O SEASON OF THE BLUSTERY SNOW

                            O season of the blustery snow
                           And of the rain, the storm, the gale
                           We welcome thee without any fright
                           As the temperature freezing all below
                           Invites us to write, and to write again

                           Of seasons past
                           Of warmer days bereft of snow
                           We sense tis quite all right
                           To extol the virtues of winter
                           The months of shorter days
                           Followed by days of longer nights
                                          Invite us to write, and to write again

                           Regardless of the chilly weather
                           Give us paper. Give us pen.
                           Sit us at our desk and then
                           Let us enjoy, let us delight
                           As these windy, wintry days 
                           Invite us to write, and to write again
 
                           (First published on February 15, 1979.
                           Revisions made on February 26, 2020)

                                                                  GRADUATION 2020

                             Whether it be from high school or from a university,
                             graduation is, indeed, a laudable accomplishment.
                             But, as most graduates soon realize, a degree is
                             seldom an end-all, be-all proposition.

                             Rather, graduation is the tying of a knot in our 
                             rope of life.The graduation knot much more
                             signifies a beginning than an ending;a graduation 
                             toward something as opposed to a gradution from 
                             something.

                             It is impossible to change "the way we were," but
                             the possibities for change towared "what we shall 
                             become," are infinite. We can only expect to live 
                             in the present as we rush toward the future. The
                             past is past.

                             With these thoughts in mind, perhaps gravitation, in
                             the long run, becomes more significant than graduation.

                             (First Posted in May, 2013)



​

                                                            DEALING IN SUNSHINE  620

​                                   An anonymous writer has given us
                                   these lines...

                                   People who deal in sunshine
                                   Are the ones who draw the crowd
                                   They always do more business
                                   Than those who peddle clouds.
                             
                                   It would be wonderful if we could say
                                   that we always deal in the sunshine market.
                             
                                   Unfortunately this is just not true. Life has
                                   shown us, over and over again, the pain
                                   which often accrues  from cloud peddling.
                                   And yet, we still persist in it.

                                   If ever there was a need in our lives,
                                   Heavenly Father,  it would be this...
                                   to be continuous sunshine dealers.

                                   (Originally published on May 17, 1979,
                                   with revisions made on February 18

                                               
                                                           WIDE ENOUGH  284

                                  Wrote Lawrence Stern, an 18th Century
                                  clergyman, "This world surely is wide enough
                                  to hold both thee and me."

                                  Indeed, there is plenty of room on this earth...

                                                      For diversity
                                                      For unity
                                                      For every color
                                                      For every creed
                                                      For disagreement
                                                      For compromise
                                                      For old truths
                                                      For new insights
                                                      For giving 
                                                      For living

                                 The shortages on this earth exist not because
                                 of "the lack of space" as some would contend.
                                 Rather, our deficiencies are primarily due to a
                                 scantness of Spirit in the hearts of men.

                                 Wide enough, wide enough, yes, this world is 
                                 wide enough for both thee and me.
                                 (First posted on November 11, 2012)

​                                                                    

                                                             IF YOU ARE LONELY  533

                                 We're fortunate right now. We have a 
                                 good friend in our church that affects
                                 our life in a very supportive and calming
                                 way. (Actually, we associate with several
                                 members who help us in this regard. But
                                 perhaps, at this point in time, this one
                                 brother's positive influence stands out
                                 more than others.)

                                 If you are presently going to church and find
                                 it a rather lonely, non-comforting place, we think
                                 it would not be wrong to ask God to send
                                 that someone into your life who would might 
                                 be able to comfort and sustain you.
                                 We believe, given time, that our Heavenly
                                 Father will just do that for you.
                                 For He has done it for us.                                 

                                 For those, who are alone or lonely, rest assured,
                                 God is aware of you and your plight. And even now,
                                 He is acting on your behalf. He is moving people
                                 into your life to benefit you. God cares about you.
                                
                                (First published on October 1, 1978 #53
                                with revisions made on February 18, 2020)
 
       

                                                               DEALING IN SUNSHINE  620

​                                   An anonymous writer has given us
                                   these lines...

                                   People who deal in sunshine
                                   Are the ones who draw the crowds
                                   They always do more business
                                   Than those who peddle clouds.
                             
                                   It would be wonderful if we could say
                                   that we always deal in the sunshine market.
                             
                                   Unfortunately this is just not true. Life has
                                   shown us, over and over again, the pain
                                   which often accrues  from cloud peddling.
                                   And yet, we still persist in it.

                                   If ever there was a need in our lives,
                                   Heavenly Father,  it would be this...
                                   to be continuous sunshine dealers.

                                   (Originally published on May 17, 1979,
                                   with revisions made on February 18,2020) 

                                                                CHRIST IS MY SHIELD AND ARMOUR
                                            HE IS MY TRUMPET CALL
                                            HE HELPS ME FIGHT MY BATTLES
                                            AND BE VICTOR OVER ALL
                                                                      
                                            CHRIST IS MY PRIDE AND POWER
                                            HE IS MY LIBERTY
                                            HE OVERCAME THE CHAINS OF SIN
                                            AND GAVE NEW LIFE TO ME

                                            CHRIST MARCHES ON BEFORE ME
                                            AND THIS I SURELY KNOW
                                            WHERE 'ERE HE CARES TO LEAD ME
                                            MOST GLADLY WILL I GO
                                                                       
                                            'MID TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS
                                            I DARE NOT SHUN THE FIGHT
                                            FOR THE LORD DOTH LEAD ME ONWARD
                                            WITH HIS SWORD OF TRUTH AND RIGHT

                                            (THIS WAS MY FIRST POEM. THE FIRST
                                            THREE VERSES WERE WRITTEN IN THE 
                                            SUMMER OF 1963. THE LAST VERSE WAS
                                            ADDED IN THE FALL OF 1963.)

                           HUMDRUM HEROES  619

             We are presently reading the works of Tolkien
             in which the heroes are magnificent and the villains
             are horrendous.

             And while it might be enjoyable to dream 
             of conquering and defeating those darkened
             shadows of another world, we suspect
             that we live among and daily meet many
             unsung and unheralded heroes of the 
             daily humdrum.

             To constantly, work at a job that is laborious
             and tiresome year after year, to feed and clothe
             loved ones.... takes a hero of a special kind. 

             To continually prepare meals and to keep our homes 
             comfortable and clean while tending young ones 
             day in and day out, merits the medal of honor
             for the humdrum heroes of our society.

             Today and always, we gratefully honor and salute 
             any and all of the unknown, unnamed heroes of the 
             humdrum who constantly enrich our lives.

             (First published on May 15, 1979. Revisions made
             on February 11, 2020.)
                                                                                               

                                                                                  

​                                          
                                    
                                                         PROVERBS I:5  

                                                                         A wise man will hear,
                                        and will increase learning;
                                   and a man of understanding                                                                                             shall attain
                                         unto wise counsels: