride; they get in the way.
Of the true meaning of this wondrous day.
Although a symbol of generations old.
His birth was real for it was foretold.

I’m sorry I missed the enormous blessing
He gave to me through fact, not guessing.
He is the Mighty Savior and King
In my soul I’ll let the yule ring!