Blog Archives

WIDE ENOUGH

10/31/2020

  WIDE ENOUGH

                                                            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
there is "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 published on November 4, 2012)

THANKSGIVING (1975)

10/31/2020

   THANKSGIVING (1975)

                                                               Dear Father, Thank you...
   For peace in our land.***
                                                               For sons and daughters home
                                                               from wars.
                                                               For our material prosperity.
                                                               For our Spiritual promptings and
                                                               learnings.
                                                               For mothers and fathers and loved
                                                              ones everywhere.
                                                               For this free land, this great America
                                                               For thy tender mercies toward
                                                               an oft-time wayward folk.
                                                               For this beautiful season of reflection
                                                               and renewal.
                                                               For thy Son who gives meaning and
                                                               and purpose to our lives.
Thank you Heavenly Father, in Jesus'
                                                               name. Amen.
(***Obviously, while there is little
fighting abroad, the United States
faces insurrection at home. Hopefully,
this will be taken care of in 2021.)

TASKS SO IMPORTANT

10/31/2020

     TASKS SO IMPORTANT

                                                        In writing on how to cope with despondency,
                                                        Harry Emerson Fosdick made the following
                                                        suggestion...

                                                        "Remember that some tasks are so important
                                                        that they must be gone through with whether
                                                        we are depressed or not."
                                                        When we, at first, think of "tasks so important,"
                                                        we might think of some deeds that are highly
                                                        heroic or that are terribly dangerous to our
                                                        physical well being or our emotional security.

                                                        But, we would suggest two "important tasks"
                                                        that are daily commonplace in their occurrence...

                                                        One is...earning a living and the second is...
                                                        keeping a home.
                                                        These two are with us most of our days and are
                                                        "tasks so important" that we cannot, dare not,
                                                        avoid them regardless of our moods or our mental
                                                        dispositions.

                                                        Our moods and thoughts change continually and,
                                                        whether melancholy or happy, our "tasks so
                                                        important" still remain.

    (First published on November 21, 2012)

OUR SOVEREIGN LORD

10/26/2020

OUR SOVEREIGN LORD

Ah, sovereign Lord,
you have made the heavens
and the earth by you great power
and outstretched arm.
Nothing is too had for you.
Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)

SPIRITUAL POETRY

10/26/2020

SPIRITUAL POETRY

Through the years, we have discovered that one
of the most powerful sources of motivation in
our lives has been inspirational or spiritual
poetry.

Rather than give you a long drawn out explanation
or persuasive argument regarding the uplifting
value of spiritual poetry, we will simply leave
you with a few simple lines by one of our
favorite Canadian authors, Anna Johnson Flint.

"He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace."

"When we have exhausted our store of endurance;
When our strength has failed e'er the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun."

"His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His power, no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth, and giveth again."

(First published October 22, 2013)

GREAT NEED

10/20/2020

GREAT NEED

O Lord, I am blind
   And cannot see
   Please have pity
On a wretch like me

   O Lord, I am deaf
   And cannot hear
   The gentle words
Of thy spirit, clear

   O Lord, I am lame
And cannot run
   Away from the crowd
To meet thy son

O Lord, this day
   I have great need
   Of Thee
   Great need,
Indeed

(First published on August 2, 1981)

THE GATES ARE OPEN WIDE 224

10/15/2020

   THE GATES ARE OPEN WIDE 224

Wrote Charles Sorley...
"The gates are open on the road
that leads to beauty and to God."

                                                No walls, no matter how thick
                                                No fences, no matter how high
                                                No guards, no matter how many
                                                Can keep us encumbered or bound
                                                If our hearts are right with God.

                                                If our hearts are right with God
                                                Those walls become thresholds
                                                Those fences become rose trellises
                                                Those guards become our friends
                                                For no chains may fetter
                                                The upward bound soul
                                                God's gates are always open wide
                                                To all those who would enter in

(First published on October 3, 1976)

OOPS!

10/15/2020

OOPS!

Wrote Alexander Pope, "To
err, is human, to forgive divine."

Now, can you beat that. We
always thought that line came
straight out of Shakespeare.
Oh well, "to err is..." as they
say.

Through the years, we have
noticed a "slight" tendency on our
part to rationalize, justify and forgive
ourselves in areas of poor judgment
and shoddy conduct.

But, when it came to others, boy,
could we lay it on the line when
calling attention to their mistakes.

Of late, however, we are becoming
more conscious of the law of life
which says that divine healing
is often accomplished through
human forgiveness.

Thou, Oh Lord, who forgiveth us
hourly, by thy grace, may we learn
to forgive our fellowman, daily.

THE DOORKNOB

10/13/2020

  THE DOORKNOB

Problems come, problems go
May it ever be so

A few days ago, some of my family
members came over for Sunday dinner.
The group included several grandchildren,
ranging in age from four to eleven.

Just before the crowd left, Maguire, our
youngest grandson brought us our garage
door doorknob. "Look Granny, doorknob broke."

Suspicious me: I suspect there was a
mighty tug of war on both sides of the door
while someone was playing keep out, keep
in.

Later, my wife, Donna, and I, valiantly and
painstakingly tried for almost an hour to
put on a new doorknob. Alas, to no avail.

A few days later, our oldest son, Bill(y) came
by for a short visit. Just as he was about to
dash out the door. I said, "Bill(y), do you know
how to put a doorknob on?" "Yes," he replied.
In less than five minutes, we had a workable
doorknob in place.

I've lived long enough now to suspect that
we shall always have problems, for it is through
problem solving that we learn and grow.

I also suspect that every problem we have
comes with a solution(s). And, it is up to us
to find and apply the satisfactory solutions.

Hail to the problems. I'm now ready for my
next three.

(Truth Be Told Disclaimer: My patience and my problems
don't always get along too well together)

(Written: October 23, 2013)

IT'S A TURVY-TOPSY WORLD

10/4/2020

.        IT'S A TURVY-TOPSY WORLD

I don't know about you, but lately,
I have been feeling a bit ambivalent.
Sometimes, I don't know whether
I'm coming or going, even when
I'm standing still. At least once
a week, now, I have to ask my wife,
"Donna, is it Friday or Saturday?"

For the past nine months, I have sailed
through this COVID-19 pandemic as though
I were immune, untouchable, unprocurable.
   But, noting that President Trump and the
  First Lady had contracted the virus, it quickly
dawned on me that there was the thin possibility that maybe I also could become infected.

However, I intend to press forward, even if
  it is with an upside down backward swagger.
And, even though I plan to walk around with a bag
  over my head and swallow my one a day vitamins
  three times a day, I still remain the proverbial
optimist.

It is possible at some future date, this present
generation could be known as the "next to
the greatest generation." For, they will have
fought the good fight and defeated a world
wide indominable foe.

(Written on October 5, 2020.
Published on October 6, 2020)