On a clear starry night with a pair of binoculars

Limits!
So  many  limits!
If  we  could  only  SEE........!!
Oh  the  things,
the  sights, the  sounds,
the  smells, the  feelings.....
And  why  only  these  senses?
What  if  we  had  other  senses  too?
Ones  my  tiny  imagination
dares  not  even  hope  for,
cannot  even  formulate....
the  limits, Lord,
the  LIMITS!
I  cannot  comprehend
the  vastness  of  our  galaxy,
(Or  even  our  planet
for  that  matter)
 let  alone  any  other  galaxies
and  universe  that  might  exist.
There’s  just  so  much, Lord,
and  my  knowledge  is  so  puny
by  comparison
that  it’s  less  than  the  tiniest
thing  I  can imagine.

How  can  I  ever  hope
to  understand  You,
to  know  You,
to  try  to  put  You  in  a  little  box  labelled  
“Everything  there  is  to  know  about  God”?
How  can  I  ever  hope
to  know  the  heights,
the  depths, the  width,
the  dimensions  of  You, Lord,
when  I  can’t  even  comprehend
one  tiny  universe
of  many  that  You  have  made?


You  are  beyond  me, Lord,
in  Your  vastness,
Yet  You  are  within  me
in  Your  tinyness.
From  the  hugestness  I  can  imagine
to  the  tiniest, microscopicness
I  can  imagine,

Lord  You  are  there.

I  am  speechless  before  You.

5th  August  1986

Picture found with Google images http://kendrive.blog.co.uk/2009/11/16/the-stars-at-night-are-big-and-bright-7383565/

On Good Friday

I  don’t  know  
what  it’s  truly  all about,
or  why  it  had  to  happen;
but, if  nothing  else,
I  light  this  candle
out  of  respect
for  a  man  who  died  a  horrible  death.
And  I  pray
for  all  those  today
dying  a  horrible  death -
whether  from  disease
or  torture
or  hunger
or  whatever  the  cause.
Jesus,
You  have  been  there,
You  know  what  it’s  like;
be  with  them.


And  I  pray  too
for  all  the  grieving  relatives
who  must  watch,
helpless,
while  their  loved  ones  die.
Mary,
you  watched  your  son  die;
be  with  them.


I  light  this  candle
and  pray  that  all  darkness
may  be  banished  forever.


Amen.  May - it - be - so.


5th  April  1996

Picture from Google images  http://visitaiglesia.net/2012/?p=390

Victoria's Grace

This grace evolved at my baby daughter's feed times. The photos are of her when she was a chubby bubby: she's a beautiful, slim 18 year old now!



The  Lord  bless  your  food  to  you, darling.
The  Lord  be  praised  I’ve  food  to  give  you.
The  Lord  be  praised  I’ve  you  to  give  food  to!
Amen.


15th April 1994

God's glory

A happy poem for a change. Most of my poems are written when I'm feeling down, to help me sort out what's going on: I do have happy times too, but I'm too busy enjoying them to try to put the feelings into words!

Glory to You my God


Glory to You my God
who made the sun
to burst out upon us
and flood us with light, warmth and cheer!

Glory to You my God
who made the wind
to whistle and roar
and blow away the cobwebs in our minds!

Glory to You my God
who dances on the sunbeams
and whirls round with the wind
for very joy in Your creation!

Glory to You my God for ever and for ever!
19^th Feb. 1993


Picture from Google images http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/550041-what-does-tiger-have-to-do-to-be-back/page__st__60 to You my God

Sunset sky

Sky Reflection

Lord,

Today You made the sky

a reflection of the sea.

I saw it all Lord -

each wave, each ripple,

like tiny creases in the sky.

The clouds were ripple - marked

like the hard sand

when the tide goes out:

I could even see

the gentle breakers

moving slowly over the white cloud - beach,

the blue - sky islands jutting out

and the foamy wave heads

where wave meets wave,

golden with the soon setting sun.

23^rd May 1986

Picture found using Google images http://porbital.deviantart.com/art/Ripple-Sky-107159489

Bad weather feelings

This is also on my other blog http://hawthornespatchwork.blogspot.com/ so apologies to those who've already seen it.

On a windy, rainy night

(Prayer of an undiagnosed S.A.D. sufferer)

Lord,

forgive me the times

I let fear get the better of me -

when a grey day makes me feel gloomy,

when the wind’s roaring scares me,

when the darkness outside as night approaches

seeps into my mind also.

Help me not to let

these natural things affect my moods,

remembering that You created them,

You caused them to be,

You set the rules for them.

Let me instead

rejoice in the variety of weather

You have made,

the turning of the seasons,

the circle of day and night,

seeing them in their wholeness and balance

with daytime, sunshine, and calmness.

Help me to learn from them, Lord,

the lessons You can teach;

that darkness and bad weather

don’t last forever -

the sun will come again

and that we need sun and rain

to grow strong and tall.

And,

if I cannot do either of these Lord,

hold my hand

and sit with me

until the moods pass

and I am myself again.

Amen.

21^st March 1999

Picture found using Google images http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/photography-in-bad-weather-tips-and-techniques/

Fear of failure

I have a secret to admit to you....whenever I start to write in a new notebook I just have to leave the first page blank. It looks so beautifully clean and unsullied that I can't bear to spoil it by putting my scrawl on it. Sometimes I even start at the back of the book, working my way forwards! If I had beautiful calligraphic handwriting, and had something outstandingly wise to say, then I'd go for it but until then my habit remains.

I began to wonder if sometimes I approach each new day like this, and that's how this 'poem' got written.



A blank sheet of paper,
So new,
So clean,
So full of promise
Yet so full of fear -
Fear of failing
Fear of spoiling it
Fear of going wrong and making a mess.

Be confident
Like a child.
Enjoy making the marks.
You don’t expect a child
To draw a masterpiece do you?
Don’t you praise her efforts
And feel pride in what she can achieve
At her age?
So it is with you.
You are not perfect.
You are where you are
And nobody can expect you to be anywhere else.
Have fun!
And if you make a mistake,
Well, never mind -
Throw it away and start again.
I love you.
I am proud of you.
I enjoy what you do.
So go to it!

6^th Dec. 98

Picture found using Google images http://www.reading-with-kids.com/readingactivities.html