Old thoughts

A poem I wrote a while ago that I found when transferring my "scraps of paper poems" onto a more available source.

09.28. 2008

Philippians 3:10- end

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call

Onward! Upward!

Ever skyward!

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call.

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call

My ever present aim

His image and mine the same!

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call.

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call.

Forgetting things which are behind

Reaching forward, I hope to find

My goal, the prize

Of the upward call.

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call

The power of His rising—

The fellowship of His suffering—

My goal is the prize

Of the upward call.

I was going to add more to it, but my inspiration ran out that night, and I haven't been able to find the right words.

Time

Time passes

Life goes on

The sun rises and sets and rises again.

I have been a little sick, and there has been a near-constant deluge. I have entertained myself grandly on classic (or not-so-classic, but old) books.
This has left me in a strange mood wherein I speak with such astounding vocabulary and grammar as to both astound and stupefy some of my hearers. I have delicious words and phrases floating around my head, like "killing airs" and "equanimity" and "sentiment" and "propriety".

For instance

A thought on satire from Jonathan Swift:
"....a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own, which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it."

And I shall leave you with a thought from W. M. Thackeray speaking of "...the moral world that has, perhaps, no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name."

Press On

When the mountain is steep
When the valley is deep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall

When the choices are hard
When we're battered and scarred
When we've spent our resource
When we've given our all

In Jesus name we press on
In Jesus name we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on

Rather simple.....
One of those "when all else has failed" songs...at least, that is how it strikes me.

Struggle: Matinumanon Ka

At the risk of some verbal negativity, I shall quote a quote I have been thinking about lately from the Irrepressible Wesley of the Princess Bride fame:

"Life IS pain..... anyone who tells you differently is selling something."

Now, while I have been mulling over this statement, I am wont to change it to something more applicable. "Life is struggle". (I have often wondered how such an awkward sound came about to form that word.) What part of life is not a struggle?

The last breaths of an aged man, the newborn pushing and straining to leave its cocoon and enter the world, the young child learning to walk, older children growing tall into their adult bodies.... what of life is not struggle?

In this vein, I have also been singing various Selah songs to myself. (Note: Selah being the music group, and "their" songs being the songs they sing/cover/etc. in thier albums)

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

and

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
    There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
    Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
    As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

        Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
    Morning by morning new mercies I see;
    All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
    Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.

 Summer and winter and spring-time and harvest,
    Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
    join with all nature in manifold witness
    To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
    Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
    Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
    Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

My first memory of this song was at a wedding. I was tickled to death to be the flower girl for my dear Ate M. with hair curled, a gorgeous dress with lace and nice shoes. I remember being more than pleased with my appearance, but my only very clear memory of that day was looking at Ate M's face as she sang this song. I am sure I had heard it before, but for some reason, it never registered. I vowed at that moment to sing it at my wedding. however, I'm not saving it only for then, either, as I have been meditating on it a lot lately.

Life is struggle, remember?

Considering:

I am considering beginning a photography blog. I could showcase my work, and use it as backup for recommendations and references. It would also be the easiest thing to hand someone a link in order to detail my experience.

Any ideas on a name?

Update

Yeah...I thought I should update:

So...I have updated!


lol

OK, so I will do something substantial.
Info for those of you who weren't at TeenPact:
May 5th is Yellow Ducky Day. Stuart L. is a genius.

TeenPact was amazing....it was TeenPactic....again. I have not found an organization that can change people's lives so substantially in four little days. That is why I love TeenPact.
That is why everyone should go to TeenPact. Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember this post?

Well, even if you don't, I'm re-posting. Something I thought I would never do....

http://abirdhouse.blogspot.com/2008/04/teenpact.html