God's Will

 

I know

not by what

method rare,
But this I know:

God answers prayer.
I know

not if the blessing

sought will come in just

the guise I thought.

I leave my prayer

to Him alone

Whose will is wiser
than my own.
 

~ Eliza M. Hickok
 

Per Pacem Ad Lucem

I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be A pleasant road; I do not ask that Thou wouldst take from me Aught of its load;   I do not ask that flowers should always spring           Beneath my feet; I know too well the poison and the sting Of things too sweet.   For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead, Lead me aright —        Though strength should falter, and though heart should bleed — Through Peace to Light.   I do not ask, O Lord, that thou shouldst shed Full radiance here; Give but a ray of peace, that I may tread           Without a fear.   I do not ask my cross to understand, My way to see; Better in darkness just to feel Thy Hand And follow Thee.          Joy is like restless day; but peace divine Like quiet night: Lead me, O Lord, — till perfect Day shall shine, Through Peace to Light.   ~ Adelaide Anne Procter

Even As You And I

 

A frightened flower caught within

A raging storm bent down its head

It drooped in languishment, and I

Thought surely morn would find it dead.

But with the sun it raised its face,

Its petaled heart half torn with pain,

And do you know its fragrance was

So much the sweeter for the rain!

 

~ Esther Nilsson

All Things By Him

 

We're surrounded by so many things

Of wonder and of worth

Created by our King of Kings

A Heaven right here on earth.

 

And, as we look about

And view all things that be

His work in every earthly thing

Proof of eternity.

 

Take winter with its magic spell

A landscape clothed in white

Or the summer breeze we love so well

Whispering softly thru the night.

 

All things are here by His creation

Land, water and our birth

Our every sense His illustration

Of perfection here on earth.

 

The awesome marvel of it all

By our architect Supreme

This heaven created for one and all

Where life would be the theme.

 

We honor Him and offer thanks

For each blessing He bestowed

The teachings of His Savior Son

For all the only road.

 

~ Joseph G. Pearce

God is No Stranger

 

To me, God is no stranger,
I meet Him everywhere,
On a lovely path in the garden
Or a busy thoroughfare.

In the stars that appear in the heaven,
In the morning drops of dew;
In the floating clouds, a flowing stream
His spirit comes into view.

To me, God is no stranger
For whatever I may see
He whispers, "I am the Faith, the Light,
You, too, are a part of me."

    ~ Caroline S. Kotowicz

 

Take Time

 

Take time for prayer in the morning

Take time for prayer in the night

Take time for God and through the day

He'll see that things go right.

 

And if you should encounter

A few mishaps along your way

He'll surely give you strength and help

To get you through your day.

 

And then when evening befalls you

And you come to the end of the day

He'll still be there to hear your prayer

And listen to all you say.

 

You'll feel his hand of comfort

As you talk with Him once more

And thank Him for His loving care

And blessing by the score.

 

So take time for God in the morning

Take time for God at night

And talk with God, walk with God

He'll make your burden light

 

~ Florence Flett

 



Trust

 

The way of life seems dark,

And, yet, within my heart I know,

Though I stumble and I might fall,

The light of Truth

Will guide me on my way,

If I but heed its call.

 

~ Laura Stahl

God's Extras

 

God could have made the sun to rise
Without such splendor in the skies;
He could have made the sun to set
Without a glory greater yet.

He could have made the corn to grow
Without the sunny, golden glow;
The fruit without those colors bright,
So pleasant to the taste and sight.

He could have made the ocean roll
WIthout such music for the soul --
The mighty anthem, loud and strong --
And birds without their clear, sweet song.

The God who fashioned flow'rs and trees,
Delights to give us things that please,
And all His handiwork so fair
His glory and His love declare.

Yes, He Who made the earth and skies
Gave "extras" for our ears and eyes,
And while my heart with rapture sings,
I thank Him for the "extra things."

 

~ Margaret K. Frazer

 

Show Me The Way

 

Show me how to carry, Lord,

This cross you've given me,

Help me never to forget

That day on Calvary.

 

You carried such a heavy cross.

And though three times You fell --

You got up and walked again

And carried Your cross well.

 

But being just a simple soul.

Without the strength you've known,

I'm not sure I can carry

This heavy cross alone.

 

So Lord, if You should see me

Stumble now and then --

Give me the strength and courage

To get up and walk again.

 

~ Doris A. Orth

 

Faith

 

Faith is the eye that sees God,

No matter how dark the day.

Faith is the hand that holds Him

On the steep and rugged way.

 

Faith is the heat rejoicing --

Accepting God's promise true.

Faith is the ear that listens,

To the voice that speaks to you.

 

Faith refuses to doubt him,

Though others are filled with fear,

Faith is believing the Word,

And knowing that God is near.

I Am Only One

 

I AM only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything,

But still I can do something;

And because

I cannot do everything

I will not refuse

to do the something

that I can do.

 

~ Edward Everett Hale

Condemnation

 

Until you've walked  a second mile
In someone else's shoes,
Or stood an hour  in the heat
Of hurts you did not choose;
 Until your heart has felt the sting
Of criticizing tongue,
You cannot taste  the salty tears
A wounded soul has wrung.

Unless you've walked  a moon or more
Along a thorny road,
You cannot feel another's need
To know his trying load.

 

~ Roxie Lusk Smith

 

Bountiful Blessing

 

May the greatest of gifts come and linger
With us and our loved ones today,
To bring us the sunshine of gladness
And banish all sadness away;
To guard all the ways of the future,
To light all the paths we have trod:
For the greatest of gifts and of treasures
Is the bountiful blessing of God.
 

~ Brian O'Higgins
 

Two Roads

 

The road of life is the road we take

In our everyday thoughts and deeds,

A selfish road for them most of us

Made of our own joys and needs.

 

The road of prayer, on the other hand,

Is the rod we take at night

When we blindly grope for the Hand of God

And beg for His guiding light.

 

A mortal travels the saints' own road

On Heaven's great thoroughfare

When the road of his life is blended with

The wonderful Road of Prayer.

 

~ Nick Kenny

God Heals

 

For each and every aching heart

In this old world today

There is a cure -- one safe and sure:

Just this -- learn how to pray.

 

Pour out your aching heart to Him

Who understands and  cares;

He is the only one who knows,

The only one who shares.

 

God can -- and does -- heal broken hearts,

And gives us life anew;

He's ready -- waiting -- for your prayers;

He'll do it now - for you.

 

~ Sister Mary Lavinia Silvia

At The Feet Of Love

 

Like Martha

reason is troubled

and complains

of many things;

like Mary

faith sits silent

and listens

at the feet of Love.

 

~ Edward A. Gloeggler
 

But Didn't

 

Do you ever think at close of day
Of kindly words you meant to say -
But didn't?

Do you ever think when day is done
Of errands kind you could have run -
But didn't?

 

Do you ever think at daytime's leave

Of flowers gay you meant to give -

But didn't?

 Do you ever think when skies are red
Of hungry mouths you could have fed -
But didn't?

Do you ever think at dawn of night
Of letters kind you meant to write -
But didn't?

Friend, do you think at life's set of sun
You'll think of deeds you could have done -
But didn't?

 

~ Kathryn Thorne Bowsher
 

Small Steps

Do not despair that you cannot change
The world in a day or two---
Instead, just give your very best
In the little things you do.
Then you will find, in days to come,
When taken all together,
These little steps did change and make
The world a little better.

~ Thomas C. Gallagher
 

A New Day

 

Dusk falls... and I close my eyes

To wake to a bright new tomorrow.

Gone are... the labors of life, the

futility of strife, and the

lingering trauma of sorrow.

A new day of heavenly creation

Fresh with new hope, renewed faith

and good cheer, and the promise

of eternal salvation.

 

~ Dolores Karides
 

By Faith Alone

 

When I recall the blessings

God has scattered all along my way,

The unexpected little joys

That form the fiber of each day,

When I remember lovely things

That turn the greyest skies to blue,

A ray of sunlight seems to fall

Among the hills I wander through.

 

When my fumbling fingers find,

Despite all wisdom and all wit,

That many of the pieces of

Life's puzzle do not seem to fit,

He has a way of sorting out

The interlocking shapes for me,

Until the pattern falls in place,

Aligned in perfect symmetry.

 

And so it is forevermore,

And I must trust His guiding hand,

His wondrous ways that reach beyond

All I can hope to understand.

The instances of faith restored,

Of hope renewed and love received,

Are all that is required for one

...Who has not seen and yet believed.

 

~ Grace E. Easley

Lord Help Me Today

Lord help me today,
To give a cheery smile;
Lord help me today,
To go the second mile;
Lord help me today,
Not to seek worldly fame;
Lord help me today,
To praise Thy holy name.

Lord help me today,
To be a shining light;
Lord help me today,
To know the wrong from right;
 

Lord help me today,
In each and every way.
Lord help me today,
To seek you when I pray.
 
~ Ronald A. Bond
 

I Do Not Ask

I do not ask Thee Lord, to take away

the thorns that grow

along the path that I must walk alone

'ere Thee I know.
 

I do not ask Thee Lord, to lighten up

the load I bear;

nor make the weary road I daily tread

one bit more fair.
 

I do not ask Thee Lord, to comprehend

the present cross.

Give me but strength to bear it patiently

nor count the loss.
 

One thing I ask, O Lord, one thing alone:

Give me Thy Hand1

and when the darkness overshadows all,

with Thee I'll stand.

 

~ Denis Cavanaugh, S.D.B. 

Resolve

 

To strip the soul of all pretense,

To hold each day in reverence,

To keep the head and heart apace,

To make this world a worth-while place,

To share my bread with those in need,

To tolerate a neighbor's creed,

To keep a stride without a strut,

To make a home in manse or hut,

To have the grit to grin at loss,

To master life and be its boss!

A Plea For Serenity

 

God, mold my spirit whole again,

And grant me peace of mind.

please calm my secret doubts and fears,

Then courage I will find

To face the ever-changing tide ---

Darkest night or dreary day,

Knowing that you're guiding e,

Always near me lest I stray.

 

~ Gorda Jeffcoat

 

No Prayer Goes Unheard

 

Often we pause and wonder
When we kneel down to pray ---
Can God really hear
The prayers that we say....
But if we keep praying
And talking to Him,
He'll brighten the soul
That was clouded and dim,
And as we continue
Our burden seems lighter,
Our sorrow is softened
And our outlook is brighter
For though we feel helpless
And alone when we start,
Our prayer is the key
That opens the heart,
And as our heart opens
The dear Lord comes in
And the prayer that we felt
We could never begin
Is so easy to say
For the Lord understands
And gives us new strength
By the touch of His hands.

~ Helen Steiner Rice

 

Lord Keep Me Going

 

Lord keep me going for another day,
And when this body languishes for rest,
Bring peaceful sleep throughout the quiet hours,
Unmarred by worries and by restlessness.
Lord keep me going when my back becomes
Too sore to bear the burden of it all,
When vision dims, and everywhere I turn,
It seems I only bump into a wall.

Lord keep me going when the way becomes
Overgrown with brambles and with weeds,
Turn not Thy face away, I ask for naught
Save Thou attend to my most meager needs.
And if sometimes I may be sad of heart,
I beg at least, dear Lord, keep it from showing.
I do not ask to walk upon the waves,
But for another day, Lord keep me going.

 

~ Grace E. Easley

If Any Little Thought Of Ours

 

If any little thought of ours

Can make one life the stronger;

If any cheery smile of ours

Can make its brightness longer;

Then let us speak that thought today,

With tender eyes aglowing,

So God may grant some weary one

Shall reap from our glad sowing.

There Is One Who Cares

There is One whom we can lean upon
In time of deep despair,
He knows our many heartaches,
He sees our every care.

There is One who sees each tear that falls
And feels each throbbing pain;
He longs to draw us close to Him
And revive our soul again.

Dear friend, this One I tell you of,
Sweet Jesus is His name;
No matter what besets the soul
He's always just the same.

So lean upon His strength today,
He'll bring you safely through.
For when the night seems the darkest
His love will rescue you.

~ Barbara Thompson Young

Candle Of Faith

Yesterday the day was dark

And washed with murky streams;

My heart was marked with fitful fare

That spattered on my dreams.

Yesterday revealed the past

And no one seemed to care;

The hours threaded it with woes

But healing labored there.

 

Today the candle of my  faith

Is held up high to shine;

In steady trust I forge a path

That time reveals as mine.

Today I let my spirit soar

To sing unending song,

And, if for mercy I must wait,

Lord, make me sweet and strong.

 

~ Roxie Lusk Smith

 

"In God I will praise His word,

in God, I have put my trust."

Psalm 56:4

A Little Pool Of Quietness

 

A little pool of quietness

Abides within my heart;

A well of deep serenity,

Untroubled, set apart

From all the outer world's unrest,

Anxiety, and care;

And when I turn prayer's golden key

I find him waiting there.

 

A little pool of quietness Set deep within the Rock

Of Ages to withstand the stress,

The pressure, and the shock

Of these dark days in which we live,

No bomb, no gun can blast

This shelter of His love for me;

It will forever last.

 

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

If We Could Just

 

If we could just for one moment see

Into the vastness of eternity,

Most of us would change our ways

To make the best of all our days.

 

Each thoughtless word, we so regret,

Those little hurts we can't forget

Would seem so small in retrospect

We'd have no  time to so reflect.

 

We'd know the source from which love springs,

We'd make the most of worthwhile things,

We'd see how best that we could be

Preparing for eternity.

 

~ Clarence Bertram Dennison