Sunday, January 29, 2012

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.                               
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer (sung by Patricia Spreng with accompaniment track)
(lyrics and music by Keith & Kristin Getty)


I'm headed over to Deidra's place at Jumping Tandem to join the worship there... care to join me?

Friday, January 27, 2012

Last Call

Those words spoken
before ‘good bye’
lingered long…
stowaways

fed by morsels
of rewind, replay, remind
daily…
yearly, now

some things never change

except when
those words spoken
before ‘good bye’
are breathed upon the air
released from spirit to Spirit

carried away by winds
of change

patricia spreng

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Boundary Lines

what would they say
if boundary lines could talk
of first steps taken

in courage
fear
ignorance
foolishness
confidence
faith

what would they say
if boundary lines could talk
of first steps regretted

patricia spreng

joining d'Verse Poetics where you will find the wonderful words of poets.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

True North

 I do not have my bearings
on this monday morning sea;
like drunken sailors waking
in a fog, stupidity.

My little boat, it flounders
in sure uncertainty;
and now I find it storming
with tumult that must be.
 
Still, I must, become with you
as one becomes a “we”
and there I am in awe  of you,
master of the sea.

Patricia Spreng

Joining today with d’VersePoets for Open Link Night where you will find the wonderful words of poets.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Know this ...

Poetry prompt:  Photo by Noukka Signe. Creative Commons, via Flickr.
It is finished.
I turn, deliberately,
to face you,
Fear.

My spirit stands
in strength.
My soul window,
opened.

I pour
into your darkness,
penetrate
your depths.

Hear this.
Know this.

Get behind me.
Be gone.

No longer shall I run,
afraid.
Through wilderness,
contrived.

God Wind
surround me,
empower me.
Peace, be still.

Patricia Spreng

Joining the prompt today at TS Poetry's Every Day Poems


Monday, January 9, 2012

Will you let her come?

There’s truly something amazing about 6th grade girls basketball. 
Amazingly funny, that is.
 
At this age, the game should more appropriately be called Keep Away or Ready Wrestle.  It has less to do with the basket and more to do with chasing whoever has the ball.  On this day, I remembered to bring my camera, and we were privileged to see a bit more of what our daughter is made of. 
apparently, passing the ball was not an option.


Now, mind you, we’ve taught her to be polite, take turns, share and say her prayers.  Other parents enjoy having her at their homes.  She uses ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’  Her room is messy, but she can “see things better that way.”  With four children, my main theme has been to try and 'finish strong.'
click on photo to see her 'you are really bothering me' look.
She is our fourth child, our youngest.  She is the one whose life would come to be in my 40th year.  The one whose name was chosen by God and whispered to me almost 12 years ago. She was never a surprise to us.  We knew she was coming, even before she was conceived.  That day in the car, all by myself, he told me her name… Kara Joy.  Inaudible, but transferrable… from heart to heart.  I knew it was God right away. I struggled hard with him that day.  I cried.  I was afraid.  I was done having children and didn’t want any more.  And oh, by the way... was this going to be another immaculate conception?  Because as far as I knew, one had to be exposed.  And, well, at that point in our lives, things weren't exactly 'frequent.'  And for crying out loud, did he know I was 39 years old?  And, He already knew how much I hated giving birth.  Yes, God and I went a few rounds that day.  And then he won.  Silencing me as he asked me this question...

Will you let her come? 

He asked me.  Spirit to spirit.  Please don’t ask me to explain why God would do that. I can’t. Just one question.  From him.   Then and there, my heart changed, my life changed and my mouth formed the word “yes.”  Without understanding, without fear.  I'm am forever grateful that the gentle presence and moving of his spirit enabled me to yield.  And now, 12 years later, this is Kara Joy.
  
One who prays for her friends and their parents.
One who sees others in pain and cries about it.
One who brought me her teddy bear after my mom died because I “needed it more than she did.” (I slept with it for a long time.)
One who looks for someone alone at the lunch table, so she can sit with them.
One who is compassionate and giving.
One who is full of laughter and sarcasm.
One who loves to sing and cook. 
She is wise beyond her years, an old soul if you will.

So as my camera captured the look on her face during the basketball game, it made me laugh out loud.  I laughed to see her tenacity… the sheer determination of the warrior child in battle.  First I laughed.  And then I remembered.  I remembered whose she was… and I felt deeply thankful. 

For every facet of her personality.
For her determination.
For her strength.
For her compassion.
For the Author and Giver of her life.
For the privilege of being her mom.

Patricia Spreng
Joining with Laura at the Wellspring for Playdates With God

and with Wolfrosebud at Scribbling Spiritual Sand

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Don't worry, be happy...


25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a]    Matthew 6


Joining with others at Deidra's place Jumping Tandem for Sunday




Saturday, January 7, 2012

Silent sighs...

in the space
of silent sighs

deep groans of
internal contortion

winds howl through corridors of night 
sucking life from tombs of loneliness

tentacles of stress
maniacally entangle

silently stealing
synapses of my soul

where are you
oh dweller of my spirit

maker of mind
Healer of my heart

giver of life
breathe into me

heave low and heavy
Your spirit

restore to me
the joy of your salvation

Patricia Spreng

Pulling out something from my past to join with d'verse poets... where you will find the wonderful words of poets. Tonight they are featuring poetry that encompasses the use of onomatopoeia and I thought this sounded about right.  Thank God for his faithfulness, I am not in this place anymore.