Come, Follow Me

One day as Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee,
He called to Peter and Andrew, “Come, follow Me!”
He also called two other brothers (sons of Zebedee),
And they, too, left all behind at the Sea of Galilee.

Immediately, they followed Him just as He had said,
Knowing not what they would eat or where they’d lay their head.
They left behind the life they’d known in order to follow Him instead,
With no idea how they would fare on the road ahead.

For three years they followed their Lord and Master day by day,
And He taught them many things as they walked along the way.
May I, like they, learn to instantly and fully obey
Everything He lovingly commands me to do and say.

If I follow the Master wherever He leadeth me,
I, too, will come to know the blessing of intimacy.
Jesus gives it to all who leave their nets beside the sea
And happily say, “Yes!” when He bids them, “Come, follow Me.”

(c) September 3, 2002 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. For permission to use, please contact her.

Based on Matthew 4:18-22, NLT

The Badge

I have had this poem up on my personal blog, "Kathryn's Perspective," to promote Mayberry Days and A Tribute to Mayberry. Since it definitely has Christian perspective, I thought I would share it here:

The Badge

He chose the badge
above the gun
And to the badge held true.
He put the badge
above himself,
A life of service knew.
The badge came to
define the man;
But whether on or off,
The man embodied
all its worth -
The badge just pinned to cloth.

He held the town
above his needs,
His son above the rest.
He followed what
the "Good Book" taught
And sought to do his best.
He did his job,
not by the book,
But what was in his heart.
Fair justice dealt
with mercy’s hand
Earned him the town’s regard.

Heart-to-Heart Photos and Expressions

I have just visited the blog of Johnnie Gaskill, Heart-to-Heart Photos & Expressions. I think any readers of Christian poetry will enjoy her thoughtful devotionals and lovely photographs as much as I did!

The Life of Moses, Part 1

Baby Moses in a basket
Floating on the Nile -
Rescued by a lovely princess
To become her child.

There's his sister
standing nearby
Watching for her brother,
Then she'll run to get
a nursemaid
Who will be his mother.

Later on we find
young Moses
Living in a palace,
But soon he has to
flee because
His heart was filled
with malice.

The desert is a lonely place
Where Moses goes to live.
It's there he meets
Jehovah God
Who has a plan to give.

"I want you, Moses,"
the Lord says,
"To set My people free.
Return to Egypt now,
at once,
And bring them here
to Me."

Jane Hutto

Christ in it All

In all of life’s emotion,
In every trial or pain;
Turn to Christ again
In still devotion.

In all of life’s successes
And in the failures too,
There is a place for you
To sense His soft caresses.

In all of life’s confusion
With every tough decision,
His love dispels derision
And brings a “hope” transfusion.

In all of life’s declines,
In every fall that comes
There is a blessed One
Who carries us at times.

In all of life’s surrenders,
In every place you’ve failed
A Son for you prevails
And victory He renders.

John 3:35 “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.”

By Tom Valles

Share a Poem!

Have you written a poem that will fit on Christian Poets Pen? Use the comments section below this post to share a poem or two. If you want to become a regular contributer, submitting a few poems in the comments area is a good way to be invited!

Halloween Acrostic

I have a Halloween poem up that is a different look at the ghosts which haunt us. It was my challenge to avoid the usual references to witches, vampires and other demonic elements, but keep it somewhat dark. It is from a Christian perspective, which is why I eschewed witches and demons, but it may be a little dark to repost here, so I'll just share the link.

If you would like to read it, check out my Halloween Acrostic.

Sister Seasons

Golden glints of sunlight,
Mist through scarlet trees,
Color marshalled flowers, and
Harvest-readied fields
Whisper, "Good-bye, Summer,
Your time has come and passed.
Folks reach for wooly sweaters;
They cover swimming pools-
Long parades of children
March off to scholar's school.
Birds begin to pattern,
Winging, wheeling by-
Darkened dots of passage,
Sailors of the sky.
So Summer slips out softly
As if through a door,
And Fall begins her gold-spun reign
Of shortened days and fields' rich gain.

Jane Hutto

The Leaves of October

Oh, I want to dance with the leaves of October
That merrily twirl in the air,
To blend with the yellow, the reds, and the golds of them.
To dance in the wind without care.
And I want to run in the warm Autumn sun,
Skip under the azure blue sky,
To drift with the breeze among billowing leaves,
Rejoicing that I am alive.

So let me forget the cold chill of November
While October still is with me.
Too soon come the rains and the long, dreary winter nights,
Too quickly laid barren the trees.
So, I want to dance with the leaves of October
Before summer's warmth must depart.
Lord, let me lay hold of their red, brown, green, gold
And treasure their dance in my heart.

© 2008 by Kathryn E. Darden

Just Use Me

Father, I thank You for the gift You’ve given me
And for some of the results You’ve let me see.
I know that You use me Your blessings to bestow,
Though You have worked through me in ways I cannot know.
So, I’ll work on, always doing the best I can,
Guided moment by moment by Your divine hand,
And I’ll pray that a blessing I’ll always be,
In whatever way You choose to use me.

© July 29, 2002 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. For permission to use, please contact her.

Welcome to Christian Poets Pen!

Welcome to Christian Poets Pen, the zine for poets who write Christian poetry or poetry from a Christian perspective. Christian Poets Pen began as a bi-monthly newsletter in the early 1990s, continues as a page on Christian Activities, and now at last is becoming a zine on the web!

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