Blog Archives

COME,YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME

11/28/2021

Come, ye thankful people, come, (Written in 1844
Raise the song of harvest home! by Henry Alford)
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied
Come to God's own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home!

We ourselves are God's own field,
Fruit unto his praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear;
Grant, O harvest Lord, that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
And shall take the harvest home;
From His field shall in that day
All offences purge away,
Giving angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store
In the garner evermore.

Then, thou Church triumphant come,
Raise the song of harvest home!
All be safely gathered in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In God's garner to abide;
Come, ten thousand angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home!

THANKSGIVING (1976)

11/27/2021

THANKSGIVING (1976)

Dear Heavenly Father,
once again we gather with family
and friends to honor thee and give
thee thanks...

For this past year in which...

Many hearts have been healed
Many minds have been refreshed
Many souls have been uplifted
Many lives have been changed

For the coming year in which...

New friends shall be acquired
New covenants shall be honored
New powers shall be released
New faith shall be desired

For this present moment in which...

We may glorify thy holy name
We may gather loved ones home
We may kneel and pray and love
We may live and breathe for thee

In the name of the lamb of life,
even Jesus Christ. Amen.
(First published on November 21, 2013)

HISTORICAL NOVELS

11/27/2021

HISTORICAL NOVELS

"What I like in a good author," wrote
Logan Smith, "is not what he says...but
what he whispers."

Each of us daily writes his own historical
novel. We fill our pages with...

Bravado and anxiety
Faith and fear
Hope and doubt
Sins and blessings
Successes and failures

We write not on flimsy parchment that
crumbles quickly to dust and blows
away with the wind. Oh, no, our
lives and actions are indelibly
inscribed on the sinews of our souls.

In chapters yet to come, may we whisper...

About great ideas and ideals
About the beauty of nature
About concern and compassion
About good times and traditions

May we be wary of what we write.
May our chapters steadily improve and
give joy and blessings to those around
us, and silent satisfaction at the end.

(First published on November 21, 2012)

TOP DRAWER

11/12/2021

     TOP DRAWER

Recently, Billy (age 8) brought home
a school newspaper article about "Snappy
Socks." It appears that someone has
invented socks that snap together so they
won't get lost in the washing machine or
dryer.

In our present time of perilous tumbles,
unexpected turns and spins that often
leave us high and dry, it is no wonder we
often feel mismatched with life and those
around us.

The adversary just seems to take delight in
socking it to us and turning our lives inside
out. He would have us believe that no one
gives a darn about us.

But, this just isn't sew. There is someone
who really cares a great deal about us.
He wants us to pair up with him and and
cling to him that we might always be found
in the top drawer.

(This article was written in 1977, a long
time ago, so far away)

   (First published on November 20, 2014)

COUNTING PUMPKINS

11/12/2021

   COUNTING PUMPKINS

  Back in October, with frost and a smidgen
of snow on the ground, as we put the lawn
mower away in our shed, we realized that
fall and winter were now well on the way.

And one night as we laid in our bed trying
to go to sleep and keep warm at the same
time, we tried going to sleep by counting...
pumpkins. Wow, talk about orange.
Too much orange, not enough sleep.
So, as we laid there, these thoughts came
to mind...

God will help me
because he can
The more we learn about
purity, the wider and deeper
it becomes
Let us stay awake in Christ,
and go to sleep in Him as well

    (First published on November 16, 2013)

PSALM 40:1,2,3,16

11/12/2021

   PSALM 40:1,2,3,16

I waited patiently for the Lord
and he inclined his ear
unto me and heard
my cry

He brought me up also
out of an horrible pit
out of the miry clay
and set my feet
upon a rock
and established my goings

And he
put a new song
in my mouth
and even praise
unto our God
Many shall see it and fear
and shall trust
in the Lord

Blessed
is the man
that maketh the Lord
his trust
and respecteth not the proud
and such as turn aside
to lies

Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad
in thee
Let such as love
thy salvation
say continually
The Lord be magnified

(First published on November 20, 2014)

THE GIFT OF SILENCE

11/7/2021

         THE GIFT OF SILENCE

"Let me seek, then, the gift
of silence, and poverty and
solitude;
where everything I touch
is turned into prayer,
the wind in the trees
is my prayer,
for God is all in all."
(from Thomas Merton,
"Thoughts in Solitude")

We, who live in urban areas,
are accustomed, on a daily basis,
to many sounds, and noises. They
seem to accompany us in all places
and climes. We call out for relief, but
oft times, none seem to be forthcoming.

A few days ago, as the winds blew cool,
and the leaves turned Autumn, I took a
folding chair, sat down in front of our home,
enjoyed the fall scenery, the warm sun
wrapped in the gentle breeze, touched the
quietness, felt truly blessed by the Lord.
So glad to be alive
                                   (Written and published on October 21, 2021.)

THERE'S ALWAYS A BALM IN GILEAD

11/6/2021

THERE'S ALWAYS A BALM IN GILEAD

'Is there no balm in Gilead: is there no
physician there?" Jeremiah 8:22

There’s always a balm in Gilead
as long as the Spirit of the Lord
is there

No matter the circumstances
or how dire, the balm of Gilead
will see us through and through

While healing is a matter of the body,
head, or heart, the Lord desires the healing
of our spirit, too

The falling of snow is God's given sign
of our sins gracefully covered while our
souls are gently made clean
O yes, dear neighbors, there is a balm
in Gilead, and in your hometown, too
as Jesus comes with healing in his wings
for you, and you, and you

(Written on November 6, 2021 and published
on November 7, 2021)