By God's Design

 

 

  

By God’s Design

By His own hand I was designed…

My life belongs to God, I have resigned.

Like the panes in glass stained windows ~

Brilliant in light, dark in shadows,

I have traveled through valleys of death

And among green pastures which stole my breath…

Always wandering in search of more,

Asking God what He has in store

For me in this thing called life.

Would I marry and become a wife?

Often stumbling and at times I’d crash ~

Lost hope and faith, thrown out like trash.

Never once did He fail me, gentle hands

Picked me up, cradled me, not coddled understand ~

The lessons taught to me were hard at times,

But by God’s design, He made them mine.

Looking back at shards of glass, strewn

Across the path I took, laid many ruins;

Lives that took the treacherous path unknown.

So that right from wrong I’d be shown.

The farther from God I traveled on, the nearer

He draw me to Him, my cross, not His to bear.

If I knew then what I know now, many things

Would have changed, a life full circle brings…

Reflections of the past, understanding of now

And new hope for the future, by God somehow…

The road I travel now filled with wonder ~

His teachings, I hear not put asunder.

A grateful heart and thoughtful mind

By God’s hands, this soul divined.

Poems My Way ~ Valrie07/13/2013

 

                                               

Blogging has become my favorite hobby along with the poetry I write, inspired by God's talks and walks in my life. It is truly by God's Design that I am alive today, and through Him and because of Him I live.

Saturdays I blog with Beverly from How Sweet The Sound and follow her PINK SATURDAY bloggers around the world. I have made so many friends and they have become close to me for many different reasons, each one has in some way helped pull me out of a terrible depression and illness that nearly cost me my life. This is where I met Terry when she stopped by my Powerful Pinks blog post on July 6th, 2013. She nominated me for the Liebster Award which I humbly post now in my gadgets.

 Terry thank you so much and I look forward to paying it forward to some new bloggers that I know...

 

The Liebster Award, save the image and take it with you to my nominees!

 

Liebster is a German word that means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, pleasant and valued.

I am abundantly honored! Terry  from Sharing Divine Inspiration blessed my blog yesterday  with this honor. Thank you, Susan!  You can read her Liebster blog post here: 

This award has a purpose. I understand that it is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers with the purpose of recognizing their blog and encouraging them to continue blogging. Thank you, Terry! I proudly accept your award and am honored to pass it on to equally deserving bloggers!

"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." -2 Chronicles 15:7

In acceptance of this award I am to:
1. Give 11 random facts about myself.
2. Answer the 11 questions Terry asked me.
3. Nominate 11 people for this award.
4. Make up 11 original questions for my nominees to answer about themselves.

Okay, here we go!

Eleven random facts about myself: (in no particular order)

1. I am a middle child of a total of six siblings... that includes me... 2 brothers are the bookends and three sisters.We span 15 years and grew up with all of our names being run together GarryVanessaValrieCherylDebraKevin... :-)

2. I married my childhood sweetheart and even though the marriage ended after 16 years and 4 years of courtship/engagement, we managed to have 2 wonderful children. Sadly their father and my first love died 11 years ago on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2002. 

3. I have a flare for the dramatic arts and acted in high school plays, earning the Outstanding Senior and contributer to the dramatic arts award from The Upstagers in 1973. It was three-fold in that I acted, designed costumes and make-up. We competed at the college level each year at Alfred Tech Community College and always took home high honors. My first time trying out I won the starring role in White Liars, playing a German fortune teller who was really Jewish. There were only 4 characters in the drama and one was my deceased husband speaking through my mind... all on audio...It took real talent my drama director told me, who we affectionately to this day call Boss. I was made up to look like a 65-70 year old lady... I had found my niche at 15 year, a sophmore in high school, boy were the Senior girls upset with my winning the role! BTW it was the only female part in the play...

4. I wrote my first poem when I was 5, it was about frogs... I don't remember it but that it was about them frolicking with me in the mud.

5. I accepted Christ as my Saviour when I was five.  Whenever I was troubled I would go outside to the flower beds outside my bedroom, this particular day I had sassed off to my mom and was very angry with her but moreso at myself... I sat Indian style among the daffodils and cried out to God. He answered me in bold emblazoned stained glass capital letters in the sky, a message from God and Heaven to be sure...the message was clear, REPENT OR GO TO HELL. That was all my little soul needed, whether I was scared into it or not, I was a believer and knew that this being we called God was real. From that day forward I heeded this lesson.

6. I love to travel...camping the entire east coast of the USA as a child with my family; Aruba for 2 weeks after a bitter breakup and failed marriage... and here I wrote some of my best adult poetry... Cayman Islands, Mexico 2 (cruises); and Jamaica. Holland, England, Australia, Japan are on my bucket list as is the rest of the United States.

7. I speak Spanish fluently, took it 7-12 grade, 2 years in college, but learned more in the Spanish speaking countries I have visited and living 11 years in NJ. 

8. I was a teen queen in 1972-73 for the NCHA (National Campers and Hikers Association), placed 3rd in the state but won the talent competition with a modern danceI choreographed and performedto "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head...

9. My first teaching job was when I was a junior and senior at SUNY Binghamton, majoring in English & general Literature. I taught 2 families from Japan, Kyoto and TokyoEnglish as a Second Language, I did not know one word of Japaneze either. 

10.  I have lived in 5 states. NY,NJ, MD, FL, & VA.

11. At the age of 41, in January 1996 I left my retail career behind and entered Elmira College to study and receive a MSE in Reading with Reading Specialist Endorsement and a minor in Elementary Education. I was a single mom, drove 1hour and 15 minutes each way 4 days a week in the eveningfor 18 months and completed both programs with a 4.00 GPA, earning nomination into Kappa Delta Pi, Rho Mu Chapter; it is an elite honors international society of educators who achieved at least a 3.97 GPA, earning perfect grades as a single mom in her 40'sis my greatest lifetime achievement after having birthed my 2 lovely children, Jennifer Ann, 29 and Joseph David, 26.

Okay, Terry has asked me these questions:

 
1. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

After waking  up I thank God for another day to live and make a difference in my life, and the lives of those I reach in my daily journey in life.

2. What is the last thing you do at night?

I say my prayers, thanking God for the day, asking to be a better person tomorrow and kiss my hubby goodnight while Carmel, my loving cat snuggles up to us in bed.

3. Do you have children?

I have 2 children, 1 daughter-in-law,  3 step children. Jenni 29, Joey26, Laura 29 (Joey's wife), Faith, 26, Soleil 15, and Autumn 12 1/2... Mark's 3 daughters. P.S. I have twin grandbabies on their way this month, Joey Salvatore and Milena Delia...
4. What do you love to do?

Write poetry and share it on  my blog with my blogging friends and Facebook friends. Bake and cook, and entertain.

5. Where do you love to be?

At the beach by the sea, walking barefoot in the sand hand in hand with my hubby.

6. Do you like to drive?

I am a road warrior... my retail job as a fashionista district sales manager took me on average 1500 miles a week in the car...now I am looking forward to driving as many weekends as possible to see my about to be born fraternal twins boy/girl  in Wilmington, NC... I live in North Central VA.

7. What is your biggest dream?
To have my poetry and novella professionally  published, being a best seller

8. What is your favorite animal?

That's easy.. my resuce cat Carmel, came to me as a kitten who blew into the drivewayafter a violent storm... probably thrown away by some less endearing person.. and he has claimed me as his slave ever since...

9. What is your favorite type of food?

Dutch cooking.I am a by God by Guess scratch cook and baker, as was my mom, God rest her soul...love the confections, but enjoy putting my own recipes together... dabble a lot in Asian dishes too.

10. Are you a morning dove or a night owl?

Definitely a morning dove. Dad always said, your going to bed  time has nothing to do with getting up time. I awake to the chirping birds at the crack of dawn.. sometimes before, usually by5 AM. I have grown to love this quiet time, to read, to write, and to just be me without noise or interruptions.

11. Why do you blog?

It is my therapy and safe haven. To make friends and share God's word. To be inspired and write my poetry.To chronicle my life and my joys and also my woes so my friends can help build me back up when I need it. To grow as a person, in my knowledge of other cultures and to value others as I hope they value me.

 The 11 questions I am asking for the blogs I have nominated are: (Terry's are so good I am using them but adding and grandchildren to the children question...)

 My eleven questions for the nominees:
1. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

2. What is the last thing you do at night?

3. Do you have children and grandchildren?

4. What do you love to do?

5. Where do you love to be?

6. Do you like to drive?

7. What is your biggest dream?

8. What is your favorite animal?

9. What is your favorite type of food?

10. Are you a morning dove or a night owl?

11. Why do you blog?

The eleven blogs I am nominating are:

1.Theresa Mahieu  The HeART of Words
http://theheartofwords.blogspot.com/


2.    Viola Navarette-Symonds Along a Widowed Road

http://alongawidowedroad.blogspot.com/

3. Debi at Echo of My Heart

http://debi-echoofmyheart.blogspot.com

4. Nancy J.Dinks at   toowonderfulforme

http://nancygrayce.blogspot.com

 5. D Jean Quarles at D. Jean Quarles: Journaling - The Writer's Life

http://djeanquarles.blogspot.com/

6. Nicole Blean  at Stepping Forward in my Ruby Slippers

http://180degrees4singlemoms.blogspot.com

7. Just a Country Girl Harley @

http://harleygirl-countrygirl.blogspot.com

 8.Anne at  Anne's Phamily  @ http://annesphamily.blogspot.com/    

9. Denise McGee  House at Forest Manor @  http://houseatforestmanor.blogspot.com/   

10.  Linda & Carol    Two Succulent Sisters  @ http://www.craftsalamode.com/

10.    Catherine Cavalier @ Ornate Splendor   http://ornatesplendor.blogspot.com

11.   Nicki(actually Annette Elisabeth Hildegard   @ Illini89   http://illini89.blogspot.de/

 

These ladies will be contacted by me this evening and throughout the weekend to let them know I nominated them for this award and how to stop by my blog and receive the award. Congratulations Ladies you all have marvelous blogs and I am honored to pay this Leibster Award forward and help you promote your blogs!

 

 

To my eleven award recipients, save this award and download it to your computer then add it to your gadget bar, and then contact me to receive your instructions on passing on your award to eleven new recipients! Email me here: poemsmyway@yahoo.com

                            

 

Have a Blessed Weekend!

 

 

Stepping out of our comfort zone requires courage

May God give you this courage to realize your dreams!

 

 

             It is so awesome to share with bloggers around the world and meet new Pink Saturdays and discover new friends, understand new cultures and spread joy.

Be sure to visit Beverly  and meet all of us Pink Saturday bloggers over

at How Sweet The Sound and let her know I sent you!

 

 

 Pink Hugs From Me To You!