The Empty Tomb

The picture in the picture is by Simon Dewey.  This is a picture I took while sitting on my bed in my room.

The sun came up and shone into the tomb where Christ was laid,
And the women coming to find their Lord were at first afraid

But angels reassured them, saying there was no need to fear

For "Christ is risen as He said" and "He is not here".

With fear and joy they ran to tell disciples all they'd heard

Peter and John ran to the tomb on hearing the women's word.

Christ was risen from the dead, and was not in the tomb

But later showed Himself to them as they gathered in a room.

He is risen!  The body broken now was new again!

And everyone will have this gift, whether for or friend.

He is risen!  What good news that is for us today.

For Jesus came for all of us, and He shows us the way.

If we will choose to follow Him then He will lead us home.

It is for us and all our sins that He came to atone.

He loves us more than it is possible for us to understand.

And it is for us He constantly is reaching out his hand.

One day the Lord will come again in power and great light.

And morning sun will push out all the darkness of the night.

And every tomb will open, and give up those who've died,

To rise again like Jesus after He was crucified.

Rejoice!  He's risen as He said.  The battle has been won.

Rejoice!  For Father up in Heaven gave us His Holy Son.

Rejoice!  For love will win each battle raging in our day!

Rejoice!  For when He comes again the evil cannot stay!

So as the sun comes up and shines think of the empty tomb,

And feel Christ's love and joy and peace come right into your room.

He has risen!  He has conquered death, and the darkness of our sin.

If we stay with Christ, the dark will flee, and light will shine again.

(Written as a song -- and I really need to start dating things!)

The Process That Has Always Been

Sherie (me), Trisa, Tia, and Derek in 1993

Emily, Tia, and Me (2024)

When you were young I held you close

And rocked you oh, so tenderly.

I knew that nothing else in life

Could ever quite so precious be.

Learning each day as time went by

Year after year I with you grew

Though sometimes weary of my task

For there was ever much to do.

My task was very hard indeed.

It was not easy, not at all.

But I would ever wait on you

And answer to your every call.

There were rewards, don't get me wrong

Each thing a child learned was a thrill.

Innocent words can be so sweet

When they for once just say "I will!"

You grew so fast.  Where have they gone?

Those years when I had more control?

But what a joy to see you do

The things that are best for your soul.

And then one day, the years have gone

My children now are gone from me.

You are no longer in my house.

I cannot bounce you on my knee.

Instead I see it start again

This process that has always been.

And I find comfort in the thought

That part of me has come again.

A part of me is in the child

That my child holds so tenderly.

My child looks in an infant's eyes

With love as precious as can be.

(Written a really long time ago -- again in the time of the dot matrix printer)

Mike, Emily, Brigham and Tia 2024

Standing In The Kitchen

This is the house and the kitchen floor
 that I stood on while writing this song.
This picture is of Dan.  I'm pretty sure
 I wrote this song while holding Connor
which would have been a few years before this picture!

 Standing in the Kitchen

I was standing in the kitchen feeling tired and dejected.

I held a child in one arm while I tried to cook some food.

And I felt all alone and tired of this daily chore,

And wondered what to think about for shouldn't there be more

Than standing in the kitchen when a vision came unto me

And I saw many women standing on their kitchen floors.

They were standing in the kitchen, and cooking up some dinner,

And handing out the wisdom they had gained throughout the years.

They had their arms around the future as they cooked up love and kindness,

And held the world in their hands without going out the door.

I am standing in the kitchen with my feet upon the kitchen floor

And holding the world in my hands without going out the door.

I am standing in the kitchen with my arms around a nation.

Handing out the wisdom I have gained throughout the years.

Dishing up some kindness and some love and inspiration.

Listening to the future's worries and wiping away their tears.

I am standing in the kitchen with my feet upon the kitchen floor

And holding the world in my hands without going out the door.

The Zoo (A Birthday Poem)

Photo by Leonard von Bibra on Unsplash

The Zoo

There once was a lady that lived in a zoo.
Do not be embarrassed, I’m thinking of you!
No, please do not argue. It’s perfectly true.
How do I know? I live in one too!

Our zoos are spectacular, as I’m sure you can tell.
The animals are smart, and they speak very well!
They have their own rooms, and don’t always obey.
That can be so frustrating, but they just came that way!

Our animals somehow do not stay the same.
Their shapes and their sizes are not how they came.
They get smarter and smarter each day that they’re here.
And sometimes it seems they were born without fear.

Some of our animals sing like a bird.
Others might shout when they want to be heard.
Some laugh a lot, though sometimes they cry.
And at your zoo and mine, time seems to just fly.

As zookeeper things can get really exhausting.
There always are things to be dusting and mopping.
These creatures we keep seem to want to be fed.
And sometimes it is hard to get them to bed!

We love them, and try not to cringe when they growl.
We will not give up and throw in the towel!
But we do need a break every now and again.
The question that we need to answer is, “When?”

A birthday seems just right to make an escape.
Maybe just after you’ve eaten the cake!
No matter just what you decide you can do,
A big happy birthday from our zoo to you!