The poems are a grand mix of serious and crazy—each with genuine praise-for-God intent. They cover quite a range of themes. Nature, science, psychology, and even politics are scrutinized. Keep your vocabulary sharp and your imagination intact. I intended this work to boost your faith and increase your love of God. I believe God has a marvelous sense of humor; hopefully yours will be activated as you partake of these cheerful expressions of appreciation for Jesus. The pictures are from original watercolor paintings I have done, each extols the natural handiwork of God!
My poetry covers a wide variety of topics, with the main one being scriptural instruction and wisdom. I also write about life, mysteriousness, hard times and testing, adventurous hiking, other people, intellectual and philosophical introspection, comfort, and hope for the future. I will challenge you to seek God and discover his plan for you.
Many people influenced my desire to write poetry. My mother wrote poetry and set a good example. My father was a language professor at a university, and the major discussions during our meals concerned words. My musical training made it natural to think of poetry as the music of words and to see the rhythm and rhyme in the use of words. Several poems were written while I was growing up, but serious writing came later. Years later, while on an automobile trip with my husband and children in the western U.S., we visited with many of our friends and relatives--I wrote thank-you notes to them in poetry. Other inspiration came from life's experiences, such as watching wildlife, meeting other people, being with family, and seeing the effects of aging. One poem was inspired by talking to a Japanese lady about forgiveness, love, and acceptance. After fifty years of marriage, many people asked for marriage advice, which I explained in a poem called "Marriage Advice." My poems have appeared in the yearly publications of the International Library of Poetry, as well as in the World of Poetry anthology. A music publisher in Nashville, Tennessee saw some of my poems and has set some to music and put them on CDs. One of the latest is "Marriage Advice," which says to put Jesus in the center of your life and pray. My first book of poetry, entitled Reflections, was published in 1994 by Carlton Press.
Praise Song for My Children celebrates twenty-one years of poetry by one of the most significant African poets of this century. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley guides us through the complex and intertwined highs and lows of motherhood and all the roles that it encompasses: parent, woman, wife, sister, friend. Her work is deeply personal, drawing from her own life and surroundings to convey grief, the bleakness of war, humor, deep devotion, and the hope of possibility. These poems lend an international voice to the tales of motherhood, as Wesley speaks both to the African and to the Western experience of motherhood, particularly black motherhood. She pulls from African motifs and proverbs, utilizing the poetics of both the West and Africa to enrich her striking emotional range. Leading us to the depths of mourning and the heights of tender love, she responds to American police brutality, writing "To be a black woman is to be a woman, / ready to mourn," and remembers a dear friend who is at once "mother and wife and friend and pillar / and warrior woman all in one." Wesley writes poetry that moves with her through life, land, and love, seeing with eyes that have witnessed both national and personal tragedy and redemption. Born in Tugbakeh, Liberia and raised in Monrovia, Wesley emigrated to the United States in 1991 to escape the Liberian civil war. In this moving collection, she invites us to join her as she buries loved ones, explores long-distance connection through social media, and sings bittersweet praises of the women around her, of mothers, and of Africa.
When troubles arise the first thing we do is pray. We ask the Lord to quickly relieve the pain and suffering of the situation. But how often do we send up prayers of praise and thanksgiving? Let Amy Santi Bulls forty-five poems in this collection lead you on the path to showing the Lord how grateful you are for all He has done in your life. As in her other books, Believe and My Inner Strength, each poem in A Joyful Noise has five Bible verses that coincide with the meaning of the poem. These verses are listed in the Reference section following the poetry and show that praise and thanksgiving were offered to the Lord throughout time. So now, do you have a reason to be thankful? Do you have answered prayers? Then give the Lord the praises He deserves and let Amys poetry guide you along the way.
The poems in I Weave a Song of Praise range from lyric gems that capture the flora and fauna of the desert where the poet lives to poetic retelling of familiar Bible narratives. Pensive meditations on faith and the Christian life reveal a reverent love for the Bible and the Lord it reveals, as well as a sensitivity to the human condition. Brown believes that poems should be both beautiful and true, and her work embodies both of those intentions. Each thoughtful poem is a gift of inspiration and enrichment to the reader.
English speakers have 12 centuries of Christian poetry to draw upon. The examples in this anthology come from all Christian sources including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and modern evangelical and reform traditions.
Most people would define poetry as the rhythm of words or the rambling of one's thoughts. To me, it is not just making words rhyme or the ramblings of thoughts, but rather, putting into words and expressing the deepest feelings of a person's heart. To be enjoyed, poems do not have to contain any type of rhythmic beat, but rather, an arrangement of verses to convey to us beauty and eloquence. For example, Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament, from the book of Job through Song of Solomon, was written to show us the love, wisdom and the awesome power of the almighty God. The poems which I have written were inspired from verses recorded in the Bible. It is my hope that this book will encourage the Christian believer to develop and exercise a spiritual discipline in their every day walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This Book of Poems was written to be a testimony to people everywhere of life's wonders, from a mother's love to the seasons of the year, where one can ponder God's daily blessings. May it touch your heart as much as it has touched mine as God inspired me to write this. Know that you are loved and that God can use you if you are available. May these poems be cherished by readers of all ages.
Reach Out Give Praise will inspire all readers and invite everyone to reach out to help, to share and show love to each other The poems in this book are meant to inspire all readers and invite everyone to reach out to help, to share and show love to each other. The poems in the book are to be a source of comfort, to feed you spiritually and to win souls for the kingdom of God as the readers get a hunger for a closer walk with God and exercise their faith in him. For the lovers, these poems will surely help you to express more intimacy and make you appreciate your partners more. These poems are geared to improve lifestyles and assist persons in enjoying the blessings of God on a higher level. The poems will minister to the depressed, poor, hurting, thirsty, lonely, hungry, oppressed and needy, with the hope that they will be nourished and strengthened spiritually. If persons have been hurt or abused, these poems will truly be a source blessing to them. They will be inspired to seek help, come up higher, press on, come out of depression and darkness and walk in the light.
