Every poem, may each be
a joyful step, a praise, since He
has given us the words so we
can bless His holy name.
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Ronovan Hester offers the inspiration “steps” for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted on Poet’s Corner.
Psalm 103:1
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Stan entered a used bookstore offering the antique dreams of the late 20th century. Since he remembered the late 20th century he could see his younger self admiring, like Alice chasing the White Rabbit, many of the titles when they were newer, but he wondered why anyone would now.
As he walked the aisles he paused at the Philosophy section bookended between Marxism and New Age Metaphysics like a triple engagement leading to a bizarre wedding. He wondered why philosophy would want to be associated with those wacky mistresses, but then it occurred to him, in spite of his own wacky fascination with it, that that was right where it belonged.
Stan wondered if the best way to keep the Lord from laughing at him was to only fall down those narrow rabbit holes that the Lord Himself offered. Then he could rejoice in the Lord’s wide mercy to quickly catch him rather than let him make a mess of things first.
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Denise offers the prompt word “engagement” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Colossians 2:8 KJV
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Dale offers the prompt “down in the grass” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
Songs rise from a praying heart.
The Spirit moves as praises start.
The bread of life gives us a part
in all we hunger for.
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Ronovan Hester offers the inspiration “food” for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted on Poet’s Corner.
John 6:35 KJV
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Gloria listened to a girl telling her about Jesus in the nursing home. The girl reminded her of her daughter when her daughter was much, much younger and acted more like an angel than Gloria liked to remember her daughter acting today.
The girl told the staff that she was sent there to visit only those nearest the ends of their lives and so a nursing assistant escorted her to Gloria who could no longer speak, but acknowledged others by moving her fingers. Although Gloria repeatedly rejected her own daughter, the girl’s words moved Gloria to lift her hand which the girl held in hers.
The next morning Gloria died and her daughter stopped by to pick up her belongings. Upon hearing of her mother’s last visitor, the dam safeguarding decades of tears collapsed.
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Denise offers the prompt word “lift” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Dale offers the prompt “morning has broken” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
The devil knew the threat that the church presented. He also knew that he had lost. But there were still an unknown number of years left to do damage. He still had time to abort the destinies of many with distracting deceptions and debilitating diseases.
By his own estimation he was so successful at making a mess that he began to think that maybe he could still win or at least recover some of his losses. Maybe it wasn’t quite game over for him.
He grabbed the church like a rock. He put it in a slingshot. He planned to send it off to the distant stars, but as he pulled the slingshot back, he stumbled. His grip failed as his hand melted.
Some say it was the fire from within the church. Some say it was the laughter from heaven. In the devil’s confusion his aim went from heaven to his very own gates.
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Spoken words when they are kind
revive stilled hearts trapped by rough minds.
Since what we seek is what we’ll find,
may joy dance everywhere.
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Ronovan Hester offers the inspiration “dance” for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted on Poet’s Corner.
Philippians 4:8 KJV
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 