PAD Challenge 16-3 brave

Brave

B old and daring

R eady for a challenge

A nticipating adventure

V ictory calls

E ndless tenacity 

PAD Challenge 16-2 brave

A Prayer for Boldness

God

make me

bold and brave.

I need courage,

confidence and pluck.

I lack self-assurance,

assertiveness and daring.

At times, I do feel courageous,

but there are other times, not so much.

My sense of adventure is like hunger.

I long to be an intrepid skier,

a mountain climber or explorer.

A trail blazer through wild country.

I crave some adrenaline.

I want to be gutsy.

A fearless fighter.

I will settle

for a bit

of faith,

please.

PAD Challenge 16-1 Brave

Fear Itself

Eager writers

I’m called on to teach them

So I speak

In Alaska

Ride a train or zipline?

I zipline

A contest

For a trip to Israel

Fill out form

River rafting

Easy, middle or rough

Whitewater

Snowy mountains

Brother-in-law’s wedding

Chain up tires

Sometimes I’m brave,   

because I’m too afraid   

not to be.                        

PAD Challenge 15-3 ant blank

Antisocial

A dmitting, I’m a bit unsociable,

N ot your outgoing sort.

T ruthfully, in social skills

I have fallen short.

S hyness has been my enemy,

O verall, I’d say.

C all me withdrawn,

I know no other way.

A lmost unfriendly, but that’s not quite true.

L oving others, honestly, is what I aim to do.

PAD Challenge 15-2 anti blank

Antigravity

When the disciples stood with Jesus,

it must have been a great surprise

to watch the Lord defy gravity

right before their very eyes.

It seems funny for two angels to ask

“Why do you stand there gazing?”

I wonder, Who wouldn’t gawk

since the sight was so amazing?

Once the angels got their attention,

they immediately went on to say

(for the modern readers’ benefit)

Jesus would return in the same way.

PAD Challenge 15-1 anti-blank

Anticold

Sweaters, slippers, space heater

Close the windows and doors

Anything that’s a cold cheater

Light the fire for s’mores

Better yet, let’s move to Phoenix

Even though it’s not as scenic

You can tell he’s getting old

Since he’s become anticold

PAD Challenge 14-3 hunger

On Eating Inedible Food

When I was little, I remember

my cousin complaining

about her casserole.

“Eat it,” her mom said.

“There are people starving in Africa.”

“Ship it over!”

my cousin said defiantly.

When my husband

insists on eating everything,

whether he likes it or not,

whether he’s stuffing himself or not,

whether it might be going bad or not,

I say, “Throw it away!

It won’t save anyone in Africa.”

Maybe eating less and giving the food

we would have eaten to a food bank

would help us be more grateful,

like my aunt was trying to teach my cousin.

Maybe fixing smaller portions would free

my husband, who had a depression-era mom,

to not feel guilty for throwing food away.

PAD Challenge 14-2 hunger

One by One

So few in the U. S.

know what hunger is.

To go to  bed with a growling belly.

To have food to be the domineering thought.

To feel so helpless against it.

There are so many hungry.

Asleep, I often try to wake myself up

for one reason or the other.

It’s so difficult.

I feel like I’m asleep to World Hunger,

trying to wake myself up,

trying to do more to end it.

The problem is so big.

Overwhelming.

But one by one,

we need to wake up

and help them, somehow,

one by one.

PAD Challenge 14-1 hungering

Hungry

H ungry for hope, joy and love

U nderstanding and wisdom

N urturing by Your Holy Spirit

G race and mercy. Hungry for 

E nergy-providing spiritual sustenance

R ighteousness and peace only You can give.

I  need to hear and live by Your Word. I

N eed to learn to be obedient and full of faith.

G od, I am hungry for You. 

PAD Challenge 13-3 quiet/loud

Quiet Retirement

Just my husband and me now

No electronic noisy toys

No various nonverbal sounds

It’s different without our duo

We’re retired from caregiving

Just my husband and me now

I’m not really retired

I simply give care without pay

I make sure he’s fed and bathed.

And not too bored.

Just my husband and me now.

I miss having backup.

He still takes care of finances.

He does the laundry, with help.

It’s quiet as we go about our day.

Just my husband and me now

PAD Challenge 13-2 Quiet/loud

Joyful Noise

Drums, guitars, piano, mikes

Clapping, singing, shouting

I confess,

I wear earplugs to church.

When God whispers

in His still, small voice,

I want to be able

to hear Him.

PAD Challenge 13-1 loud/quiet

shout                 
long, loud
scold, yell, cheer
fan, teacher, librarian, mom
Shushing, sneaking, tiptoeing
soft, quiet
whisper

PAD Challenge 12-3 Disaster

The One Who’s Able

Disasters happen every day

To someone, somewhere in the world

A building burned, a huge house hurled

And smashed to smithereens like clay

A storm leaves all in disarray

Disasters can be big or small

An earthquake or a missed phone call

A thousand dead or burnt souffle

Sometimes disasters can be good

They often offer a fresh start

A better job or neighborhood

With that in mind you can take heart

And turn to God in earnest prayer

Depending on His loving care

PAD Challenge 12-2 disaster

Praying Mama

In Louisiana, hurricanes

were common as alligators

and my daughter lived down there

and whether she evacuated

or toughed it out in the hospital where she worked,

I was up in Colorado being a praying mama.

So glad she’s now closer to home in Arizona.

Still a praying mama, but I got lots of practice

in her Louisiana years.

PAD Challenge 12-1 disaster

Disaster

I grew up knowing about two Johnstown floods, 1889 & 1936.

since I lived fourteen miles northwest of it in New Florence.

When I was eighteen and while I was spending the summer

in Cheyenne Wyoming, the third one happened in 1977.

When I first heard about it on the radio, I pictured

a few loaves of bread floating around in store aisles,

but as the day progressed I realized it was much worse.

One of my cousins was on the missing list, (but later found).

A great uncle I barely knew was killed along with his girlfriend

and her daughter. A trailer court I used to visit was wiped out.

A total of 84 people lost their lives and hundreds lost their homes.

Johnstown never recovered: businesses and employees left for good.

I came back from Cheyenne and got a job at Johnstown McDonald’s.

The town was a depressed area and the job itself was depressing.

To make matters worse my three closest friends were unemployed:

due to the flood, a broken arm and being out of work for the winter.

I’d hang out with them and they’d talk about sleeping in while I

had to get up at five and work at McDonald’s. To me, it was a disaster.

Poetic Bloomings words to live by

When in doubt

Love God and others

Can’t go wrong

Love Him in thought, word and deed

Love others by being kind

Try on other’s shoes

PAD Challenge 11-3 forgiveness

The Cage

Bitterness keeps long accounts

And the debt is never paid

It rots you from the inside out

That’s how grumps are made.

Forgiveness quickly sets free

From revenge’s bonds

Both the one who did wrong

And the receiver of the wounds.

PAD Challenge 11-2 forgiveness

Forgiveness

Wants the best for another

Despite wrongs done.

PAD Challenge 11-1 forgiveness

Making it Right

Like fragrance after rain, is a soul

who owns up to the wrong done,

makes it right as best as possible

and is in relationship once again.

PAD Challenge 10-3 teen

Changing Times

One time, on a school night

I wrecked my sled and

broke my glasses

and I had to go a whole day

at school with everything

looking like blurry blobs.

I looked down a lot

and most people

except for my friends

didn’t notice my shiner.

But Mr. Bryson

called me forward

for some reason.

I can’t remember why.

But I remember looking up

and I could see he wore

a strange expression.

He had this almost smile

but didn’t say anything.

Nowadays my parents

probably would have

received a phone call.

PAD Challenge 10-2 teen

Messenger

I was in chemistry class

when the bell rang

coincidently at the time

I asked for a bathroom pass.

Mr. Jones thought

I was getting the pass

to meet with my boyfriend.

He said, “Tell Drew I said hi.”

I couldn’t pass up the chance.

So, after I went to the restroom,

I walked into study hall,

found Drew and told him,

“Mr. Jones said hi.”

No one questioned me.

If they did, I would have said

that Mr. Jones had sent me.

PAD Challenge 10-1 teen

He Saw Me in Purple

I remember one year in high school,

purple was a popular color.

One boy noticed this

and was pointing out all the purple shirts.

I was wearing purple that day.

He pointed to me, “There’s another one.”

I was surprised he saw me.

People normally didn’t.

I was noticed for wearing a purple shirt.

Just a fluke.

PAD Challenge 9-3 Burn

Burn Out

Life’s plate piles ridiculously high

Teeters as it reaches the sky

Without a doubt

You’ll burn out

If you soon don’t prioritize

PAD Challenge 9-2 Burn

Burning Acres

No hurricanes here

Tornadoes are rare

Snowstorms, we can wait out

But here in southwest Colorado

where we get about 13 inches of rain each year,

you better not drop a match.

PAD Challenge 9-1 Burn

Burn Dance

Fire dances

gracefully back and forth

around what it consumes.

Beautiful and deadly

like Herodias's daughter
dancing for the king,

asking for the head

of John the Baptist.

PAD Challenge 8-3 hint

Always There

I remember the day I first

realized I’d never be alone.

I was waitressing at a restaurant.

I went back to the break room alone,

bowed my head and gave thanks.

PAD Challenge 8-2 Hint

The Artist

Open fields

Stormy clouds

Glimmer of the western sun

Tree-covered hill

Rushing river

Mountain peaks against pink sky

Attentive pines

Singing crickets

Brilliant stars in indigo night

Golden sunset

Quiet islands

High cliffs keep watch

Waterfalls

Lush valleys

Breeze carries fresh fragrance

God hints at who He is.

PAD challenge 8-1 Hint

Surprise Packages

I have no reason to hint

for what I want for Christmas

since shopping solely falls to me.

I buy what I want,

poke it in a gift bag,

and mark it from my husband.

On Christmas, I open it,

and say, “Just what I wanted!

How did you know?”

Of course, it’s a bit boring

knowing what I’ll get.

But my memory’s getting bad.

I’ll just wrap it early

and by the time I open it

I’ll truly be surprised.

PAD Challenge 7-3 Occupation

Caregiver

Our church built a ramp.

So far, on a regular basis,

up and down the ramp, I’ve taken

An elderly lady

A developmentally disabled man

A friend with a bum foot

Another friend with a bum foot

A developmentally disabled woman

And now my disabled husband

Sometimes it seems that God’s not happy

unless I’m taking someone up and down that ramp.