Christian Poetry

Belly Aching

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
  True Confessions of a Bellyacher
  
 I complained that I was lonely
 Till it forced me to make friends
 And I griped how big my church was
 Till I saw folks came for Him
 I worried over this and
 I fussed too much on that
 Which I had lost control of
 Till I found God had my back
  
 Then in big ways and in small
 That I never understood
 I found God in every circumstance
 Working all things for my good
 So if He soon calls me homeward
 Or if He gives to me long life
 I am choosing to be thankful
 For His great love in Jesus Christ!

True Confessions of a Bellyacher by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2020 all rights reserved

Though True Confessions of a Bellyacher has appeared in Purpose Magazine as well as on this blog, I included it today for those of us in danger of a grumpy start for 2021. Whatever way elections, lockdowns or our personal situation is, we need to remind ourselves that praise begins with a bit of humility and reminds us that He who is ultimately in charge has our back.

I’m not exactly sure why I started writing poems. For me it has been a bit like making jam from the blackberries we used to pick on hot Summer afternoons. Once those fresh berries were mixed with sugar and sealed in mason jars, their sweetness could be preserved for the long cold days of Winter. For those interested in having some of my poetry on your own shelf, I released a collection in 2020 titled Seasons of Song. It is available in either e-book or print format from Amazon. I am posting the link below or if you prefer you can find the title by searching Amazon by the title – Seasons of Song by Peter Caligiuri – These times ahead we all need to stay close by the side of Jesus and listen to His opinion before hearing the news. May God bless each of you with a season of the sweetness of His presence this morning.

When Our Lord Leads the Way

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments 
 
When Our Lord Leads the Way

 In the Fall with the frost
 Flocks of birds Start to form
 Preparing to fly
 Before Winter’s storms
  
 Though the path of their flight
 Is unseen and unclear
 Their heavenly controller 
Plots their course every year
 And if those birds know 
Which direction to stay
 How much more we 
When our Lord leads the way

When Our Lord Leads the Way
by Peter Caligiuri Copyright 2021
All rights reserved

Even the stork in the heavens
    knows her times,
and the turtledove, swallow, and crane
    keep the time of their coming,
but my people know not
    the rules of the Lord. Jeremiah 8:7 ESV

12 Gifts of Christmas / 9th Gift -Mercy

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

 But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:10

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy! Matthew 5:7 

As we’ve looked at gifts both given and received; no list could be complete without mercy. Grace sometimes gets bigger headlines in the Sunday sermons, but comparing the two as if one were greater misses the point. Mercy is God’s forgiveness by which we receive eternal life. Grace is God’s amazing delivery system that brings His gift to places we least expect and to the most unlikely people. (Like me!) I hope my little poem this morning will simply be a reminder that we are each given this day, so that we can pass God’s mercy on to others in a thousand little acts of grace. 

 Mercy's Gifts

 It's a pint of blood needed
To someone we don’t know
 Or handful of tissues when their tears start to flow

 A quiet embrace when their world falls apart
And a light at the door when they come after dark

 It's that kiss of forgiveness when we still feel the hurt
 Or a check in the mail when they’ve been out of work

 Angel songs after midnight when we’re up watching sheep
 And a Babe in a manger On a night that's so deep! 

Mercy's Gifts by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2020
All rights reserved