Author: stevehaarman

I’d like to say

I met Him by the river

Took a liking right away

Listened to what he had to say

Many people stirring about

Politely quiet, He had no need to shout

But He was one of them

How could they be His fan?

He walked the shore

Then walked away

Went to the hills

A safe place to pray

I didn’t meet Him at the river

Where He spent a lot of time

Only heard about Him later

His words to strangers seemed so much greater

He changed the course of humankind

The humble man from Galilee

River Jordon still remains

It’s flowing a beautiful thing to see

I walked the shore today

My mind dwells on this King

Waves abrading the shore provide music

Background to the songs I sing

Stanski

July 8, 2023, ^

MEDITATION FOR July 7 by Steve Haarman

He is the living water and His

Death accompanied by beating,

Crowning and piercing and

Finally the end, then the beginning.

With the resurrection we were

Freed from sin and a roadmap to

Heaven was made possible as

Was the map to goodness.  It is

So easy to disregard this gift and

Sacrifice, but without it we would

Be nothing, have no hope, and

Would be bewildered and lost.

Now we have hope with the

\Holy Spirit to guide us, and Jesus

To take our hand, while we thank

The Father for life itself. Amen

A meditation by Steve Haarman

a.k.a. Stanski

July 7, 2023, ^

THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS

A MEANINGFUL CONTEMPLATION

RESTORING HOPE AND REFUGE

WHAT CAN WE DO

Blessing Andrawus was heartbroken when she

learned that her father had been shot to death

by militant Fulani Muslims while conducting an

evangelistic outreach in a neighboring Nigerian

village.  The 22-year-old considered him not only

a good dad but also “a very good friend.” None

of her friends seemed to understand her pain, but

over time she found comfort and healing through

her faith in Christ.  “I have a friend,” she said, “a

very good friend, and that’s Jesus. He’s the only

shoulder I can cry on. He will never disappoint me.”

     Militant Fulani Muslims in Nigeria often target

Christians’ homes.  They burned Ta’azia’s home

When they attacked her village. Ta’azia

Has been able to stay in her burned home’

But thousands of others have been forced to

Take refuge in camps designated for internally

Displaced people, who believe in a Faithful

God amid Great Loss.

     Attacks on Christians have left thousands of

Women in Nigeria without husbands and homes.

Like Sarah, many express great joy in knowing

The global body of Christ is praying for them

And helping meet their needs

     Many of us who also believe in praying to

Jesus for help and live in a life of luxury.

We do not have to provide for our family by

Farming on borrowed land.  We may do many

Good things to make life easier for others, but

Now we must face ourselves and ask what more

Can we do to help these innocent individuals?

     Give our prayers and gifts to the VOICE of the

MARTYRS, 1815 SE Bison Rd, Bartlesville, OK 74006

Steve Haarman, aka, Stanski

July 6, 2023, ^

A MEANINGFUL CONTEMPLATION

RESTORING HOPE AND REFUGE

WHAT CAN WE DO (Privately and Silently)

Blessing Andrawus was heartbroken when she

learned that her father had been shot to death

by militant Fulani Muslims while conducting an

evangelistic outreach in a neighboring Nigerian

village.  The 22-year-old considered him not only

a good dad but also “a very good friend.” None

of her friends seemed to understand her pain, but

over time she found comfort and healing through

her faith in Christ.  “I have a friend,” she said, “a

very good friend, and that’s Jesus. He’s the only

shoulder I can cry on. He will never disappoint me.”

     Militant Fulani Muslims in Nigeria often target

Christians’ homes.  They burned Ta’azia’s home

When they attacked her village. Ta’azia

Has been able to stay in her burned home’

But thousands of others have been forced to

Take refuge in camps designated for internally

Displaced people, who believe in a Faithful

God amid Great Loss.

     Attacks on Christians have left thousands of

Women in Nigeria without husbands and homes.

Like Sarah, many express great joy in knowing

The global body of Christ is praying for them

And helping meet their needs

     Many of us who also believe in praying to

Jesus for help and live in a life of luxury.

We do not have to provide for our family by

Farming on borrowed land.  We may do many

Good things to make life easier for others, but

Now we must face ourselves and ask what more

Can we do to help these innocent individuals?

     Give our prayers and gifts to the VOICE of the

MARTYRS, 1815 SE Bison Rd, Bartlesville, OK 74006

Steve Haarman, aka, Stanski

July 6, 2023, ^

A MEDITATION

IT IS STRANGE

It is strange. Praying about a stove.

Should we get rid of one that works

but is not used that often and replace

it with two that will also not be used.

Let’s put that in the hands of the Holy

Spirit. Jesus be at my side this day.

I need to be strengthened. My

dependency on you increases.

I pray that my life is going according

to your will. I am open to your purpose,

I am sorry for my sins and ask forgiveness

and renewal. You are my savior and hero.

 Amen

Stanski

July 6 2023, ^

July Fourth is over. We

Must never forget the

Opportunities which have been

Given to us by the Creator.

Our country is one of the

Most desirable ones in existence.

We have much to be proud of, and

Many things to be ashamed of. We

Are not perfect and much room to

Improve. We were told to go to the

Fringes to help those in need. Not just

On sunny, delightful days, But every

Day, until all of the worlds needs are

Met. It is not an easy task as many

People are in the way of our success

And do not want us to proceed. Day after

Day go by and we find ourselves idle,

Especially on overcast gloomy days,

When it is difficult to lift ourselves out

Of our comfort. We need to pray to

The Holy Spirit to help us and then

Open ourselves up to His input. When

We do this we will be more at peace

With ourselves.

Stanski

July 5, 2023, ^

We are celebrating the fourth of July and

Most people are happy, inherently or

Because we are with children watching

Then or observing all the patriotic

Activities going on. It is good to have

A nation, divided as it is, come together

This day to celebrate our independence.

It did not come easy and much blood has

Been shed since its inception. We all

Have relatives or friends who have died

So that we may have freedom. There are

Many overlooked who feel like they will

Never have the freedom promised to

Them. We must go out of our way to

Help these neglected souls and make

Resolutions to do everything we can

To make everyone feel equal. We

Speak of race relations, but as

Fredrick Douglass proclaimed, there

Is only one race, the human race.

How great it would be if we could all

Live as brothers and sisters, united

In a single cause of freedom. It could

Be done. Let’s begin.

Stanski

June 2, 2023, ^

Hard to believe that June

Is ending, but it is, and we

Still, get subtle reminders

That winter is not that far 

Removed or away. Looking

Out we cannot see the

Horizon. We look up and down

But it is not to be seen. A

Huge fire in Canada has sent

Smoke to us, which has fogged

Our sky, blocked the sun

There are no filtering rays in

The woods and all the fauna

Seems quiet, and the flora is

Still the wind, not even

A slight breeze is moving anything

The sun has been an ally on

Some days but mostly, it has been

Gray and depressing. Older people

Are dismayed as they feel that they

Have a few days, weeks, months and  

To enjoy the spring, summer, and fall.

Winter, though has been prevalent

And whether the smoke is coming from

California or Canada, the outcome is

The same and allergy medications

Cause drowsiness and make life

Miserable for those who cannot find

Something positive to hold on to.

Music helps, and old classical movies

Lift the doldrums for a while but in

The back of the mind, reality does not

Vanish. So we wait. This cannot last

Forever, can it? We hope not.

Stanski

June 30, 2023, ^

I feel the cool breeze on this

This gray overcast day. I cannot

Let it cause depression because

I know that there is a purpose

For it even though I do not know

What that purpose is. People in

The community are working to

Make the day an enjoyable one

As we celebrate the birth of a

Nation, although flawed, once

More. There will be the usual

Activities with the children’s parade

Taking place on Friday and the grand

Parade on Saturday. there will be

Vendors selling their wares and

The Lions will be hawking their

Famous hot dogs. Looking back

We will be missing those who have

Gone to their rewards and who we

Had a good relationship with. It

Is with heavy hearts that we

Realize that we must go on without

Them. Such is the way of life and

We can never understand why it

Must be this way, although in the end

We will all be together again. There

Are some who we eagerly await and

Others, as we are just human, that we

Could care less if we see them or not.

It is not the way we have been taught

But that feeling remains just the same.

The day continues and the cheerleaders

Are selling raffle tickets to raise money

For their needs. Little folks are looking

For candy which has been thrown to

The crowd. The old-timers musical float

Will come by and then park and entertain

Us with music from days gone by. The same

Activities are repeated each year and one

Of the favorites is the parade of old or

Unusual cars that join the parade. After

So many hours the crowd disperses. It

Has been a lovely day even without the

Sunshine and warmth. Maybe next year.

Stanski one June 29, 2023, ^

I was riding my horse steadily

In an uncertain stream, handling

Conditions and making changes

As necessary, following the guidance

Of my superiors, operating without

Complaint and making changes as

Necessary and receiving complements

Along the way, when suddenly

Thirteen horseman rushed the

Stream and tore down ten years

Of work and vetoed the possibility

Of restoration. Then they wanted the

Teardowns to auction off in order to

Raise money for their purpose.

It is not pride that gets in my way, but

The lack of critical thinking by those

Who had the say. The misunderstanding

Of the purpose of the project and

The feeble reasons for discarding the

Efforts of ten years. I was the committee

Of one and was not invited to elaborate

On the reasons for change. The discarded

Work, some of which went missing, was

Roughly stored. Some pieces of the art

Were damaged and some were selected

For other purposes. I had procured over

Ninety percent of the art through dealings

With artists, directly of with gallery owners.

Some of the art, through transactions was

owned by the hospital but over fifty percent  

was not and the ownership of it belongs to

me, although this is not assumed by the

committee of thirteen.

Stanski

June 28, 2023, ^