Seal—Six Sentence Story

In a few seconds Timothy scribbled a poem in his notebook while standing on the beach waiting for the sunrise. When he got home he read it and wondered where that came from as if he had found an exotic seashell or spotted a seal in the water.

Accepting the gift he cleaned it up and posted it on his favorite sites. Although no one “liked” it nor left a comment he kept reading it over and over wondering: Where did that come from?

At the end of the day Timothy was grateful for everything: birds, clouds, beach, water and just being there. In a week he’d forget the poem because there would be another one and the days of rejoicing and wonder would start all over again.

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Denise offers the word “seal” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

I am on vacation this week without access to the internet. Hopefully I will be back by Saturday in time to post this to the Six Sentence Story group before the deadline, but if not, I have scheduled it in advance for Wednesday evening.

More Than the Sum of Its Parts

Dale offers the prompt “more than the sum of its parts” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

As I see it any picture worth looking at is more than the sum of its parts. It suggests a story or an emotion that resonates with the viewer to make the viewer pause a little longer.

So, here are some photos that have made me pause.

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By the way, I am on “vacation” this week with our church group. Call it a “retreat”. So, I will not be looking at the computer during this time. I call that a form of “fasting”. Blessings to all of you!

Atlantic Ocean, a small portion of Noah’s flood waters
Tennessee
Tennessee
All of these colorful parts working together
Red Sunrise
Red Sunrise

Play—Ovi Poetry Challenge

The point of life is not to play
and while away the time of day.
We hear His voice and then obey.
We follow where He leads.

And if that is the most we do
no other path would get us through.
Rejoice and praise! Our hearts renew
and that is all that matters.

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Ronovan Hester offers the word “play” as inspiration for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted on Poet’s Corner.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Toast—Six Sentence Story

He can’t fool me with those magic tricks, George thought wondering why he was wasting his time watching a guy pull rabbits out of an empty hat. He yelled at the magician, “Hey, you with that rabbit in your hand, pitch the hat and pop another bunny out of thin air!” The magician didn’t know how to convince George to shut up, but neither could George convince God to toast the magician like Zeus would have done with a lightning bolt.

Admittedly, George didn’t believe in God (nor Zeus, for that matter) so he wasn’t seriously asking for assistance. Since the magician couldn’t make George vanish with a wave of his wand—try as he might—he finally phoned the security team to escort George out.

Decades later, when the magician was too old to bewitch even toddlers, George winced as he recalled his own truth-without-love rudeness and begged God to pull some kindness out of his now empty heart which the merciful Lord was only too happy to do.

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Denise offers the prompt word “toast” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Acts 8:9-11
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

Morning Birds
Morning Birds

From Underneath

Dale offers the prompt “from underneath” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. Both of these photos were taken long ago.

In the first photo I was surprised by the feathery shadows on the leaves when taking this photo into the sun. This may be a common event but I have not been able to capture that in quite the same way since.

In the second photo many noisy birds in late autumn or early spring flew from one tree to another and then continued their song.

Beneath the Leaves and Sun
More Birds and Trees
Beneath the Birds and Trees

Good—Ovi Poetry Challenge

I wouldn’t say that I was good.
I rarely do the things I should.
I barely do the things I would
before the day is done.

Without some Help, who can get by?
The good one does makes others cry.
Rain down on me! My well is dry—
Ah! Now it’s gushing forth.

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Ronovan Hester offers the prompt word “good” as inspiration for this week’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Also posted at Poets Corner.

Grid—Six Sentence Story

John’s life did not follow a nice rectangular grid. Brief was his time from birth to final breath.

Though short with winding dead ends, he was offered along the way many opportunities to serve, if he obediently chose to do so. Sometimes he obeyed. Sometimes he had better things to do.

In the end flames burnt those better things leaving John with only a few grains of pure gold, enough—indeed more than what some of the others had—but not enough to stop his tears since there could have been so much more.

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Denise offers the prompt word “grid” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

1 Corinthians 3:14-15
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.