Poetic Preaching

Recently, I have been going to a new church in San Diego called C3. 

 I really enjoy the modern atmosphere, club-like feel of the auditorium and the plethora of Australian accents!

What grabs my heart the most is the experience with God that I get every time I am there. 

I've been to many churches and none have grabbed me so intently and deeply as this. 

I feel like I have the Holy Spirit on tap and I drink til I am full every time I go. 

The pastor says some very thought provoking things and I catch myself taking notes every Sunday! 

When I look back at what I've written, it appears like poetry, which is why I've shared. 

Hope you enjoy!! 

***

Notes from 12/8/13 

Genesis 22 

Abraham offers his son Isaac to God

In the school of life 

God tests me 

To increase me 

To bless me 

And promote me 

It's not about what I possess 

It's what possesses me 

What I can't give 

I don't own 

It owns me 

What's the meaning of life? 

To give life meaning. 

Give till it hurts! 

Go into the market and create a harvest that will bless the kingdom of God. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 

Money is a wicked master 

But a wonderful servant 

*** 

What do you think? 

xo, 

Ms Panda

Unicorns and Butterflies (in haiku)

Try some unicorn!

Increase your daily levels

Of hearts and sparkles.

A caterpillar-

Fantastic, but butterflies,

Metamorpahstic!

California vibe - in Haiku

Energy is smooth :) 

Flowing like the ocean breeze

Through swaying palm trees.

Amazing to breathe

The cool, crisp, fresh mountain air

Coming from the east

Driving down the coast

The road humming underneath

Beaches passing by.


The vibes in Cali

Come from many different things

Most from within me ;)

Blogathon Haiku Day 2012

Today is Day 21 of the Word Count Blogathon and the theme is HAIKU!

This style of poem, which you can learn about here, is composed of 17 sound units

divided into three parts - one with 5 units, one with 7 units and another with 5 units.

Here is one I wrote in Calligraphy for my pen pal:

Here are some I wrote today while I waited an hour at the DMV:

I love my haikus

They roll off my mind like wheels

Spinning in control

Poetry is life

A writer's means to speak it

A reader's glimpse in

Visual headlines

Written thoughtfully to see

What I am feeling

Haiku anywhere

Sitting in the DMV

Waiting to be called

It's 5-7-5

All it takes to come alive

In the haiku world

Spinning, twirling free

The sun shining down on me

Day after eclipse

The moon blocked her face

We poked holes through paper plates

The same as sixth grade

What a day it was!

I wrote a meaningful blog

And changed perceptions!

Today is a new day!

Full of opportunity

And love in my heart

Thanks for being here,

For reading the poems I write -

An eclipse of mind.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

Some of my favorite haiku posts from the past:

Numbers and weekdays

Mix so nicely in my mind

Imagine, Twosday.

Spiritual toys...
Play with them every day
and watch your light grow.

I see the word "love"

On the phone pole in the street

Just as you call me

She finds prince charming
Only exists in her books
But keeps believing

A moment to think
Of a thing called love, in ink
How shall I write it?

Karma maniacs

Cashin' in and styled out

On universe gifts

Aren't you curious
To know and live God's purpose?
It's why you are here.

Relax and enjoy
Trust that he has brought you here
To show you the way

My Favorite ALL-TIME Haiku:

Honest to a fault
I wear my heart on my sleeve
Like a truth tattoo

Poetry Wordle

This wordle comes from the poetry I write during my silent moments of prayer. 

You can read some those poems here.

It's interesting to see which words appear the largest, 

for they are the ones that repeat the most.

In my poems - it's ALL about TODAY, LOVE and LIGHT.

Yes.

Happy Mother's Day!

xOx,

Ms. Panda

flowers in your hair

Proverbs 1: 8-9: 

"Pay close attention to what your father tells you; 

Never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. 

Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, 

Like rings on your fingers."

***

He is with me!

I know-

And it's easy for me to show!

The more I learn and grow

The more I can see and teach!

May my work be full of reach!

May my heart bring me to my knees.

Wearing His love like flowers in my hair,

That is how they will know He is there.

***

Second Corinthians says,

 “Though our outward bodies are wasting away,

our inward bodies are being renewed day by day.”

***

Dear God, 

Commit me to your teachings, a life together, the common meals and the prayers.

Amen.

***

He said to me through poetry,

"You will be needed more and more

Your strength and courage is what I called you for

Go and share my love with them

Go spread my light as your sister's friend."

***

Hebrews 10: 24-25:

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out,

not avoiding worshiping together as some do, 

but spurring each other on,

especially as we see the big Day approaching...

***

If you would like me to send you a personal poem of strength and encouragement, send an email with your request and address to:

amanda.steinhaus@gmail.com.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

Sunday Shel

Today's post is two of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems, as an ode to honoring the Sabbath and not feeling so much like writing anything of my own today.

However, these two poems are very representative of me, my style and one of my biggest influences, other than Seuss.

Therefore, I hope you enjoy your Sunday and some Shel Silverstein.

This poem represents the wisdom of my grandmother, the insight of my mother and the realist in me.
It moved me - so I thought I would share it here - with you.
 ♥ Ms.Panda

For My Daughter
By Sarah McMane

Never play the princess when you can
be the queen:
rule the kingdom, swing a scepter,
wear a crown of gold.
Don’t dance in glass slippers,
crystal carving up your toes—
be a barefoot Amazon instead,
for those shoes will surely shatter on your feet.

Never wear only pink
when you can strut in crimson red,
sweat in heather grey, and
shimmer in sky blue,
claim the golden sun upon your hair.
Colors are for everyone,
boys and girls, men and women—
be a verdant garden, the landscape of Versailles,
not a pale primrose blindly pushed aside.

Chase green dragons and one-eyed zombies,
fierce and fiery toothy monsters,
not merely lazy butterflies,
sweet and slow on summer days.
For you can tame the most brutish beasts
with your wily wits and charm,
and lizard scales feel just as smooth
as gossamer insect wings.

Tramp muddy through the house in
a purple tutu and cowboy boots.
Have a tea party in your overalls.
Build a fort of birch branches,
a zoo of Legos, a rocketship of
Queen Anne chairs and coverlets,
first stop on the moon.

Dream of dinosaurs and baby dolls,
bold brontosaurus and bookish Belle,
not Barbie on the runway or
Disney damsels in distress—
you are much too strong to play
the simpering waif.

Don a baseball cap, dance with Daddy,
paint your toenails, climb a cottonwood.
Learn to speak with both your mind and heart.
For the ground beneath will hold you, dear—
know that you are free.
And never grow a wishbone, daughter,
where your backbone ought to be.

Connecting the Dots...

dot dot dot...

Like dots that punctuate lingering thoughts, 

I heard knock knock knock, no, a bang bang bang...

It was opportunity at my door

And I saw it! And I opened it wide!

This opportunity in front of me

Took the form of a tall, well dressed lady.

I examined her - looked her up and down

And listened closely as she spoke softly.

I didn't know then, what she would teach me

That this loving person was put right there

Right in front of me so He could reach me

And boy, did He! An artist made for me!

Check her paintings out and you, too, can see.

A love of pandas, hearts and poetry

Thank you Lord, for bringing this girl to me

For this amazing opportunity!

Look at her website, and you, too, can see

Encouragement for dreamers, just like me

Art made with LOVE, and words powered by Him

Thank you Jeannette, let the loving begin!

xOx,

Ms. Panda

Here's a preview of her art for you to see!

I can already feel the stories that go with these images!!!

I am a Blessed and Charged Little Panda Bear

So I had this dream a couple of nights ago that I was in the shallow water of a lake, or maybe it was the bank side of a river...

But I had a fishing pole in my hand and remember specifically that I was not trying to catch anything, in fact, I was just reeling in the line to pack up and get ready to go.   However, my line had a tug on it and convinced it was just caught up on some moss or a stone, I walked toward it to help reel it in without breaking the line. It was then that I realized that I actually had something on the line, for it began to pull away.  So I walked to shore, dragging the pole and towing the line behind me.  When I got in shallow enough water, I freaked out for I had an extremely large fish on my line!!!  I mean, like HUGE!  My dad was on the bank, so I said, "Dad!  Help me!"

He ran out into the shallow waters and scooped the heavy fish up with both arms and carried it onto the shore.  We stared in amazement at the BIG FISH and he even said, "It must be at least a 50 pounder!" We unhooked it and stood in awe around the anomaly, trying to guess it's species, but couldn't nail it down to any category.  And as we discussed it, the big guy wiggled his way back into the water to swim away free. 

I remember in my dream feeling upset for letting him get away, but I have thought a LOT about the dream since then and have come to the conclusion that it was a necessary part of my dream.  You see, fish have many meanings according to my "Hidden Meaning of Dreams" book.

One of them is that "Fish are a product of the emotions and intuition, as opposed to the materialistic, earthbound approach to life."  This is very important to me as no matter how many material possessions we have, nor how big and status worthy they may be, nothing compares to the power of the spirit within us.  Our ability to let go of the things we are attached to is our ultimate freedom.  It is only then, I believe, that we may truly live.  To me, in this regard, the fish represents my understanding of this concept, and according to the book, I am experiencing a period of personal growth.  It's the truth. I am very much so...

On my birthday, March 18th, I re-devoted my heart to Christ.  Since then SO much has changed for the better in my life.  In fact, my dream book also considers the fish to be "A symbol of Christ," and even more, "a mystical insight into my divine potential."  

Since I've been back to church and seeking His knowledge and wisdom, I have felt called to do great things to not only deepen my relationship with Him, but also to set an example for others.  Similarly, as the fish in my dream came unexpectedly and got away just as easily, it is important to mirror that example in my faith.  I feel that the fish's freedom represents me sacrificing my selfish needs and surrendering it all back to Him.  By doing so, I will be much more greatly rewarded and so will those whose lives I brush along my path.  You see, I don't intend to be preachy, but I want my light to shine, my love to spill over, and my new found successes to speak for themselves!  I want others to see His work through me and become seekers themselves. In this way I am letting that BIG fish go - freely - and happily - and HOPEFULLY into the hearts of those seeking something better and greater who I am able to touch with my life example.

In my past, I have continuously struggled to publish my Children's literature, mainly because I am the only one holding myself accountable.  Until now.  Now I have a greater spirit inside me, encouraging me to do great things and share His spirit with others.  Now if I fail to do so, I will not only be failing myself, but Him also.  It sounds scary and heavy, but it is nothing even close to that.  As I grow and expand my relationship with Christ, I am only fueling the strength inside of me and I feel so much more alive and full of purpose than ever before.

So I felt it important to share here, with you all, whoever reads this message, to feel the love and watch my growth over the next few months, years, forever.  I know it won't be easy, for it hasn't been easy so far, but with Him - I am filled with love and strength - within.  I need not look anywhere else.  His spirit is in me - in my heart - and in my words.  Bless you all!

Here's some poetry that's been coming to me in the quietness of my prayers.  Hope you can truly HEAR it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Panda's Powerful Prayer Poetry

4/9/12

A wellspring of love

     Inside of me

To conquer the pain

     That tries me.

4/10/12

The word is just the beginning

His love is the middle

True Christian work is a means to the end.

4/11/12

I am with you - 

In you and around you.

I am the light

That you ask for

Shine me bright

So darkness can see.

4/12/12

Clean the roadblocks from your life

Ask Jesus to shine His light

Wash the dirty doubt away

Let God's glory reign today!

Don't fear the unwilling ears

Go, seek the unclean and weak.

They need His love just as you

Go spread light, Get to it, too!!

4/13/12

The day you wake up and are ready to die

Is the day you will be the most alive.

4/14/12

He sacrificed His son for me

The battle's still not won, I see

My sacrifice for Him must come

I must lead the lost to the One.

No one said it would be that fun

And I'll be judged by everyone.

But if I let the love flow free

And surrender what he gave me

Then worry, fear, frustration and more

Will fade away - out the back door

And I will give my heart to Him

And be free from the world of sin.

Will you do it, too? Let Him in?

His word is power - read it then!

His word is power - read it then!

And sacrifice your life for Him!

4/15/12

Today I pray 

That He bless me

With all I need

To make my dreams

His reality --

It's ALL for Him

ALL ways - All days.

Amen.

4/16/12

ON EARTH AS ONE.

4/17/12

Today I pray for my calling

Today I pray He called me

For His purpose is great and good

And I have said all that I could

Now I just believe and sing

These verses that He gave to me

Out there, for the whole world to see

Yet only He may bless their reach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a SUPER DUPER, BLESSED and SPIRITUALLY CHARGED day!!!

Thanks for being here :)

xOx,
Ms. Panda

Valentine's Day Love Poem

Love Poem

More than words
More than life
more than a feeling...

More memories than I can count
But the moment
that will always
matter most

is

NOW.

Twosday Haiku

Twosday is way more exciting that regular old Tuesday--when you are creative!

I love my "Twoskus"
Haikus written about twos
I hope you do, two!

I thought about one

But is wasn't quite enough

Instead I wrote two

Two dogs, man's best friends

Add another and things change

Poor middle doggy

One plus one is two

One and one is eleven

I like two better

Onesday and twosday

Appear on a calendar

In the month of Math

I learned how to add

When I was just a wee lad

I made my dad glad

Numbers and weekdays

Mix so nicely in my mind

Imagine, Twosday.

We went out to eat

"Two please, non smoking, thank you."

Enjoy your dinner.

A good recipe

Calls for two teaspoons, not one

I add extra, too

Today is Twosday

All day long, things come in twos.

One? No make it two!

One lonely person

Is fine, just fine, but with two-

You get love divine!

Think of all the twos.

Think of the things you can use

Two feet need two shoes

Two hands need two gloves

True love is two turtle doves

Two eyes look above

Two, three, four and five

Add em up and feel alive!

Do a jump and jive!

When Twosday's over
And the day of math is done-
Dreams of twos will come!

Happy Twosday!

Flying Frontier

Rollin' down the highway

In the sky way-

Seeing the point

So high in the line

And I see, finally,

The philosophy

Deep inside of me

Swimming in my dreams...

My mind in the clouds

And up here I see you

Doing a backstroke, too.

I wave slightly with my fingers

And you return the gesture.

We float on.

Then, I descend,

Close to land once again

Different now.

New from the changes

I spied in the sky.

Feet on the ground

I go.

Ms. Panda

Who I am cannot be summed up into words.

Who I am cannot be merely my interests.

Who I am cannot be written in a book.

Who I am cannot be found in a name.

Who I am is a culmination.

Who I am is a totality.

Who I am is vast.

Who I am is me.

A name is a start.

A name is all we have sometimes.

A name gives us an idea of how we can relate.

A name is a bridge between two strangers -

And to remember that name serves as reinforcement of our interest in one another.

Yet, under the blanket of the name is where our true selves exist.

It is in this swirling, twirling of emotions and experiences, 

ups and downs of cycles and depths of expressions, 

pride in our culture and loyalty to our family's traditions,

that one being truly exists.

Yet, it is still deeper than that even.

In my cellular composition -

The things I consume -

The thoughts I think.

This is all me.

Everything plays a role in who I am.

And in who you are, too.

I see this.

Do you?

Sea of Change

So many things going on,
Not able to fetch a decent night's sleep.
Wrote a poem about the gypsy in me.
These days prove the difficulty of an unsettled lifestyle,
Especially after being so physically and emotionally close to my family the last three years.

My heart is heavy.
My poem is it's plea.


Sea of Change

This change is a change
of pace
Which the universe did
so unexpectedly give

My heart of gold
Sleeplessly weeps with heavy heaves
My chest grieves
As I begin to finally see what is now me

Moving forward
As my soul lingers in my recent memories
I stare into the high seas
To set sail could be the death of me

Still, I remain at bay
Ready, but steady - taking baby steps
To repair my worn down ship
A list of things to fix

But most important on my list
A new plank for my ship
Perfect to spring from
When the new tide comes

When the sky clears
And the sun melts my fears
It'll be into a calm sea I leap
Washing the uncertainty off of me.

Yard Sale Treasure

In an effort to condense my life,
I invited my neighbors to shop in a store I created on my front lawn.

My front walkway transformed into the main artery of an outdoor trading post,
which was comprised of various card tables topped with trinkets,
boxes of books, DVDs, music, art and various clothing racks,
like one we made by lodging a long wooden bar in a knot of a huge maple tree
and propping the other end on a ladder. Classy!

Two days of selling and I would say I have found a new calling!

As one of my favorite female authors, Anais Nin says,
"good things happen to those who hustle."
Come to my sale and you're sure to leave with a treasure.

However, upon examining the remnants of the upheaval,
my attention was drawn to a vintage paperback book titled,
"Living Altars of The Ozarks," by Omer E. Creech.

It was published in 1973, and was originally titled, "Soul Talk of the Ozark Hills."
I have no idea where this book came from, but the title page had been autographed
directly below a stamp that read, "Look often toward the crest of the hills."  I was sold.

I flipped the page to the Dedication.  It was golden.
"To all living souls, who have the will and the courage to search for and discover a personal truth,
and follow that truth to it's destiny; I dedicate this book."
Ohhh, goosebumps.  I hit the jackpot!

I read on to find a beautiful poem that has easily become the treasure of my day. Here it is for you:

WOODLAND THERAPY

Let me walk in the woods

away from the crowded thoroughfare.

Let me commune with living things;

Things uninhibited by the cares of men.

With unshod feet let me tread softly 

upon the floor of the cool earth;

A floor carpeted by rich brown leaves

washed clean by the falling rain.

Grant me the privilege of listening;

Listening to the stillness of the eternal quiet.

Give unto me the sensitivity of response;

The response to the divine quietness

that whispers to the inner soul of man--

"Be still and know that I am God." 

And having responded to this divine call

let me walk from the woods

a wiser and stronger man;

Capable of re-entering and

living in the mainstream of life.

When I read this, it felt like a spoken meditation that I could easily take with me and ponder on nature walks and hiking adventures with my dogs.  I once wrote, "Greater than the test of society is the examination within," and Creech confirms my thought, "Every man's soul is his own sanctuary."  -Creech

Thank you yard sale treasure :) 

Ekphrastic Poem

I discovered a new type of poem today.  :)

One that I should have known about for years now, but I guess things appear right when they are supposed to in life.

Yeah, the word "ekphrastic" sounds strange, but it is merely poetry based on a work of art, like a painting, sculpture or photograph. Pretty simple, huh?

So, of course for my first attempt at an ekphrastic poem, I chose Andy Warhol's "Giant Panda" print from his Endangered Species series.

Here it is:

Layers of color

Create your edges

But naturally

You are black and white

Sitting there with that smirk

Begging me to give you bamboo

With those masked eyes

Your hands are empty

Red with anger

Drops of sun begin

To gnaw on your empty hands

Species in danger, or endangered species? 

Poised on your backside

In an open-eyed meditation

The purple lines that create you

Are the veins of your fate

Was it He who did not fill in the white space

Did your Creator do this to you?

You are a symbol of hope, panda

That misfits do not merely exist-- 

But thrive in the protection of society.

Winter - Written While High On Cocoa!

I know its still summer, but this poem originally came to me from San Diego in 2002 and found me again today as I shuffled through a stack of old Hallmark cards and sentimental notes.  It makes me feel remarkable and so I feel I must share it with you!

Winter

Written by Eric Fisher while high on cocoa!

January 19, 2002

It dawned on me the other day

Thinking back when you went away

Back in December it was just the time

It started on hot cocoa instead of Corona n lime

The days were gettin' shorter, the nights grew long

Longer than a Barry Manilow song

Coincidence or not, the moment you leave

I had to switch from short to long sleeve

Even the ocean was full of anger and fury

Mr. Pacific knew you split to Missouri

It's been so grey, so cold, I needed some answers

Before I start poppin' some mood enhancers

Then it came to me as I drank some dairy

The idea and foundation for an ingenious theory

I got the newspaper, Section D

And checked the weather out in KC

It was 60 degrees, lo and behold

It's January, danggit! Where was the cold?

My sis majored in weather, she definitely would know

Living in Chicago, she'll tell me where's the snow

I told her to aim the satellites onto KC

A warm fuzzy glow emerged from the screen

She distracted her boss and zoomed in the cam

Got all silent, then said, "Hot diggity dam!"

She pressed, "Print Screen," and sent me the pic

When I opened the image, my jaw dropped like a brick

It was a picture of you in your lil' white car

With a smile on your face brighter than a star!

When you left San Diego, your sunshine went, too

No one else could do that, only You!

I LOVE L.I.F.E.R.S. - Live It Fully Everyday, Remember Smile :)

You can read some of my original poetry here on my blog :)   Have a great day!

Here's a Barry Manilow's "Mandy" just for fun! 

Nature of Mother

Every month, an earthquake rumbles in my womb.
Fault lines emerge
Destroying the rich crimson walls
That took weeks to build.

The chemistry disrupts
Inside my blood
A roller coaster of hormones
Takes off...

Trudging uphill, backwards
Hitting every plank
A rickety old track--
Tests my confidence and patience.

I crest the hill
Free falling along the course
Losing my guts,
Clinging to my sanity
.
The world flips upside-down,
My stomach turns sour.
I want to be back on the ground
Sturdy again, but I must wait.

The cart stops
I step out
Back in the warm sun
Thank God it's over!

Familiar with the course
I am ready
Building up courage now
For next month's round.

Words of Love (by myself and others)

"Many men (women) go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."
--Henry David Thoreau

"Your vision will become clear when you look into your heart.  Who looks outside, dreams.  Who looks inside, awakens."
--Carl Gustav Jung

"Love is but the discovery of ourselves and the delight in the recognition."
--Alexander Smith

"We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit, and always, in the end, a disappointment, because it does not fit them."
--Anais Nin

"She took her pattern of life from men but she was not a masculine woman.  She demanded the freedom to change, to evolve, to grow.  She was not a feminist at all but struggling against the feminine side of herself in order to maintain her integrity as an individual."
--Anais Nin

On Lillith:
"an independent woman can only represent a fundamental disruption of a divinely ordered state of affairs."
--John Phillips

"Love cannot exist in peace, it will always come accompanied by agonies, ecstacies, intense joys and profound sadnesses."
--Paulo Cohelo

"Think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course."
Kahlil Gibran

"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."
--Plato

Here's my latest love poem :)

"Of Course One can never under estimate the Power of Love, for Love is the Essence of all Creation."
--sua

"If "love" makes you crazy, it is not love.  True love drives you absolutely sane."
--Alan Cohen

"Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination."
--Voltaire

"If you have it (love), you don't need to have anything else, and if you do't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have."
--Sir James M. Barrie

"If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself;  all that runs over will be yours."
--Charles Caleb Colton

For more thoughts on love:
Read some of my original  Love Haikus and yesterday's Long Distance Relationship in Haiku post.