Beware of the hazards and traps of life

At Old St. Andrews hazards breed
as bunkers line the way.
The wind and cold will test golf’s greatest ones.
The links where this grand game began
is not an easy course.
It is a battlefield for Hogan’s sons.

Trials and temptations are
the norm for those who play.
Add to this mix the ego’s appetite.
The risks of greed that fame invites
give way to traps that wait.
The game of golf’s a test to do what’s right.

So too the Game of Life, me thinks.
There’re trials, traps and tests.
There’s much that seeks to lure us out of bounds.
The target we are aiming at
is fraught with challenges.
Temptations have the means to take us down.

Much like in golf, we stay the course.
When tempted to give up
we seek God’s help to navigate life’s trials.
When in the rough, our Caddy helps us
put the ball in play.
And in the end our tears have morphed to smiles.

Unlike a claret jug, our prize
is far more valuable.
A crown awaits within our life to come.
Come that sweet day our trials here
will seem to be worthwhile
while hearing God the Father say “Well done!”

An anniversary tribute to Disneyland

Some sixty years ago this week
the mouse that Disney taught to speak
was given room to run around.
Walt called it Disneyland!

It was a park for more than mice.
Both kids and parents were enticed
to fly on Dumbo, ride teacups
and climb Swiss Family’s tree.

The happiest place on earth was there!
No trash or litter anywhere.
This land that Disney brought to life
was grand beyond compare.

It pictured Heaven (in a way).
Where animals and people play.
Where old and young feel like they’re home.
Where fantasies come true.

It’s time to don our Mickey ears
just like Walt’s kids, the Mouseketeers.
This Magic Kingdom milestone
invites our childlike praise.

Quieting the voices inside us

Inside Out’s a brand new movie
that portrays a little girl
who’s uprooted when her folks decide to move.
And the things she packs go with her
clothes and playthings and her moods.
It describes how little Riley lost her groove.

Riley’s moods reside within us.
They’re emotions we know well.
Joy and sadness, fear and anger and disgust.
When we move these moods move with us
making waves and causing stress.
It’s not easy to control them, but we must.

As they jockey for position
these five wrestle for the lead.
Fear begins in front and sadness lags behind.
But soon anger gains momentum
with disgust a distant third
while joy holds back with thoughts of being kind.

With God’s help joy overtakes them.
Faith stands up and feelings fade.
By God’s Spirit we can show our moods who’s boss.
While emotions hold us hostage,
there’s a ransom that’s been paid
by the Prince of Peace who died upon a cross.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Out_(2015_film)

Why ignoring Biblical truth is dangerous

It’s more than a text book.
It’s more like a map
that’s guiding the journey we’re on.
It points out the dead ends,
and routes to avoid
and detours that keep us from wrong.

But sadly the road map
we’ve followed so long
is being maligned and replaced.
They say it’s not needed,
that all roads lead to
a world where there’s no need for grace.

A world where WE choose
what is wrong or what’s right
affirming what most think is fair.
We proudly attest
we’ve at last come of age
believing the road map’s in error.

How silly! How foolish
to travel through life
and fly by the seat of our pants.
Discarding the road map
God gave us in love
means leaving our choices to chance.

Remaining hopeful when hope seems gone

Our baseball team is struggling.
But that is nothing new.
This is the time of year they usually swoon.
In April we have cause to cheer.
In May they win and lose.
But then we know what happens come mid June.

It’s tough remaining faithful
to a team that breaks your heart.
You can’t stay up when they keep falling down.
Just when we start believing
that their bats will catch on fire,
our lofty hopes come crashing to the ground.

And yet somehow we don’t give up.
Against all odds, we dream.
Our loyalty’s indicative of more.
In spite of how life falls apart,
we never call it quits.
We will not be defeated by the score.

Knocked down, we find our feet again
convinced that we can win.
The will to persevere is in us all.
Refusing to cash in our chips,
we play another hand
in cards, in life or in a game of ball.