Tag Archives: Christian Poet

One Person Poetry Fair

11 Aug

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistI have been enjoying my IPod for a lot of different things. I especially like to listen to poetry and I’ve bought some from Audible. I am, however, greedy for more so I kept searching in my bumbling way for more poems to listen to. I especially wanted the more up-to-date poets, but not what they call the modern ones because as you know, the modern ones, such as T. S. Eliot, even though I like him too, are really not very up-to-date.

I’ve known about the Poetry Foundation, and when I entered audible poetry in the Google search bar they came up. I looked the website over, but still didn’t see how to get spoken poems onto my IPod, so I contacted them by email. A nice man wrote back and suggested I get their podcasts on ITunes. I finally managed to figure out how to do that and now I’ve got a bunch! I subscribed to all the Poetry Foundation podcasts free and downloaded the archives of those podcasts as well. I put them on playlists, and today I started listening to poetry to my heart’s desire. I have seven plus hours worth, many in the poet’s own voices, and more to come. I’ve struck gold!

Listening to a wonderful poem gives you a similar feeling similar to listening to a transcendent piece of music. Poems give insights and epiphanies, two of my favorite brain candies. Even though it was a hot day and I had a mile to go, I listened on my walk and was exhilarated with what I heard. The one that sticks with me most from today is: “Monet Refuses the Operation,” by Lisel Mueller. I may have liked that one best because I like to paint too.

Anyhow, now I’ve got poems, and I’ll be receiving more as the podcasts come out. I’ve got discussions of poems, I’m sure to learn something from them. What else can I say, I’m rejoicing, thanking God and all those who make it possible and in general just very happy and satisfied with the first day of my one person poetry fair.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

What Good Would I Be?      

8 Aug

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

I am not like you, nor are you like me.

But God created both of us

to serve in our own capacity.

 

I can’t wish for your talents,

for they were given to you.

When God created the universe,

He knew exactly what we should do.

 

“But as God has distributed to each one,

so let him walk.”     1 Corinthians 7:17

 

For example:  In Argentina, everyone is required

by law to spend two years in military service.

One fellow showed up at the induction center

objecting, “What good would I be?  I have

no arms!”

 They put him in the army anyway. At basic

training camp the commanding officer said,

“See that fellow up there on the hill pumping water?

Go tell him when the pail is full.  He’s blind!”

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Art of Living the Bible

4 Aug

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistAt one time in history it was essential that educated people knew and understood the Bible, especially writers. It is still necessary for Christian writers because we are teachers whether we think of ourselves that way or not.

We can get anything from the Bible we want. If we’re militant, the military is there. If we regularly stress with too much work, we can find more work and pressure in the Bible. If we’re tired of driving our lives in the fast lane, we can find peace on almost every page of the Bible. It’s all in how we perceive it.

In addition, we can find various ways, to read the Bible. Seminary students must study the Bible as a textbook, a history book, a literature book, and a language book, but as open-minded writers, we are free to read it any way we want, especially if we ask the Spirit of Christ to guide us into understanding.

This is my favorite way to utilize its wisdom at this time in my life.

Every year I buy a small, page-a-day Bible verse calendar, and each day I tear off the page and splack it to a new journal page. I then use it as a prompt. I get out a Bible and write out the verses using four criteria.

  1. Write from the point of view of the author, which is God, not man.
  2. Write in the present tense. For instance if it says, I am going to bless you, write, I bless you now.
  3. Don’t dwell on descriptions of sin. Jesus has already atoned for our sins and shortcomings. We’re interested now in going ahead with Him.
  4. Write down things that expand the passage to your satisfaction. (Judge these things against the rest of the Bible.)

In this way, I receive revelation and insight and welcome many joyful surprises. Here’s a sample from Ecclesiastes 3:11. This book of the Bible tells repeatedly how futile it is to live out of our own intellect instead of following the Spirit of Christ.

My Beloved Child, I made everything beautiful for its time. One flower, one butterfly, one tree—although impermanent, is beautiful in itself–nothing added. So are you. Love and work are my gifts to you.

Stop trying to fix the past or re-live the good times. Stop Worrying about the future. Nothing your imagination makes up is going to happen, but if something seemingly bad happens, you won’t have known about it in advance. Relax, do your jobs, always try to love and forgive. “One handful of peaceful repose is worth two fistfuls of worried work.” (Direct quotation)

Here’s another quotation, this one from artist advocate, Jill Badonsky from her book, The Muse is in. “Everything in life is art. From how you walk and how you smile at a stranger to how you love someone and the way you choose to feel. It’s art.”

2 Timothy 3:14 in The Message says:

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word, we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

What is your protocol for absorbing the Word of God these days?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Puppy Love

1 Aug

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

I am an animal lover.

They all need tender loving care.

When I come across a story such as this,

I truly have a need to share..

 

“Last spring a dog became stranded

in the water at the bottom of a canal.

A passerby. seeing the pooch whimpering

and trying to climb to satety, scaled  down

the wall, jumped into the water, pulled the

dog out by he scuff of the neck, and carried

it back up to dry land.. The dog ran away and

shook itself, but then it quickly returned,

ran to its rescuer, and showered the man

with lots of nuzzles and licks.

The video of the grateful canine became

a sensation.

 

Sometimes we can learn a lesson

from our four-footed friends.

Everyone who is in Christ has been rescued.

Have you returned to the Savior to thank Him,

to praise His Holy name?”

 

 

Jesus once healed ten lepers,

but only one came back with thanksgiving.

If you have been to the cross,

you have reason to praise Him.

He has given you purpose for living.

 

We are the most blessed people on earth.

God has not promised skies always blue,

but even in tumultuous times,

He has promised never to forsake you.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hope Looks Up

25 Jul

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

The natural flight of the human mind
is not from pleasure to pleasure,
but from hope to hope.
Samuel Johnson

Lord, when I wake up in the morning
my first thought is of You!
This day is truly a blessing.
What would You have me to do?

The day may be disguised as ordinary,
but extraordinary things happen with you
You are our reason for living, Lord.
We find our purpose and strength in You.

 

Green and pink paintingpng

Tags: , , , , , ,

Persistence and Prayer Rout Worry

4 Jul

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?

I am reminded that an old saint was asked.,

‘Which is the more important,

reading God’s word or praying?”

To which he replied,

“Which is more important to a bird,

the right wing or the left?”

A. W. Tozer.

 

Pray without ceasing  1 Th. 5:17

 

 

‘KEEP ON KEEPING ON”

A river cuts through rock,

not because of it’s strength,

but because of its persistence.

Jim Watkins actor born 1944

 

I, too, want to forge ahead.

I’ll keep my eyes on Jesus

and His never failing assistance.

 

There is no use in carrying around “worry “and ” regret”,

they only weigh you down.

Keep yourself open to “hope” and to “love”.

A smile will replace a frown.

 

Come unto me

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Winning Against Worry

27 Jun

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

All the water in the world,
however hard it tried,
could never sink a ship
unless it got inside.
All the hardships of this world
might wear you pretty thin-
But they won’t hurt you one least bit
unless you let them in.
(Anonymous)

 

Lord, why did it take so long
to reach this plateau-
to savor the moment I am in?
An acceptance of things I cannot change
has wondrously eased my chagrin.

 

The “serenity prayer” holds such wisdom-
Simply apply it to your heart.
God has not promised skies always blue,
But from our heart He will never depart.

 

There is no use in carrying around “worry and regret”.
They only weigh you down.
Always keep yourself open to hope and to love.
A smile will replace a frown

 

Make these words your battle cry
as you take on the Giant of Worry.
Louise Gibson

“Don’t dwell on tomorrow’s stress
Jesus told us that “tomorrow will take
care of itself.” (Mathew 6:24)

 

“Look inside, be kind to yourself”
Psalm 63:3 “Thy loving kindness is better than life.”

 

” The night doesn’t last forever,
and tomorrow will surely come.”

“Worry about nothing-
Pray about everything”

“When God pushes you to the edge,
trust Him fully, because only two things can happen.
Either He will catch you when you fall,
or He will teach you how to fly”.
Author unknown

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

“Scarlett”

20 Jun

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

Love is such a great motivator-
It is amazing what it leads us to do.
We rise up to defend the helpless,
in spite of the danger in view.

 

I want to share a story with you
that truly touched my heart.
Such love in action was newsworthy,
heart rendering from the start.

 

Overnight, a scrawny New York City feline
went from anonymous to international fame.
The transformation happened in a “flash”..
A flash of fire gave Scarlett her name.

 

Her story:

S C A R L E T T

The Cat Who Became An Action Hero

 

The saga began in 1996, when a blaze consumed an

East New York garage.  As the battle against the fire

wound down, firefighters noticed three four-week old

kittens huddled near the building’s front door crying in fear.

Across the street sat two more.  A badly burned calico female

paced nervously between the two groups.

 

It didn’t take long for firefighter Davfid Gianellii to figure out what had

happened. Gianellii, whose soft spot for pets earned him the nickname

“the animal guy” in  East New York’s Ladder Company 75, guessed that

during the fire, the mother cat had dashed repeatedly into the blaze

to rescue her kittens. Now she was in the process, in spite of her severe

injuries, of moving them to a new hiding place.

 

The firefighter scooped up the mother and babies and took them

to the North Shore Animal League.  The staff, sensing a chance

for a little publicity, told the story to a local TV station.  The agency got

more than a little publicity. Everyone from CNN to the BBC picked up the

tale, and soon people from as far away as Cairo and Japan were

writing and phoning the shelter.

 

The mother was named Scarlett because of the vivid color of her burns.

Sadly, one of the kittens died of an infection.  But the other four made strong

recoveries.  As the family convalesced together, thousands of adoption

offers flooded in from around the world.  Finally, two kittens named

Samsara and Tanuki were given to a Port Washington family; the other

two, Cinders and Oreo found their way to Hampton Bay, New York.

 

Heroic Scarlett found a home with the Wellon family in Brooklyn.  Her

scars healed and the only remaining signs of her travails were her

rather poor vision and the amputated tips of her ears.  Her new owners

have also helped heal any emotional scars. “She’s a total love machine”

a family member told the New York Times. The former scrawny stray

is also, apparently, an eating machine. After her rescue she ballooned to

seventeen  pounds quite a change from her days as an action hero.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The First Speeding Ticket

13 Jun

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

This is ludicrous, compared to today.

The first American ever arrested for speeding
was Jacob German, 26, a taxi driver for the
Electric Vehicle Company of New York City.
On May 20, 1899 he was hauled off to jail
for bolting down Lexington Street in Manhattan
at 12 mph in an 8 mph zone.

 

What would Jacob German think now?
Compared with 1899, the pace of life has advanced
to science fiction levels.
We bolt through every hour until the days
become a blur, and the years fly by like a movie
stuck on “fast forward”

 

.
Sometimes, in our rush, we grow impatient with the Lord
because He doesn’t hurry as we do.
Our times are in His hands and His clock operates
at a different speed.
A day to Him is like a thousand years.

 

(2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing
that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.)

 

Perhaps you want the Lord to answer your prayer Now,
to provide deliverance “This instant”,
but when we put God on our timetable, it often brings
disappointment.

 

Learn to wait on the Lord, and let Him work at His own speed.
He has a perfect sense of timing, and He knows our every need.

 

From an old anonymous hymn:
” His method is sublime. His heart profoundly kind.
God never is before His time, and never is behind.”

 

 

 

Footnote:
My transportation from age 10 to 21 was a boy’s two-wheel bike-
My father wouldn’t sign for me, so it was either “bike” or “hike”.
I rode with the traffic-, youth has no fear.
My love of speed and adventure did truly domineer.
When I ran across this story, I thought it worth a smile.
According to my memory, I beat him by a mile!

 

Vintage girls bike

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Keep Looking Up!

30 May

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

Lynn, Janice and Louise

Lynn, Janice and Louise

 

 

 

My daughters and I are bonded in love.
as we stand at the foot of the cross..
Each is blessed in so many ways-
Yet all have suffered loss.

 

Everyone is surrounded by distractions every day.
It can be easy to let them cloud our vision.
Keep your focus on Christ, dear friend.
It will help you make the right decision.

 

When you come to know Him,
Constant and abiding, always the same,
Bring glory, praise and honor
to His precious name..

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →