|
OUR MOTHERS (1978) In the struggles and the strife The vicissitudes of life Our mothers are always there Every cloudburst filled with rain In sorrow and in pain Our mothers are always there In our triumphs and our wins Light laughter and coquettish grins Our mothers are always there At dawn with each new sunrise At bedtime with no surprise Our mothers are always there Tucking us in with a goodnight kiss Ending our day with a note of bless Our mothers are always there With days of child's play now long gone Memories of delightful times continue on Our mothers are always there Now these lines are but a token Of our love that goes unspoken To our mothers who are always there (First published on May 14 1978) R.S.V.P. You are cordially invited to be present as special guests and participants... At the wedding and marriage feast... Of the Bride to the Bridegroom... To be held in due season in the home of the Bridegroom. The cuisine has been carefully planned and lovingly prepared. The entertainment, including several large choirs and orchestras, will be Heavenly, to say the least. And although the seating capacity of the banquet hall is unlimited, admittance will be by prior reservation only. Please plan to attend. you won't want to miss out on this very special event. R.S.V.P...Soon. I AM BUT A SEED I am but a seed hidden by dirt and soil until suddenly a miracle happens that I cannot explain But I burst forth breaking all my bonds pushing all ground aside I rapidly shoot upward as a young and tender stalk toward the wide expansive sky, oh my, look at me now so beautiful and full of glory Thunderstorms and rain may come, but I shall withstand them all and give beauty to our land (Published on May 7, 2015; Revision made on May 2, 2021) (ON RAISING CHILDREN (THOUGHT SEVEN) Three of our favorite lines come from th of George Herbert... "Throw away thy rod, Throw away thy wrath Take the gentle path." Would you have gentle children... then be gentle Would you have tenderhearted children... then be tenderhearted Would you have loving children... then be loving Would you have your children honor your... then honor them. Give them the best of everything you are Give them the greater you the higher you the holier you For your children's sake...and yours... throw away your rod and wrath and "take the gentle path." (First published May 5, 2013) 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 "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! 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 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 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) |
Categories |
RSS Feed
