Word Clouds

Word Cloud from QuizzStar on Facebook

Word Clouds on Facebook are fun

As I wait to see what words I use most

But it got me thinking, what would the Word Cloud reveal

If it followed me around each day

What would be exposed if it recorded every word spoken

Every word shared in a text or email or online

Would they be words of life or death

Words that build up or tear down, truth or lies

Would it reveal my sinful, selfish heart

Or my love for the Lord

Would it be good and pleasing to You Lord

Or would it reveal why I so desperately need a Savior

Even more sobering

What if there was a Word Cloud that captured my thoughts

The thoughts I edit out, because even this sinner knows

There are some things that shouldn’t be said

Lord I know that You record my every word, thought and deed

There will come a day when I will give an account to You

Thank You Lord for providing Your Son, my Savior

To pay the penalty for my sin debt

If I were to be cast in to hell for eternity

I could never pay for all my sins against infinite Holy God

Thank You, Jesus, for dying for my sin

That I might be forgiven and granted eternal life

Thank You for the gift of Your Word which sanctifies me

Thank You for the Holy Spirit who dwells within

Help me to live each day

Mindful that I will give account to You

For every thought, word and deed

Help me to choose well and live out of love for You

Susan Wachtel

December 22, 2016

A Morally Confused Election

Lord, I can’t help but believe

Both candidates are part of Your judgment

On the wicked morally bankrupt nation that we’ve become

What a sorry state we are in

The top two candidates

Reflect the state of our moral confusion

It’s more than just ideological differences

It’s bigger than choosing between left and right

Democrat or Republican

We are a nation divided

Even within our political parties

We have splintered and are spinning out of control

Can I just say

Trump was my number 17 choice

Out of a field of 17 candidates

After his nomination

I was depressed

In a quandary as what to do

Over time

I accepted my choices are limited

Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Write-in or Not Vote

I asked the question

Does Never Hillary

Trump Never Trump

The best thing about Trump

He’s not Hillary

The worst thing about Trump, he’s himself

The campaigning and debates revealed

Not just a flawed candidate

But a man who was morally bankrupt

Remember the awful, wretched things he said

About the candidates, their wives and families

Let’s not forget the reporters and anyone else within range

The man has no filter on his mouth

He speaks before he thinks

Some find it refreshing, I find it appalling

He brought the discourse of debate

To a new all-time low

Vile name calling instead of focusing on issues

Boastful pride and arrogance

Bragging of his sexual conquests and body parts

He doesn’t classify adultery as sin, but God does

Hillary feigns outrage at Trump’s antics

But let’s not forget Clinton’s corruption 

Both personal and professional

Over the years, Hillary’s complicit in covering up

Not just Bill’s sexual immorality

But shutting down the women he’s sexually assaulted

Remember Benghazi…what difference does it make

Was it incompetence or negligence

That left four Americans dead; and why the lies

Personal email servers for convenience of course

Classified…what’s that?  Never received them

National security at risk, all for what

State Department and influence for sale to the highest bidder

Clinton Foundation coffers grow by leaps and bounds

Got to cover our tracks...delete, delete, delete

Corruption long-lived and far reaching

The Justice Department and FBI

Once agencies of integrity, now aid and abet

Corruption abounds

Moral bankruptcy knows no bounds

Lord, what’s a Christian to do?

Not vote?  Men fought and died for that right

Vote for the lesser of evils

Throw away my vote with a write-in who won’t win

With all the noise and rhetoric

I don’t know how to vote

Lord, what would you have me to do?

by Susan Wachtel

October 8, 2016

A Vow to Remember

Fifteen years ago
I made a solemn vow
That I would always remember

That day is etched
Imagines seared
Permanently in my mind

The horror of planes
Filled with precious human souls
Lives extinguished in an instant

What kind of person would do this
Intentionally crash a plane into a building
That’s the day, I left naïve behind

Oh the living hell they must have endured
Above the points of impact, now left to choose
Do I jump or die in this inferno

Desperate phone calls and messages went out
Pleas for help that would never reach them
Love proclaimed by voices that would soon be silenced

Firemen and police officers
Dedicated to serve and protect
Answered the call that day and laid down their lives

110 story skyscrapers don’t collapse!
Not just one, but two towers came down that day
Dust clouds chasing those who miraculously survived

Unthinkable evil struck again
Another plane filled with precious human souls
Used as a missile, plowed headlong into the Pentagon

Lives extinguished
Devastating injuries
Wounds, far deeper, scared the souls of those who survived

The war against evil began that day
It started on United 93
Courageous, heroic passengers said, “No!  We’re taking it back.”

On that day it didn’t matter
Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Native American
We were all one…Americans United

Can it really be
There’s a generation that wasn’t alive
Or those who don’t remember that fateful day

There isn’t a day that goes by
When I don’t remember
Recall afresh the horror of that day

It may be a plane overhead
A tall building on the horizon
A police officer or firefighter passing by

An American flag flying in the breeze
Saying the Pledge of Allegiance
Singing “Oh, say, can you see” evokes tears

To those whose lives were extinguished
Those who lost family or friends
I vow to always remember


by Susan Wachtel
September 11, 2016

A Living Testimony

In eternity past

Before God formed this world

He planned for two hearts to become one

Their love for Christ

The Solid Rock foundation for their lives

Desire to honor and glorify the Lord

Unwavering trust

In both good times and bad

God is praised

Not only with their lips

But with their very lives

When trouble’s strong winds began to blow

Waves threatened to swamp them

They clung to Christ all the more

Their hope in Him could not be quenched

Though pain and suffering threatened to extinguish the flame

Hope’s light burned brighter in the darkness

Like Paul they believe

Our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared

To the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ

This present life is passing away

It’s only when we die, that a Christian will be truly home

Until that time

Eyes focused on Christ

Hearts fully committed

Trust in the unfailing source of their strength

For each day, Christ is walking with them

Their young lives, a living testimony

To Christ their Savior and God

He alone is their hope

The proof and evidence of the resurrection to come

Of life everlasting, without end

For Tyler and Mariah

by Susan Wachtel

September 3, 2016

The Useful Reporter

He calls himself a journalist

Confident that he’s a crack reporter

Truth be told he’s nothing but a shill

A useful, pliable tool

In the hands of the left

An attack dog released at their command

Unquestionably believes everything he’s told

Long ago he gave up aspirations

To be a serious and well respected journalist

Stories of substance go untold

For they take too much time and effort

Followed by unrelenting criticism if he goes against PC storyline

So what if a high ranking political leader

Gets away with lying criminal actions

With nary a slap on the wrist

So what if the door is held open wide

No attempt to seriously vet those who may have hateful intentions

Stand by with shock and horror when murderous plans are unleashed

So what if our military is abandoned despite pleas for help

Only to be left to fend for themselves

When overrun by well-coordinated radical Islamic jihadists

So what if our borders are like a sieve

After all, US sanctuary cities

Stand ready to embrace illegal immigrants, no matter their crime

When race relations are at a new low

He adds fuel to the fire

Joining the popular political narrative

A thorough investigation will take too much time

Headlines will be missed

What if the facts don’t match the story at hand

Long ago, his quest to be a great journalist was forgotten

No longer known for truth, honesty, integrity and digging into a story

Instead he’s settled for being just another useful reporter

by Susan Wachtel

July 19, 2016

This poem was inspired by the ridiculous irrelevant stories the press is running with following the first day of the Republican National Convention.  If reporters and journalists were to actually focus on real stories of substance, we might have a chance for real dialogue on important issues of our day. 

#RNC2016

#MelaniaTrump

Target Is Missing the Mark

Target
An ironic name for a store 
That is missing the mark

In a world gone mad
Run by feelings
Thought and reason are irrelevant

Right and wrong no longer matter
Truth has been abandoned 
In favor of what feels good

Beware when the left redefines words
The word sex has been jettisoned 
Gender is now in

Male, female
Why thinkest thou so narrow
Your “gender” is now what you feel

Chromosomes…who needs them
Who cares what body parts you have
Choose the bathroom that feels right to you

Who cares if a woman wants privacy
So what if a mother is concerned about their child
Safety and privacy now trumped by feelings

Caution my friend, the door has been opened wide
Quietly in will slip the sexual predator
The child molester looking for their target

Transgender…unsure about just who they are
Deserving of compassion
For they too are created in God’s image

But is an open bathroom
The way to go
No one was denied their rights to use the restroom

Not that it will make a huge difference
But my business and money
Will be spent elsewhere

At retailers that respect all customers
Companies which put safety and privacy first
No more shopping at Target…it just doesn’t feel right


By Susan Wachtel
April 26, 2016

A Little Wrong

I know it may not be popular
Some might take offense
But can I just say
Perhaps I’ve gotten it a little wrong

We often see it passed along
A picture of a little girl
Straightening her crown, reminding herself
She is a daughter of the King

Something about the picture
And the sentiments expressed
Appeals to my nature and tendency
To make much of myself

Scripture tells me I am to humble myself
Under the mighty hand of God
I am to worship the Lord my God
Him only will I serve

Along with the other saints
I rejoice and give thanks to God my Father
Amazed that He has adopted me
Made me His own

Here and now
I don’t have a crown to wear
But a cross to carry
And orders follow Christ

One day if I run the race well
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
The Lord will graciously give me a crown
But it won’t remain on my head

Instead, I will fall before Christ
The King of Righteousness
The One who paid the price for my sin
Seated at the right hand of the Father

I will joyfully place my crown in the pile
Amidst many crowns from all the saints
As we bow down and worship the Lamb
We will cry Worthy is the Lamb


By Susan Wachtel
February 5, 2016

Praise God, by His mercy and grace He has made me one His own.  May I spend the rest of my life glorifying, honoring and singing the praises of Christ Jesus my Lord.

Election Confessions

Lord, I confess
As the election begins in earnest
There are times my heart is anxious
My mind filled with worry

I look around and see a nation
Seeped in sin and unrighteousness
Will You rightly and justly
Give us over to the judgment we deserve

Or will You respond with patience
In Your lovingkindness and mercy
Will You raise up a Josiah
Give us a godly leader who fears You

I see candidates of all kinds
Prideful, arrogant, rude
Contemptable, dishonest, liars
Who believe they are above reproach

Yet there are some
Men and women of integrity who fear You
Who desire to be upright and blameless
And humbly serve this nation

I see people deceived
Even believers have been taken in
I ask that You give Your people discernment
Help us to choose wisely

I confess my anxiety and worry are a sin
I have failed to trust You fully
But You are God who is sovereign and in control
You raise up kings and leaders and bring them down

When I feel anxious
Help me to repent and pray
Trust the One True and Living God
To whom we will all give an account one day


by Susan Wachtel
February 1, 2016

From Outside In

Depression is my name
I’m otherwise known as the blues

I quietly slip in
Sometimes unnoticed

Before long I consume a person’s life
From the outside in

Soon the person you love
Seems to have slipped away

Consumed within themselves
Unable to express their all-consuming pain

Their world has shrunk
From the outside in

All hope seems to be gone
For they can’t see beyond

Help can only come from the Compassionate One
In faith pray without ceasing for the one you love

For only God can break depression’s chains
From the outside in


by Susan Wachtel
January 8, 2016

This may seem like a dark way to start the New Year, but I felt led to write this poem after seeing someone struggle with depression.  I want to bring hope to those who feel helpless as they watch a loved one’s world shrink.  Truly God can break those chains and restore hope.