Tag Archives: travel

God’s Gift in Each New Day

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God blesses me with new life

through the gift of each new day;

it is up to me to acknowledge him

by faith and to choose to enjoy each

day with a sprint of thankful and

anticipation in my footsteps

as I travel along life’s

pathway.

Poetry 201 Day 3: Skin, Prose Poem, and Internal Rhyme

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A Day in the Sun

Skin; that external organ which covers my entire human body; it cleverly contains some small openings so that I can hear, taste, smell, and see. My skin is pale white and even paler under florescent light. How I sometimes do wish, I wasn’t as white as a fish. Certainly more sunshine would be good for me. Stay outdoors a little more during those sunlit hours and soak more of that sunshine into me; and let it cover my head to my feet. On a bright and beautiful day with the sunlight brightening the way, I did try to take some extra time and venture more outside. I wandered along the county road passing houses, a church, and the new high school.  I traveled to a nearby gym, walked on a track, pedaled on an exercise bike, and considered taking a swim.  Then I wandered back outside. Back into the glistening and warm sunlight which has brightened the sea blue sky. Deep inside I rejoiced as I felt gladness at this choice of spending this day outside being exposed to nature and the soothing sunshine.  I traveled along the road again at a leisurely pace and not really wanting my journey to end; there is no need to race. I heard the wind in the swaying trees and my bare skin was tantalized by the softly flowing breeze. In the spring if I am lucky enough, I might pass by a lilac bush, and oh how its aroma gives my senses such a rush. With the soft touch, my exposed skin feels the flower’s velvety coolness. Happily I tarried along the way not wanting to miss the warmth of this day.  For the sun’s reaching, transparent beams have engulfed my arms, my legs, and all of my bare skin from my head to my feet. Feeling satisfied and pleased, I think to myself, “how, I have had some warm sunshine covering me, and soon I’ll have a fine tan: I can’t wait to see.”  But lo, oh no that is not what I see. I looked into the mirror and much to my shock and horror; I am now as red as can be with my sunburned skin peeling most embarrassingly. Oh, woe is me!

Writing 101 Day 3: Hunting for a Hidden Treasure

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One day, I and a friend went on a

Wild journey; a new adventure.

We hoped to find a geocache

Container, a well hidden treasure.

The dirt road we traveled on was

So rugged and so very rough

That like sizzling popcorn, we

Were jostled and tossed.

For we had traversed far into the

Thick woods; a deep mountain forest

Where the tall, green needled

Pines sturdily towered over us.

And along the windy and increasingly

Treacherous dirt road,

My friend and I continued on as

We determinedly drove.

With each bump and turn, I tumbled

And jumbled in my truck seat;

Never, ever had I journeyed on

A rougher, obstacle-strewn street.

Gravel, rocks, boulders, and

Gouges in the road galore all

Took their toll making my body sore.

I bounced so high that on the

Ceiling, I hit my head.

Now, how I wish I

Could just go back to bed.

Thankfully, our tree branch and

Bush battered vehicle did not break

But oh wow, what a way to

Get a throbbing headache.

And as we still jarringly tumbled along,

I felt compelled to finally ask,

“Are we really doing all

This just for a geocache?”

The dirt road before us continued

To sharply narrow and bend

As we wondered if we’d

Really find the end.

But we did come to a halt

And to quietly rest

Upon a grassy hillside;

A gentle crest.

Then by foot we continued

To journey along the way

Hoping that our gps will

Not lead us astray.

So we then arrived deeper

In the mountain forest green

And found ourselves surrounded

By an unusual rock formation.

The boulders loomed above us

And with perfect swirls etched in deep

While encircled by the forest trees.

It seemed as if God had reached

Down to carve a perfect design

In this cluster of white rocks mostly

Hidden from man and time.

It was a hidden place of beauty

Which most people will never see

Unless they are as adventurous

As my dear friend and me.

And wouldn’t you know as we hunted

And searched among the rocks and boulders,

We completed our adventurous task: we

Found the geocache, the hidden container.

But honestly as I and my dear friend have

Embarked on many of these geocaching adventures,

We’ve learned to cherish the forest, the wildlife, and

All of nature for that is the true hidden treasure.

Writing 101 Day 17: Fear

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The Things I Fear

I am afraid of many things; indeed I have many fears.

Sometimes I fear what I can’t see or the sounds that I do hear.

I fear loud percussion thunderstorms rippling through the sky;

I also fear zigzag flashes of lightening searing through the night.

I fear snakes, lizards and all sorts of crawling and slithering reptiles

As well as spiders, ants and beetles creeping across the floor tile.

I can expel a harrowing scream if a bat flies in flapping its wings;

they swish like soft blades in the night

and I still hear him even when out of sight.

I also screamed, frightening my mother terribly

when stung by a buzzing, angry bumble bee.

I fear traveling in the winter in the freezing rain, drizzle or snow;

I also fear the screeching, howling wind as the harder it blows.

Sometimes I fear strange scratching noises and thumps in the night

For once in the darkness, a loud scraping branch gave me such a fright.

I fear large animals living and hiding in the woods and the land;

I take care to travel, walk and hike in safety as much as I can.

I fear unexpected accidents as I journey and wander along the way.

For once I was painfully injured when trapped in deep mud one fine day.

The muddy plain had behaved like sinking quicksand holding me fast

And taking all of my strength and might to pull free at long last.

I fear other people and the unkind comments they sometimes make

Trying their best to be hurtful and make sure I feel alone, not wanted, and unsafe.

Or they like to point out all of my flaws in life; for not one comment is enough

But must make certain that I know I am unworthy, and fully inadequate.

For then i may choose to hide myself and my feelings in a little room

where I feel safe from the world in my private and tiny cocoon.

Often I fear tomorrow; not knowing what it may bring.

I fear the mysterious future; being so unclear, so uncertain.

I fear trekking on this obscure and bumpy pathway through this road of life

Where darkness tries to overwhelm me and so I strain to see the light.

But no matter what I fear today in this life in its many uncertainties,

I know Jesus is in my heart and my future with him is hope and eternity.

Writing 101 Day 4: Lost

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I am continuing in this Writing 101 class and need to write about a loss. It does not need to be a sad story but it could even be amusing or comical if I could pull that off. Hum oh, hum. What sort of a loss should I write about today? Actually I am a day behind but am trying to make an attempt at completing this next assignment which will become a serial assignment with two more installments. I have experienced many types of losses in my life and so has everyone else. From the loss of my parents, grandparents, and others who were especially close to me to losing my keys, my glasses, and sometimes my mind as I forget what it is I am supposed to do today. Once while visiting the Mall of America I had forgotten my purse in the third floor food court and suffice to say, that wasn’t the best day for me.  I have also lost favorite pets, and favorite stories and other poems I’ve written after a computer crash. I have gotten lost just driving from one place to another thinking I know the way but I found out that I didn’t.  In fact, I think that is what I am going to write about today:

Lost in Wyoming (Part 1)

I once went on a journey from Minnesota to Wyoming as I was on vacation to visit one of my best friends and her daughter. Because I have driven this route before, I thought I knew the way by heart. And for the most part I did as most of the route was along Interstate 90 passing through Minnesota, South Dakota, and finally Wyoming. I enjoyed the journey very much as I like the sense of adventure which I experience whenever I travel. It doesn’t matter if I travel by car, bus, or airplane because along the way I relish this exciting taste of adventure; the flavor of doing something new or different and the thrill of having a change from my usual pace in life.

I packed my suitcase and stuffed that into my car with my hiking boots and my laptop and then headed out. I had my trip all planned and most of my route entered into my GPS unit. Since it was about a thirteen hour drive I decided to stay overnight in a small town in South Dakota which would  mark the halfway point of my journey; I am not one to drive 13 hours straight through and tend to take resting breaks along the way. My journey got off to a rough start in that it seemed I had eaten something that didn’t agree with me. Consequently, I needed to stop more often than planned to find a restroom so therefore, I had a dickens of a time just getting out of Minnesota.

But once I had crossed the border into South Dakota, my guest to make to my friend’s was in earnest as I seemed to feel better and could now drive a greater distance. Many described South Dakota as very flat and boring to travel through. To be sure, wide plains of grass and farm fields stretched out before me but I did not consider the scenery to be boring and because the journey was such a simple route, I had great confidence in myself that I would successfully complete this journey with no mishap. With the wide open highway and the sunlit blue sky before me, I bravely ventured on never dreaming that at some point I would become lost.

As I traveled onward, I debated about taking a detour to visit DeSmet, South Dakota as I was an avid reader of the Little House on the Prairie books. DeSmet is where the Ingalls family finally settled after their years of traveling and moving westward. I decided not to do this on this trip because it is such a ways and I am so focused on being timely, but I am determined to visit it on another trip. I make various stops along the way to refuel my car, freshen up and just stretch my legs. After hours of driving, I arrived at my first destination, Chamberlain; a small town situated on the Missouri River. I chose to stay here for the night because this town holds a special childhood memory. Many years ago when my dad and mom took us on a trip out west we had stopped at a campground staying overnight in our pop up tent. The campground was right on the river and my siblings and I enjoyed it very much. We met other children camping there for night and had played a late night of tag with them. Much to my surprise, the motel where I was staying was also right on the Missouri River and it was a beautiful view. After being assigned a room and storing my luggage, I took a walk through the small town and visited a few of the shops there. It is a very warm and relaxing summer evening. Finally, I went to bed feeling very sure of myself along this trek of mine and still never knowing that I would somehow get lost tomorrow.

Stayed tuned for Part 2!

Friday Verse Journal Romans 8:28

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The Dilemma of the Black Eyed Susan

I used to travel along an old field road

Journeying contentedly and all alone.

My sneaker clad or sandaled feet

Followed a sandy lane to the rows of trees.

The grass was olive green as I passed the hay

And acres of corn along the way.

But the favorite sight that caused me to pause and sigh

Were the yellow daisies with deep, black eyes.

There was something special, something unique

About the black-eyed Susan’s slender physique

Other daisies grew there, I had no doubt

As yellow and white, they dotted my route.

But this daisy was different, I thought with a sigh

While contemplating about the flower with a black eye.

It stood tall and alone in the grassy field

Wanting to be noticed, but with timidity remained concealed.

Oh, that lemon tinted bloom with a black eye

Waving in the wind, beneath the summer sunshine.

What hidden tenderness you softly convey

On this hazy and warm summer day

You dare to be different from the rest

You determine to remain alone and not impress

Anyone else who this way may wander

Nor cause them to pause and internally ponder.

But when I wander by; when I pass through,

I silently notice you, standing erect and true.

You do not bend to the grass or weeds

You’re not apt to follow another’s lead.

Instead you remain poised and pointing to the sky

Where the loving Lord lives and watches on high.

You don’t mind remaining forever alone

Until you wilt and your short life here is done.

You know and accept your part, for God has a plan;

A purpose for you and for us all. If I could just understand

If I could just be truly content and be sure

Knowing that in Jesus, my life is indeed safe and secure.

For I have asked Jesus to live forever in my heart

And he has dwelled in me promising to never depart.

But I don’t comprehend everything; I don’t know God’s entire plan

So I wander aimlessly from one day to the next seeking to understand.

But somehow I know just to remain content and steadfastly true

Remembering God’s love endures forever for me and for you.

That is good enough for you to know, the Lord seems to gently say

The answer of the blacked eyed Susan’s dilemma is to just faithfully stay;

Remain still knowing that God’s love is forever, eternally, the same

For today, tomorrow, and for all of your yesterdays which already came.

Romans 8:28 (Holy Bible New International Version):

“And we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

A Black-eyed Susan in Ohio

Poetry 201 Assignment 9: Landscape, Found Poetry, and Enumeration

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Okay, I completed assignment 9 in which I needed to write a Found poem about ‘landscape’ and include some enumeration (a list). Found poetry I learned is when you gather a collage of words like cutting them from a newspaper and then use those words in a poem.Other poets were much more creative than I by arranging theirs’ in a crossword pattern to illustrate the concepts of their poems. This took me a long time and I probably overdid it. The picture above illustrates the collage of words I used for this poem.

Forever Changing Landscape

From one century to another and one lifetime to the next generation,

The earth’s multi-faceted landscape is forever changing.

From the warm weather of spring to the humid days of summer,

And then transforming from the colorful fall season to snow white winter.

The land of earth is continuously transforming as moving time is a steady constant

While the passing seasons and the world itself are inconsistent variants.

 An enchanted traveler might see the view shift gradually or with sudden surprise

As if surrounded by the deep darkness of night when bursts a glorious sunrise.

For traveling through America is like mentally picking up the vast pieces

 Of a larger than life picture perfect puzzle as each state represents just a speck.

Whether touring by bus, car, cycle, or by riding on the river;

Or perhaps take to the trails by looping around the lakes

In an ambitious and challenging hiking adventure,

An unexpected surprise may meet your wondrous eyes

While you journey from the dawn of morning until the dusk of night.

Ranging from the hot, sandy deserts of Arizona to the north shore of wintry Alaska

And from the mountains of Wyoming to the fields and farms of Kansas and Nebraska;

The land, rivers, forests, and mountains do not remain stale and stagnant.

Instead they all steadily flow by your passenger window; moving, colorful and dynamic.

Even when traveling from one brightly lit up city to yet another,

You may expect to view similar, towering skyscrapers

And perhaps be in reverent awe of their architecture.

However, experiencing the sights and sounds of New York City’s Broadway

Does not compare to walking along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay.

And if one should venture around the world while soul-searching,

The sights of historic Greece would greatly defer from the Eastern Caribbean.

In such travels what peace of mind, new hope, and good delight

May inspire one to adopt new and fresh perspectives on life.

When one chooses to embark on an unknown and great journey;

May it be an exceptional journey to never forget but linger and echo in memory.