Gethsemane

Upon the night he was betrayed
While waiting in Gethsemane
With fervent cries and tears he prayed
“Lord take this cup away from me”

And though he may have feared his death
He never once said “I demand!”
But with the prayer of ev’ry breath:
“Father!” he said, “as you command!”

With reverence, he gave his will
Submitting to his Father’s plan:
To die upon the dark Skull Hill
He gladly went: Christ! God and Man!

Obedient, the cross he bore
That we might live forevermore.

~~

Based on Hebrews 5:7 and influenced by numerous passages from the Gospels.

Leprechauns: the true story

I wrote the following a few years back, but thought it worth repeating.

~~

Everyone has heard of the Irish Leprechaun – the short little, mischievous, greedy dudes who look for gold at the end of the rainbow.  So how did this story begin?

Back about 1500 years ago, there was an Irishman by the name of Dougal O’Connell.  Dougal was rather short and stocky compared to most men in Ireland at the time, but that wasn’t his most serious problem.  His biggest problem was his greed.  Dougal O’Connell was a prospector by trade.  He seemed to be able to sniff gold out, wherever it might be found.  While other prospectors might find a nugget here or there, O’Connel seemed to bring gold home by the bucket full.  Whenever another prospector inquired as to Dougal’s success, he would give an evasive answer such as “look at the end of the rainbow…maybe you’ll find a pot o’ gold there!”

He also had a rather annoying habit of jumping into the air and kicking his heels together everytime he came upon an especially large lode.  This habit gained him the nickname of “Leaping O’Connell”.  Eventually, his townsfolk started referring to his entire family as “The Leaping O’Connell’s”

Over time, language tends to change.  This was true of “The Leaping O’Connell’s” name as well.  “The Leaping O’Connell’s” eventually mutated to “The Leaper O’Connell’s”, and then the “ell” was dropped from the end, making them “The Leaper O’Conn’s” and then just “The Leprechauns”

This story is just as reliable as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

God sent his Son

God sent his Son so he could show
his love for us that we might know
that though we’ve failed him one and all
he will not leave us in sin’s thrall
but grace to us he would bestow

Death’s chains would pull us all below
to languish in Hell’s horrid glow
but He so loves us, though we fall
God sent his Son!

Instead, he wants for us to grow
and have eternal life,and so
He only asks for us to call
in faith to him – though faith be small
How do we know his love still flows?
God Sent his Son!

~~

the above poem is my paraphrase of John 3:16. the poem is written in the Rondeau form.