Poetry & Prose ~~ "Spring Sonnets, Sports, & Symposiums"

Now that spring is in full swing, it's a great time to head outdoors to do some reading and writing.  I suppose you could even do some 'rithmetic if that's on your schedule.

                                                                         Sonnets

For my April issue of Writers' T. & T. (Writers' Tips & Techniques), I invite you to try your hand at writing a sonnet of which there are basically six different styles and types.  The word sonnet is derived from the Italian word "sonnetto," which means a "little song" or small lyric.  For more details, please scoop this:  https://literarydevices.net/sonnet/

                         

Of Farms & Frames

Down through the family trees they descended,
Some with brown eyes, others with blue, one with green.
All were created so lovingly by God,
Implementing His masterful right hand.
A lively clan as one could easily hear.
The patriarch was quite a character,
To which the neighbors would gladly attest.
The little farm provided years of quick learning,
Lessons required to be remembered.
Time flees so quickly; capture it right now,
Chances abound for precious memories.
Print them to place inside a pretty frame,
To continue your family legacy,
For the generations which will follow you.


GRANDKIDDOS' SPRING SPORTS 

                                      

Granddaughter, Ali ,with a fabulous serve during her first spring volleyball game.

                                         

Grandson, T. J., executing the perfect hike during his Friday Night Flag Football game.

                                     

Since brother's team was winning by a wide margin, sister reads on.  She's never without a book. Speaking of readers and writers, one doesn't need to look very far back in the family trees to find many of the same bent.

 Spring Writers' Symposium 

Those of you who attended the Spring Writers' Symposium on St. Patrick's Day in Parma, Idaho were treated to a little humor when I commenced my workshop on Creative Writing. I wanted to celebrate my new found ancestry with a stylish pair of glasses. What do you think?

                                                                   
Speaking of creative writing, enter to win your choice of one of my books featured on my blog page ~~ www.sheilassagaciousstirrings.blogspot.com or the creative writing exercise and instructions I presented during the recent symposium.  This creative writing packet will include three creative writing prompts.

How to enter:

1.  Follow me on Facebook or Twitter@SheilaEismann (if you are not already doing so) and mention the title of this newsletter, "Spring Sonnets, Sports and Symposiums."

2.  Visit my blog post, "Spring Sonnets, Sports and Symposiums." and leave a comment.

3.  Share the blog post on Facebook or Twitter.  (Don't forget to tag me and comment "Spring Sonnets, Sports and Symposiums" when you share, so I will know you entered.)

4.  For those of you who are not social media subscribers, please send an email to:  sheila@desertsagepress.com and indicate that you'd like to have your name entered in the giveaway.

The giveaway will run from now until April 30th.  The winner will be announced Monday, April 30th at noon MDT via Facebook, Twitter, and email.  Must be 18 years old to enter.  Winner's choice of one of my books or creative writing materials ships only to mainland United States.

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."  [John Burrough]

In the interim, Happy Reading & Write On!

Sheila Fabulous

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Give Thanks"

Think about God’s wonderful gift of love,

Having sent Jesus, His only begotten Son.

Always rejoice with thanksgiving in your heart.

Never give up for He holds you safe in His arms.

Keep your eyes upon Jesus in the midst of the storm.

Stand strong in faith and give praise to our saving Lord.

Grant mercy and grace to others in their time of need.

Inspire others to reach out and be filled with His peace.

Value and treasure His gift of eternal life He freely gives.

Invite others to open their hearts to believe and receive.

Now and forever give God all the glory for all He has done.

Give thanks forevermore for His wonderful gift of love.


Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  All of us have so much for which to be thankful.

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Let Us Not Forget"

Let us not forget what Memorial Day is all about,

            And remember the men and women, who without a doubt

Gave of themselves to serve, many giving up their lives

            To defend our God given freedoms by their sacrifice.

Freedom is not free, it comes with  a very great cost

            By the many battles won and by some that have been lost.

Freedom is worth defending, something we do not want to lose.     

            Peace is what we long for in our present and in our future too.

So as we celebrate this day with family and friends,

            Remember those who fought for our liberties to the end.

Let us give thanks for those who served and paid the price,

            That we may enjoy our freedoms everyday of our lives.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

Submitted by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.

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Poetry & Prose ~ "The Eyes of My Heart"

Mom, the eyes of my heart will forever see,

            Just how special your love will always be.

Throughout the years you were always there,

            With gentle smiles and many heartfelt prayers.

Unwavering in your unconditional love for everyone,

            Your embraced us in the warmth of your love.

When the storms and trials of life came our way,

            You always had words of wisdom for each new day.

You freely gave of yourself to give us a better life,

            Putting aside your own desires, making many a sacrifice.

You laughed with us through the joys we shared,

            And cried with us showing how much you cared.

Now that you've gone home to be with our Lord,

            I know that I will see you on Heaven’s shore.

You are with that great cloud of witnesses watching from Heaven above,

            Cheering us on in prayer, surrounding us with your love.

           

From the depths of my heart, I thank you once again,

            For being my mom and for being my friend.

For it is the eyes of my heart that will always see,

            Just how much your motherly love means to me.

From your loving daughter, forever.

       

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures. 

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence & Happy Mother's Day!

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Answers in Faith ~~ Implementing Your Love Language

Amidst the season of gift giving, is receiving gifts your love language?  Do you happen to know your love language?  It took me awhile to discover mine, and believe it or not, it was through adverse circumstances that I fully recognized it!

Here's a great website link for more information on this vital subject: 

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/communication-and-conflict/learn-to-speak-your-spouses-love-language/understanding-the-five-love-languages

The following quote from the Focus on the Family article best describes my love language, i.e., Words of affirmation:

"One way to express love emotionally is to use words that build up.  Solomon, author of ancient Hebrew Wisdom Literature, wrote, 'The tongue has the power of life and death' (Proverbs 18:21, NIV).  Many couples have never learned the tremendous power of verbally affirming one another.

"Verbal compliments, or words of appreciation, are powerful communicators of love.  They are best expressed in simple, straightforward statements of affirmation, such as:

'You look sharp in that suit.'
'Do you every look incredible in that dress!  Wow!'
'I really like how you're always on time to pick me up at work.'
'You can always make me laugh.' "

As I previously mentioned, when someone hurled a cutting word my way, it bothered me greatly and diminished my creativity.  Conversely, as an example, when I would bake something special for my family, my husband would say, "Wow, that looks like it belongs in Sunset magazine!"  The compliments made me flourish and have remained as jewels in my heart.  

Now you might comment, "Well, no one likes to be ridiculed or verbally attacked." Agreed, but when God has created us with our specific love language, assaults thereon deplete our reservoirs of creativity and the ability to function in our given language.

The five love languages are not solely for couples.  Since they are resident within each one of us, they are to be exercised and lavished upon our children, grandchildren, co-workers, neighbors, or whomever.  

If you're unsure of your language, there are online quizzes that you can take to discover yours!

I decided to exercise my love language toward my youngest grand kiddos this year when specifically selecting the above words of affirmation for them.  I typed their first and middle names and using the first letter of each name, I blessed them with words that will still be inside their spirits as well as their picture frames for many years to come.

For those of you who have read my book titled Stirrings of The Spirit, you are very familiar with why these grandchildren are such special treasures since God miraculously spared their mother's life twenty-five years ago.

I hope you don't mind the extra-large picture in this post as I wanted to convey the full context of my message.

Plan to bless someone by discovering and implementing your love language. You're sure to make this world a better place if you do!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Always The More"

As I reflect upon the countless blessings

            That You have showered down on me,

I am thankful for each and every one of them,

            Even for those blessings I cannot see.           

For unconditional love that flows from Your heart,

            For the breath of life You breathe into me,

For the gift of salvation and words of eternal life,

            For the gift of grace and mercy in a time of need.

For the gift of forgiveness that is freely given,

            For the unspeakable joy that floods my soul,

For the peace that calms the raging storm,

            For the gift of healing that makes me whole.

For Your light that shines in the darkest of nights,

            For the gift of faith and hope when all else fails.

For the song of deliverance when I am afraid,

            For the freedom I have to worship You above all                             else.

For Your gift of redemption, my soul is redeemed.

            For your Presence in my life that You are here.

For Your promise that You have overcome the world,

            And Your words to us to be of good cheer.

For the gift of my family, loved ones and friends,

            There are not enough words to adequately express,

For the many ways You have shown me Your love,

            And that through them my life is truly blessed.

           

For You alone are the One I worship and praise,

            You are the One I am living for.

For You, oh Lord, are a God Who is never-the-less,

            For You are a God Who is always-the-more.

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Heaven's Delight"

                                            

Sounds and sights of Christmas are everywhere,

          While an array of joyous songs fill the air.

There are decorated cookies and delicious candy canes,

          As Christmas lights twinkle in frosted window panes.

Artfully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree,

          Await Christmas morning for children filled with glee.

The aroma of Christmas dinner fills the air with the fixings to enjoy,

          Our grateful hearts overflow with many reasons to rejoice.

Family, friends and loved ones all gather around,

          Sharing smiles and laughter as love abounds.

Christmas carols and holy Nativity scenes,

          Cause us to remember a Baby born, a Humble King.

Angels gave Glory to God, announcing the Savior’s birth,

          And shepherds heard their joyful praises filling the earth.

Wise men searched for the King following Bethlehem’s Star,

          Bearing gifts, bowing down in worship with all their hearts.

We may not know the exact day that our Savior was born,

          But that does not diminish the truth that He is our Lord.

God's love for all of us was placed on display,

          The Glory of God revealed to us on the first Christmas Day.

Heaven's Gift of Love came to dwell in our midst,

          We open wide our hearts and receive His precious gift.

He fills our hearts with His presence, glory and light,

          Emmanuel, God with us, Heaven’s delight.

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.    

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Beverly"

Whose name means

        dweller at the beaver meadow,

Walked into my life thirty-three years ago

        to say more than a mere hello.

Her sweet diligent spirit

        inside her five foot frame,

Keeps her working heartily

        as for the Lord without blame.

Green eyes portray kindness

        along with a gracious hospitality.

When you sit at her dining table,

        she treats you just like family.

Blessed to be a Christian from

        nine months in Lila’s womb,

Beverly remains rest assured

        during these days of doom and gloom.

She’ll be the first to encourage you

        to stay on the narrow road,

Leaning on your Lord and Savior

        will help to lighten your load.

We never encounter anyone by chance

        as God ordains every meeting.

My life has been enriched for decades

        by a blonde with a friendly greeting.

Our friendship was forged through

        laughter, prayer, and tears.

The Holy Spirit within us

        calmed all of our fears.

Thanks be unto God for His

        eternal gift of friends.

He has given us something

        that never really ends.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Sweet & Savory Tuesday ~~ Pomegranate Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce or use fresh tomatoes from your garden
• 1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste or use fresh tomatoes from your garden
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 4 cloves diced garlic
• 2 medium sized onions 
• 1 - Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning or use fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary
• 1 - Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 - tsp. salt, optional
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Puree onions in food processor
• If you are using dried herbs for Italian seasoning, grind them in your mortar and pestle

• Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan
• Stir until smooth
• Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer you allow the sauce to simmer, the better the flavor will be.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Serve with spaghetti noodles or pasta of your choice
• Pair with tossed green salad and garlic french bread

Pomegranates are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. For additional information, here is a link:

https://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-pomegranate/

I have such fond childhood memories of my maternal grandmother, Lenna Grace, sending a box of yummy pomegranates to our family each year for Thanksgiving.  The area in which she lived was very conducive to growing ones with exceptional color and flavor.

If you happen to give this pasta sauce with a new twist a try, I would love to hear from you.  So would my blog readers!

Happy eating in Pomegranate's Presence.

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Science With The Grandkiddos

During one of the grandkiddos' recent visits, they made two ice cube trays of citrus slices.  These have been such a nice relief during our recent one hundred degree temperatures.

Depending upon the ages of your grandchildren, you may have to slice the lemon or lime into small wedges for them.

If your grandchildren are old enough, they can read the instructions for themselves:

1. Rinse a lemon or lime, dry with paper towel, and cut into small slices or wedges.

2.  Place one wedge into each compartment of the ice tray.

3.  Place the ice tray in the freezer overnight.  Invert the tray to remove the cubes.  If you only desire to use one or two at a time, they can be removed from the tray by grasping the citrus wedge.

4.  This is a fun way to explain to young children how water can be a liquid and a solid.

5.  Other suggestions for the citrus wedges ~~ place them inside a glass of iced or hot tea or a citrus drink!

Happy Reading & Learning.  Stay cool!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "In Memory of You"

    

I can close my eyes

        and vividly see you.

It’s as if you’re forever

        plainly in view.

Your smile never fades

        nor the look in your eye.

The words you so often spoke

        still make me cry.

Your favorite food, activity, and song

        I can readily recall.

When we celebrated those

        we really had a ball.

Framed photos speak volumes

        and bring a smile to my face.

The trips down memory lane

        are filled with such grace.

I’ve stopped counting the time

         since you left this earth.

That exercise is too painful

        so I choose to divert.

All of our days were fashioned

        before one of them dawned.

In a fleeting moment

        it seems as if they’re gone.

My love for you

        will always remain true.

So I’m penning these words

        in memory of you.

        

               

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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