Springtime Battles

Muddy, muddy, gush, gush
As my feet go push, push
Across the sift and wet, wet ground

Mud tries hard to suck me down
Tries to take my shoes and keep me
But I stand firm and keep on going
Shoes stay on but mud is showing
Remnants of my springtime battle
With that soft and gushy ground

Snow in places still is showing
As my feet do keep on going
Across the muddy, gushy ground

My destination soon I'm reaching
As my feet continue breaching
Springtime muddy, wet, wet ground

I look back and see my journey
Footprints rapidly are learning
Power of the soft and gushy ground

How amazing is the power
Of the mud that makes us cower
When we wage our springtime battles
With the soft and muddy ground.

Commentary:

I wrote this poem the year I broke my leg.  I was getting the garbage can out by the road and struggling with a "boot" cast one one foot and a sneaker on the other.  The weather and the muddy ground was like it is right now and the words came to me as I got to my house.

When I read it today, it seems almost a parallel for the spiritual battles that we wage.  The mud is the sin that tries to bog us down.  It tries to suck us in the ways of the world.  It tries to take our decency and our humanity from us. However, if we keep on trying and keep our eye on our goal, which is our home for eternity, we definitely can prevail.  Most of the time, we need a helping hand along the way and our Father will provide that - if we only accept.

  

Our shoes and feet, our souls get dirty along the way.  Just as we can wash off the mud, our Father can wash away the sin.

We win in the end, just as long as we don't give up.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

                             This is the little brook in springtime. 
                  It is located between my house and West Potsdam, NY
            I really enjoy when the grass turns green and new life returns.

                             I even look forward to the dandelions.

                                   And the crab apple blossoms.
                    How God must rejoice when new life blooms in us.

Blessing:
May you be greatly blessed, my friend with the new life that God is about to sow in your life.
May you burst forth with the beauty of His love, grace and JOY.
Be blessed!

Till I Go Home

Park in Canton, NY last fall.

God gives us so many ways to spend our days,
so many opportunities to enjoy ourselves.

What should we choose?

                 

My days are numbered, Lord.
What would You have me do with these days?

What is Your will?
Will I look back from Eternity 

    and regret what I did not do?
Or regret the ways I wasted my time?

Please guide me, Father
to make my time productive and fruitful
until the day I go home to You.
     Amen

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

 Psalm 90:12

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
  a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
  a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
  a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones
     and a time to gather them,
  a time to embrace
     and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
  a time to keep and a time to throw away
a time to tear and a time to mend,
  a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
  a time for war and a time for peace.

 What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

             

              This frozen river shines with the reflected beauty of the sun.
                       You make all things beautiful in their time, Lord.
                          Please make me beautiful in your eyes.
                    Teach me to live my days for Your honor and glory.
                        Help me to follow Your commandments 
                                         to love You first and best
                             and then to love my neighbor as myself.

Blessing

May you be blessed, my friend with the joy

    of living for the Lord.

May you find peace and fulfillment

    in doing His work all the days of your life.

May you feel His love and grace in your soul
And may you find final rest in the arms 

    of your Loving Father.

                                Sunset on Lake Colby
        seen from my husband's hospital room in November, 2017.

                    When the sun sets on your days, my friend,

                I pray you see the Son coming to take you home.

                       Enjoy the pleasures that God Lord gives you

                         let Him help you through the hard times

                            and make your days count for Him.

All photos taken by Debbie unless otherwise noted.

All bible reference from the NIV
     unless otherwise noted.

If you are interested,
    you can click on the Blog Archive
    dates on the top right side of this post
    to connect to previous blog posts.

I would love to hear from you either 

    on the comment section of this blog post
    or through my email.
    debbieamcewen@gmail.com
I post every other Saturday.

The next post will be next year on February 24, 2018.

                         Our last "super moon" (1-30-2018).
                            I couldn't see the red tints that were expected
                                  but it was big and it was beautiful
                                       as is all of God's creation.