My Little Place

I stood on the porch
Looking out
at my little place
on this earth
and the celebration
at hand

A day for my daughter
to celebrate her accomplishments
and her future

To the right,
gathered 'round the table
a group of women
...mothers, sisters, daughters, friends

New friends being made
Memories being shared
Laughter

Behind them a garden
Bursts of color
Pink, yellow, green, purple, red
Butterflies fluttering

Looking in through the kitchen window
More family and friends
Filling their plates with food
Taking time to enjoy the memories
That flooded back as they looked
At colorful photo displays

Coming from the living room
The roar of celebration
And the sighs of despair
As a dozen avid baseball fans
Watched their team
Dominate or deflate before their eyes

Regardless of the outcome of the game
Friends of all ages
emerged from the house
And poured into the back yard
To join one of the games at hand

Horseshoes clanked,
Bases were run
Balls were thrown

Those that didn't play
Tapped their toes and danced
to the beat
of music that flooded the air

From the heavens
...Not the forecasted rain
But beams of sun
And a cool breeze
circling round

I stood on the porch
Looking out
at my little place
on this earth

Everywhere I looked
...I saw blessings




Today I Pray...

...with gratitude

for a wonderful weekend with family and friends

...thank you for the joy you bring into my life
...for your kindness, your laughter, and your spirit

...to those who helped me pray for good weather
God heard us and answered

...for my wonderful family
who stuck with me and helped me
every step of the way
The weekend was teamwork at its finest
and I love you dearly

My life is filled
with blessings
...too abundant to count

I'm humbled and grateful...

...Life is good.

If You've Ever...

If you've ever...

...played in the ocean's waves
...or built a castle along the sandy shore

...skipped stones across a lake of glass
...or chased fireflies on a summer night

...rolled like a ball down a grassy hill
...swung from the branch of a tree

......laid in the grass finding faces in the clouds
...or counted the stars that fill the night sky

...swam in waterhole
...walked in the rain

...jumped into a pile of fallen leaves
...made angels in the snow

If you've ever...

...you've played with God in His favorite playground.



Today I Pray...

with gratitude...

...for all of the precious moments at play

...help me to to be mindful
of what I am giving and receiving
and find ways
to protect and preserve
God's green Earth

"As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22

Centered

I need...
...want
...should
...must
...could

A mile long list
of to do's

...the ticking clock
gets louder by the minute
as the shadow
cast by deadlines
quickly approaches

I feel myself slipping
out of control

...and pause for a moment
to center

It's so easy to get caught up
in the frenzy of the day

And forget
to celebrate Your glory

And thank You
for the countless blessings
that You have given me



Today I Pray...

...with a grateful heart

...for the love of my family and friends
...for the air I breathe
...for our daily bread
...and for the amazing energy
clarity, focus and resolve
that comes from keeping You
at the heart of my day

with You I know that all things are possible

Special Intentions

Today I Pray...

...for some very special loved ones.

Please help my Dad rebuild his strength.
He knows what he needs to do
-- and he is not a quitter, so I know he'll do it
But please send an angel to rest on his shoulder
and whisper words of encouragement in his ear
(he's 82, so maybe "whisper" isn't the right word...
...but You know what I mean God. :)


Please continue to breathe that amazingly
positive spirit into my Mother.
We all see Your unfailing love
in every step she takes
in every unselfish action
every smile,
every "Come on, you can do it."

...Please hug her just a moment longer
and make sure she knows
she can rest....and lean on us.


For dear hubby,
Now that he has blown out the candles
on his special birthday cake
Please help him to find joy
in a truth I know he already knows...
...he is no different today than yesterday
...and he is incredibly loved for exactly who he is.


Thank You, God, for filling my life with such amazing people.
Today my prayers are devoted to them.


"Live a good life, and in the end it is not the years in the life, but the life in the years."
Abraham Lincoln

Between Here and There

In the space between
here and there

You'll find
Countless words
that tell the story
of my dreams

Things I only imagine
because the space
seems so vast and
I don't know how to cross
the great divide

You'll find
Fears so real they
could swallow you whole

Fear of ridicule,
or failure,
Fear of the unknown

Like a river
That separate distant shores

Though I can swim
There's no way way to know
if I am strong enough
to make it across
Or if the undercurrent
will sweep me away

So close
Yet so far
...the space between
here and there

One thing is sure
I'll never
know my strength
or ability

...Until I dive in

Image from www.wisconsinrivers.org

Today I Pray...

...for your continued guidance as I move from here to there

...help me to stay focused

...help me to shake off the negativity

...and tune in to the encouraging voices

...help me to know when I've reached the best point to dive in

...and give me strength to swim


"A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage." Psalm 23:1-4


A note to my readers: I just had to share this with you because it truly is amazing. Normally when I include a Bible verse, I take some time researching to find a verse that "fits" my theme or resonates with me on that day. Today though, after writing my poem and prayer, I literally opened the Bible at random. This was the very first passage I read. As you can imagine, I wept upon reading it.