Here are a couple of old hymns I remember singing in church with my dad and mom. They had trained voices and used to belt hymns out. Fond memories. I always liked these two best. Figures! I never could carry a tune, but I always loved stories. These speak of the best story there is--and the one that happens to be TRUE!              --GKW

Public domain works from:

http://www.biblestudy.org/

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Tho stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angel’s song.

by Meir Ben Issac Nehoria,

a Jewish Rabbi circa 1000 AD

For the full story on Nehoria, check out this great site:  
http://nickel-notes.blogspot.com/2012/02/hymn-history-love-of-god.html

Fire
by Tory Arnesen

What you burn for-
It’s evident in your life.
We can see the marks
As you cut with your knife.

What you burn for-
Passion is impossible to hide.
It spills into your conversations
bringing others along for the ride.
What you burn for-
Will it last?
spending your little time
In a universe so vast.
What you burn for-
People see the flames.
Those you love are forever impacted.
You know their names.
Will you humble yourself before the lord
Or continue playing games?
What you burn for-
I see the fire in your eyes
Choose the road that never burns out
Because there are no second tries.
If you understand the world
You know its endless lies.
Surrender to the king
And let your fire rise.

 Copyright © 2015 by Tory Arnesen. All rights reserved.

Help Us Believe
by Tory Arnesen

Help us believe.
Help us know.
Why You grieve
on earth below.

How You suffered.
How You died.
Yet few come
while most have denied.
On the road to destruction,
and the gate is wide.
Did Your Son
add to many a path?
If no battle to be won
then why suffer wrath?
I know it’s easy
being one with the crowd.
Disagreements make me queasy.
To society I have bowed.
But if He suffered for a reason;
not a pointless painful act.
So that in due season
all will know the one true fact.
Every knee suddenly bowed
with no other voice to hear.
Please step away from the crowd.
Realize the time is near.

 Copyright © 2014 by Tory Arnesen. All rights reserved.

Ode to a Genre Writer

by G. K. Werner

Oh William, oh William, oh here is our ode,

To the master of genre’s method and mode.

Historical, romance, or fantasy play,

They all put the chinks in your purse in their day.

You wrote of the wizard; you wrote of the wag;

You wrote of the faerie, the rogue and the hag.

You wrote of the lovers from this house and that,

The nurse and the druggist, the witch and her vat,

Assassins and gamblers, the prince and his mom,

The senators’ plotting, an orator’s calm,

The boaster, the hoster, the jester, the priest,

The king and his soldiers, the greatest, the least.

You penned the best women, the wit off their tongue.

You penned the best speeches (aside from the puns).

You wrote for the scullery, palace and hall.

Oh William, oh William you wrote for us all.

Now scholars would bind you in school’s mothy tome,

And label you serious lit’rature’s own,

But they have forgotten, lost touch of the ‘thing’,

The play and the actors, the story must sing.

And so we pay tribute to you, genre’s king,

Our word-hoard’s high bard-king whose lines still do ring,

The writer for writers forever outsold,

The wordsmith who fashioned our genres of old.

_________________________________

Copyright © 2002 by G. K. Werner. All rights reserved.
Originally published in Tower of Ivory, Vol. 2, Issue 3, 2002

Somebody Will
 by Tory Arnesen

We walk and we talk it's all the same
Work, the weekend, it may rain

Always asking how you're feeling
Mindless tasks that have lost their meaning
Empty gazes at the ceiling
New gadgets,
Looking down at our phone
When asked something important
Will anyone be home?
Remind me, Lord
Show me what will matter
Use me from time to time
To disrupt endless chatter
To speak the truth without fear
To give a soul hope
To tell him You're near
Remember, there is more to life than we see
The temporary will give way to eternity
Use me God
To show that You alone can give
What all of us search for
A true purpose to live
Use me Father
Don't let me be afraid
Don't let me be still
For if I don't listen and benefit from Your plan
Someone else will

 Copyright © 2014 by Tory Arnesen. All rights reserved.

I Praise the Lamb

By: Sean J. Carroll

Verse 1

I feel your presence in the morn

When the sun shines down on me

Thinking of your mercy and grace

Falling to my knees

Chorus

Raising hands I praise the Lamb

Adoration for the Lord

Thanking Him for the cross

So I can be reborn

Verse 2

Marvelous love and wondrous grace

Now I’m born again

No longer living for myself

Dying to my sin

Chorus

Raising hands I praise the Lamb

Adoration for the Lord

Thanking Him for the cross

So I can be reborn

Verse 3

Almighty God your loves so strong

It flows and covers me

Praising you, Oh wondrous Lord

You’re a marvelous mystery

Final Chorus (2X)

Raising hands I praise the Lamb

Adoration for the Lord

Thanking Him for the cross

So I can be reborn

________________________________________________

Selected Poems

By: Sean J. Carroll

Toil

Each day is harder, than the one before

Daily Toil ends, buried in the soil

Back breaking, heart wrenching, emotional distress

Sweat dripping off my brow, running down my chest

Sun burning – ever deeper – down into my soul

Digging ever deeper – in an endless hole

Work’ll cease one day for every one of us

Live life without delay, before you turn to dust

Breaking Day

Fractured sunlight, filters through curtains

Another day has dawned

Dust dances in the air

Stretching arms I yawn

Eyes open, squinting, struggling

To see what life’ll bring

Opening a window

Birds begin to sing

Blessings abundant, revealed, unfolding

Shining down again

Breathing deeply, standing slowly,

Another day begins

Stars

Gazing upward into night sky

Milky Way swirls before weary eyes

Comets blazing cross heaven on high

Amazing spectacle can’t be denied

Stars are twinkling and winking at Earth

Moon’s glowing and smiling again

See Orion, Polaris, and Mars

What an evening staring at stars

Beach Days
  

Ocean rising, waves a crashing, spray upon my face

Sun shining, children laughing, all about the place

Walking barefoot in the sand,

Warm breeze blows through my hair

Breathe deep the ocean air

People baking skin so fair

What a day to be outside

A glorious moment to be alive

?

Earth rotates and orbits through celestial realm

Who guides the planets from the heavenly helm?

Existence – is it happenstance or serendipity?

Flying through the universe

It’s such a mystery.

Copyright © 2014 by Sean Carroll. All rights reserved.

This poem was written and published by Sarah Beth at age thirteen.

The Knot

by Sarah E. Bennett

When I forget,

or do something wrong,

a little knot,

will come along.

It sits in my stomach,

for what seems like a day.

And until I’m forgiven,

it won’t go away.
This happens in school,

when my homework isn’t found,

or when I get into trouble,

for being a clown.

The knot makes my stomach,
feel very tight.

My heart starts beating,

like I’ve had a fright!

Then it goes away,

till I get in trouble,

and then . . . and then . . .

The knot strikes again!!!

Copyright1997, Sarah Elizabeth (Werner) Bennett. All rights reserved.

Originally published in A Moment to Reflect, 1997.

This poem was written and publish by David G. Werner at age 17.

Pouring Rain
by Dave Werner  

If we shall fight
I shall scream
You're not listening to me
It's too late
The end is near
And all the stars
Are wasted tears
Burning fast
Falling slow
So much for our hope
It flew by
In a blink of the eye
Dropping like a hurricane
Pouring rain

Copyright 2003, David George Werner. All rights reserved.
Originally published in Nature's Gentle Kiss, Watermark Press, 2003.

 Dear Jesus*

by Virginia Ann Werner

Dear Jesus, I love you,
You are my savior,
And I know you love me,
You opened up the door.

One day I was sad,
But your name made me feel glad.

Dear Jesus, I thank you,
For dying for me,
And giving me this new life,
for all eternity.

*words to a song composed by Virginia A. Werner

Unpublished work Copyright 1988 by Virginia and Geoffrey Werner. All rights reserved.

Forever Home*

by Virginia Ann Werner

If you believe upon his name,

a joyful heart is what you'll gain.

He brings us life eternally,

a peaceful soul he’ll give to thee.

I once was lost.

He set me free.

God sent his son

to die for me.

I am no longer all alone,

now that I’m one of Jesus’ own.

He has prepared a place for me,

a home for all eternity.

I know that heaven up above,

is full of God’s abundant love.

Upon this earth is where I’ll roam,

until I’m called

Forever home!

*words to a song composed by Virginia A. Werner

Unpublished work Copyright 1988 by Virginia and Geoffrey Werner. All rights reserved.

In Media Res

By

G.K. Werner

What’s it like

with an empty head

that falls asleep

when it goes to bed

or gets things done

unfed

unwed

to thoughts that

creep and crawl

from

nook and cranny

and

come to call

when you least expect

and

your mind’s all set

to

work on work

that

isn’t much fun

but

must be done

and

there they are

the hero

the princess

the dragon of old

the bowman

the sheriff

their stories untold

?

Unpublished work (written while grading a test) Copyright 1992, 2007 and 2011

by Geoffrey and Virginia Werner.