Did you know?

Did you know that giraffes can’t cough
and bluebirds can’t see blue
Did you know that a cow’s only sweat glands’ in its nose,
maybe, that’s why they moo!
Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet,
and insects shiver when they’re cold
Did you know that lobsters have blue blood,
and rats can’t vomit, so I’m told!


Did you know an average iceberg weighs 20 million tons
and only male fireflies can fly,
Did you know astronauts can’t burp in space,
neither can they cry.
The earth’s seas are about 2 miles deep,
and the Atlantic is saltier than the Pacific
Only 1 out of 10 parrots learn to talk,
now that’s a nifty trick.


Who created the house fly that hums in middle F,
or slugs that have 4 noses?
Who created the seas and then parted them,
for the people of Israel led by Moses?
Who created the catfish that are the only animal-
to have an odd number of whiskers?
Who created you and me, with our noses-
that can identify 10 thousand different odours?

Back in November, my Mum asked me to plan "Scout's Own" for a Cub Badge Camp at very short notice. Scout's Own is the Sunday worship/ reflective thing on a Cub or Scout camp- It can a bit like an assembly!

The conversation went something like this:

Me: [answers phone] Hi Mum! you alright?!
Mum: ...[hellos, how are yous, I'm fine, yaa-da-yahdee-yah...]
         I've been asked to lead Scout's Own this weekend.
        Can you* do it?
*[could I plan something simple for her lead?!]
Me: Oh! I'm fairly busy this week, but er.. yeah?!
        When do you need it for?
Mum: Thursday morning- we're going early!
[It was already Tuesday...
and Wednesday is the day I work til really late!!]
Me: Crumbs! Have you got any ideas?
Mum: No, Whatever you like!!
        I just need to be able to follow and lead it.
Me: [yelp!] Erm, okay?!!!

Maybe I should have said no,

Perhaps I should have insisted on a few ideas or direction,

But as a result of this, I came up with a few ideas and finally decided to focus on a verse in Acts (14: 13) which says, "God made the heaven, the earth, the sea and everything in it".

While gathering up some very cool facts from an app on my phone, I tried to work out how to bring it all together in a fun and engaging way, I never intended to write a poem, but on the Thursday morning, as I was trying to piece the different facts and ideas together, rhythm and rhyme started to flow and connect, so at the very last minute, I somehow had a poem, a quiz, some more facts and bible verses, a song (with actions) and a prayer!

This is the story of how this poem came about.

As a final thought,

Did you know, that a completely blind chameleon will still  take on the colours of it's environment!

Totally amazing! Surely proof of a Maker!

Free

This is a story

A story of me

This is no fairytale

but of truth that sets free

I’d been plodding for Jesus

But with the weight of a bus

Dragging behind me

While it started to rust.

“I’ve got big shoulders”

I always said

But the weight of the world

was more than lead

Life’s race- a spiritual battle

Been pushing onwards

But with a yoke like cattle

I was worn out and starting to rattle

But this is NOT how it’s suppose to be

It is for freedom that Christ set us free

The weight of the world, he took on the cross

He paid the price, to rescue the lost.

The bricks we carry,

He says- “Let me!”

Throw them into the water,

That makes fresh even the sea.

Shake off the ties,

The things that bind

Enjoy ALL his freedom

Seek first and you’ll find

The peace and the healing,

Come enjoy, taste and eat,

Lightness- so freeing,

His freedom complete.

I’m running for Jesus,

Pushing on for the prize,

He took it all on the cross

And put to death all the lies.

The Spirit of God wells up inside

The sowing of tears,

At last- Put aside!

In laughter and joy, it’s time to abide.

His precious daughter, no condemnation

I am a new creation,

His grace is enough for me

His love redeems and carries me.

“Not your shoulders, but mine instead!”

Because the weight of the word*

Was more than lead

He paid in full, then rose from the dead!

This is a story

A story of God and me

This is no fairytale

But of truth that sets free.

*Thought you found a typo? I'm afraid 'word' rather than 'world' has been left in on purpose, but can be interchanged. 

As part of the freedom that took place over the summer that inspired this poem, it had been words, a kind of 'promise' to God (well meaning but powerful and binding words)- many years ago that had 'tied me up' and made me vulnerable to being weighed down by more burden that wasn't mine to carry. However powerful words are, God's grace is enough and the new covenant takes away the requirement of legalism. It's taken close to a decade for this freedom to break in and break me out of this which had disguised itself as a God promise, I just needed to renounce those words and come to a place of repentance and God did the rest- amazing freedom and joy and life in multicolour.

Following Jesus, had involved the 'spiritual art' of plodding and slogging, i.e. keeping going despite spiritual opposition and pushing onwards, but it's a bit like in Hebrews 12, after God broke through, and we threw off all the stuff weighing me down and getting entangled around my feet I feel able to run (physically and spiritually) in a free way!

Welcome to Pondering Poetry

Welcome to Pondering Poetry. This page is part of my Pondering Pancakes blog, but is set aside for sharing my poetry and maybe some related art with you all.


I hope it is an encouragement and inspiration to you. It is inspired mainly by faith and what God is teaching, reminding and revealing to me through creation, others and of course, himself. I'm a Christian, have been for a long time but recently discovered in a new way a fullness of freedom, life and joy in him as he took the shackles off my feet and the weight off the world off my shoulders. As a friend put it,

"You can get Israel out of Egypt, but you gotta get Egypt out of Israel"

- the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and heading for the promised land but for many the familiarity of slavery and the melons and cucumbers of Egypt seemed safe and meant many lived as if they were slaves not free people...


Through discovering what it is to live as a new creation, living a new story, where his yoke is easy and his burden is light, a new creativity seems to be flowing... I was quite arty before but I have discovered writing poetry, there may be a couple of earlier poems too- it seems to have been brewing over the last year or so...


I hope you enjoy them and it gives you something to ponder!

Check out my blog http://ponderingpancakes.blogspot.com/