speaking truth in loveliness
Hello, friends! I’m finally returning with one of my favorite poems from this summer…
Father, calm this raging soul…
speak peace above the whitecaps
lashing out upon the teeming shores.
hold fast this wandering heart;
bind it to Thy will in love, for
I’m tired
of telling myself the lie that
I’d be better off if only…
cut those bitter words off at the source:
this raging soul.
oh, speak peace above the whitecaps…
help me love the teeming shores.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
I don’t worry about my small salary, ’cause I am getting a happiness and a joy in service that money couldn’t buy…
Peter Marshall
A Man Called Peter – Catherine Marshall
“I’d like this clearly understood,” he went on, grinning like a small boy, “I’m not going to get mar-r-ied till I’m good and ready. I’m good enough now, but I’m not ready.” This remark soon went the rounds.
I don’t even feel like I’m reading a biography when I’m reading this…Catherine Marshall has such a gift for storytelling and description, and Peter Marshall was such a character!
Three Blind Mice – Agatha Christie
The fact that her breakfast had been excellently cooked and served, with good coffee and homemade marmalade, in a curious way annoyed her still more. It had deprived her of a legitimate cause of complaint. Her bed, too, had been comfortable, with embroidered sheets and a soft pillow. Mrs. Boyle liked comfort, but she also liked to find fault. The latter was, perhaps, the stronger passion of the two.
I listened to an audiobook of this short mystery. I so enjoyed this one. The characters were so intriguing, and the ending completely blindsided me! If you want a good snowbound mystery that won’t take too long to read, here’s your book!
Crooked House – Agatha Christie
Curious thing, rooms. Tell you quite a lot about the people who live in them.
I still don’t know what to say about this one. The ending was so dark, but it was clever. Most of the characters just didn’t come alive for me, either. I don’t know that I would recommend it.
Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha Christie
Godfrey Burrows came in with a pleasant eagerness to be of use. His smile was discreetly tempered with gloom and showed only a fraction too much teeth. It seemed more mechanical than spontaneous.
This was an enjoyable short mystery!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis
“Why not now?” said Edmund. His face had become very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky. He did not look either clever or handsome, whatever the Queen might say.
I’m reading through this classic for the first time, and am once again enjoying C.S. Lewis’s style of storytelling.
This Will Not Last – Laurel Luehmann
when the world knocks the breath from my lungs, You fill them once more with Your own
Yes, I’m rereading my own book. XD
Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
James 3:16
I want to know You for who You are, not for who I think You are.
How is Christ changing the way I live my life? How is He altering my heart, my desires, my priorities? The way I spend my seconds?
I know You will provide, and I know Your timing is best. I lay down any thoughts of “I know better” and give this mess to You.
What were some of the most memorable parts of your April?
❤ Laurel
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Hello, friends!
Today I’ve got a poem for you inspired by some pretty awesome characters from literature…
I’m Lucy in the wardrobe,
Bilbo at his door,
Mary at the garden’s edge,
Jo longing for New York…
afraid to leave behind the world
and life I’ve always known,
afraid to lead a different life
than what this land has known…
but what songs will not be sung,
and what tales will not be told
if I venture not outside my door
to burgle dragons’ gold?
Fun fact: this poem stars in my latest poetry book, Clarion Hope!
What are some of your favorite classics, and who are some of your favorite characters from those books?
❤ Laurel
Three days to go!!
I let go
any rights I think I have to
resolution.
weeping,
I lay broken, untold stories
in Your hands,
Your promises of better tales
held close against
my racing heart.
I listen,
my ear pressed against
this shattered earth,
rumblings of hope
pulsing strong deep below.
I smile to know
there is more than meets the eye.
This poem comes from the second section of Clarion Hope: recovering Eden. Quite possibly my favorite section, it really hits on what Paul expresses in Romans 8 — “…the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
We see the brokenness of a sin-riddled world and we weep. Yet in the middle of that, we recognize that redemption is coming…that the perfect fellowship of Eden will one day be restored because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
Can you see why I titled it Clarion Hope?:)
If this sounds like something you’d like to have in poetry form, here’s the preorder link!
❤ Laurel
And so begins the countdown to Clarion Hope’s release day!
I’m going to be sharing a post a day until release day, so either buckle up or shut down your computer, depending on how you feel about Clarion Hope spam. XD
I wanted to kick it off by sharing a poem that comes from the first section of Clarion Hope.
The first section is titled fading scars, and it captures the emotions that fluctuate as we find ourselves to be broken people in need of healing…falling at the feet of the Healer. Regret, despair, gratitude, relinquishment…this section has it all.
Here’s one of my favorite poems from that first section.✨
ghosts
etch the tale in silver: how
we’ll break the chains of the past asunder,
and kindle a fire of
paper-thin ghosts
that once proudly bore our faces…
(for that’s you and me no longer.)
If you resonated with the themes of fading scars or enjoyed ghosts, you may want to get your hands on a copy of Clarion Hope. If you order today, it just may arrive in time for you to read it on release day!
If you’d like you can order your copy here. ✨
Stay the course!
❤ Laurel
I have run out of original introductions for these posts. So here you are!
It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.
Hudson taylor
The Gryphon Heist – James R. Hannibal
“Also you are very small, no? You need the help.”
Eddie turned and walked away.
Man, oh man, was this an exciting read! I was very pleasantly surprised to find that, not only was it void of junk, it also had some cool forgiveness elements, as well. A great balance of action, banter, character depth, and plot twists.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot – Ellen Vaughn
“He is my Rock. it is on Him I count, not on the purity of my own heart…His promises depend on His character, NOT MINE. This is the only foundation for faith.”
Yes, I’m still reading it…yes, I’m still loving it. (It does get a bit descriptive with some of the injury scenes, so if that’s something that disturbs you, be forewarned.)
The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
The Bear lobbed the whole sticky mass over the top of the enclosure and unfortunately it hit Uncle Andrew slap in the face (not all the bees were dead). The Bear, who would not at all have minded being hit in the face by a honeycomb himself, could not understand why Uncle Andrew staggered back, slipped, and sat down. And it was sheer bad luck that he sat down on the pile of thistles.
I just finished this one! It was so fun to read it again.
(I also got to beta-read a dual-timeline novel that hasn’t been published yet.)
Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.
Elisabeth Elliot
…thank You, Lord, that the love does not come from my meager resources, but from the incredible depths of Your love.
Purify my heart, Lord…let self-will die a quiet death in me.
Help me to live in pursuit of Your heart, Father. And yet it is not a pursuit…for You ask me to knock, and tell me it will be opened to me, and all I must do is keep in step with Your Spirit.
What memories/lessons are you taking away from February?
❤ Laurel
Hello, friends!
Remember the haiku roundup I shared awhile ago? Here’s a sequel.:)
clumsy
what love it would take
to die to win a heart that
loves so clumsily!
effervescence
her effervescence
spilled from a deeper spring than
her frail emotions.
guitar
vibrating steel sings,
bouncing beauty through a void
and echoing joy.
laurel
You were crowned victor –
yet You placed the laurel wreath
on my guilty head.
starlight
starlight pricks the sky…
shatters the hold of darkness…
offers midnight hope.
diamond
diamond in the rough –
mere carbon turned gem by the
press of deepest pain.
Thank you to all of the Instagram friends who shared the prompts with me!
Did you have a favorite haiku?
❤ Laurel
Have I mentioned that coming up with titles is not my forte?
my sweater wore sequins,
my skirt wore plaid.
eight-year-old fingers
(fingers destined for the piano,
my father had said)
trembled and left
little sweaty fingerprints
on the black construction paper
that held my sheet music steady.
a child bowed, and I left my seat
and my comfort zone, stretching
eight-year-old fingers
on ancient piano keys.
deep breath.
count down.
play the song.
somehow
habit overcame fear, and
eight-year-old fingers
pulled a tune from
ancient keys.
exhale.
stand up.
smile and curtsy.
twelve years of leaving
my seat and my comfort zone
scraped away layers of fear,
leaving a flayed, perfected love of
sharing beauty.
perfect love casts out all fear.
now twenty-year-old fingers
stretch across strings that
thrum with song,
and love overcomes fear
as I pull raw grace
from a scarred guitar.
exhale.
breathe in.
do it again.
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash
Cue the call to battle…we are at it once again!
As I’m looking at the above graphic, I’m thinking about how wrong it feels that 2023 will be here in less than two months…but I’m also so excited because it means this next book will be here in less than five months!
Book #2 will be another poetry book (surprise, surprise!), but as of yet, I’m not sharing many more details. There will be a cover reveal with a blurb coming soon, but for now I’m letting you guys guess as to what this next book may hold. Here’s your clue:
I love the way that music communicates where the written word falls short, and so I’ve been compiling a playlist of songs that share the themes I’m writing about in book #2. If you’re into music, go ahead and check out the playlist…and let me know in the comments if you have any guesses as to what the themes of book #2 might be!
Also…if you would be willing to be praying for me as I finish compiling these poems and start the manuscript on its journey to publication, I would be so grateful! God has truly been the one carrying Book #2 (and me!) through this process, and I can’t finish it on my own. I’d so appreciate prayers that:
Thank you so much for showing up to read and chat with me. I appreciate your support and encouragement so much, and I can’t wait to get this next book to you!!!
❤ Laurel
Hello, friends!
I was going to apologize for my lack of posting for the last couple of weeks, but then thought maybe I shouldn’t…because I’m not sorry for sparing you hastily pulled-together words just for the sake of saying I posted. So…sorry, not sorry.🙃
Just because I haven’t posted, though, doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. I’ve been working again on the project I started this summer and *cough cough* another project that I will likely be announcing sometime within the next few months. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes right now, and I am so excited to be able to share it with you!
Anyway, here’s September’s review…
Be careful not to measure your holiness by other people’s sins.
Martin luther
The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin
A most uncommon-looking delivery boy rode around town slipping letters under the doors of the chosen tenants-to-be. The letters were signed Barney Northrup. The delivery boy was sixty-two years old, and there was no such person as Barney Northrup.
This mystery both cracked me up and blew my mind. It’s the perfect autumn read!
The White Cliffs – Alice Duerr Miller
Ah, they forget they cannot write their parts; the bell has rung, the curtain rises, and the stage is set for tragedy – they were in love and young.
I read this novel-in-verse last fall, and enjoyed it so much I decided to read it again.
The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip – Sara Brunsvold
As if sensing the widening gap, Admin Gal looked over her shoulder and came to a stop. “I can get you a wheelchair if you’d like, Mrs. Kip.”
“I think a race car would serve me better, honey.”
I’m halfway through this one and am loving it so much! The dual timeline, the different perspectives in the same scenarios, Clara Kip in general…it’s just so good. The descriptions are fresh and poignant. It’s perfection.:)
To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gentle, she is gracious, she is godly and she is giving.
Elisabeth Elliot
Oh, Father, may I not mourn the death of this season. May I rejoice in You, gladly giving You all of me. Regardless of where it leads me.
I’m afraid to hand my plans to You. I’m afraid to let go of hopes I’ve held for so long. It’s ridiculous because I know You. I know You always handle things so much better than I do. Lord, I choose surrender. I choose to let go. I choose to raise open palms to You, waiting blindly in the darkness…
The devil tempted Jesus with that which belonged to Him, but it was not yet time for Him to take hold of it.
Let me carve my legacy in souls, Father!
“Whoever of you does not give up all claims to personal rights, ambitions, and dreams for My sake cannot be My disciple.” (paraphrase of Luke 14:33)
What were the highlights of your September? Have you been reading anything lately?
❤ Laurel
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash
Laurel Luehmann 