Raindrops and Nursery Rhymes

photo from http://mickey-spectrum.deviantart.com/art/Rain-Rain-Go-Away-295110167

Raindrops and Nursery Rhymes

Black mud seizes firmly to my feet, clinging

like a swimmer sinking to a line clasping,

until it succeeds in suctioning off my shoe

and I’m left wobbling on one leg, not two.

Like the little teapot, short and stout,

I tip me over and…pull my shoe out.

As yet again raindrops splatter the ground. 

I close my eyes and simply sigh with the sound.

Thunder grumbles its displeasure over my head,

as he too complains about the rain I dread.

And though I sing, “rain, rain go away…”

the rascal refuses and chooses to stay.

I dash inside, sliding through the screen door,

squishing and squeaking, tracking mud ‘cross the floor.

I shiver with disgust, now I’m soaked to the skin.

It’s hard to believe that it’s storming again.

I call out, “It’s raining. It’s pouring!!!”

Only to find that old man once again snoring.

In weather like this, I might as well join him.

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Rain, rain go away...I imagine I am not the only one sick of mud and yard that are now lakes. 

A Conversation Worth Continuing

A Conversation Worth Continuing

I am going to take a minute to fuss.

I can’t stand to hear someone cuss.

When with every other breath you swear,

in my opinion, you pollute our air.

Maybe you think you seem smarter.

Well, you need to think a little harder.

With every f-bomb that you drop,

your IQ points appear to plop.

With thousands of intelligent words

you simply repeat the slang you've heard?

You don’t care who you offend,

yet I’m expected to pretend

the verbal filth you spread is alright

even if there’s a child in sight?

With movies filled with cursing rants

(which I don’t enjoy, I simply can’t)

it’s not your fault the world’s amiss.

Still don’t you know you’re better than this?

Your character is reflected in the words you speak,

Choose! Words of wisdom or words that reek?

You must speak something worth hearing

to have a conversation worth continuing.

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I recently heard a man who was critiquing a movie say that he thought the actress would have been sexier if she dropped an f-bomb every now and then. Really? Sexier? Has this world gone insane or simply him? Since when is it considered SEXY to cuss?

The conversations surrounding us are saturated with cursing. We can’t escape it. Whether we are in the work place, shopping in a store, attending a show or flipping through the songs on the radio; obscenities scorch our ears. Even some commercials on daytime TV are insinuating the words in a failed attempt to appear clever. Is it any wonder that even out of the mouths of babes come the occasional (or not so seldom) cuss word? And if the parents cuss, guess what? We teach by example, so the children are pretty much guaranteed to cuss as well. Is that what they really want to teach their kids? I guess if it doesn’t bother them to voice vulgarity around children, then it probably doesn’t matter to them if the little ones repeat their crude behavior.

Don’t get me wrong. The words out of my own mouth are far from perfect - from negativity and complaining, gossiping at times, to the occasional dirty word. Yes, I am ashamed to say that even I at times let out a word that I should have held back. I’m not proud of it. From experience I have learned, the more we are around people who cuss the more the likely that profanity will pop into our own minds and pop out of our mouths before we can catch it; all the more reason to be careful who we hang around with. As a preacher once told our congregation: “If you hold a clean paper plate in one hand and a paper plate covered in mud in the other, when you rub the two together, the clean is not going to rub off on the dirty. But, the mud will smear all over the clean every time.”

Because I know we all fall short, someone who occasionally lets one slip does not offend me so much (though there are certain words among swear words that I cannot stand at all). I am also aware that some honestly see no problem with it because they have been around that vocabulary all of their lives. Still, this doesn’t excuse them from not showing self-control around others.

My main complaint is with those who refuse to show any restraint and who don’t care who is around them while they let the obscenities fly. The person whose mouth is so filled with filth that they can’t speak two sentences without swearing truly needs to learn some control and courtesy. Truly, I want to say, “You kiss your babies with that mouth?” or “Do you talk that way when your grandmother visits?” If the answer is no, then don’t talk that way in public!

Now, I have been chastised and told that words are just sounds that come out of our mouth that man gave meaning to and that I shouldn’t let them bother me so much. Well, it is the truth that man did give these sounds meaning, but some of the definitions of those “sounds” are rude, hateful, obscene and downright vulgar. I for one would rather not hear them and I have that right! I am aware that we live in the United States of America where (for the moment) we have freedom of speech. Yet to some of us living in this land of freedoms, we prefer a land free from having to hear lewd, crude and X-rated language. I know it will never happen this side of heaven, but that’s my rant and now I’m done.

“But shun profane & vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” 2 Timothy 2:16

My Mother's Love

My Mother's Love

My first memories are wrapped in you.

Your softly read stories soothed me to sleep.

Many hurts have been healed wrapped in your hugs.

Often and always, I’ve forever felt loved.      

They say no one is perfect and that may be so,

However, your love, Mom, must be close.

Endless and forgiving just like our Lord’s,

 I Realize that your love has taught me the most.  

 ‘So many prayers you’ve prayed for me.

Life lessons you’ve patiently guided me through,

 (Over and over again a time or two.)

Vast are the values you’ve passed along.

Every moment’s a blessing when shared with you, Mom.

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Last year, I almost lost her. This past year, we've become much more aware of how each moment together is a treasure to thankful for and should never be taken for granted. I know, that’s an obvious fact; but it is one that all lose sight of in the daily rush of things.

With each illness, with each aged year that passes, with every death of a loved one; God sends us a reminder that those we hold dear won’t be with us forever. Cherish them while we can, spend time with them, listen to their stories (even if you've heard them before); give them the greatest part of you – your time and heartfelt attention.

By the grace and love of God, I still have my mom. He knew I still had lessons to learn from her. Of course, He is perfectly right. She (and my Dad) taught me what true love is. Now she is teaching me true strength of character and how to graciously face the advanced years. There will always be a new lesson to be learned - another lesson she has taught me, by example.

My mother’s love quenches like rain after a drought. It is soaked into the soul, danced in with childlike joy and savored with every drop of the tongue. In my lifetime, may I succeed in being at least half the woman she is in my eyes.

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Thank you, Lord, for letting me have Mom on earth a little while longer. May I never take the extra time together for granted and may I be as much of a blessing to her as she is to me. ~ Amen