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GOODBYE TO SUMMER We ride the surf No more Nor dive beneath The breakers Nor tumble Toward the shore We leave behind The friendly sand crab To burrow in the soft, Silky sand All alone Rusty buckets And tiny toy shovels Gone for another season Good times Fun Times Gone But not forgotten
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FIRST CHONICLES 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord... EDUCATION "Education," wrote Robert Frost, is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence." With this definition in mind, we wonder... How many parents or teachers are educated. Certainly, by Mr. Frost's definition, we often tend to be somewhat ignorant and ignoble. Would we make friends with others this day? Then, we must listen without condemnation, and without losing our temper. At the beginning of every new school year, thousands of educators attempt to define education. We suspect that any definition that omits the ability to listen with compassion shall shall remain inadequate. COURTESY Courtesy conquers crabbiness Courtesy constitutes chivalry in its finest form Courtesy encourages kindness in times of disagreement Courtesy overcomes outrage and instills confidence Courtesy greets all people as friends Courtesy graciously gives and amiably appreciates Courtesy eradicates impudence while pursuing politeness Courtesy never lost a client Courtesy is gentility bathed in the oil of elegance Courtesy is not a natural pearl, it must be cultivated. NAME PLEASE 636 Good friends of our family recently had a new born baby girl. Mother and child got along fine but they ran into a slight problem...The hospital said they could not leave until they had named the babe. (We can just imagine what went on...The names have been changed to protect the guilty.) Mary: "This is terrible, John, maybe we could sneak out around midnight." John: "Sorry, but I've been told they double the security forces after visiting hours." Mary: "John, you're the president of a bank, you're intelligent, think of something!" John; "Well, she was a couple of days late, we could always name her "Over Due." Mary: "Very funny. I think I'll cry. I want to go home to Mother. You stay here with the baby." John: "I know, why don't we name her 6-9-79 for the days she was born?" Mary: They want a name, not a number." John: "How about "Spring Delight" or Daylight Savings Time.'" Mary: "A first and middle name, that's all we need." John: "Why don't we let her last name be used also for her first and middle names. That way, she'll never have to worry about whether her first or last name comes first when filing out a job application or loan form?" (The last time we talked with Mary on the phone, no name had been decided upon, but a Coleman stove had been smuggled in, and light housekeeping was underway.) (FIRST PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1979) BOUNTEOUS HARVEST 218 We are troubled on every side Or so it would appear Yet we discern in the distant grey A golden dawn quietly drawing near Anxieties of the time press down Yet our misfortunes are easy to bear For we have a Father in Heaven Who listens to our honest prayer Every problem contains a hidden blessing We really have nothing to fear Clouds of darkness are now dispersing And God's plans are becoming clear With hope we look toward tomorrow With faith we cast away care Our burdens we leave far behind us And in the Lord's bounteous harvest, we'll share (First published on September 9,1976) HIS POINT 634 "The dice of God," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "are always loaded." To further explain this metaphor, Mr. Emerson continued..."The world looks like a mathematical equation, which, turn it how you will, balances itself." "Take what figure you will, its exact value still returns to you. Every secret is told, every crime is punished, every virtue rewarded." We suspect Mr. Emerson is trying to tell us this... "God always makes His point." Nothing good, nor nothing bad, is ever hidden from the eyes of the Lord. And, we would be the most wretched of men if we did not have the faith and the hope that the dice of God have been loaded with the grace and the mercy of Christ. (First published on June 14,1979) THE SUFFICIENCY OF GRACE "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.... 2nd Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) HIGH HURDLES 639 A highly successful businessman was once asked, "What helped you over the great obstacles of life?" "The other obstacles," he replied. It is difficult, if not impossible, to run very far down the track of life without bumping into a few discouraging hurdles that challenge us. These hurdles are usually followed by other hurdles. It would appear that we never outgrow our need for hurdles. We jump over one, and lo and behold, we run right up to another one. Perhaps God permits hurdles in our lives to stretch us, to challenge us and to help us grow. Never be afraid of high hurdles. The higher the hurdles, the higher we soar. STANDING STILL, MOVING ON This pandemic has placed us in a surreal land where everything seems off key. Everyone on Earth has been affected, either by sickness, death, lack of jobs, riots, destruction of property, strained relations, distancing from neighbors, friends and family. Donna and I have had two friends die, neither one from the coronavirus. While all of this has been going on, Donna has had cataracts successfully removed from her eyes and I have had a detached retina sown back in place, with the eye sight slowly returning. Like many of you, we carry on the best we can. Our neighbors, many from our own local church, have shown us much care and concern. We have been truly blessed and thank the Lord. (Written on August 31, 2020) (First published September 16, 2020) |
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