I love my Savior, God, and King
He is my hope in everything.
He is the way, the truth, the life
The cure to all our ills and strife.
Even before this world began
He was the key to Father’s plan.
He framed the mountains, filled the sea
To make a home for you and me.
He is the Christ, God’s perfect Lamb
Father’s firstborn, the Great I Am.
In his walk and talk he shows us still
The way to live our Father’s will.
He endured the whips, his flesh was torn,
The mocking men, the crown of thorns
In the garden and on the tree
He suffered pain to set us free
From guilt, and grief, and endless pain
And victory over death to gain.
Though Jesus Christ was the Son
He shares the victory he had won.
He walked the path and paved the way.
So we could in His presence stay.
His glory, his honor, in realms of light
Are promised us through his great might.
Though bought at infinite cost
Without him we’re forever lost.
To help us in our daily search
He called prophets, restored his Church
Come now, heed the prophets call
To worship Him who saved us all.
The gift of immortal life he gave
That every soul should leave the grave.
And stand before his judgment throne
To see that all their works were known
To the good, the kind, and gentle ones
He gives the power to be God’s sons.
To live in love and with him stay
In that glorious, bright eternal day
Then to our Savior, God, and King
Our heartfelt praises we will sing.
How Do You Define Kindness?
The subject of this painting were the blossoms of an African Tulip tree. The blossom forms a large cup that catches rain water. Birds coming to drink from these cups carry the pollen from one blossom to another. Thus, by providing a service to the birds, the flower receives service in return. It is by giving and sharing that we grow in loving and caring.
Things of Joy
By Al Vester
I shopped for gifts early this year
And gathered a sack full of good cheer.
I polished up memories of things I’d seen,
Until they gleamed so bright and clean.
Things of joy and boundless mirth
Showing to all for all their worth:
The diamond sparkle of falling rain,
The shadow smile of the old moon’s wane,
The billows and curls from a chimney at dawn,
The husky smell of a new mown lawn,
A sapphire sky over an emerald sea,
The tender smile that you gave me.
What is Kindness?
Kindness is most easily described by the impact that it has on individuals in our society. Continue reading “How Do You Define Kindness?”
Cultural Kindness, Is It Conditional?
This simple still life of autumn gourds, pumpkins, and corn was a practice painting. These foods represent the simple staples that most of the world lives on, when their budget does not allow them to eat a fat rich diet of processed foods like most Americans seem to enjoy.
A Thoughtful Drought
By Al Vester
If a horse that is led to water
Can’t be made to drink,
Then, what proves a man
Who’s taught ideas
Can be made to think.
Cultural Kindness
Nearly every culture in the world has rules about being kind and respectful to close neighbors. However, a universal exception to the kindness rule seems to exist when dealing with people who violate cultural norms. Continue reading “Cultural Kindness, Is It Conditional?”
A Peaceful Night
“Tillamook Twilight” depicts Tillamook Bay, Oregon about twenty minutes after sunset on late winter day. Centered in the scene is a small fishing boat coming home after a long day on the Pacific Ocean. For many people in the world, night-time is coming-home time, a time to rest, and a time to be with family.
NIGHTGOWN
By Al Vester
How soft is the night when the wind takes a rest
From blowing the clouds from the east to the west,
While all of the crickets are humming a tune –
A midsummer ballad to welcome the moon.
The starlit clouds make a gossamer nest
Over valley slope and mountain crest
Wrapping each creature in a silvery cloth,
It’s the fabric of sleep that’s so light and soft.
Thus, each soul is nightly dressed
In fragile garments of dreams and rest,
With warm silky touch, they caress the skin
Stilling the turmoil, we each hold within.
A Peaceful Night
We live in a world where neon lights and traffic noises often mask sunsets and nighttime stars. However, for those who live away from city lights and noises, the setting sun can paint the sky in delicate shades of blues, pinks, golds, and oranges blazing briefly before fading into a star-studded night. Continue reading “A Peaceful Night”
How is your sense of wonder?
This painting is of Mount Hood from the Willamette valley of western Oregon. On clear days, this mountain delighted our view as it stood over 11, 200 feet above sea level, 10,800 feet higher than our mountain slope farm. This frequent sight along with many other beautiful scenes has instilled within me a sense of wonder and awe for the beauties of this earth.
I Wonder
By Allen S Vester
The words “I wonder” sing a pleasant tune
A melody of hatching thoughts
Of hope, reborn midst hate and ruin
And start each quest for knowledge sought
From winds and stars and shining moon.
What child has been that hasn’t brought
The question of “I wonder whom
Did make the mounts where snow is caught
And wove the stars on heaven’s loom?”
To elder’s knee for wiser thought.
I wonder whom.
Cultivating a sense of wonder
When you gaze at a starry sky do you feel a sense of wonder? Sometimes, does it seem as if you are viewing those stars for the very first time as you marvel at vastness and beauty of the night sky. Continue reading “How is your sense of wonder?”
What are walls?
Breaching the wall
By Al Vester
Take down this wall
Was a president’s call
To heal a divided nation
The statesmen have all died
Their office filled with men of pride
Who view integrity a form of dissension
Where now is the call
By either great or small
To heal hate and contention.
We line up on opposing sides
While the truth tries to hide
That we’ve lost our compassion.
What are walls?
Walls are separators. Most physical walls in our current society are built to provide security, to reduce the risk of someone breaking into our home or business. Continue reading “What are walls?”
Marriage, the miracle of separate beings becoming one
Forty-two years ago, this month, a miracle began in my life. A lovely, intelligent, and gifted young lady became my wife. Just prior to our wedding, I wrote the following poem called the Treasure Chamber.
The Treasure Chamber
By Al Vester
The ruddy glow of life ran from the ruby walls
Into the swirling darkness of the outer entrance hall.
A tune is singing softly, a pure and simple call,
To beckon someone worthy to come within the hall.
Come, behold the treasures earned by years of work
Of faith, integrity, honor, and courage not to shirk.
For within this ruby hall with ivory beams over-bending,
Resides a heart that’s filled with hope, a soul that needs befriending.
Come my bride, my joy and life, open doors to exaltation;
Come within and be my wife by a priesthood coronation.
God’s the one who lit this chamber, built its throne and made its treasure.
All that’s good is His and mine, and now through Him it shall be thine.
Why choose marriage?
It always seems miraculous to me that women can and do put up with men. Most women are softer, gentler, and more emotionally connected with the world around us. Continue reading “Marriage, the miracle of separate beings becoming one”
Have you ever been lonely?
The Copihue, or Chilean Bell flower, is the national flower of Chile. Yet, strangely, not many Chileans have actually seen it in person. It grows in only a few of Chile’s southern regions and rarely has more than a few blossoms per vine. The Copihue vine is so slender that it needs the support of fences or other trees, yet the blossom is large and beautiful. Many people might identify with the Copihue, because they are not the biggest, nor strongest, nor the most popular among their peers. But just because you may not be the center of a crowd of admirers, does not mean that you do not have great value as an individual. The following poem describes the feeling of loss due to the departure of a friend and the wisdom that I learned from a wind-blown bush.
HUSH
By Al Vester
“Hush,” said the bush as the breeze blew by,
“Hush for my heart has started to cry.”
The winds from the south will bring the rain,
And the wind from the north may bring sharp pain
Of frigid snows and frost-bit toes.
But the hardest breeze there is to bear
Is the one that says our love’s not there.
When they’re swept away like a thistle down,
The wind never says where they’ll be found.
No trace is left but the puff of dust
That drifts on by
And leaves in its wake a dying sigh.
It mourns for the loss of the one that has flown
On the wings of the wind and left us alone.
Alone with the wail of the wind in our ears
Like the formless voice of a thousand tears.
And only a bush growing green and lush
Is wise enough to tell it “Hush.”
In my youth, I daily endured a forty-five-minute bus ride to the county seat where my high school was located. Continue reading “Have you ever been lonely?”
Technology and Fire
Shortly after leaving the shipyards following a major overhaul, we experienced an explosion caused by a single nut that was tightened too much. The nut was holding together the main disconnect plates to the sub’s after battery. These plates formed the connection point between the after battery and the rest of the propulsion system for the submarine. This battery contained enough power to light a small city for several days. When properly contained, such power is both marvelous and yet dangerous at the same time.
After Battery Explosion By Al Vester The air thumped with an ominous bump And men ran out all babbling shouts, Until one cry was heard above the mad route “Explosion in the after-battery” And there hung fear for a split second poised As every day cares became childish toys. Then, speed shouted “Move” and everyone jumped To bring the right gear to the source of the thump, Extinguishers, canisters, and OBA’s[1] too, Were wrenched from their racks with little ado. Some men were injured and blankets demanded, Two seconds later three blankets were handed To help the poor guys with the scorched face and eyes. A fire-blacked, shock-shaken wreck of a man Was lead to his bed by a friend at each hand. The bed was a table in the officer’s mess, A table of law and of food and of jest, But for a table of mercy t’was suited the best. For two days and three nights, the guard watch was kept Over the bed of the chief while he slept By four of his shipmates, who watched with a care Beyond what just duty would possibly dare. Five men were burned when a strained wrench slipped On a nut that wouldn’t turn and a terminal was clipped. The atom’s been tamed and electricity stored, Vast powers we’ve claimed never dreamed of before. But those powers are hung like a sword by a thread, Awaiting the chance to drop on our head. [1] OBA – Oxygen Breathing Apparatus, a device that provides air for fire-fighters in a sealed compartment.
First Lesson of fire and technology – Don’t get burned
Fire is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. For all the warming, cooking, and other uses of fire, for which mankind has depended on for ages, we still struggle when a fire gets out of control. Continue reading “Technology and Fire”
The Upward Path
An early morning flight from a dark and rainy airport into the light of early dawn above the clouds became a metaphor in my mind of our heavenward journey.
Upward Flight
Al Vester
Dark and gray is the night
As we first board the flight.
Then up the dawn sky
Like the first birds to fly
Up through the clouds
Those layered white shrouds
That hide earth below
And all that we know
Of old sorrows and fears
As we wipe away tears.
Then bursting into light
We behold glorious sights
Of blue, pink, and golds
As all heaven unfolds
Brighter still as we climb
Where the sun starts to shine
Appearing whiter than white
So intense is the light
As in visions of old
Where holy prophets foretold
Of our God on his throne
There all our trials are known.
Where our faith and our love
For our dear Savior, above
Allow his mercy to claim
And in great joy we remain
By His throne, we will stay
On this great endless day.
Gone are darkness and clouds
Along with death and its shrouds
Freed from sin and its stains
We will sing the glad strains
Of praise for the love
Of our Father above.
Life’s fog
So often we seem like wanderers in a dense fog, not seeing more than a step or two ahead. It becomes easy to forget about the clear, bright skies that shine only a few hundred meters over our heads. Nevertheless, our lack of vision does not negate the fact that the sun shines brightly above us or that there is a God in heaven. Continue reading “The Upward Path”