A New Song

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God . . .
Psalm 40:3

I voice my joy in singing

of the mercies of the Lord.

In sweet accord I carol

of his everlasting word.

New songs are growing in my heart

as each and ev'ry day

the Lord reveals his handiwork

in grand and subtle way.

To praise the great Jehovah

I will lift an anthem sweet,

that all may know his power

and that death has met defeat.

His triumph is ascendant

and his wide compassion shows

that he is our Creator

and the Rock of our repose.

Verses from stories by Ana Swanson, Winnie Hu, Mathew Haag, and Jeffrey Stein.

TRUMP THINKS TARIFFS WILL SOLVE ANYTHING

@AnaSwanson

When Trump invents a bugaboo

he thinks a tariff sure will do.

He makes 'em up in half a tick,

then says they sure will do the trick

to help our farmers back on track

and end the war in poor Iraq.

I'd like to know who taught that lug

to worship that darn tariff bug!

*******************************

THIEVES ARE WAITING TO STEAL YOUR PACKAGES 

FROM YOUR FRONT DOOR

@WinnHu  @matthewhaag

Sticky fingers inundate

the holidays each year;

packages on porches

seem to always disappear.

Santa can't send anything

by UPS or mail;

cuz it just grows some legs

and runs off without fail.

So I think that this season

I will have my stuff all sent

off to someplace distant

like the fabled Orient.

I know I'll never get it

but at least those lousy crooks

will be left with empty hands

while on their tenterhooks.

*****************************

LOBBYISTS GHOST WRITE FOR LEGISLATORS

@JStein_WaPo

Independent thinking ain't 

a strength for office holders;

they don't have a blessed thing

above their padded shoulders.

So some good samaritans

write op-eds for them all --

lobbyists whose job it is

to lie and cheat and stall.

This does not surprise me, since

the lawmakers I know

only write to endorse checks

that gives their PACs more dough.

The Journey.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf.


"The Savior invites us, each day, to set aside our comforts and securities and join Him on the journey of discipleship."
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I'm invited ev'ry day

to travel on the Savior's way;

to cast aside my fears and doubts,

to hike along new trails and routes.

Some days I hold back, too afraid

to see what greatness has been made

available to me ahead;

I'm shackled by a faithless dread.

But other days I do succeed

in bypassing my narrow creed;

then it is my soul takes flight --

with eagles I can scale each height.

And so each day my prayer remains

for help in finding new domains.

Verses from newspaper stories by Corey Kilgannon, Michelle Singletary, and Andrew Freedman.

FAMILY FARMS DISAPPEAR WITH THE GRAYING OF AMERICA.

@coreykilgannon

Farmer Brown is laying down;

his joints won't stand the labor.

His kids have all long fled the land;

he has no nearby neighbor.

He'll sell up to a realtor,

to pay his bills, retire --

where once a meadow stood pristine,

they're building condos higher.

***************************

IGNORE CYBER MONDAY: PAY DOWN YOUR CREDIT CARD

DEBT INSTEAD.

@SingletaryM

Merchants hope you will ignore

your declining credit score.

They want you to buy, buy, buy,

'til your purse does liquefy.

Don't think of necessities --

think of presents under trees!

When the bill comes due at last,

you, of course, will be aghast.

But the Xmas spirit will

help you take a sleeping pill . . . 

*****************************

HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WEATHER FORECASTS 

BE FREE?

@afreedma

It seems that private enterprise

is getting in the act,

when it comes to weather

and the way that it is tracked.

The private sector wants to charge

you for your rain and shine.

Will Uncle Sam fight back on this,

or will they act like swine?

Pretty soon we'll need to know 

when local tides are high,

so we can get the pontoons out

and keep thing high and dry.

And when a drought is forecast

for a decade and a day,

we need to know ahead of time

to buy our Perrier. 

The forecast's a commodity,

just like pork belly shares;

we must work to keep it free --

away from Wall Street bears . . . 

Walking Away

President Russell M. Nelson.



"Sometimes we speak almost casually about walking away from the world with its contention, pervasive temptations, and false philosophies. But truly doing so requires you to examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy."
President Russell M. Nelson.

How I wish that I could cut

walking in a worldly rut

quite so often as I do --

do such thoughts occur to you?

How I need the Holy Ghost

as a constant sure guidepost!

Then my time and action would

be devoted to the good

of my soul, and peace would reign

in my heart instead of pain.

So each day I vow to toil

to subdue this mortal coil.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 3.

The long road

to where I've been --

no thaw is long enough.

Clouds

playing leapfrog

over eternity.

What holds up the trees?

What holds up the mountains.

What holds up the clouds?

Melt water --

a sluggish black

python.

Snow on branches --

it'll fall away

before the sun does.

Wet brown leaves --

a vexing trail

to more wet brown leaves.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 2

Wearing a white cap --

the wood pile

waits politely.

Everything disappears

to make way

for the snow.

Heavy white branches

blocking my path --

stop, and consider alternatives.

Branches

thread through the sky --

weaving snow dreams.

Pothole --

destined for

a lifeless curse.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 1

Blending into itself

heavy snow can't caress

so smothers the trees.

No sparrows

wait under the bush --

they're fasting elsewhere.

Is this

white on black or

black on white?

Suddenly the sun comes out -- 

and white

is a different color.

Verses from newspaper stories by Philip Rucker, Katie Mettler, and Joe Heim.

IS THE PRESIDENT WORKING HARD, OR HARDLY WORKING?

@PhilipRucker

When you're in a pickle

and you want to wiggle out,

just look very busy 

and then travel all about.

Voters will think "What a guy!"

and cut you lots of slack;

giving you the cover to

stab others in the back.

When it has blown over

and the mob is backing down,

then relax and go back to

the antics of a clown.

*******************************

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER BIGGEST BLACK HOLE EVER.

@kemettler

Black holes getting bigger,

comets whizzing through the sky;

seems like it's the End of Times --

yet I don't want to cry.

Even with impeachment

looming like the Crack of Doom,

I'm thinking new recliners

for my cozy living room.

Why let cosmic anarchy

destroy my comfort zone?

Life keeps getting better,

now my pizza comes by drone!

****************************

LEWIS AND CLARK STATUE TO BE PULLED DOWN.

@JoeHeim

Statues used to hang around

for centuries, at least;

nowadays they slip away

as if they had been greased.

Warriors, explorers, and 

a host of others, too,

are deemed to be insensitive

and must go toodle-loo.

If I commissioned statues

I would only order those

impressionistic gewgaws

that nobody will depose.

God's Doctrine.

Dallin H. Oaks



God’s doctrine shows that all of us are His children and that He has created us to have joy.
Dallin H. Oaks

The joy of simple snowfall

or the bliss of children's song;

these are forms of happiness

for which we all should long.

Knowing we are children

of a Mother/Father great

ought to keep us loving

and removed from ev'ry hate.

Basic to our cheerfulness

is trusting that the love

of God will keep us warm below

and exalted up above.