Steal – Décima

Around deception there is stealth.
It covers up the root word steal.
Deceivers hope we won’t reveal
that there is more than earthly health.
Behold the idol. See its wealth?
It rots. It burns. It turns to dust.
Without true change those dying must
resettle with the trash of hell.
Look down with dread. That dropping well
grows deep with lies betraying trust.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “steal” to be used in a B line of a décima for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge.

I was thinking of Revelation 21:8. The photos are an attempt to hint at what’s still available should one change one’s mind if one hasn’t already.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image
Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image
Miami Beach
Miami Beach

At Night

Dale offers the prompt “at night” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

The above scene is taken from our balcony. Below is a street view in the same direction.

A very short story of mine, “Five Second Rule”, appeared in Whispers and Echoes. I am grateful to the editor for accepting it.

Street Lights and Traffic
Cosmic Photo Challenge

Sunday Walk 27

In the video below Spike Psarris presents his testimony of how he went from being an atheist believing in deep time evolution to becoming a Christian by first accepting creationism.

Spike Psarris Testimony

Which do you think is more likely? (1) The Big Bang, or (2) The Six 24-Hour Day Biblical Creation? Be honest.

Psarris originally thought the Big Bang also. After all, that’s what he was taught from an early age. But he no longer does. If you want to hear some of the details justifying his creationist position, here is a talk by him on distant starlight, a major challenge to both positions.

Some naturalists hope the Big Bang is true because it avoids a privileged center (Earth). They replace the Creator with a random supernatural explosion. Christians, however, are divided on whether they should compromise by incorporating the Big Bang in their understanding of reality, or not.

If they do, they compromise on Genesis (and Revelation). What they read in those books becomes mythology. If they don’t, they wonder if their position can be justified. Given explanations from people like Psarris and Russell Humphreys or those in the documentary Is Genesis History?, I think biblical creationism can be justified. That means there is no need to compromise.

Red and White

Mark – Six Sentence Story

From two used phones Timothy constructed one that could not be traced but could connect through the command center’s back door. He entered the passcode TheHappySpiderIsWatchingYOU.

Given the compromised safehouse, he got right to the point, “What was that all about?”

“You have the zip file, don’t you?”

Since he knew it would annoy them, Timothy said, “I also have the spider’s mark.”

Timothy waited until they blinked, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Denise offers the prompt word “mark” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories. This story continues from Ocean – Six Sentence Story.

Happy Spider
GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon
GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

Spring – Décima

The devil gets no peace. To sing
for him is more a punishment.
His time is short. It goes. It went,
but wrath remains a fearful thing.

We’re confident. Each coming spring
is but rehearsal for the end
when death is done and life can mend.
We can’t cling to an evil heart.
Please, make it new. Now let us start.
Tomorrow we’ll be home, my friend.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “spring” to be used in an A line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.

Wall
Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image
Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Sunday Walk 26

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Romans 8:18-19 King James Version

Pastor Robert Fountain of Calvary Chapel Miami Beach gave the following sermon on Acts last Sunday.

Pastor Robert Fountain, Calvary Chapel Miami Beach, Acts, January 24, 2021

The final song of the service was Confident.

Steffany Gretzinger & Bobby Strand – Confident

After Eden

Was it the tree? Was it our choice
to be like gods that day?
That fruit, recall, did not agree.
Perhaps it really was the tree
when we did not obey.

Chelsea Owens challenges us to write a rant for this month’s A Mused Poetry Contest. Ranting gives me a chance to blame someone besides myself.

I was thinking of Genesis 3. Imagine what Adam and Eve might have said to each other after eating from the tree that gave them the knowledge of good and evil along with the realization, to their surprise, that they weren’t good enough to be gods.

I don’t recall that they actually blamed the tree in Genesis, but they might as well have. I wonder what God would have done if they repented then and there, broke their rant, and blamed themselves?

Regardless, were I in their place given my own history of messing things up, I shudder to think what would have happened.

Red, Green and White