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Casting My Care

Lord I continually set before you
My requests and all my needs
With thanksgiving I come unto you
My concerns unburdened to thee

I wait for your intervention Lord
In quietness of soul and mind
And worship at your footstool
Leaving my cares behind

And Lord I express my thanks for you
For all you are to me
I thank you Lord that I matter to you
Though at times I cannot see

Because of the circumstances in life
The things that I go through
I find my eyes are on the storm
When they should be looking to you

So help me Lord each precious day
No matter what life brings me
To carry on with hope and faith
And to rest in you with peace.

Shaking Our Faith

When tragedies happen
and disasters occur
we’re often left in despair,
dazed and discouraged,
depressed and unsure,
wondering why God doesn’t care.

As the earth shifts and groans,
quivers and quakes,
and walls are reduced to rubble,
our faith often falters,
stumbles and shakes
when faced with times of trouble.

We sometimes blame God
for the terrible things
that cause agony and dismay,
forgetting the peace and
healing God brings
to those who don’t turn away.

Through the grief and pain,
all of life’s sorrow,
God remains steady and true,
supporting and lifting
to face each tomorrow,
providing the strength to get through.

God never leaves us
alone to face
the trials this world has in store,
but with mercy, kindness,
goodness and grace,
God’s love does continually pour.

by Connie Arnold

The Cross

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood;
He fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Shall I forget that look!
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayest live."

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too!

—John Newton

If Our Greatest Need Had Been…

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator;

If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist;

If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist;

If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer;

But our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God sent us a Savior.

"The Quiet Place"

How lovely it is in the forest;
The wind softly blows through the leaves,
And it whispers to me, "This is God's land;
And here there are none that deceive.
"Here you'll find quiet and beauty,
A squirrel quickly scampering by,
How clearly God's wisdom is shown here,
You may see if you'll open your eyes.

"The babbling brook sings a new song;
The wind blows in sweet harmony.
If you've never considered God's wisdom,
Open your ears, they may help you to see.

"The crackling sound that your foot makes;
The mocking bird singing a tune,
The howl of the fox when the day is far past,
Baying a song at the moon.

"In the midst of all this there is quiet;
Not just the kind you can hear,
But the kind that sinks deep in the soul of a man.
You are closer to God than you were.

"Consider the filtering sunlight
Through the leaves of the trees just above.
If you open your heart it will tell you
That all this was created in love.

"You may drink from the stream; it's clear and it's pure.
It's cool, and the taste is so sweet.
God planned it that way. He knew you'd be here,
And your needs he was happy to meet.

"The air's cool and crisp, caressing you now,
And beckoning you to breathe deep.
If through all of these things God has spoken to you,
You may find it hard not to weep."

So I fell on my knees and gave praise to Him there,
"Lord, Thy ways are better than mine.
And when I return to the place man has built,
I'll remember this place, and I'll make my ways Thine."

author Donna Chappell

The Sweetest Thing

The sweetest thing on earth
Is not that child upon your knee,
Nor yet the loved one who each day
Walks side by side with thee.

It’s not the morning sunrise,
Nor the rose bedecked with dew,

The breeze that brings the
Honeysuckle’s fragrance unto you.

The sweetest thing’s God’s love
for that small bundle on your knee,

To learn how, when life’s tempest comes,
He’ll calm the troubled sea.

So let Him walk upon the troubled
Waters of your mind.

Give Him your heart, and very soon,
Life’s sweetest thing you’ll find.

Bruised Children

Bask in me
You
A sweet young girl with tender eyes
Banished to her room, alone, she cries
Somewhere inside her spirit dies
I think this is a shame

She listens as her mom and dad
Yell at her and say she’s bad
It’s all her fault when they get mad
She thinks she is to blame

A little boy with dark sullen stare
Listens as they curse and swear
Just wishing he could hide somewhere
Why do they call him names?

He once was happy. Would sing a song
He had good friends who tagged along
What has happened? What went wrong?
Why is his family strained?

A tender girl, a precious boy
Should only know of love and joy
Play and laugh and share their toys
They should not know this pain

Harsh, angry words. Mean, cruel tones
Hurt much more than sticks and stones
Breaking more than children’s bones
I think adults should refrain

When as parents, we lose control
And we destroy those tiny souls
How will they ever be made whole?
How will they laugh again?

by Lisa
(N.H.)

Mold Me

I come to you as a child,
Yearning for help,
Yearning for a change,
Though my faith is strong,
I've been weak in many areas of my life,
Seeking direction to become what you have for me,
As Job I come to you with the perils of this world,
Giving trust into your works fully,
And truly letting go,
Though discouragement comes in many forms,
I will try to stand firm as an oak tree through this stage,
Rewriting page after page,
As I go back and proofread my life,
A writer lost with thoughts everywhere,
But I ask you for a change,
Hold me as close as you can,
I would rather suffocate in your arms,
Than lose breath amongst the wretched souls lost on earth,
Break me down to the rubble of clay from which I was formed from,
And reshape my mind,
My heart,
And my soul,
Breathe into the lungs of a new life,
Heal the wounds that formed this stone heart,
And allow the blood of TRUTH and LOVE,
To remove the erosion around my life line,
Called a heart....

A Simple Thank You

I woke up this morning and knew that today,
The sun would not be shining and the clouds would be gray.
As I stepped outside, rain fell upon my head.
My car wouldn’t start so I walked to college instead.

I forgot all of my assignments, I failed all of my tests.
I dropped my head in disgust and asked the Lord for one request:
“Lord, why is it that things won’t go my way?”
He gently replied, “Dear child it is because you didn’t thank me yesterday.

I woke you up and enabled you to see the sun again.
I gave you shelter, protected your family and even let you make a new friend.
I blessed you far greater than I ever had before.
But you were too busy to thank me once more.

You didn’t feel sick because I maintained your health.
You had money in your pocket because I maintained your wealth.
You had shoes on your feet and clothes to wear, too.
You had plenty of food to eat and what did you do?

You ignored me and went about your tasks.
But when you wanted something you never hesitated to ask.
I was there when you needed me and that wasn’t too long ago.
But when things started going your way, it was me you did not know.

As if that weren’t enough, I provided your favorite luxuries.
This was something I didn’t have to do, they weren’t even necessities.
And when it was time to get on your knees and show your gratitude,
You decided that after such a fulfilling day, you weren’t in the mood.

So I decided to give you just a little test.
To show you how it would feel to stop being blessed.”
I began to realize what the Lord was saying.
And when I got home, I fell to my knees and started praying.

He said, “My child, you have learned and you know I do forgive.
But remember to remember this day as long as you shall live.
I love filling your life with joy and your pain I’ll alleviate it.
But just a simple thank you would show how much you appreciate it.”

Go Gently With the Flow

If the sky above is cloudy, and you're left out in the rain,
And you're searching for a rainbow, but the colors bring you pain;
If your world is not revolving, and there is no end in sight,
And you're looking for the sunshine, but all you see is night;
If all around are smiling, but all you do is frown,
And you're tired of all this living, and life just brings you down:
Then look beyond your teardrops to the beauty of this land,
Or feel a flower's petals like velvet in your hand,

Or hear the children laughing, like innocence at play,
Or feel the air around you, or smell the new-mown hay.

Contemplate a butterfly, Or the wind amongst the trees,
Or the whisper of the ocean, or the warmth of summer's breeze,
Or the taste of cotton candy as it melts upon your tongue,
Or the melody of birds, as they greet the morning sun,
Remember words of beauty, and your father's strong embrace,
Or your mother's gentle touch, as she softly kissed your face.

Seek the good within you, cast the clouds out from your sky,
Don't look toward the pavement, and hold your head up high,
Think not on what life owes you, but on all you have to give,
Forget about your sorrow, count your blessings, start to live,
Each day that you are given is a gift that life bestows,
Don't fight against the current, but go gently with the flow.

by Torre Devito

For Those Who Believe
All Is Possible

There are no miracles for those
who doubt their possibilities...
But for those who believe --
truly believe...
all is possible.

Whatever you may have believed;
whatever you may have done;
and whatever you may be in your life --
It's not too late to change course
and begin anew...

A fresh start, a bright future
and the wonderful peace that passes
all understanding,
are yours for the taking,
now and forever more!


Author Larry S. Chengges

RISK

To laugh, is to risk playing the fool.
To weep, is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another, is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings, is to risk exposing our true selves.
To put your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss.
To love, is to risk not being loved in return.
To live, is to risk dying.
To hope, is to risk despair.
To try at all, is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they simply cannot learn, change, feel, grow, love, live...
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves.

ONLY THE PERSON WHO RISKS IS FREE.

Author Unknown

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

If children live with CRITICISM
They learn to CONDEMN
If children live with HOSTILITY
They learn to FIGHT
If children live with RIDICULE
They learn to BE SHY
If children live with SHAME
They learn to FEEL GUILTY

 If children live with TOLERANCE
They learn to BE PATIENT
If children live with ENCOURAGEMENT
They learn to HAVE CONFIDENCE
If children live with PRAISE
They learn to APPRECIATE
If children live with FAIRNESS
They learn JUSTICE
If children live with SECURITY
They learn to HAVE FAITH
If children live with APPROVAL
They learn to LIKE THEMSELVES
If children live with ACCEPTANCE and FRIENDSHIP
They learn to FIND LOVE IN THE WORLD.

Your Dimension Of Greatness

No one can know the potential,
Of a life that is committed to win;
With courage - the challenge it faces,
To achieve great success in the end!

So, explore the Dimension of Greatness,
And believe that the world CAN be won;
By a mind that is fully committed,
KNOWING the task can be done!

Your world has no place for the skeptic,
No room for the DOUBTER to stand;
To weaken your firm resolution
That you CAN EXCEL in this land!

We must have VISION TO SEE our potential,
And FAITH TO BELIEVE that we can;
Then COURAGE TO ACT with conviction,
To become what GOD MEANT us to be!

So, possess the strength and the courage,
To conquer WHATEVER you choose;
It's the person WHO NEVER GETS STARTED,
That is destined FOREVER to lose!

Gardening God's Way

Plant three rows of peas:
Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be obedient
Lettuce really love one another

No garden without turnips:
Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another

Water freely with patience and cultivate love

There is much fruit for your garden
Because you reap what you sow.

To conclude our garden
We must have thyme:
Thyme for God
Thyme for study
Thyme for prayer
Thyme for each other
Thyme for friends

Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down life's highway a long time ago.
One day I saw a sign that read "Heaven's Grocery Store".
As I got a little closer, the door came open wide.
When I came to myself, I was standing just inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere.
One handed me a basket and said, "My child, please shop with care".
Everything a Christian needed was in that Grocery Store.
All you couldn't carry, you could come back the next day for.
First, I got some PATIENCE; LOVE was in the very same row.
Further down was UNDERSTANDING, you needed it wherever you go.
I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH.
I just couldn't miss the HOLY SPIRIT, for He was all over the place!!
I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me run this race.
By then my basket was getting full but...I remembered I needed some GRACE!
I didn't forget SALVATION, for SALVATION was free.
So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.
Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
for I thought I had everything to do my Master's will.
As I wind up the aisle I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in.
For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.
PEACE and JOY were plentiful; they were on the last shelf.
SONGS and PRAISES were hanging near, so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel, "How much do I owe?"
He just smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go."
Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I owe?"
He smiled again and said......
"My child, JESUS PAID YOUR BILL A LONG TIME AGO!"

Lessons from an Oyster

There once was an oyster
Whose story I tell,
Who found that some sand
Had got into his shell.

It was only a grain,
but it gave him great pain.
For oysters have feelings
Although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate
the harsh workings of fate
That had brought him
To such a deplorable state?

Did he curse at the government,
Cry for election,
And claim that the sea should
Have given him protection?

'No,' he said to himself
As he lay on a shell,
Since I cannot remove it,
I shall try to improve it.

Now the years have rolled around,
As the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate
Destiny ­ stew.

And the small grain of sand
That had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl
All richly aglow.

Now the tale has a moral,
for isn't it grand
What an oyster can do
With a morsel of sand?

What couldn't we do
If we'd only begin
With some of the things
That get under our skin

by: Author Unknown