THE OPEN ROAD

MY ALMOST GIRL 629

4/18/2021

   MY ALMOST GIRL 629

Neil Simon wrote poignantly
about his "Good-bye girl."

When my hairs have all turned gray
(of those that remain, that is) I shall
fondly reminisce about "My Almost Girl"

"Honey, I'm home! I'm starved, is supper ready?"
   "Well, almost."
"Almost, what do you mean, almost?"
"The turkey's not quite unthawed."
"Well, this turkey's unthawed and ready to eat."
("You can say that again.")
"What...What did you say?"
"Nothing, dear. Why don't you lie down
  until supper's ready?"
  "Is the bed made?"
"Well, almost. It'll just take about ten minutes
to dry the bedding... You still love me though,
don't you?"
"Well, almost!"

(First published on June 7, 1979

HE IS ABLE

4/18/2021

HE IS ABLE

"If a care is too small to be turned into a prayer,"
writes Corrie ten Boom, "It is too small to be made
into a burden."

When shall we who profess a dynamic Christian life
ever stop brooding and worrying over the day to day
problems that are continuously sent into our lives?

When shall we learn that our most gigantic,
serious problems as well as our smallest, bothersome
irritations are known by God.

And, large or small...He is able to handle them all.

Resist evil with good...Turn you burdens into prayers...
Release your faith in the Lord...And He shall lift you up.

GOD, GIVE US MEN!

4/18/2021

GOD, GIVE US MEN! by Josiah Gilbert Holland

GOD, give us men!
A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;

Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office can not buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor; men who will not lie;

Men who can stand before a demagogue
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking;

For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds,
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps.

© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes
Bottom of Form

SAINTS ALIVE 629

4/12/2021

  SAINTS ALIVE

                                         Have you ever noticed how much
                                         easier it is to venerate a dead saint
                                        than a live one? Have you ever
                                         wondered why?

                                        Perhaps the answer lies within these
                                         words by an unknown author, taken
                                       from a card from St. Sephen's Church
                                         in Philadelphia...

                                        "Why were the saints, saints?
                                         Because they were cheerful
when it was difficult to be cheerful,
patient when it was difficult
                                         to be patient; and because they
                                         pushed on when when they wanted
                                         to stand still, and kept silent when
                                         they wanted to talk, and were agreeable
                                         when they wanted to be disagreeable
                                         That was all. It was simple and always
                                         will be."

                                         Many are called to be saints...
                                         but few are chosen.

SUN STAND STILL 169

4/12/2021

SUN STAND STILL 169

                              While attending a banquet in the grand city
                              of Versailles, Ben Franklin listened to the British
                              Minister propose a toast to King George, III, in
                              which he likened the king "to the sun," and then
                              listened as the Minister proposed a toast to
                              King Louis, XIV, comparing him to "the moon."

                              Then the great statesman, Franklin, arose and
                              offered this toast: "George Washington, Commander
                              of the American armies, who like Joshua of old,
                              commanded the sun and moon to stand still, and
                              they obeyed him."

                              Through the centuries, many have given Washington
                              and the Founding Fathers much honor and praise,
                              which they richly deserved. They brought forth this
                              nation, while promising life, liberty, and the pursuit
                              of happiness. These were truly great statesmen.
                              We shall forever be in their debt.

(First published on May 23, 1976)

QUO VADIS?

4/11/2021

  QUO VADIS?

                  Ever since the Apostle, Peter asked this
                                       question, two centuries ago...
                                       "Whither goest thou?"
                                       Millions of men and women have been asking
                                       this challenging question of themselves.
                                       Where shall we go this day?
                                       Into places termed sinister?
                                       Into situations unbecoming?
                                       Into thoughts that are thoughtless?
                                       Into actions that are ruthless?
                                       Where shall we go this day?
                                       Into valleys of kindness and compassion?
                                       Into worlds that are not worldly?
                                       Into dimensions that are divine?
                                       Into paths of prayer and peace?
                                       Now, as in ages past...the destiny of men
                                       and nations depends on our daily reply to
                                       the question...Quo Vadis?
                                       (John 13:36)

TRUE SUCCESS

4/7/2021

   TRUE SUCCESS

                                              Wrote David O. McKay...
                                              "No other success can compensate
                                              for failure in the home."

                                              Wherein doth true happiness lie,
                                              if not in the home?
                                              Where dear hearts are gathered 'round
                                              a warm and gentle hearth.
                                              Where knightly dreams are often common-place.
                                              Where dragons may still be slain and
                                              castles may still be scaled.
                                              Where little girls have fond dreams of
                                              becoming like their mothers.
                                              Where little boys strive to emulate the
                                              noble actions of their dads...
                                              If we would change our world (and
                                              it is never too late to start)...let us begin
                                              where we should ... in the home.

(First published on April 3, 2012)

EASTER (1979)

4/1/2021

  EASTER (1979)

We see Christ in the Garden
Sweating large drops of blood
As he takes our nature upon himself
And covers our sins like a flood

We see Christ scourged and beaten
Standing with open wounds upon his back
As Pilate, while finding no fault in him
Yields easily to the maddening crowd's attack

   We see Christ outside the city wall
   Wearing a thorn-platted crown
   Withstanding the jeers of all mankind
   Beneath that heavy cross weighing him down

We see Christ hanging upon the cross
   Forgiving and loving, even then
   Commending his spirit to his father
God's sinless sacrifice for sin

   We see Christ taken down
   And laid in a borrowed tomb
   Like unto the beginning
   There wasn't any room

We see Christ now risen
The chains of death now broken
And witness an angel speaking
   The most joyous words ever spoken

   He is not here for he has risen
And so we have the ultimate grace
   Look inside that empty tomb
   He is no longer captive of that place

(First published on March 24, 2016)

MY ALMOST GIRL 629

3/31/2021

MY ALMOST GIRL 629

Neil Simon wrote poignantly
about his "Good-bye girl."

When my hairs have all turned gray
(of those that remain, that is) I shall
fondly reminisce about "My Almost Girl"

"Honey, I'm home! I'm starved, is supper ready?"
   "Well, almost."
"Almost, what do you mean, almost?"
"The turkey's not quite unthawed."
"Well, this turkey's unthawed and ready to eat."
("You can say that again.")
"What...What did you say?"
"Nothing, dear. Why don't you lie down
  until supper's ready?"
  "Is the bed made?"
"Well, almost. It'll just take about ten minutes
to dry the bedding... You still love me though,
don't you?"
"Well, almost!"

(First published on June 7, 1979

THE THIRD AMENDMRNT

3/28/2021

The Third Amendment to the Constitution
of the United states of America

No soldier shall, in time of peace
be quartered in any house,
without the consent of the owner,
nor in time of war, but in a manner
to be prescribed by law.

   Ratified in 1791, the Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
sets forth two basic requirements.
  During times of peace, the military may not house its troops
  in private residences without the consent of the owners.

   During times of war, the military may not house its troops
   in private residences except in accordance
with established legal procedure.

By placing these limitations on the private quartering of combatants,
the Third Amendment subordinates military authority to civilian control
  and safeguards against abuses that can be perpetrated
  by standing armies and professional soldiers. (Legal Information Institute)

  Described by some as “a preference for the Civilian over the Military,”
the Third Amendment forbids the forcible housing of military personnel
in a citizen’s home during peacetime and requires the process
to be “prescribed by law” in times of war. (Cornell Law School)

This Amendment is not considered controversial and has
never been litigated before the United States Supreme Court.
(Cornell Law School)

   (However, many of us on the right could certainly argue that the
   socialists are presently (2021) using the military to over-reach
   and abuse this amendment, causing litigation to occur. (bm)