Spiritual Journey Thursday, Sharing Our Stories and Poetry Friday: All Things New!

It's a triple Thursday as I share a favorite quote, a golden shovel poem and some favorite pictures from recent spring walks for Spiritual Journey Thursday, Sharing Our Stories, and Poetry Friday.

Karen's Got a Blog is rounding up our

Spiritual Journey Thursday posts 

relating to the theme All Things New.

Thanks, Karen, for hosting this week.

 

Head over to A Year of Reading

 for this week's roundup of poetic goodness.
Thanks, Mary Lee, for hosting this week.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” - Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

 

I chose this phrase "The flowers appear on the earth;..." from Song of Solomon 2:12 to create a golden shovel poem. Golden shovel poems are inspired by a line of poetry or text, constructed so that the ending word of each line when read top to bottom composes that line.

Awe fills my heart as the  

season changes. Winter fades away, flowers

dot the landscape, beautiful blossoms appear,

and I remember sorrow turned to glory on

a blessed spring morning. An empty tomb reveals the 

victory over death, the Savior's gift to all who live on earth.

                                              - Ramona Behnke

To savor the magic of story, link your post at Sharing Our Stories.

Poetry Friday & NPM 2018: A Golden Shovel Poem

Irene Latham at Live Your Poem

 has this week's round-up of poetic goodness. 

She always has a fun project for Poetry Month . 

Be sure to check out the Q&A in today's 

post about her poetic process for this year's

ARTSPEAK, Harlem Renaissance focus.

I'm trying a golden shovel poem with a line from Billy Collin's poem, "Today" (which I shared yesterday.) Today's poem celebrates the fun I had at Poem in Your Pocket Day at the middle school where I used to teach sixth grade.

If 

  you find yourself retired and ever 

have a need to hang out with students, there

is a way to transport you to days that were, 

a stop by your former school for a 

  chance to be with the young, a perfect spring 

delight provided by poem in your pocket day 

when you can share poetry, a day so 

filled with joy that it's close to perfect!

National Poetry Month 2018
"Give praise with friends near and far,
flinging words to the sky!"
- Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

NPM 2018: A Golden Shovel Poem, Sabbath Musings

National Poetry Month 2018
"Give praise with friends near and far,
flinging words to the sky!"
- Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Ever since I read Nikki Grimes book, One Last Word, I've been intrigued by the golden shovel poem. And this month, Mary Lee Hahn is writing a golden shovel poem every day from the quotes provided by her 30 students. So I decided that it was time to try my hand at a golden shovel poem. I chose a favorite line from Wendell Berry's poem, "The Peace of Wild Things."

"I come into the presence of still water."

Sabbath Musings

Each Sunday morning, I

celebrate the opportunity to come 

before His presence with singing, to enter into

His gates with thanksgiving, to embrace the 

fellowship of saints whose presence

and love inspire me to continue the walk of 

faith as I seek to calm the worldly tumult, to be still.

 Ever grateful for His living water.

-  Ramona Behnke, 2018