Catalog: CREATIVE WRITING
General Essays
- THE AWE OF GOD. A meditation on the word pictures in the Bible that describe God’s bigness. (See also The Awe of God: A Reading.) April, 1996. 4 pages.
- THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART. Attending a concert given by a percussion ensemble at Sky View caused me to reflect on my lifetime love of drumming and tap dancing. Will I play a drum in Heaven? September, 2016. 3 pages.
- FROM ETERNITY TO ETERNITY: GOD’S PLAN. “But year after year you’re as good as new.” December, 2007. 3 pages.
- MY NAME IS … The evolution of my name, with lessons on obedience and identity (“Now my identity is no longer tied to my name. I am primarily God’s daughter, and he has my name engraved on the palm of his hand.”). 2002-2013. 5 pages.
- ON TURNING 80. I don’t mind being 80! My life has been an adventure with God, and the best is yet to come! April, 2013. 2 pages.
- PARABLE OF THE CANDLES: A Wedding Ceremony. An object lesson I used in wedding ceremonies to demonstrate the relationship of God and husbands and wives in a Christian marriage. Available to be personalized and used in wedding ceremonies, or for pre- or post-wedding meditation. 1995. 5 pages.
- PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL. Proverb: “If you’re too conceited or self-important, something will happen to make you look foolish.” An incident from the 1960s that I find funny. July, 1994. 2 pages.
- PSALM 23, with comments and personal testimony by Verna. July, 2015. 2 pages.
- VALENTINE’S DAY. Recollections of Valentine’s Day from my youth, with a message about “the biggest, most expensive and wonderful Valentine that anyone could give us” – Jesus. February, 1996. 2 pages.
Music
- A CORPORATE PRAYER. May be sung to the tune of “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (music included). May, 2011. 1 page.
- A MUSICAL ESSAY ON THINGS TO COME. A selection of Scripture and devotional songs I have written on the topic of Heaven and things to come. November, 2008. 10 pages.
- AMAZING LOVE. Written as a personal testimony. May be sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace” (music included). June, 2010. 1 page.
- CHILDREN SING THE SCRIPTURES. A collection of scripture and devotional songs suitable for children from Sing the Scriptures. © 2005. 38 pages.
- CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY. May be sung to the tune of “He Lives” (music included). April, 2011. 2 pages.
- CHRISTMAS SONGS. Two songs written in the mid-1960s: “Christmas Bells” and “What Did Shepherds See.” December, 2014. 1 page.
- FOLLOW ME! May be sung to the tune of “Jesus Saves” (music included). December, 2012. 1 page.
- GOING HOME, a poem based on 1 Cor. 15:51,52 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. May be sung to the tune of “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” (music included). June, 2012. 1 page.
- IN CHRIST I STAND. A response to salvation. May be sung to the tune of “Just As I Am” (music included). December, 2011. 1 page.
- KILLEYLOO BIRDS. Written with Glory Dharmaraj for the national Leadership Training Event for United Methodist Women leaders. The Killeyloo is a mythical bird. November, 2003. 2 pages.
- LIFESTYLE DECISIONS. A song about deliberately deciding to live a life that honors Christ by letting our behavior reflect his. To the tune of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” (music included). (See also LIFESTYLE DECISIONS: Reading.) September, 2013. 1 page.
- THE BIG HUG. May be sung to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me” (music included). November, 2010. 2 pages.
Poetry
- BARABBAS. Based on stories in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 18 – plus my imagination. March, 2015. 1 page.
- BODY AND SOUL. September, 2004. 1 page.
- CHILDHOOD POEMS. A collection of poems written when I was 9 years old, plus a high school writing and "the greatest poem ever written." December, 1993. 5 pages.
- COUNTING MY BLESSINGS. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thess. 5:18. September, 2007. 1 page.
- CREATIVITY – 3 Poems. A trio of poems on creativity, printed in Sky View’s “Horizons” magazine. May, 2014. 1 page.
- A GIFT OF LOVE. A tribute to my family, written in Haiku. May, 2013. 1 page.
- GOD’S GRACE. “Splash! Splash! – God showers us with grace.” May, 2009. 2 pages.
- GOD’S SPECIAL VALENTINE. A poem for Valentine’s Day. January, 2009. 1 page.
- HOPE IN CHRIST. A poetic meditation on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:19, 20. Suitable for Easter. September, 2011. 2 pages.
- INCLUDED. Small as it is, this poem tackles a large subject: life after death. October, 2012. 1 page.
- IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. “God created human beings in his own image ... male and female he created them.” Written on request for a Women’s Conference. July, 2013. 2 pages.
- JESUS IS MY VALENTINE. A children’s poem for Valentine’s Day. February, 2009. 1 page.
- LOOK IN THE MANGER. Look in the manger, and what do you see? Written for Christmas, 2012. (See also A Visit from the Magi.) 1 page.
- MUSINGS ON “THE CHOICE” Inspired by “The Choice,” a poem written in 2010, with lessons from Habakkuk. May, 2011. 2 pages.
- MY WAYWARD FEET. Inspired by the whimsical poems of Ogden Nash. September, 2014. 1 page.
- NOT GROWING OLD. A poem copied by my grandma, Annie King Hicks Gibbel, found in her Bible. June, 2013. 1 page.
- OCTOBER SNOWSTORM. Written during an unusual (early) snowstorm. “The view from my window is strange today ...” October, 2011. 1 page.
- ON THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS. The musings of a believer on things above. Written for Easter, 2013. March, 2013. 1 page.
- OUR INNER ENVIRONMENT. Written with fond memories of my father, William Ziegler, who enjoyed gardening. Includes some verses by my son, George. October, 2014. 2 pages.
- OUTWARDLY. This is an original poem based on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Isaiah 40:31. Included in the essay are a testimony and two of my Scripture songs. September, 2004. 2 pages.
- AN OVERFLOWING LIFE. Started as a poem about overflowing with love, joy, hope, and thankfulness. Lessons from David. September, 2011. 1 page.
- PARTING SONG. “And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” August, 2008. 1 page.
- PEACE, BE STILL. Thoughts upon seeing the frustration of a worker who said, “He makes me so angry!” September, 2012. 1 page.
- PLEASURE. “Carry pleasure within yourself / And your heart will be content.” November, 2012. 1 page.
- PLEASURE BEYOND MEASURE. A partial list of things that bring me pleasure. July, 2010. 1 page.
- POEM FOR A NEWBORN BABY. “Dear little baby, ... Welcome to our world.” November, 2012. 1 page.
- PSALMS. A collection of poems written in the style of the psalmists. 1985-1998. 3 pages.
- PSALM 6: In Awe of God. A poem written in the style of the psalmists. August, 2016. 1 page.
- SISTERS: MARTHA AND MARY. A creative interpretation of the story of Jesus, Martha and Mary found in Luke 10:38-42. February, 1996. 2 pages.
- A SLICE OF CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE. Written for one of my aides on her birthday. January, 2011. 1 page.
- THE CHOICE. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (See also Musings on “The Choice”) July, 2010. 1 page.
- THE GIFT OF GOD. Patterned after a poem by William Carlos Williams. The title comes from Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” July, 2015. 1 page.
- THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT. Based on 2 Corinthians 1:3,4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we have received from God.” September, 2010. 1 page.
- THE PAST. By Verna Kwiatkowski, who, when reading “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams (© 1962), heard it more as an assignment than as a poem. “The Past is my answer to the supposed assignment: ‹Write a poem that begins with these words.› ” April, 2015. 3 pages.
- THE PLACE WHERE I AM HEADING. Thoughts of heaven, written in the 11th year after being diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis. March, 2014. 2 pages.
- THERE IS A GOD. Written in the summer of 1953 on the day God revealed his existence to me. 1 page.
- THOUGHTS OF HEAVEN. Inspired by a friend’s pain-free day and Revelation 21. February, 1996. 1 page.
- TOGETHER. Based on verses from 1 Thessalonians 4. “TOGETHER FOREVER ... FOREVER TOGETHER ...” January, 2017. 1 page.
- TOUGH FAITH. “Faith that is tough brings praise to God, my friends, and peace and joy to us! ...” August, 2010. 1 page.
- TREES. Written while preparing for Good Friday and Easter worship services. March, 1997. 1 page.
- A VISIT FROM THE MAGI. A companion piece to Look In The Manger. January, 2013. 1 page.
- WHAT DO YOU DO? Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” – John 14:15. February, 1997. 1 page.
Meditations
- AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL. We need to look beyond our country’s borders not only to appreciate, but also to pray for all nations and all people everywhere. June, 2007. 2 pages.
- CREDO. Written as a means of sharing my faith with a friend. June, 2018. 1 page.
- DUAL CITIZENSHIP. Those who belong to God’s faith family have a dual citizenship while we live on this earth. June, 2015. 2 pages.
- EXCLAMATION POINTS! Yes, this is a meditation on the punctuation mark and 1 John 3:1. September, 2016. 1 page.
- GOOD FRIDAY? Why do we call the day Jesus died “Good Friday”? March, 2007. 2 pages.
- HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN. The resurrection of Jesus was a tremendous victory over death, sin and Satan! March, 2007. 2 pages.
- THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT. A Christmas meditation. God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus. November, 2008. 2 pages.
- LESSONS FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. If God takes care of the insects and geese ... surely he will take care of us. February, 2006. 1 page.
- THE LORD'S PRAYER, with comments. Written for a funeral service. 2001. 3 pages.
- THE LOVE OF GOD. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was proof of God’s love for us, and all the more so since we were SINNERS when this event took place. April, 2009. 2 pages.
- THE MAYPOLE DANCE. Using the imagery of a Maypole dance as a parable. An excerpt from the essay Rewards. February, 2000. 1 page.
- MORNING. An Easter meditation. Reflections on the women at the tomb. March, 2007. 1 page.
- ON A JOURNEY. I’ve come to see that all of life for a person with faith in God is an adventure, a spirtirual journey that never ends ... May, 2014. 3 pages.
- POWER. Reflections on the death and resurrection of Christ. March, 2010. 2 pages.
- PRACTICING THANKSGIVING. A meditation on 1 Thess. 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” October, 2009. 1 page.
- PRAYER AND THE CRUCIFIXION. Prayer played a large part in the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, and all of it is instructive for us, not only historically, but also practically. March, 2008. 1 page.
- A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE INCARNATION. Inspired by a Thanksgiving prayer written and sent to me by my cousin, Louise. December, 2012. 1 page.
- THE RIDDLE. Jesus said, “Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Does a believer die or not? That's the riddle. Includes the poem “Body and Soul.” August, 2004. 2 pages.
- SAUERKRAUT. A meditation on Romans 8:28. August, 2008. 1 page.
- SYMPHONY OF THE BIRDS. God continues to speak to us through nature. February, 2009. 1 page.
Readings
- 7 RECORDED SAYINGS OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS as recorded by the gospel writers, with commentary on each one. March, 2014. 2 pages.
- AGING: A Duet. Bible verses pertaining to aging, for two readers. April, 2013. 1 page.
- ANGELS & THE AMAZING INCARNATION. For three readers, combining Hebrews 1 and Luke 2:8-14. November, 2007. 1 page.
- THE AWE OF GOD: A Reading. An excerpt from The Awe of God essay, with Scripture readings for two readers. February, 2012. 3 pages.
- THE BIBLE: A LIVING BOOK. For two readers. November, 2011. 2 pages.
- CHRIST DIED FOR US: A Duet from Romans. God loves us. Jesus died for us. And NOTHING can separate us from this love. March, 2011. 2 pages.
- CREATION: A Scripture Duet. September, 2012. 1 page.
- DEATH: SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. A Trio from the Scriptures for Three Readers. November, 2008. 3 pages.
- ELIZABETH: A MONOLOGUE. A modern interpretation of the story of Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin. April, 1995. 2 pages.
- FOLLOW ME: John 21:1-22. For 2 readers, with commentary. Easter meditation. March, 2016. 2 pages.
- FOLLOW ME! MEDLEY. For 3 readers and a song leader. Includes 3 songs: “Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow,” “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” and my poem “Follow Me!”, to the tune of “Jesus Saves.” December, 2012. 6 pages.
- FREEDOM DUET. A Scripture reading for two readers inspired by Independence Day. Includes one of my Scripture songs for 2 Corinthians 3:17. June, 2008. 2 pages.
- FUTURE GATHERINGS. For a narrator and two readers. The Spirit is still saying, “Come!” August, 2011. 2 pages.
- GOD AS CREATOR. The creation story from Genesis 1 with related scriptures inserted. For four readers. May, 2010. 5 pages.
- GOD AS THE PERFECT FATHER & THE PERFECT SON. A Scripture duet. May, 2011. 2 pages.
- GOD, OUR HELP. A responsive reading from Psalm 90, Psalm 121 and Isaiah 40. March, 2008. 1 page.
- THE GREAT LIGHT: A Scripture Duet from Isaiah 9 & John 3:16. December, 2014. 1 page.
- A HIGH CALLING. Biblical guidelines to live by, compiled by Verna for her final sermon as pastor at The Community Church of Yorktown. May, 2000. 2 pages.
- AN INVITATION TO GATHER. A Scripture Duet. “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” August, 2011. 2 pages.
- AN INVITATION TO PRAISE FROM THE PSALMS. For two readers, alternating Psalm 95:1-7 with Psalm 100 & 150. October, 2007. 1 page.
- THE LAMB OF GOD MEDLEY. Commentary and Scripture with a spoken refrain. For three readers. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” February, 2013. 4 pages.
- THE LAMB OF GOD TRIO. Scripture and comment for three readers. March, 2010. 2 pages.
- LIFESTYLE DECISIONS: with Scripture reading for two readers and song (music included). September, 2013. 3 pages.
- LOVE TRIO. 1 Corinthians 13 with other Scriptures inserted, for three readers. January, 2008. 2 pages.
- THE LOVINGKINDNESS MEDLEY. A Scripture reading for two readers with a musical refrain (music included). January, 2013. 5 pages.
- THE NEW JERUSALEM: A Duet from the Book of Revelation. For two readers. December, 2009. 1 page.
- OUR TRIBUTE – AND OUR PRAYER. To God be the glory for the things He has done! For two readers. March, 2018. 2 pages.
- PRAISE & WORSHIP from the Book of Revelation. For three readers. November, 2009. 2 pages.
- PRAISE DUET from Psalms 8 & 66. August, 2010. 1 page.
- PRAISE TRIO from 1 Peter 1 and Romans 8. October, 2009. 1 page.
- PRAYER FOR A MEMORIAL SERVICE. Written by request for a memorial service held at Drum Hill. April, 2005. 1 page.
- REMEMBER THIS! A Way of Life. For two readers. July, 2013. 2 pages.
- THE RETURN OF JESUS: A Scripture Duet. “I will come back and take you to be with me ...” June, 2012. 2 pages.
- THE SHEPHERD TRIO. A Scripture reading for three people with audience participation (Psalm 23). July, 2007. 2 pages.
- SING TO THE LORD. A Scripture duet from Psalms 96, 97, 98. April, 2015. 1 page.
- THANKSGIVING & BLESSING: A Scripture Reading. October, 2008. 1 page.
- TIME: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 with Scripture inserts. A duet for two readers. December, 2007. 2 pages.
Showers
