Another poem by me!

 

Be

 

Lift the meek,

Encourage the faint of heart.

Strengthen the weak,

Acknowledge those who do their part.

Be kind...

 

To those who complain, smile,

Comfort they that are sad.

Talk with the lonely a while,

Make the tender hearted glad.

Be cheerful...

 

Stand up for those without defense,

Toward your enemy feel sympathy.

Meet confusion with reason and sense,

Join courage with empathy.

Be strong...

 

Care for them that hate you,

Help they that need you most.

To they that use you, goodness shew,

Serve all, and do not boast. 
Be loving.

By Tiffany A.

  This is a poem I wrote a while ago. It's small and simple, but one of my favorites. Maybe because the subject is one of my favorites, and one that I ponder a lot.

Simplicity

 

Our Lives, an implicate of bittersweet sorrow and laughter;

As we toil on through tribulation;

Challenged by this, our egotistical world;

How oft do we stop to listen to the lyrical sweetness?

I fear not oft enough.

 

But how can us, when the world demands we hurry so;

Ere we fall behind?

Oh, the thought leaves me lachrymose!

For I should like to watch the rosy sunset beckon to the night;

When night comes shall I sleep?

 

Then why ought we expedite for the world, she is no queen;

She is no master over us.

Nay, we ought not to bow to her;

For if we hurry on without caution will we not be lost?

So come and watch the sunset with me.

 

The world is really very beautiful when viewed from a distance.

Ah, the sweet felicity;

Do you not feel it?

Let us now press forward carefully, and remembering...

To take time for simplicity.

This is an essay I wrote a few months ago. Just a reminder to be aware. =D Enjoy! 

".... in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."

Anne Frank

IS it really necessary to remember the holocaust? Does it affect me? It could never happen again, could it? Can I really change anything? These seem like very good questions. What are the answers? Simply, Yes! It is necessary to remember the holocaust, what we know about it changes everything. More importantly, what we decide to do about it will have a tremendous effect in our own lives and the lives of others.  Yes, we do need to remember the Holocaust!

 - Corrie ten Boom put it well when she said "...memories are the key not to the past, but to the future." The Holocaust was horrifying. What exactly was it? Why was it horrifying? Well, if you look at the word holocaust, you get the main idea.

"If one looked in the dictionary, he/she would see that the definition of the word holocaust reads along the line of "complete destruction, usually by fire." Some dictionaries also include in their definition references to a sacrifice and/or loss of life." (Sean Warsch.)

Think about the people you love, picture them in your mind. Do you see them? Now picture them starving, unclothed, near to death, uttering this prayer, or one similar to it: "Pray, Lord pray to us we are near." (Paul Celan)

This is the prayer of someone with no hope left, but for that which is beyond this world. It is the prayer of someone clinging to the last bit of reason in order to go on faithfully. One can only imagine the despair and longing that would drive people to be thankful for bed fleas that kept Nazi guards at a distance; or the hunger which compels someone to be infinitely grateful for a small loaf of black bread. Imagine them longing so much for comfort that they'd risk their life for a few pages of a Bible. We can not fathom the terrifying atmosphere that forces a human being to act like an animal for the chance at living in a place that is almost impossible to survive. Just imagine watching the people you love suffer and hearing their screams:

"...all day long and often into the night, came the sounds of hell itself. They were not the sounds of anger, or of any human emotion, but of cruelty altogether detached: blows landing in a regular rhythm, screams keeping pace. We would stand in our ten-deep ranks with our hands trembling at our sides, longing to jam them against our ears, to make the sound stop."(Corrie ten Boom)

Nazi ideas spread rapidly, like a black disease that poisoned those it came in contact with, and rarely left without causing some damage. Even though such an awful event may seem distant and next to impossible, the problems that started the Holocaust are not uncommon today. It can be hard to imagine that so many people could be part of such an atrocity as was the Holocaust, but the sad reality is, it did happen. We see the same evil often in our world today, as it covers news headlines daily. The evils that we see can be summed up in just a few words: misunderstanding, selfishness, hate, and violence.

We all want essentially the same things in life: freedom, success, and happiness. Unfortunately, in our egocentricity we sometimes decide to get those things in our own way. We forget that there are other people with whom we share the world. We live in an interdependent world, so we need to be an interdependent people. We need to realize that our way is not the only way, and that our ideas are not always right. We may see the world one way, but that does not mean that that's the only way it is, or the only way to see it. We need to remember that "people see the world, not as it is, but as they are." (Stephen Covey)

The Holocaust started because there were people who thought that they had the right idea of the world, and that it needed to be changed. They decided it was their right and duty to make those changes in their own way. And that is what they did, destroying millions of lives and dreams in the process. If you look at some of the things the Nazi's said, I think it can be determined what they were thinking. They really believed in what they were doing as it was ingrained in them as a natural way of thinking. Here is a look into some Nazi thoughts:

"Hitler is lonely, So is God. Hitler is like God."

(Reichminister Hans Frank)

"Look at a marching troop of German youths and realize what God has made them for. They are warriors by nature and their calling is to rule".

(Walter Stapel)

The Holocaust happened once, it can happen again, and I believe it probably will. No one knows how bad it will be the next time. If we want to prevent it, we need to avoid the things that caused it.

How do we prevent another Holocaust?

Speak out! Let others know that you accept and value people for their differences. Spread the idea that patience and love are greater than selfishness and hate. Differences are a good thing! "If two people have the same opinion, one is unnecessary." (Stephen Covey)  When we cooperate and live with those who have different views, we all learn to be better, and our world is better. We should like people for their differences. Don't let the "I see it the way it is" thinking spread. There is enough in the world for every one of us to live happily together. Be open to different ways of thinking.

Speak out when you see something that you know isn't right, to parents, friends, and public leaders. We have the right, the privilege, and the responsibility to make ourselves heard. Sometimes it may seem like there is too much to go up against, but not so! People who are trying to make wrong things right are not more numerous, or even stronger. They are simply louder and make themselves heard. Speak out! Share the ideas that prevent prejudice, selfishness and violence. Let people know that they are not the only ones with ideas to make the world better. You don't have to sit silently on the sidelines. Write essays, talk to people about it, learn about what's going on in the world, and decide what you can do to make a difference for the better.

It's not always wrong to stand up and defend. It's not always right to give up and let a good cause die in the name of peace. We can't have true peace when we know that things are not as they should be. Freedom and harmony come at a high price. It may not be easy, in fact it will be hard. But it will be worth it, for we can not sit idly on.

                                You did not murder,
                                   but looked on, you,
                     who could have been changed into light

                    (William Heyen)

I have been thinking about a deep subject for the last while. And that subject is: Having an "eternal perspective".  There are three main parts to it, and I'll try to talk just a little about each.

First: looking at the past with an eternal perspective- Now, by "past" I don't just mean last year. I mean the life we had before this that we no longer remember. Yes, I know there was one. By looking at our past through this perspective we can try to explain a few things that we are curious about. Personally I don't think it's our place to find all the answers, but we can look for some and learn what we can. For instance, have you ever wondered where your talents come from? I believe they were given to us before we came to this earth. Perhaps you wonder why you have the family that you do? Or maybe sometimes you wonder why it is that you are the one with a special needs child, or some other trial that makes you ask "why me?" Well, why not you? Perhaps you agreed to do it before you came here. You don't remember why, but if you do your best to bear it some day you will know. I very confidently believe it.

Second: Looking at the present with an eternal perspective- Do you think you always see things the way they are? I believe few of us ever do. We do not look at things as they are happening from any point of view but the little one right in front of us. But there is another perspective we could try our hardest to look through. The eternal one. What is the bigger picture? How will the way I act now effect not only my future, but eternity? How much of it do I really understand? Those are all very deep questions. I encourage any one who reads this to ponder them. Trying to see things with an eternal perspective helps us to bear our trials.

Third: Looking at the future with an eternal perspective-  When we think of the future, what is it we think of? DO we just think of this life? Or do we try to understand what the next will be? Looking to the future with an eternal perspective is one of the most invigorating feelings that I have ever felt. When I ponder what I really am, what I really could be. What life really is. Wow, there is no way my finite mind can comprehend it all. And trying to hard may just drive me crazy. But, it also helps me to keep my life in focus. To make my problems seem smaller. To make my joy more pure. I think I, and all of us are capable of great things. Our potential is endless. OUr growth and learning are endless. Eternity is a circle. No beginning, no end. So what can be accomplished in it? It's hard to imagine isn't it.

Last: (yes, I added one) Don't give up! To anyone who is ready to, who needs encouragement, or just a reminder. You are not as small as you sometimes feel. I personally believe that there is a God who always remembers you, even when you forget Him. Look at things with an eternal perspective. Learn from the past, prepare for tomorrow, and live today. But try and look at the bigger picture. You don't know what may happen, you don't know how much you really are worth. You can't understand how vast your purpose is. For those who don't believe, that is fine, and this is just what I believe. But I would like to ask you one thing- wouldn't it be better to believe, and find out you were wrong, than to not believe and find out you were wrong? I will just add that I believe prayer is the best way to find the answers to these things. Or at least get the help and patience to deal with not knowing until it is time for us to know. Some things may not be meant for us to know yet. But we can always draw strength through prayer. Prayer is the key that unlocks our faith.
I have been feeling all of this for a while, and I find writing my feelings down helps me to think more clearly and release my emotion. And I hope maybe this helped someone else at the same time. =D

What is your purpose?

I have a calming attitude, and ability to discern what is right. With these I will help others to best use their own special gifts.

What do you love, and how do (or will) your actions demonstrate this?

I love the simple, beautiful things. I don't believe you need to impress the whole world to make a difference. If you think that way it's easy to get discouraged. Simply do what you can, for who you can!

I love lilacs, rain showers, and baby laughs, sunshine, old books, and warm family love. "Take time to smell the roses", is a motto in which I strongly believe. Have you ever done it? It's amazing the difference it can make in your life!

I love to experiment with art, and I never quit trying to write that book that sometimes seems so hard. I yearn to paint the sunset, but such splendor is beyond my skill to capture. I love many things, and I try to take time to fully appreciate them. Through art, writing, and music I try to encourage others to see the profound and subtle power in such simple things.

I sometimes wonder how so many people can go through life never realizing the magnificence of our world. I don't know how much I can accomplish, but I can do my best and that will be enough! With my pencils, my pen, my piano, and my voice, who knows what I can do! How much can one person do? I'm not sure, but the human mind is truly wonderful, that much I know. I love to learn, and I believe that learning never ends. So oh what a life I have ahead of me!

Write your ideal job description.

Motherhood is, I believe, the most sacred calling in the entire world. To be a wife, a mother, and a homemaker is my dearest wish. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? But I truly believe in this. The once honored title of, "homemaker", has become, "just a homemaker", and I believe that is a shame upon our world. Who has a harder job than a mother?

Of course, there is much more to it than that. I would also draw, and paint, and write, write write! I would have my own studio/library.  My home would be decorated with my own work. My family and I would tend the most beautiful garden/orchard with in our abilities to create. I would make my own music (on a grand piano of course), and my children would help me. We would all learn together in our own way. We would have regular 'family home evening' every Monday. And think of creative ways to learn and entertain at the same time. Down with television, up with creativity!

Service projects would be a regular thing. And we would work together to keep our home clean and comfortable, because wholesome work builds character. In the evenings, my husband and I would sit on our porch swing overlooking the sunset and read and talk together. And we would never go to bed before kneeling in family prayer.

It seems simple, and yet to me so wonderful! I could not wish for a happier life than that.

I learned to feel free after I learned to forgive myself. Forgive myself of my weaknesses and shortcomings. And then learned to trust God and do my best with what I have. When I am working as hard and cheerfully as I can, and serving others to the best of my ability, then I feel free.