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                                                                         Pondering Life  

#AtoZChallenge: Letter Z

4/29/2017

11 Comments

 
Picture
Zacchaeus was known for his short stature, but he had a big story to tell about his encounter with Jesus. Read about it below in the last post for the #AtoZChallenge.

Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-9


Zacchaeus was a short man.
He taxed the people high.
He left them poor and wanting
While he gorged on figs and pie.


One day the Lord came walking
Down the streets of Jericho.
Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see,
Since he was built so low.

"Come down quick!" Jesus said,
"I'd like to come and dine."
So off they went (while people stared)
To have some bread and wine.

"He is just not worthy,"
Cried the people in the town.
"He has been made wealthy
While our money dwindles down."
​

Zacchaeus felt so humbled
That the Lord would show him favor
That he vowed to pay the people back,
And now he's loyal to the Savior.


From . . . And a Poem by Kathy Mansfield



11 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter Y

4/29/2017

0 Comments

 
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For the Letter Y in the #AtoZChallenge, I've taken the liberty of using the word "why" instead of the 25th letter of the alphabet. 


Life’s Scars
 
If ever someone has been broken and fixed
I think it would be I.
And lo, and behold, I figured out
The answer to my “Why?”
 
Sometimes God must let us fall
And feel Life’s harshest wrath,
Only then can we arise
To walk straighter on His path.
 
To others I might seem to be
Someone whose life is marred,
But God sees me as clean and new,
Not as someone scarred.


​
From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

0 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter X

4/28/2017

17 Comments

 
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I posted the poem below for the Letter Q (Queen Esther), but re-posting for the Letter X (King Xerxes)! So, if you missed the previous post a couple of weeks ago, now's your chance to catch it again. Isn't repurposing a trend? #AtoZChallenge

Esther
 
King Xerxes loved Queen Vashti,
But she defied the King’s command;
Her banishment made the way
For saving Jews across the land.
 
King Xerxes sought another
To wear the Persian crown,
Throughout the land were chosen
Young girls of all renown.
 
Esther was a Hebrew
Who lived with Mordecai,
Chosen by the royal court,
She caught King Xerxes’ eye.
 
But Haman was an Agagite
And had a grudge with all the Jews,
He made a plan for Xerxes
That would cause the Jews to lose.
 
Though Esther was the Persian Queen,
Her lineage wasn’t known,
Even Xerxes who so loved his queen
Was oblivious on his throne.
 
When Mordecai refused to bow,
Haman set his plan in place.
Xerxes signed the order
To end the Jewish race.
 
Mordecai warned Esther
Of the plan that would unfold,
Through Hathach he told Esther,
“You must be brave; you must be bold.”
 
“Perhaps you were made queen
For such a time as this.
If you ignore the role you play,
You’ll surely be remiss.”
 
So Esther turned to God
In fasting and in prayer
And asked of Mordecai
That the Jews, as well, prepare.
 
Then Esther went to Xerxes,
And through clever words and deeds,
She turned the course in play
To preserve the Chosen’s seed.
 
Now Haman is no more,
But God’s people grow in love,
Thanks to Mordecai and Esther
And providence from above.



From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

17 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter W

4/27/2017

1 Comment

 
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Sometimes we have trouble seeing the "writing on the wall," don't we? King Belshazzar certainly saw it, but he definitely didn't understand it. That's where Daniel came in. Daniel was gifted by God to interpret such things. We're gifted, too. We're gifted with God's word (the Bible) and with the Holy Spirit. By listening to the Holy Spirit and reading God's word, we can figure out the writing on the wall that others might miss. Use your gifts from God to interpret the world around you.

The Writing on the Wall
Daniel 5
 
King Belshazzar loved feasts
And drinking wine from golden cups,
He took the temple vessels
For each noble as he sups.
 
As the king and all his nobles
(And their concubines and wives)
Drank from holy goblets
They praised their gods of lies.
 
Suddenly a hand appeared
And wrote words upon the wall;
King Belshazzar fell to his knees
And to his wise men made a call:
 
“Who can read this writing
And tell me what it means?
To him I’ll give high honor --
He’ll be third to me, the king!”
 
When none of them could read it,
The Queen approached the king,
“There is a man named Daniel
Who’s been known to do such things.”
 
So, Daniel (Judah’s exile)
Spoke to the king and said,
“Keep your gifts. I’ll tell you
What others haven’t read.”
 
“Since you’ve defied the Lord
And praised idols in His stead,
Yahweh’s sent a message,
And this is what it said:
 
“Your days are numbered here,
You’ve been weighed and found unfit.
Your kingdom’s been divided --
Medes and Persians conquer it.”
 
Daniel knew the meaning
And was made a ruler, too.
That night the king was killed
And a new one rose to rule.


From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

1 Comment

#AtoZChallenge: Letter V

4/27/2017

0 Comments

 
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How do I know God is real? I've seen miracles that can only be attributed to Him. Nothing like what Ezekiel experienced when dry human bones in a valley were brought to life, but close!

Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 37:1-14
 
Ezekiel was transported
By the Spirit of the Lord
To a valley filled with bones
That he and God explored.
 
The bones were dry and scattered
With no life that could be found.
God asked his priest-turned-prophet,
“Can these bones rise from the ground?”
 
“You alone can answer, Lord,”
Was Ezekiel’s quick reply.
Then God said, “Speak this message,
“Dry Bones, get up and rise!’”
 
And then a noisy rattle
Echoed up from valley depths
As bone attached to bone,
And muscles formed with flesh.
 
Then God asked of his prophet,
“Speak out to Earth’s four winds:
Breathe life into these bones
So they may live again.”
 
So Ezekiel spoke the message,
And breath filled up those bones,
And an army of new men
Arose like Israel’s clones.
 
They said to one another,
“We’ve become so dry and old.
All hope is gone; our nation’s dead,
Our very life’s grown cold.”
 
Then God told his great prophet,
“Tell the people what I’ll do.
I’ll open graves of exile
And make everything brand new.”
 
“And when Israel is restored,
My people will proclaim:
‘This was from the Lord!
Our nation’s been reclaimed!’”



From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

0 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter U

4/25/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Letter U for the #AtoZChallenge is Unity, specifically unity in the Universal Church. With so many denominations, the church can seem at odds with itself, particularly to non-believers. As Christians, we must work to display the unity that binds us together: belief in salvation through Jesus Christ and obedience to his Word.

Courage of the Church
 
The courage of the Church
Is conviction steeped in truth,
Shared with love to others
And developed from our youth.
 
That courage is developed
By meeting Jesus every day
And seeking out our brothers
Who will lift us up and pray.
 
Like Peter, Paul, and John,
Our witness should be brave
In obedience and in unity
To the One by Whom we’re saved.

0 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter T

4/23/2017

5 Comments

 
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The "lingo" of Christianity can be difficult for non-Christians to understand, but some of the big words and terms can even be hard for Christians to fully grasp. I like to call them Ten-Dollar Words, and I hope my poem helps you to understand a couple of those very important, but difficult to understand, words that pastors and teachers toss about.

Ten-Dollar Words
 
Sanctification, propitiation--
Big ten-dollar words--
If you grew up in a Bible church,
They’re words you must have heard.
 
Sanctification simply means
Living out your faith,
Growing more like Christ
As you journey through your days.
 
Propitiation simply means
Atonement for our sins
Resulting from the sacrifice
Of Jesus for all men.
 
Knowing those big words
Won’t change how we should live,
But knowing what they mean
Reminds us why we live.



From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

5 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter S

4/21/2017

1 Comment

 
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"Second Fruits" is one of my favorite poems. You don't know what Life will throw you and how you will respond, but I'm a firm believer in second chances after a less than stellar response to things we encounter.  I also believe that if we have a strong foundation early in life, we will return to those roots that can help us to flourish once more. 

Second Fruits
Matthew 7:17-20
 
The tree was watered,
It felt the sun,
Its roots grew strong--
A life begun.
 
When fruit appeared,
The tree stood tall,
A sign of health
To one and all.
 
But then the storms
Of life unfurled--
First drought, then rain,
Then winds that swirled.
 
For a season
No fruit was seen,
Withered and brown,
Not healthy green.
 
But underground
Were roots held fast
By care and love
From seasons past.
 
And once again
The sun came down
To shine upon
The fertile ground.
 
New fruit was seen,
Brighter and sweet,
Having survived
Seeming defeat.

1 Comment

#AtoZChallenge: Letter R

4/20/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
Rahab, a prostitute, is an unlikely ancestor to Jesus Christ, but her story gives hope to all who have chosen a fallen path. No one's past prevents him or her from a future of hope in Christ. Read Rahab's story in today's #AtoZChallenge post.

Rahab
Joshua 2:1-24
Matthew 1:5
 

Joshua sent two spies
To the city of Jericho
To find out more about
A potential battle foe.
 
But someone told the King,
“There are spies here in the land;
They’re in the house of Rahab,
We need to know their plan.”
 
The King sent word to Rahab,
“Bring out the Israelites!”
She responded, “They aren’t here--
Perhaps they’ve taken flight.”
 
In truth, the men were hidden
Under flax on Rahab’s roof.
She knew the God they worshipped
Was the One who spoke the Truth.
 
“I know your God is mighty,
I’ve heard all the things he does.
I’ve given you protection,
Now give the same to us.”
 
The Israelites agreed
When they returned to Jericho
They’d look for Rahab’s window--
A scarlet rope hung below.
 
Due to Rahab’s faithfulness
Two spies were saved that day,
And through the line of Rahab
Came the One who is the Way.


From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield

3 Comments

#AtoZChallenge: Letter Q

4/19/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
Queen Esther is the subject for the Letter Q in the #AtoZChallenge. Read about the Godly choice she made that saved her people.


Esther

 
King Xerxes loved Queen Vashti,
But she defied the King’s command;
Her banishment made the way
For saving Jews across the land.
 
King Xerxes sought another
To wear the Persian crown,
Throughout the land were chosen
Young girls of all renown.
 
Esther was a Hebrew
Who lived with Mordecai,
Chosen by the royal court,
She caught King Xerxes’ eye.
 
But Haman was an Agagite
And had a grudge with all the Jews,
He made a plan for Xerxes
That would cause the Jews to lose.
 
Though Esther was the Persian Queen,
Her lineage wasn’t known,
Even Xerxes who so loved his queen
Was oblivious on his throne.
 
When Mordecai refused to bow,
Haman set his plan in place.
Xerxes signed the order
To end the Jewish race.
 
Mordecai warned Esther
Of the plan that would unfold,
Through Hathach he told Esther,
“You must be brave; you must be bold.”
 
“Perhaps you were made queen
For such a time as this.
If you ignore the role you play,
You’ll surely be remiss.”
 
So Esther turned to God
In fasting and in prayer
And asked of Mordecai
That the Jews, as well, prepare.
 
Then Esther went to Xerxes,
And through clever words and deeds,
She turned the course in play
To preserve the Chosen’s seed.
 
Now Haman is no more,
But God’s people grow in love,
Thanks to Mordecai and Esther
And providence from above.

​From . . . And a Poem, Too by Kathy Mansfield


3 Comments
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