Empty Nest

 

Empty Nest

Someone's growing up too fast.

Ready to leave home at last.

Their heads peek out the door.

They can't wait to explore.

Their parents are busy this morn

feeding their big babies worms.

And how they talk up a storm!

Their babies have lots to learn.

Are these parents saying "stay"

or encouraging "go play"?

Will today

be the day?

One leans too far out.

Suddenly he's out.

Or was he pushed

for two more heads push...

out the door

to explore

the great outdoors

where fun allures.

The first one

air born

spreads his wings

in the wind.

He's free! He's free!

There's much to see.

He calls "follow me"

to his siblings with glee.

There they go

down low

then up high as the breeze

blows in the trees leaves.

Spreading their wings

they glide on the wind.

Free!

Free!

Are their parents happy or sad?

Are the fledglings glad?

Their parents did their best.

All too soon there's an empty nest.

* * * * *

Do you feel empty, void, useless?

Do you feel you've lost your purpose?

A job ended unexpectedly.

Maybe illness came suddenly.

Perhaps the loss of your spouse

or foreclosure on your house.

Life the way you know it has changed.

Your time is now rearranged.

Sometimes this rearranging

is God's way of preparing -

opening the door for a new opportunity,

turning a dream into a possibility.

Instead of dwelling on the past

get busy and have a blast.

Turn your negatives

into positives.

An adventure awaits.

You won't want to be late.

Many, O Lord my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you,

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand.

Psalm 139:17-18

How great is the love the Father

has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

I John 3:1

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Hummers

I was almost bombed tonight

when a hummingbird set his sights

on my red colored shirt

while I was digging in the dirt.

We had a stare down

before he turned around

to sit on the garden fence.

I watched what would circumvent.

It spit twice.

Was that nice?

Then caught a gnat.

How about that!

Little did we know

that lurking was a foe,

or maybe it was a date

who was looking for a mate.

Perhaps a mating dance ensued,

then maybe a proposal pursued.

Their little heads turned right and left.

I wonder if they had any sense left.

For I was dizzy

from their activity.

Then off they went

across the fence.

One was female.

Was the other male?

I did notice their emerald colored tails

as the sun shone on them in my little dale.

Up into the sky they flew

with wings of emerald hue.

I’m sure they will be back

for I have bee balm out back.

* * * * *

Red bee balm attracts hummers

and bees who are also hummers.

All day long humming can be heard

from busy bees and hummingbirds.

Take a moment to listen.

Perhaps this moment will lessen

any frustration

you’re possessing.

As the birds and bees work

take time from your busy work

to enjoy God’s wondrous creation.

It was for you, this work of creation.

Something else that lessens

any uprising frustration

is a song in your heart

that comes out of your mouth:

“When thru the woods and forest glades I wander,

and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul,

my Savior God to Thee,

how great Thou Art,

how great Thou Art!”

(Carl Boberg)

Blessed be your glorious name,

and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

You alone are the Lord.

You made the heavens, even the highest heavens,

and all the starry host,

the earth and all that is on it,

the seas and all that is in them.

You give life to everything,

and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Nehemiah 9:6

The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

you founded the world and all that is in it.

Psalm 89:11

To whom will you compare me?

Or who is my equal? Says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:

Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one,

and calls them each by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:25-26

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 40:28

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TRACKS

 Tracks

Yesterday it snowed

a white fluffy, load

of frozen crystals

which now sparkle

as today’s sun

shines upon.

Today’s sun also shines upon

tracks left late last night by someone

uninvited, a trespasser,

whose telltale tracks today tattle

when they strolled

through the snow.

They’re looking for something to eat.

Perhaps evergreens taste sweet.

But these trespassers are in for a surprise

as in the fall the evergreens were sprayed, that’s why,

with stinky deer-deterent...

so the trespasser – turned and left.

Their tracks lead right up to the bush

then their tracks stopped - before reached.

Did their nose twitch?

Is that why they switched

their journey to the azalea

under the picture window?

This deer-terent smelled like rotten eggs.

Not pleasant, I assure you it wasn’t, ugh,

as the evergreen shrubs were sprayed

and the azaleas were also sprayed

with hopes to deter this winter’s

uninvited critters.

Their tracks continued on.

Someone else they would con.

Someone’s evergreens

would be eaten

late last night

in the starlight.

* * * * *

Have you been conned?

Has something happened

that left you stricken -

perhaps sickened,

or a hurtful demise

because of someone’s lies.

Realize that satan uses people

to accomplish his conniving goals.

Also realize that unforgiveness

is also one of satan’s demises,

for unforgiveness separates

and will usually lead to hate.

Hate is not God’s plan for you.

God’s plan is one of love, it’s true.

Love and unforgiveness are opposites.

Unforgiveness will cause hardness of heart.

This is what satan planned.

It’s time to stay his hand.

Forgive as God lovingly forgave you.

Realize Satan uses people to

act out his plan

to harm humans.

He uses people as pawns.

Be on the alert. Run.

Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you,

pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27

Forgive us our sins,

as we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

Luke 11:4

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances

you may have against one another.

Colossians 3:13

Be self-controlled and alert.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion

looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith.

I Peter 5:8-9

Life Is a Garden Party

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Crows

 Crows

The early morning sun dispels the slate sky

as a new day commences by and by.

Westward stretching shadows

lie on new-fallen snow

that fell overnight -

cold, fluffy, white.

A flock of crows fly in

this February morning

perching on a maple tree’s limb.

Don’t know if friends or if kin.

They’re clustered together,

these birds of a feather.

Perhaps for warmth

there on this berth?

To review yesterday’s activity?

To discuss a heart-heavy entreaties?

Perhaps on morning “coffee break”

as they’re not quite yet awake.

Who knows what crows talk about

as they flap and swoop about.

Soon their black wings flap

and caw-caw is heard yapped

as they take off

from their high loft.

The maple tree seems forlorn

without these yapping crows this morn.

Undecorated,

no longer adorned,

the maple tree casts its shadow

on the cold, fluffy, white snow.

For a moment in time this cold day in February

this forlorn, unadorned skeleton of a maple tree

was appreciated as a stopover, thankfully,

this winter day by this flock of crows who entertained me.

Then with a swoop from their black wings

journeyed off, caw-cawing in the wind.

* * * * *

I wonder what I’ll write about today

as I listen to crows cawing away?

I would imagine there’s roadkill somewhere

designed to be someone’s dinner fare.

Re-purposed, it’s become,

nourishment for someone’s tum.

Though this subject is quite offensive,

there’s a lot in life much more offensive.

Depravity runs rampant.

Rather those who are insolent,

or seemingly quite arrogant,

or mostly disobedient.

Every thought runs amok

rather given to gossip,

as they murder with their tongue, too,

which is what slanderers do.

They serve satan, the devil,

as they practice what’s evil,

wicked, and immoral.

Do they know it’s sinful?

“Me, me, me” is their creed

as they live a live of greed,

not caring for others

but using others.

Openly hating God

because their heart is hard.

Not concerned that there is a hell

for currently their life is hell.

Jesus Christ the Lord came to save all, yes ALL, people;

even those who seem to be the least deserving of peoples.

Jesus does not discriminate

His heart is most compassionate.

He came to seek and to save those who are lost

and gave His all, as it was His life it cost.

Why? It was an atonement, a sacrifice -

in order to forgive our sins, that’s right.

But fortunately that’s not the end of the story.

Jesus is not dead as we learn through history.

God’s Word, the Bible is God’s (His)story,

though some consider it a mystery.

The Bible shows us man’s depraved condition

then tells us how to seek restitution

by simply believing Jesus died to save us from our sins

and will reside in us to create a new life within.

Believe that Jesus is God’s Son

who came as a payment, a ransom,

a substitute for all of our sins,

for the wickedness that dwells within.

Start living your life anew

with a heart that is renewed

with God’s abiding love and compassion

for you know your sins have been forgiven.

...depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;

they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents;

they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Although they know God’s righteous decrees

that those who do such things deserve death,

they not only continue to do these very things

but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:23-32

Or do you show contempt for

the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,

not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Romans 2:4

The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Luke 19:10

Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

Acts 16:31

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:11

Crow turned its head when snapped photo,

but photo does show its plumage.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.