Introduction

Poetry has always fascinated me.  I started writing poetry when I was sixteen and have used it as a medium over the years to vent, to ponder things and to explore my feelings. 

I hope that you find my "ponderings" useful in exploring yours.  We all have different paths in this life, but no matter what our circumstances, our heritage, our backgrounds we all have one thing in common, our humanity.  We all feel...sadness, excitement, loneliness, fear, regrets, hope, longings, desire, confusion, guilt and happiness.  We all experience the same things...rejection, acceptance, trials and contentment.  In this way we all understand each other no matter what barriers there be; language, religious, nationality, geography.

So come "Ponder My Way" with me, you might be surprised!

A Letter To Jesus

Dear Lord Jesus,

The miracles You've done are so awesome to me,

Like the feeding of five thousand by the sea;

The changing of water into wine,

And the casting of demons into swine.

Raising Lazarus from the dead,

And healing the man on the lowered bed.

The multitude of fishes caught in the net,

And healing the blood of the woman you met.

All this shows how great You are,

But the giving of Yourself is greater by far!

For Your love reached out from Calvary,

And gave eternal life to a sinner like me.



Reflections

I look in the mirror and see reflected back,

The image of me, though much may lack;

And while I try hard to change what I see,

The truth is what's there is really me.

We open the Bible and also see a reflection,

The image of God in all His perfection;

We see His great love on every page,

And read of His mercy through every age.

Dear Lord, I desire your mirror to be,

That folks may see you reflected in me;

That your love will show in all that I do,

Please change my image to be more like You.



The Storm

I am a small ship on the sea of life,

Battered and wrecked am I;

Tossed to and fro on the angry waves,

As hail beats down from the sky.

My sails are torn and I drift along,

Defenseless against the storm;

Terror sets in as fog settles 'round,

I long for some land to take form.

My strength is gone and weak I am,

I long for the morning to see;

Instead my eyes are blinded with tears,

As I struggle from the storm to be free.

The thunder crashes and lightening strikes,

Not much more I can take;

The darkness is thick and my way lost,

Oh, tomorrow I'll never make.

But wait...I feel a hand take mine,

And my ship ceases to toss;

"I'll never leave you" a loving voice says,

"Your way no more is lost".

A Captain that knows the way is here,

He has sailed this sea before;

He steers through the blustering storm,

Straight for that distant Shore.

I no longer despair despite the storm,

For I am safe in this Captains care;

I give Him control of my little ship,

And He gives peace beyond compare.

I've Learned...#5

...that money can't buy happiness, but it takes the stress out of
   being poor!

...that bitterness corrodes the soul.

...that you never give up, you don't know when the finish line
   will come into view!

...that if everybody waits for somebody then nobody does
   nothing. 

...that the surest way to be defeated is to give up.

...that even though I try to live peaceable with all, that goes out
   the window if you attack my children!

...that a disability in the hands of the right person can become
   an ability.

...that a friend can make or break a day.

...that serving others is making a deposit in Heaven's bank, and
   the interest rate is out of this world!

...that I just don't understand people and I get a headache if I try.

...that inactivity is acceptable for two things, recharging your
   batteries and planning your next move.

...that all I need to make me happy is to be happy with me!

...that I won't get people to believe in me if I don't believe in
   myself.

...that a journey is easier with a friend.

...that in sharing a burden it can be lifted.

...that one of the best abilities we have is to care for another.

...that we can learn from the mistakes of others, and we can love
   despite the mistakes of others.

...that focusing only on the destination robs us of the blessings
   of the journey.

...that if we cease to dream we cease to move forward.

...that I shouldn't believe anyone whose words aren't backed up
   by their actions.

...that dreams without actions become nightmares.

...that if I spend my life regretting what I didn't do, I'll miss the
   chance to accomplish what I can do!

...that nothing makes you feel more useless then not believing
   in yourself.

...that people only have the power over you that you give them!

...that in order to be me, I must be free.

...that the way I choose to deal with conflict shows the depth of
   compassion I possess.

...that the way I view others is directly related to the way I
   preceive they view me.

...that being a friend is the nicest occupation you can have.

...that I've succeeded if I'm the best me I can be.

...that when there's bubble wrap around we all become kids
   again.

...that if we wait until we can do things perfectly, nothing will
   get done!

...that trying and failing is not failure, it's learning.

...that we never know what we can do until we have no choice
   but to do it!

...that being right is not as important as being kind!

...that I may not always succeed, but I will always learn.

...that it's better to be happy alone than unhappy in a crowd.

I've Learned...#4

...that when God takes something away, don't argue!

...that those who have the least give the most.

...that if you need to convince someone to stay, it's better to let
   them go.

...that everyone is either a blessing or a lesson.

...that sometimes the most lonely people are those in a crowd.

...that it doesn't matter what your past was, your future is yet
   unwritten.

...that true love knows you at your worst.

...that true character is who you are when there's nobody around
   to impress.

...that if you can't accept me for who I am then you don't deserve
   me.

...that I can't solve all the problems but I can become an avenue
   of change for them.

...that I'm not to old to dream!

...that when you hit rock bottom start to rebuild.

...that you can't say you love me then fail to prove it.

...that if you compare yourself to others you'll always be
   unhappy!

...that if you don't live what you believe, you're living a lie.

...that scars show how hard you've fought.

...that you can't move on to tomorrow if you're still stuck in
   yesterday.

...that sometimes I am the only one that can help me.

...that we can't see the stars unless we have some darkness.

...that how we think is usually how we live.

...that the greatest use of your time is to make a difference in
   someones life.

...that where you are loved is your home.

...that in my childrens eyes I find the truest love of all.

...that you can never love too much!

...that sometimes you have to endure a few nightmares to reach
   your dream.

...that you can't enjoy the view without the work of climbing the
   mountain.

...that the more you love the more you can love.

...that a long journey is just one step at a time.

...that my mother was right!

...that the harshest criticism usually comes from within.

...that one day at a time is all I can handle.

...that even when you feel deserted by all, God is holding you in
   His arms.

...that Biblical submission is not attained through threats, but
   through love.

...that when you stop trying to please others you begin to please
   yourself.

...that when the storm winds blow you don't make for shore, you
   adjust your sails and hang on!

...that one of the most destructive things that can't be undone is
   an unkind word.

...that kindness is the one thing that when given away comes
   back!

...that this too shall pass.

...that giving up only defeats you.

...that words can kill.

...that you can forgive but you never forget.

I've Learned...Pt #3

...that perserverance is hope ignited by passion.

...that when someone says that I can't, I'm going to try harder!

...that I don't need to apologize for being me.

...that just because there's a smile on my face, doesn't mean there
   aren't tears in my heart.

...that the way you think is the way you'll live.

...that to arrive you need to leave.

...that if you don't believe in anything, you'll be swayed by
   everything.

...that just wishing doesn't make it so.

...that we need to be like a tree, firmly rooted but able to bend in
   the storm.

...that when you're in doubt about something, don't!  Your gut
   instinct is kicking in a warning!

...that sometimes is not what you say but what you don't say that
   has the biggest impact.

...that sometimes in only in hindsight that we see how blessed we
   really were.

...that worrying about tomorrow only drains today of its joy.

...that there is always going to be people who think they know
   what's best for you.

...that no matter what you do, you're not going to please
   everyone!

...that a smile is the most beautiful thing you can wear everyday.

...that the easiest road is often the least rewarding.

...that memories can be the fuel to better things.

...that a positive additude can open doors to greater possibilities.

...that enemies disappear when you befriend them.

...that true passion ignites from experience.

...that sometimes what we want is not what we need.

...that the road to success is often paved with tears.

...that the hardest person to forgive is yourself.

...that happiness is sadness turned inside out.

...that if I'm still here there's something still for me to do!

...that trials deepen my faith.

...that I'm not holding on to God, He's holding on to me.

...that you don't truly appreciate something until it's taken away.

...that one misguided word can ruin someones day.

...that your past doesn't have to define your future.

...that when you find it the hardest to trust is when you have to
   trust the hardest.

...that sometimes you really do just need to stop and smell the
   flowers.