Author: stevehaarman

There may not be trumpets

Playing or drums beating, but

We know when we are

Called to perform some

Inherent duty. It may be

Mundane or important

But the key is listen to the

Call and respond to the call

And do so to the best of

Your ability to achieve

Maximum effect. Too many

Times these calls are

Ignored and people may

Suffer needlessly because

of our failure. When the

Shoe is on the other foot

We are often not understanding

And hold the one called upon

Guilty. We may have no excuse

For ignoring the call other

Than we have things

To do and in our mind it is

Okay, but in reality it is a

Waste of opportunity and

We may be held accountable.

Our shortcomings or laziness are

No excuses for ignoring someone

In need and the goodness we miss

Our on is irreplaceable. Wisdom

Should drive us to make the

Right decisions.

Stanski

June 27, 2023, ^

A gray, rainy morning

Whit haze so thick that

You can hardly see

The horizon makes

You wonder what God

Has in plan for you

There are many things 

But this is summer and

Your plans called for

Outdoor activities.

Thanksgiving for a new

Day is in order and then

You can figure out what

Is next on your agenda.

I have laundry to do and

A little organizing is in

Order so I can fill up some

Of the unexpected free

Time. I have exercises to do

So I will eagerly attend to

Those. Then shower and

Straighten bathroom, do

Some banking and then

Read. That will be all for

Today and when finished

I will give thanks and take

A nap. It sounds like a full

Day.

Stanski

June 26, 2023, ^

Today is a beautiful day.

Is it making up for the

Unusual gray, cold days?

I hope that is the case.

But we take what is given.

And hopefully with thanks.

When I look, I feel hopeful,

Not only for today, but

Forever. Today is just a

Single step on our journey.

The birds are singing praises,

And I think of eternity,

There is not way we can

Measure one day of the

Hereafter but it has been

Said that if a small bird

Sharpens its beak on a

Large bolder once every

Thousand years a single

Day of eternity will have

Passed when the bolder

Is worn away thusly. If

Seeing the sun flickering

Through the trees and

Smelling the fragrance of

Early summer air and

Hearing all the music

Which nature provides

Gives us peace, then we

Should do everything we

Can now to show our

Appreciation for what will

Be coming. In a broken world

We should stand firm on

Goodness and love for others.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

Stanski

June 24, 2023, ^

I viewed an abstract painting and wanted

To interpret its meaning. It had black, white,

Yellow blue, gray, orange, and green, and a

Few others. The black, embellished with

Blue and gray was the Supreme Being. He

Was flanked by the yellow, who were angels,

although we know He needed no help and

was on top of what we might think of as

confusion. The other colors represented

mankind and the degree of human

Evil or goodness. The angels at the top

Were gathering the strays who were

Attempting to circumvent the judgment

Process. They were brought back to their

Place in line. The layer of angels below

The Father were keeping order in the

Process and escort the individuals

To their eternal reward. Sounds of glee

And anguish could be heard. The various

Groups in the lower part of the painting

Were talking about their lives and how

There were no second chances they

Knew of. Some were calm, while others

Were anxious. There was the assumption

That many knew their fate but still had

Hope. The painting gave me a lot to think 

About and I walked away with a new resolve.

Stanski

June 23, 2023, ^

No doorway needed

Just windows and an

Imagination. The sun

Is shining and the wind

Is blowing mildly. Flowers

Planted recently are dancing

And small birds are

Investigating. Oh what a

Delight it is after the long

Spell of cold and gray.

Inspiration is floating

Every which way in the air

The need to grab a yard tool

Is overwhelming and it is

Hard to imagine improving

On what nature has given us

Nothing is perfect, but we will

Find a way. New shrubs would

Not hurt or be an insult to

What exists. Meanwhile the

Lake waters are calm and

Inviting. They are warm and

Cause no hesitation in going

Further away from the shore

There the sun seems warmer

Or even hotter that on the

Shore line. The view of the

Sun filtering its way through

The branches and leaves is

A sight that gives you the I

Can do it feeling. I do a little  

Edging and dump the gatherings

Into a low spot near the edge

Of the woods. This will be a

Long term project and one

That excites the visionary. Tomorrow,

Thankfully, will be another day

Stanski

June 22, 2023, ^

It was a sweet land of liberty

Indians created a battle scene

As we began to travel across

The country. Many people and

Animals were slaughtered needlessly

As we began our manifest destiny

Living was easier as the Indians

Were conquered and kept on reservations

We then advanced through the industrial

Revolution. Then the wars, including the

Civil War, the Spanish-American war,

World War I and II, the Korean war,

Followed by the cold war. Then the conflicts

With Iran and the war with Iraq, Presidents

Reagan and President Trump, demanded peace

At the time of the2020 State of the union address

Our economy was booming, overseas jobs were

Coming home. We exported fuel, secured our borders,

Created jobs at home which were sustainable. Built our

Defense, brought peace to the middle east. Made Jerusalem

The capitol of Israel. Reduced crime in the USA making

It a much safer place to be. Dealt with Covid. Survived

Two impeachments and three investigations, while Mrs

Clinton and Joe Biden with all the evidence against

Them are living Scott free. If reelected president Trump

Will restore what Bided has given away.

Stanski June 18, 2023, ^  

A GLORIOUS DAY

(a meditation by Steve Haarman)

Today is a glorious day.

One that is to be treasured.

We should all use it to good purpose

We gather and pray together that

Everything will be okay. Prayer is good,

But we also need action if we are to

Go forward in our journey to heaven.

There is much to do. the world is in

Chaos including our country. People

Mistake power and control as leadership

And are content in destroying our

Lives and subjecting us to Marxist Socialism

Soon there is no productivity and we

Fall into ruin. We must start no and

Embrace leadership which will turn us

Around and restore religion and rights.

And update our schools and do away

With unions which control what is being

Taught and indoctrinated. We need a new

Chapter of individualism, where people

Do their own thinking and come to the

Conclusion that they know as true.

Only then can we advance and grow.

Stanski

June 16, 2023, ^

We wait and wait through the

Cold winter; waiting for spring

And the flowers and birds that

Come with it. Winter is gray and

Bitter and must laugh at those

Who freeze in the trail and then

Say they are having a good time

The good time lasts until the

Blackberry brandy runs out, then

Suddenly the world is cruel. Spring

Gives us a brief promise and then

This year disappears. It is cold and

Damp and the wood two wet to

Burn. A few daffodils and lilacs have

Bloomed but the quantity is not

Sufficient to get us excited enough

To get us to go after landscaping as

Though there were no tomorrow.

So we plug away when incentivized

And eventually the yard is ready for

Norman upkeep. Then the months slip

Be and again we face the winter months.

All of the outings were fun but there

Were too many days of gray. The birds

Seem sullen and the chipmunks and

Squirrels stayed busy collecting their

Stash of food for the winter months.

We have hope that next year will be

Better, but we will taken what is given to us.

Stanski

June 15, 2023, ^

No sun today but that

Doesn’t mean that we

Can’t go out and play.

The sky is bright, almost

Blinding, and there has

Been a little rain intermittently

The little animals of the woods

Are quiet. They are not running

About or squealing. There is

Much yard work to do and it

Will be days before we get

It cleaned up. I need someone

With a trailer and a chipper in

Order to make light of the work.

After the gardens are cleared I

Will have cedar mulch to cover

The ground and slow the weed

Growth. Some call this work but

I call it play, much like golf. Four

Hours of hitting the ball and then

Lugging your clubs to the next shot

All in all it is an enjoyable pastime

You need sunglasses for protection

And also bug repellant. The bugs,

Especially mosquitoes make a

Buzzing noise which drives you

Crazy, the noise is worse than the

Bite. It is nice, though, when finished

You can look at what you have

Accomplished and glow in a sense of

Pride. You quickly make plans for

Your next venture and then go in

And stretch our for a while. Life is

Good, even on bright days.

Stanski

June 14, 2023, ^

In life, you try to do your best to

Do your assignment in a way that

Pleases most. When working over

Ten years as a committee of one

with 200 pieces of art at hand,

And needing an okay from the CEO

For each piece, you intend to hang

And getting approval for where it

Will be hung. You feel a little dismayed

When all the art is taken down, the

Walls were repaired and then a new

Committee of thirteen is selected

To second guess the work I had done.

No one piece of art is going to please

When only about fifty

Are chosen. The rest were rejected for

Various reasons, including a couple

That a few thought looked like a

Vagina. They were from the art deco

Period and I am sure there was no

Desire by the artist to leave that

Impression. Be what may, they were

Rejected. Some were too dark; some

Abstract, and others disliked by a few.

So what was wanted was kept and

The rest dumped into the 0ld

Physical Therapy building. It feels

Strange that after ten years over a

Dozen people on a new committee

Can undo what I did and what was

Liked by the majority of workers in

The hospital and by many of the patients.

It is another story of mankind and how

A few can stop progress. I wonder how

Many of the thirteen can create art.

It looks easy until you try to imitate it.

No one likes all art for various reasons.

Not everyone likes the designs of all

The art museums but we keep them

And do not tear then down and rebuild.

Life goes on and what happened is not

The worse thing that is. I am thankful

For what we have.

Stanski

June 12, ^