Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

  • Home
  • About
  • DISCLOSURES
    • Amazon Affiliate
    • Book Reviews
  • Published
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Commit Poetry
    • Dared

you are God’s poemia

May 23, 2013 By Sandra Heska King

poemia

I stand in the checkout line, cart loaded with perimeter foods–berries and avocados and lettuce and cherries and grapes.

I can’t wait to get home to have a plate of hummus with pita bread and a side of Kalamata olives and a handful of carrots.

Oh, and a few (or more) Oreo cookies.

If I didn’t have to wait, the magazines wouldn’t talk to me. And the headlines wouldn’t scream at me. Complete with exclamation points. Like these:

ICED TEA MELTS FAT! Lose 40 pounds–without dieting…

Age-Proof Your Brain (with sweet potatoes!)

Reverse Memory Loss (with grape juice!)

Can’t zip your jeans? Try the bloating cure in your own backyard!

Discover the “detox” supplement that ENDS TIREDNESS!

Crow’s Feet? (Change the way you sleep!)

Kitchen Cures for Gorgeous Hair!

My right hand grabs my left wrist. Don’t do it. Don’t do it!

I pay for my groceries, gather my bags, wheel my way toward the exit, inhale the fragrance that wafts from the shelves of flowers (that remind me I’m less-than because I don’t have a fresh bouquet on my dining room table.)

I drive home, flip down the visor and glance at myself in the mirror. I must be more tired that I realize because one eye is a little smaller than the other today. And I didn’t cover the dark circles or the brown spot on my cheek very well, and I have a zit on my chin.

It only takes five trips to carry in all the bags. I fish out the tubs of ice cream and dump them in the freezer, serve myself a healthy lunch. I notice the 12-ounce bottles of Coke in the back kitchen that haven’t found their way to the downstairs fridge since last week. Only 140 calories–70 if I only drink half. I berate myself for lack of discipline. I putz around the kitchen while I eat and then sit down at the table with my Oreos and (God Bless America) my Woman’s World to read all these promises about how I can look like the young woman on the cover.

I turn on the TV to catch up on the news while I put away the rest of the groceries and clean up the kitchen. I toss the never-cut-no-longer-fresh pineapple that still languishes behind the leftovers.

Commercial after commercial offers up more promises about things I deserve, and Debby Boone tells me again how I can light up my life and transform my appearance, how I can turn back the hands of time, wake up and see myself the way I looked years ago. If I had the money, I’d be so tempted to give myself this gift.

Maybe I could get close to the same results if I took better care of myself. If that doesn’t work, well then maybe Debby and I can talk.

I dump the rest of my Coke down the sink.

Valerie Hess and Lane Arnold remind me in their closing prayer for the chapter entitled “Questioning Cultural Messages” that I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10.) His poemia, His poem. A mystery to ponder. Just as I am. In this season.

Michael Card sings about it

Music, art, literature, drama and dance surround people of all ages with mirrors: an image of the artist’s view of God, or no God, as well as humanity’s perspective at that moment. Bombarded constantly with visual images, song lyrics and advertisements, these messages subtly impress on us what we are or are not to be and how we should look. With wisdom and discretion, we need to discover for ourselves, as well as teach children, what those influences are carving into our heart, body, mind and soul. We must translate or transform cultural messages into truth about how we are to care for our body and for each other. ~ The Life of the Body, p. 81

Still singing,

Sandy

Over at The High Calling this week, we’re continuing our discussion of The Life of the Body: Physical Well-Being and Spiritual Formation by Valerie Hess and Lane Arnold. Duane Scott is leading us through chapters 6-8 and tells us about an eleven-year-old young girl who struggles to eat 300 calories. You don’t want to miss that.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Filed Under: book studies, stories and reflections

Comments

  1. Jody Lee Collins says

    May 24, 2013 at 12:40 am

    Sandy, I too would mortgage my children if possible to pay for that chin lift Debby Boone tells me about on a weekly basis. And then I remember my sister in law’s line about wrinkles, “Honey, I earned everyone of them–I’m keepin’ ’em!”
    Not only are you(we) a poem, wrinkles and all, but many of us are entire books–think of the wisdom! I love reading yours.

  2. Alyssa Santos says

    May 24, 2013 at 5:19 am

    Oh, don’t we wage an internal war with ourselves? I watched a documentary, I think called “The greatest story ever Sold” about the social and commercial connection between media and moviemaking and the advertising world. The filmmaker went to a city in South America (can’t remember which country) and there were no ads anywhere. None on buses, no billboards, only the actual storefront signs. The city outlawed them. The people were glad and said they actually had the presence of mind to focus and the business owners said they had to focus on things like customer satisfaction. I wonder what our society would be like without the bombardment of advertising and the continual reminders that we are “less than” without this or that. But God says we are his masterpiece, his poemia. And how could we not be since Jesus gave his life for us. What a gift to read your words and share this struggle and know the hope of which you speak. May we settle into this truth.

  3. Martha Orlando says

    May 24, 2013 at 10:52 am

    Yes, we are His one-of-a-kind poems, beloved and beautiful in His eyes, no matter how we look to the world.
    Blessings, Sandy!

  4. Megan Willome says

    May 24, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    Here’s what you do, Sandy. Buy yourself a magazine with a Kardashian on the front. Read it. You will instantly feel better about yourself and whatever life has thrown your way. (I learned this tip from my daughter.)

  5. Diana Trautwein says

    May 24, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    Omigosh, I LOVE Megan’s comment. And this is magnificent, Sandy. And so, so true. (and sad, too) Sigh. Remembering who we truly are is one of the hugest parts of our calling, seems to me. Not succumbing to the siren call of ‘do more,’ ‘be more.’ Thanks for this.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Meet Sandra

I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

Get updates from the stillness by email

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Archives

Categories

Instagram Inspiration

sandraheskaking

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final t “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” ~ Philippians 4:8 

#fall #southflorida #hope #thoughts #philippians4 #dayafterelection
“My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in th “My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.” ~ William Wordsworth in “My Heart Leaps Up”

🌈🌈🌈

From my back door and then from the patio. A phone can never capture the true glory of a rainbow. I hope my heart never fails to leap at the wonder of one.
We were monarch parents a couple years back, but o We were monarch parents a couple years back, but our food was not enough to support all our “children.”
🌱
But some were better parents. And next month @tspoetry is celebrating with a garden party. And you are invited. 
🌱

✨ An evening poetry celebration with Dheepa Maturi, Laura Boggess, Jules Jacob, and Sonja Johanson
✨ sign up today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/year-of-the-monarch-garden-party-tickets-1005650847757
✨
This is called a sweetheart plant. I bought it at This is called a sweetheart plant. I bought it at a farmers market in Ponte Vedra in Feb 2023. And it hasn’t done a thing except not die. I did repot it a few months back just cuz I thought it might need it. A few days ago I noticed it was sprouting a sprout. And today—10 days after having my aortic valve replaced and the day after having a loop recorder inserted—it has UNFURLED!!! A new heart. 🩷
Looking west this morning. “Sometime, enough o Looking west this morning. 

“Sometime, enough of us should plan
to gather and form our own
luminous cloud.” ~ Luci Shaw in “The Weight of Air” (from The Generosity)
Security is on the job. Security is on the job.
So after 13 years of checkups and annual echos, it So after 13 years of checkups and annual echos, it's finally come to this. One week from today I will have my aortic valve replaced. Eeeek! I know it's done all the time--piece of cake. But that's to other people. 😂 Speaking of cake, I've always hoped to blow out 100 candles (at least), and I keep singing this line in my head...

"And my heart will go on and on." Thanks to @celinedion. 💕
Hi! Long time, no post. So… I grew this from a Hi! Long time, no post. So…

I grew this from a pineapple top. We repotted it again over the weekend. Still no fruit, though. Our neighbor has a baby growing on a small plant, though. What’s up with that?

(Also, I do not have a green thumb. Currently the only things still living are this, an avocado, and a little Boston fern.)
We got out here early today, but it was already so We got out here early today, but it was already soooooo hot (later on the"feels like" was 110), and I was just plodding one foot in front of the other wishing I was still in bed. There was not much to see--except the crane family, some blackbirds, a dove. And it was buggy. And a deer fly bit me on the forearm, and it swelled up, and I still have a 1- x 3-inch reddened area. But then... a pink parade.
Just snapped a couple photos of a normal looking s Just snapped a couple photos of a normal looking sky from my back patio with my iPhone! I grew up in Michigan and never saw them before! #northernlights #westboca #southflorida
“So they took branches of palm trees and went ou “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ~ John 12:13
🌴
🌴
PALMS

He had a date with them. ~SHK
🌴
🌴
~ Six words I wrote on my blog in 2015 as part of a daily “One Word Less for Lent” series.
🌴
Photo taken in Israel, 2022.
Dressed for success... Dressed for success...
“Sing, hope, to me” ~favorite line from “The “Sing, hope, to me” ~favorite line from “The First Spring Day” by Christina Rossetti via Every Day Poems and @tspoetry in my email this morning. 
❣️
Whole poem (with lots of favorite lines) here:
❣️
https://open.substack.com/pub/everydaypoems/p/the-first-spring-day?r=3acod&utm_medium=ios
❣️
Wild red poppy anemones from our spring trip to Israel in 2022. And, of course, red is the color of hope. 
❣️
#dipintopoetry #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #tweetspeakpoetry #everydaypoems
Sweet baby colts. Just one parent. Apparently the Sweet baby colts. Just one parent. Apparently the other was hit by a car. 😭💔
Bufo serenade AKA the Ballad of the Bufo Bufo serenade AKA the Ballad of the Bufo
South Florida is confused. South Florida is confused.
“Somehow she learns to breathe.” ~ @gyoung9751 “Somehow she learns to breathe.” ~ @gyoung9751 in “The mermaid breathes,” a woven poem from tweets. In my email today from Every Day Poems via @tspoetry.
🌱 
#dipintopoetry #everydaypoems #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #tweetspeakpoetry
"You have what you need / is what the birds sing a "You have what you need / is what the birds sing all morning" ~ Annie Lighthart in "Conditions of Happiness."
🌱
In my email this morning from 
Every Day Poems via @tspoetry.
🌱
#dipintopoetry #poetry #poetrycommunity #everydaypoems #poem #poetsofinstagram #tweetspeakpoetry
If you’ve made it this far, the rest of the week If you’ve made it this far, the rest of the week should be a snap. #wednesday
Stay behind me. I’ll protect you. No worries. So Stay behind me. I’ll protect you. No worries. So will all those shots. Mostly.
🦝
D still has PTSD from the Great Possibly Rabid Raccoon Brouhaha of 2021.
Follow on Instagram

Get the Mug

Embrace the life you have t s poetry mug

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy is available HERE.

I Read Light

TSP-Red button

bibledude-net



Sponsor a Child

Join the Compassion Blogger Network

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2025 Sandra Heska King · Site by The Willingham Enterprise, LLC on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Log in