Contest: Eight by Eight
Sponsor: Nette Onclaud
Date: 01.08.2026
A fog of faithlessness hovers,
Me doubting my circumstances,
Will it happen or will it not?
Tentacles of distrust take hold...
Thomas was far better than I;
Why do I waver like a wave?
Sceptical susurrations spread...
Lord, please clear this cloud from my mind!
As a child of God, I enjoy awesome life with grateful glow
Benefitting from His provisions today till tomorrow
Cared for midst His peace, overcoming trials’ woe
Delighting in His grace while sharing His love of kindness-glow.
Ever regretful am I for lonely life caused by bringing Him displeasure
For my faithlessness, doubting promises He does assure
Grumbling over misfortune when His Word I do not treasure
Hoisted upon haughtiness and covetousness of selfishness-measure.
I envision a future, blest by the Lord, wondrously triumphant
Joyous while serving Him, reaching out to others, cheerfully jubilant
Keeping on by His compassion and mercy, verily vibrant
Living for His glory toward eternity, worshipfully radiant.
October 8 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Matthew 17-18
Key Verse – Matthew 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR TOUCHING US,
TELLING US NOT TO BE AFRAID
Praise be to God for touching us,
telling us not to be afraid with His:
Words so precious
Ways surely pleasing
Works steadfastly perfect
Warnings strongly profitable
Wisdom Scripturally powerful
Matthew 17:15 Praise be to the Lord
for being merciful unto us:
Calming our fears
Charging our faith-fervency
Correcting us from faithlessness
Clearing out our concentration-focus
Cleansing us against filthiness of feverish fainting
Matthew 18:35 Praise be to the Saviour
for forgiving us with His:
Grace and mercy
Gentleness so mighty
Goodness midst miracles
Grants of generous magnificence
Guidance toward ministry-marvels. Amen!
October 8, 2024
June 24 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Psalms 66-69
Key Verse – Psalms 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR NOT TURNING AWAY OUR PRAYER
Praise be to God for not turning away our prayer
as He grants us abundantly His:
Goodness-geared blessings
Gracious bountifulness
Generous bonuses
Grandest best
Great bliss
Psalms 67:1 Praise be to the Lord
for His mercies unto us:
Cautioning us against futility of faithlessness
Causing us to flee to His freedom
Creating in us fruitfulness
Calling us to be faithful
Caring for our faith
Psalms 68:1 Praise be to the Saviour for
His love that arises to:
Drive us toward His pursuit of peace
Deliver us through His purpose
Draw us nigh His presence
Defend us by His power
Direct us in His plan
Psalms 69:29 Praise be to the Almighty
for setting us on high from:
Suffering-filled frustrations
Sorrow-fueled failures
Sickness-fretting
Sinfulness’ falls
Scarcity-fears.
Amen!
June 24, 2024
May 6 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on 1Chronicles 18-20
Key Verse – 1Chronicles 18:6 …Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO PRESERVES US
Praise be to God for preserving us by His:
Power ably alerting
Presence always available
Precepts absolutely affirming
Protection attentively awakening
Provisions appropriately abounding
1Chronicles 19:13 Praise be to the Lord Who
lets us do that which is good in His sight as we:
Sincerely fulfill His will
Strongly face worldliness
Serenely find His wisdom
Surely fix our faith upon His Word
Steadfastly flee from waywardness
1Chronicles 20:4 Praise be to the Saviour
for subduing our:
Fears by His courage
Flaws along His corrections
Faithlessness through His compassion
Failure around His cheer so comforting
Foolishness with His commandments. Amen!
May 6, 2024
The overpouring raindrops, the incessant rain outside was telling me continuously,
She was a story to nay sayer
and he was a theme park to symbolic haifa.
Baha'i temple and a raincoat.
People get soaked there.
With theocracy, bureaucracy, faithfulness, faithlessness, midlife crisis and many more like all these.
We and the downpouring sounds outside, are a drawback, still
That heavenly sky is still a striker hand of an indoor game!
A feeling escapes, as night coalescing winter.
A cancerous sorrow innate.
A Familiar, a servant of Sinners.
Faithlessness, neglecting to find eternity.
Here she moves along deepened.
Apathy.
Nothingness wraiths, as shadow yet fallen.
Runic signs which carry her lost in
their audacity gape,
a scent of the air of the windward lost.
Sovereignty.
Sunken away from her before final retreat;
as dusk puppeteers the vein
of crimson through dark wings.
Limbo-Purgatory.
Where misdirection
hast stolen something dear.
Apparitions in the key of-part played in
partitioning scenes of anti-harmony scale.
Ever Veer.
The chorus, a stale vape of memory-
sneaking suppressed peak upon weight baring stare.
Always near.
Vengeance borne, upon scornful element,
of negative waves unseen.
Hope, is as well dashed to pieces
by all your trusts' in black mirrors' farewell.
I hope you have reason to steer
clear, of that bottomless well.
O holy One, whose life shone full of grace,
Please grant me further faith today, I pray,
You, only, understand what I must face
You know how much I crave the easier Way.
But just when all seems lost, including Hope
And dark shadows of sorrow blight the day
Your promise brings me light and sun and scope
For new beginnings and for deeper joy.
So, with your hand in mine, I know I’ll cope,
Releasing every fear that could destroy
The life that I have left. For now I see
That each vain worldly worry’s but a toy,
Such faithlessness is now my enemy.
For well I know LOVE won’t let go of me.
Written on 2nd July 2021 for the Terza Rima contest on the theme of Jesus.
Sponsored by: Regina McIntosh
A concrete loveless thinker,
She only believes in what she sees or touches
Her faithlessness limits her
She cannot fathom anything outside of her box
As if she lives in the confines of a 1964 black and white TV
I have tried, but her mind does not wish to expand
Anything she cannot see, touch, or has no knowledge of cannot exist
I wonder if spirit follows her around shouting all day,
While she fills her life up with crossword puzzles
Resolved to not listen or believe.
I cannot fathom a world without science fiction, UFO’s, and the paranormal
I love to be hypnotized, believing in reincarnation and ESP.
My muse throws magnificent ideas across my dendrite highways daily
I chuck them up and toss them around, juggling as many as possible
Imagination is my go-to-place. I live there.
Expanding my mind in a way she cannot imagine.
I am sure she would be horrified if she knew.
The LORD is my Shepherd*; but I have goat’s charm
Thus, I shall not blame Him when I face dearth-alarm...
He protects me; yet in carnality, my body agonizes in pain
While He directs, my feet are stubborn in search for worldly gain…
He fires up my freezing soul toward spiritual revival
As my sins like filthy rags keep clinging to my survival…
Yes, I’m convinced of the Almighty’s presence midst attacking doubts
So I beg His rod and staff to smite my unbelief to win against fleshly bouts…
Cognizant of the Saviour’s blessings and bountifulness
“Why is my cup not running over?” cries my heart in faithlessness…
Indeed, God loves me, reaching down to offer His saving grace and mercy
Woe unto me if I neglect eternal life by not trusting Jesus, defying His clemency.
*Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV)
December 23, 2020
3rd place, "COMPLETELY YOUR CHOICE (45)" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 1/19/2021.
At this very moment lost in life, predictability
Mind is a mess chaos reigns, steadfastness
Fighting with myself shut out, convertibility
Not through lack of confidence, faithlessness.
Honesty best policy was perfect, vulnerability
Perceived to be bureaucratic, crookedness
Looking into blind darkness is not, gullibility
Rather an inclination to, open-mindedness.
Fatalistic properties impress on, observability
Eternal bliss unlikely basis, straightforwardness
My own admission incurred veto, ineligibility
Life’s knowledge diminishes to backwardness.
Into the abyss keeps tumbling, infallibility
Round and round remorselessness
I’m tired now must keep sleeping, insatiability
In the morning truth is coming, unpreparedness.
Executioner asks any last words, foreseeability
And then comes the answer, breathlessness.
Juxtaposition Poetry Contest
Sponsored by the silent one
20/11/2020
Every time miserable fear grips my heart
torturing each chamber with woeful grief
afflicting harshly, leaving panic-dart
to sorrow, overwhelmed by unbelief…
In moments of crises tormenting my mind
distress-filled, losing assured hope
beleaguered, confused where truth to find
anxiously groping for wisdom’s scope…
Whenever my soul wallows in doubt
questioning God’s omnipotent light
murmuring against His gracious clout
after having proven provident might…
Here am I guilty of faithlessness and unbelief
making my God powerless...
I now repent, cleaving to Christ’s compassion
since He’s my Saviour*, worthy of trust-verity.
*2Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour...
April 11, 2020
3rd place, "STRAND PICK D,any theme,any form" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 4/24/2020.
If there was no tomorrow*
Hope could not glow to vanquish today’s sorrow.
With no tomorrow to anticipate
There would be no great event wherein to participate.
In tomorrow’s absence
Faithlessness is a logical license.
Losing tomorrow’s essence, truly wondrous
Leads to future’s futility, indeed disastrous.
Having no tomorrow means no reason to live now
Making unreasonable every present know-how.
Amidst warning’s nullity caused by tomorrow’s void
Vanity prevails with no worthlessness to avoid.
When tomorrow can’t come
Everybody will miss love’s sweet welcome.
Bereft of tomorrow with its blessings’ bounty
Mankind is filled with misery of anxiety.
Robbed from the certainty of tomorrow’s assurance
Souls face despair of grievous endurance.
The Lord be thanked for His promised tomorrow’s grace
Upholding spirits toward worshipful praise.
*Exodus 9:5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
August 20, 2019
2nd place, "What if there was no tomorrow" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Silent One; judged on 8/24/2019.
PRAYER FOR MY HEART
With evil motives provoking me
Hardening my will obstinately…
My God, I entrust my heart to Your control
For You indeed know that out of it are the issues of life.*
With negative reactions causing my faithlessness
Drowning my soul into doubtfulness’ depths...
My God, I submit my heart to Your grace
For You alone can thwart its deceitful schemes.
With foolish counsels pulling me down to frustration
Leading my spirit to wallow in despair...
My God, I yield my heart to Your authority
For You surely are my Master and Lord.
With haughtiness keeping me unyielding
Weakening my moral-spiritual fortitude…
My God, I subject my heart to Your discipline
For You can smite my stubbornness of arrogance-origin.
By faith in You, through Jesus Christ's name,
I entreat for Your answer, believing...
Thanking and praising You...
...Assured that You hearken to my silent prayer.
*Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
February 2, 2019
Edited on February 26, 2019
10th place, "Pick A Title - Free Verse" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Edward Ibeh; judged on 3/9/2019.
Awed by the amazing Lord and God* Almighty
Blessed am I with His beautiful gift of eternal life-bounty
Committed to Him of grateful faith-love's certainty
Delighted in His service He deserves midst my duty
Earnest as He upholds me around His endearment's entirety
Fulfilled by His faithfulness smiting faithlessness' futility
Granted with redemption from hell-fire's gravity
Hoisted toward reaching-out along volunteerism's humility
Illumined by the Holy Spirit to see truths despite deceit's infirmity
Jubilant to live with Christmas spirit, rejoicing with spiritual joviality.
1Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
October 29, 2018
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