To Clearly See

By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

We need to see things clearly
If we want to know the truth
We must hunger for it dearly
Hunting like a super-sleuth

We only see through darkly
As we travel in this life
Faith grows like a small tree
Overcoming storm and strife

There is a gift as great as love
That our kind God will give
And he has sent it from above
To help our faith to live.

A seer is helpful to us all
In showing truth and light
In taking down tradition's wall
And ending darkest night

We all have misperceptions
About our history
We see murky reflections
In the way things used to be

We need the help, God will provide
To understand the past
The truth can help us then decide
To find great joy at last.

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Beauty

By Liba Dilla

Beauty’s when you’re on a mountain watching the sun set.
Beauty’s also in a river when you’re having fun getting wet.

Beauty’s all around us in the flowers and the trees,
I think beauty is also grass getting ruffled by the breeze.

Beauty is a fountain, such a pretty sight to see.
Beauty is not fashion, or earrings and stuff to me.

If you think so vainly, if you’ve spoiled yourself then do,
go out and look around yourself and start a whole life that’s new.

The Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost

By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

The third member of the Godhead,
is a personage of spirit
Through his whisperings we are led,
as we listen close to hear it

Without a body of flesh and bone,
he enters into our heart
The truths of God can then be known,
by those who do their part

The Godhead works, always together,
in perfect unity
Giving us strength, life’s storms to weather,
with blessings eternally

The Holy Ghost will reveal,
the truth to the righteous mind
This truth, once received, no devil can steal,
because of the plan God designed

This quiet communication,
delivered softly to you and I
Is a gentle invitation,
to love our king who came, for our sins, to die

The witness of the Holy Ghost,
brings peace and certainty
This helps our conversion the most,
beyond what natural eyes see

As we strive to walk the trail,
that leads to eternal joy and bliss
We know that we will never fail,
if his promptings we don’t miss

The spirit can protect us all,
from danger of any kind
As we each answer his loving call,
great peace we soon will find

The gifts of the spirit will help us
to bless, those who need our love
We can help them to confess and forsake sin,
and dwell with our Father above

The soothing voice of a father,
brings comfort to a crying child
Let us help a Sister or Brother,
feel peace from the spirit so mild

The Holy Ghost can fill us up,
with perfect love and hope
The Savior can enter and with us sup,
and cut sins binding rope

Through the Spirit’s mighty power,
we are sanctified
We can find in every hour,
our needs will be supplied

We must enter through the baptismal gate,
to reach the Kingdom that’s best
The Gift of the Holy Ghost helps conquer hate,
and brings us peace and rest

He’s the Holy Spirit of Promise, it’s true,
and in this, his capacity
He confirms the ordinances given to you,
and those that are given to me

This approval depends on our faithfulness,
we each need this to take place
Our Father wants to guide and bless,
so we’ll worship him face to face

All honest seekers of the truth,
can feel the spirits influence and direction
Please ask God to bless all our youth,
to be worthy of his protection

The gift of the Holy Ghost is more constant,
than its influence alone
The gift allows him always to be present,
so we’ll have greater joy than we’ve known

We must keep the commandments of the almighty,
if we desire the spirit, to guide
We can enjoy his great company,
as in the love of God we abide

Full enjoyment of this gift,
can make us fit for Celestial glory
Let us go forth to bless and lift,
and tell all the world Jesus’ story

Each blessing comes, one by one,
as we prepare our hearts for God’s will
We must live in harmony with his Son,
if we desire God’s power to feel

God will bestow upon us great strength,
if we love him with all that we are
We know that we will conquer at length,
we can make it, no matter how far

The Spirit of the Lord may grieve,
his power may be quenched
If tangled webs of sin we weave,
the joy from our lives may be wrenched

Let’s keep our souls clean through the Lord’s grace,
and fill all our lives up with beauty
With help from the spirit we’ll reach the right place,
and accomplish each sacred duty.

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For My Wife

For My Wife
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

I never can feel lonely
When thinking of your love;
Or when thinking of your purity
And sweet nature from above.

For goodness shining through your eyes
Like a sunbeam in the night,
Points the way, on the darkest day,
Filling my soul up with light.

You always show your love for me
With gentle tenderness,
And I always love your kisses
And to feel your sweet caress.

I know how much you love me,
I’ve known for quite awhile;
And wherever I roam, I love to come home,
To the beautiful light of your smile.

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Blind Eyes, Empowered by Faith to See: an Explication of John Milton's “[When I consider how my light is spent]”

By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet


[When I consider how my light is spent]
By John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”
I fondly ask; but patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yolk, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly, Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”


Through the words of his poem “[When I consider how my light is spent,]” John Milton turns the hearts and minds of suffering individuals to God and blesses them with comfort and understanding. Milton wants the words in this poem to continue to accomplish the work of God in the hearts and minds of his future readers. He demonstrates through his poetry and his own life that individuals can achieve strength during times of adversity through a connection with the Lord.
This Sonnet is written in the Italian form in iambic pentameter, following the pattern abba abba cde cde. Milton begins with an octave that raises questions and expresses his concerns. During his life, Milton had a great deal of success. Milton was a wealthy and influential person until a political change caused him to lose all of his property and to be shut up in prison. Milton also slowly lost his eyesight because of a degenerative disease.
Milton begins his poem by saying, “When I consider how my light is spent,” (Line 1) Here Milton alludes to one of the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus Christ said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light unto all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven” (NKJV). Milton is concerned about his personal ability to share his “light.” Milton departs from the iambic rhythm on the word “consider.” This disruption emphasizes that the things which he is considering, produce pain and disruption in his life.
Milton next writes, “Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, / And that one talent which is death to hide” (Lines 2 and 3) As we bear in mind that this man was blind, we see the reason he would refer to this as a dark world. Milton seems to be asking himself in this poem how well he is doing in his effort to accomplish the direction of Jesus Christ to let his light shine. When Milton refers to “that one talent which is death to hide,” he references Matthew 25:25-30. A summary of this Bible passage is as follows: A man was afraid because he was a broker and had been entrusted by a rich and powerful investor to use some of the investor’s money to produce a return on the investment. The man was so afraid of losing this money through poor decisions, that he buried the money in the ground until the investor returned. The investor was very angry and pointed out that if he had known that the broker was going to hide the money in the ground he could have given this money instead to a banker and at least received a modest amount of interest instead of nothing. The angry and powerful investor then ordered the broker to be cast into outer darkness, where there would be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Once again Milton departs from iambic pentameter on the word “one.” This emphasizes his lament about his current state of poverty, blindness, and imprisonment.
Milton continues, “Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent / To serve therewith my Maker, and present / My true account, lest he returning chide; / ‘Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?’” (Lines 4-7) On the word “lodged” Milton again departs from the iambic rhythm and we again feel an indication of feelings of frustration with his isolation and limited ability to share his influence. Milton indicates that he wants to use his resources to serve his maker; however, he says that because of his physical limitation, it is “lodged with him useless.” Milton wants a chance to present his case so that his righteous desires will be taken into account. He succeeds in his effort through this very poem. Milton wants to let his light shine so that the returning investor, the Lord, will not reprove him by asking, “Do you really expect to be paid when you did not share your light?”
Milton then states, “I fondly ask; but patience to prevent” (Line 8) Milton prays for patience so that he can avoid a situation where he must be reproved and punished by God.
This opening octave is followed in the poem by a sestet, (which answers the concerns and questions expressed in the octave.)
Milton writes, “That murmur, soon replies, ‘God doth not need / Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best / Bear his mild yolk, they serve him best. His state.” (Lines 9-11) The voice of the Holy Ghost then answers the murmured prayer of his heart and teaches him that God already has everything he needs to be happy. Those who endure cheerfully through their trials are His best followers. Milton is able to demonstrate, by writing this
poem that he is enduring cheerfully. Milton’s reference to a yoke is clearly referring to another scripture found in the Bible. This scripture is likely to be Matthew 11:28-30. In this passage Jesus Christ says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (NKJV). Milton again emphasizes the word “bear” by departing from the iambic rhythm. Milton shows on this word that it takes great effort to take that yoke upon us even though it is easy once we are coupled with God as a team.
Milton concludes by saying “Is kingly, Thousands at his bidding speed / And post o’er land and ocean without rest: / They also serve who only stand and wait.” (Lines 12-14) Milton indicates in these lines that the Lord is a King and there are thousands of servants who at the command of the Lord, will traverse the entire world and stand ready at their post. Those who patiently endure afflictions and look forward in faith to the second coming of the Lord, though unable to go on a spectacular voyage to a far away land, also serve him by being good examples to others who may suffer in the future. Milton’s message suggests that as we endure affliction without losing hope or faith in God, that we can still serve him, glorify him, and lead others to him as we patiently wait upon the Lord for healing and happiness in a future day.
Milton’s desires have been realized in the opportunity for students to write an explication of his poem after so many years have passed. John Milton continued to wait upon the Lord and thus was a good example and let his light shine. Through his poem, he presents the “true account” of the desires of his heart to serve God despite his limitations.
Milton’s poem is successful, not only in form and beauty, but also in the higher purpose intended by Milton. Through his words Milton turns the hearts and minds of suffering individuals to God and blesses them with comfort and understanding. By letting his light shine forth from out of a dark prison cell, Milton’s words comforted my heart when, two weeks ago, my Father had a massive stroke leaving him paralyzed on his left side. Because Milton was able to see with an eye of faith and share his vision with us, I’ve had the strength to comfort my Father, Who up until two weeks ago was serving as a Christian Bishop. I’ve comforted my father with the beautiful words of Milton, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” We wait upon the Lord and also glorify God today because of the timeless poetic work of John Milton.

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The Message of the Morning

The Message of the Morning
By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

The fresh, clean, new day dawns so brightly
The morning is always so bold
It clears up the mist that forms nightly
Making way for the day to unfold

Watching though darkness we see the kind sun
Rising from midnights frozen grip
Shining with glory from the battle he's won
The sun begins on his warm skyward trip

Each time the sun begins the new day
We're reminded of the chance he is giving
For us when our lives have become dull and gray
to again rise and shine and to find joy in living.

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My Son

By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

Evening light is fading
The room is dark and still
My child, sleeping soundly
Must wake to take his pill

I wake him very gently
He cries, for he is tired
He tries to move but cannot
There's a machine to which he's wired

And after he's asleep again
My heart is very sad
I feel like I should fix all this
Because I am his dad

Dear Father, up in Heaven
I'm pleading with you now
I want to heal my child's pain
Please help, and show me how

I feel I have no answers
Oh, Father hear my cries
My son is someone special
Will you just watch him as he dies?

Then, I hear a gentle voice
Speaking to my mind
Fear not, my child, for there is peace
In the plan that I designed

You see, I understand your grief
For I have felt it too
My son has also suffered pain
I've been as sad as you

When my son suffered on the cross
I wasn't by his side
I couldn't be there with him
Or help him as he died

Please know I love you and your son
And hold his little hand
You see, your loving kindness
Is the help for him I planned

And when his short life slips away
I'll catch and hold him tight
I hope this knowledge helps you
to make it through the night

So, Listen to your heart, my child
And you will clearly see
Your Savior, Jesus, paid the price
That all may come to me.

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The Atonement of Jesus Christ

By Appreciable Goodfaithpoet

The loving Atonement performed by our Lord
Can help us to find harmony
God loved us so much that he sent forth the word
To reach out and to save you and me

Jesus alone could rescue and save
And help us be made perfect too
He Helps us to get the mercy we crave
By showing us what we should do

The penalty warranted by all our sin
Required the infinite gift
The battle with Satan we each can win
Our burden the Lord helps us lift

From the beginning the Lord was ordained
To die for what justice demands
Salvation from sin can now be obtained
By following Jesus' commands

We each can dwell with our Father above
As we follow the Lord's righteous course
His sacrifice shows a supreme act of love
Let us drink from this spring at it's source

The Savior has suffered these things for our sake
To redeem all mankind from the fall
Upon us his name we gladly will take
He offers his love unto all

We can all go where there's nothing unclean
Through Jesus alone this takes place
We can be saved from things evil and mean
To again see his loving face

The Savior had power to lay down his life
And take it up after its end
He asks us to flee contention and strife
And come home with him as a friend

He suffered temptations but gave them no heed
And lived life in pure innocence
He knows how to help in our hour of need
For all he has made recompense

The blood of the Lamb for our sake was shed
He gave his life freely for me
He prayed to our God as he suffered and bled
For help to endure agony

Because of the love that our dear Savior had
For the will of our Father and God
Our hearts fill with joy and are truly glad
For he finished the course that he trod

We can find peace through the powerful name
That broke bands at Gethsemane
We can be lifted up out of our shame
By the hope found upon Calvary

We must accept the Atonement he gave
Or face pure, strict justice alone
We all need the grace that's might to save
We deserve no mercy on our own

Our Lord took away the sharp sting found in death
He was the first of those who slept
We shall live again after losing life's breath
Joy comes to his children who’ve wept

The Savior invites all the world unto him
We'll be judged for the works we have done
That day will restore each joint and each limb
Through the power of God's perfect son

Those who are righteous will have so much joy
And praise the Lord eternally
His sacrifice saves each girl and each boy
That died in their pure infancy

So let us have faith in our dear Savior's call
And overcome evil today
Let's deliver his sweet invitation to all
To be baptized and walk in his way

We all can become truly born again
Receiving the spirit to guide
And this must take place in the hearts of all men
To be filled with his pure love inside

If you will repent he will receive you
Come feast on his love to the end
Trust in the Lord in all that you do
And his grace he freely will send

Partake of his love so exquisite and sweet
Drink deep of the doctrines he'll send
Some day we will kneel at our dear Savior's feet
Where our pains and our sorrows he'll mend

He knows all the trials we each face right now
Come cast on the Lord all your care
We all can be healed and he'll show us how
He atoned so that we could come there.

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-Appreciable Goodfaithpoet