A Day at a Time

I don't wish to know tomorrow,
For the trials of today,
Are enough to keep me busy,
Here on life's pathway.

God in all of His wisdom
Could so easily see,
One day at a time,
Was enough for me.

No need to be anxious,
For what the future holds.
God must prepare you,
As each day unfolds.

So Lord, I trust you,
The future is all Thine.
Just help me to live,
One day at a time.

~ Dottlee Duggan Reid

God of the Earth, The Sky, The Sea

God of the earth, the sky, the sea,
Maker of all above, below,
Creation lives and moves in Thee;
Thy present life through all doth flow.

Thy love is in the sun-shine's glow,
Thy life is in the quickening air;
When lightnings flash and storm winds blow,
There is Thy power, Thy law is there.

We feel Thy calm at evening's hour
Thy grandeur in the march of night,
And when the morning breaks in power,
We hear Thy word, "Let there be light."

But higher far, and far more clear,
Thee in man's spirit we behold,
Thine image and Thyself are there, -
Th' in-dwelling God, proclaimed of old.

~ Samuel Longfellow

Hymn

Lord Jesus, once you spoke to men
Upon the mountain, in the plain;
O help us listen now, as then,
And wonder at your words again.

We all have secret fears to face,
Our minds and motives to amend;
We seek your truth, we need your grace,
Our living Lord and present Friend.

The Gospel speaks, and we receive
Your light, your love, your own command.
O help us live what we believe
In daily work of heart and hand.

~ Prayer (c) 1975, ICEL, Inc.

The Human Touch

'Tis the human touch
in this world that counts,
The touch of your hand and mine,
Which means far more
to the fainting heart
Than shelter and bread and wine;
For shelter is gone
when the night is over
And bread lasts only a day,
But the touch of the hand
and the sound of the voice
Sing on in the soul always.

~ Spencer Michael Free

Kindness

Kindness that portrays
A love that will endure,
Kindness that reveals
A hope that's strong and sure.

Kindness that exchanges
Faith enough for today,
Kindness that remembers
A child along the way.

Kindness won my heart,
Such kindness born of love,
Kindness that gave all
And comes from God above.

And may I learn from Him,
Such kindness to impart,
Strength and grace and faith,
To another lonely heart.

~ Elizabeth E.S. Williams

Sharing

Some share their lives with all they meet
Along life's thoroughfare,
A smile...a nod...a silence sweet,
These are the joys they share.

Some close their eyes along the road
While others hold their ears,
And there are quick and thoughtless words
That transform smiles to tears.

Our hearts tick off the nights and days
Life clocks upon a shelf,
And lonely is the one who wastes
God's time upon himself.

~ Nick Kenny

Make Life a Little Sweeter

O let me shed a little light
On someone's path I pray;
I'd like to be a messenger
Of happiness today!

It may be just a phone call,
A smile, or a prayer,
Or long neglected letter
Would lift the edge of care.

I want to spread some happiness
In what I say or do,
Make life a little sweeter
For someone else! Don't you?

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Extra Things

We thank Thee, God, for extra things
You send along our way
Both when our days are sunny bright
And when our skies are gray.

The little planned surprises dropped
From Thy great, loving hand,
Like unexpected shower on
A parched and desert land.

The meeting of an old-time friend,
The lifting of a care,
And sunlight breaking through the clouds
To tell us You are there.

Just why You do these extra things
Our finite minds don't know;
It must be You delight in them
Because You love us so!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Life

Life's made for living,
And giving and sharing,
Knowing and showing,
And daring and caring.
Life's made for doing,
Pursuing of dreams,
Sowing and growing,
Whatever the means.

Revealing and feeling,
And finding that you
Must learn how to take it,
To make it come true.
Along with its ups,
In spite of its downs,
Life's made of losses,
And crosses and crowns.

~ Grace E. Easley

There is One Who Knows

There is One Who knows all your heartache;
He sees ev'ry falling tear;
His grace will bring you rich comfort
And help all your burdens to bear.

Though your pat may be strewn with sorrow,
And lonely may be your day,
There's One Who will walk beside you
And bring joy and gladness your way.

Though your dearest friend may forsake you,
And loved ones misunderstand,
There's One Who will ever leave you;
He'll hold to your faltering hand.

Come, kneel at the Cross of the Saviour
And cast your cares upon Him!
He graciously bestows pardon
And takes away burden of sin.

There is never a disappointment,
Nor heartache He cannot heal;
He'll answer your soul's deep longing,
As in His blest Presence you kneel.

~ Kathryn Thorne Bowsher

Human Frailty

How many times I give you my cares,
Surrender my life and my all.
How many times do I give you my day
And in one weak moment I fall.

How many times do I kneel and confess
Telling you how I repent.
And before the day has come to a close
I have the same fears and laments.

How many times have I opened my heart
And invited my Lord to come in,
Humbly kneeling at the foot of the Cross
And again be tempted to sin.

~ Helen Parker

Confession

Sometimes I come to You in tears
My heart so full of pain,
Discouraged and disheartened
You pick me up again.

Sometimes I come to You in want,
I grumble and complain
And then You give just what I need
And pick me up again.

Sometimes I come to You in fear,
I fight my dread in vain
I cannot do it on my own -
You pick me up again.

Sometimes I come to You in thanks
And then it's very plain
That anytime I come to You
You'll pick me up again.

I always come to You in love,
Whether in loss or gain
You show me sweet compassion
And pick me up again.

~ Gretta Viney

The Weaver

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me;
I may not choose the colors,
He knows what they should be
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side,
While I can see it only
On this, the under side.

Sometimes He weaveth sorrow,
Which seemeth strange to me;
But I will trust His judgment,
And work on faithfully;
'Tis He who fills the shuttle,
He knows just what is best;
So I shall weave in earnest
And leave with Him the rest.

At last, when life is ended,
With Him I shall abide,
Then I may view the pattern
Upon the upper side;
Then I shall know the reason
Why pain with joy entwined,
Was woven in the fabric
Of life that God designed.

Lifeline

Lord, help me on this sea of life
Toward that Eternal City,
To not pass up the wayside ports -
Compassion, Love, and Pity.

Oh, let me not be so absorbed
In making a safe landing
For my small barque I'll miss the port
Of Human Understanding.

Oh, let me not be so engrossed
In reaching that blest goal,
I'll fail to hear the faint, far cry
Of some lost, sinking soul.

Oh, let me not forget, dear Lord,
That I was once lost too,
And someone took the time to point
me lovingly to You.

Life's sea is rough, the night is dark
For little ships that roam.
Please let me be a lifeline, Lord,
To lead them safely home.

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

The Little Road

There is a little road for all
To follow day by day;
A road with many sign posts
To guide us on our way.
These sign posts are for all to see,
And they are all we need,
For the journey is a safe one
If we go to where they lead.
This road is straight, but all along
Are paths we may detour,
But those who are wise keep their eyes
On the road they know is sure.
The ones who wander in the paths
Leaving the road behind
All will learn when they would return
The road is hard to find.
This little road is the road of life,
And it will always pay
To follow where we know is right
As we go along the way.

~ Virginia Katherine Oliver

It Matters Not

It matters not if I've been hurt;
It matters not at all
That sometimes from my weary eyes
The scalding teardrops fall.
What matters most is if I've erred
And not confessed the sin,
And through my lack some needy soul
Has failed to follow Him.

It matters not if cherished friends
On whom I've leaned in vain
Have wounded me by word and deed
And left with my pain.

What matters is - can I forgive
Again and yet again?
'Tis not "Have they been true?" but "Lord,
Have I been true to them?"

'Twill matter not when evening comes
How rough the road I've trod,
If only I have walked with Him
And led some soul to God!
For when I wake to be like Him
Who saved me by His grace,
Earth's pain will vanish when I catch
One glimpse of His dear face!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Help Me

Help me to fin someone today
Who needs what I have to share -
A kindly word, a thoughtful deed,
A bit of loving care.
Help me to take the time to be
An understanding friend
To someone who needs a helping hand
On which they can depend.
Help me to love as Jesus loves -
That same unselfish way.
Help me to be like Jesus
In all that I do and say.

~ Vera Beall Parker

Life Is Worth Living

Life is worth living

Wherever you are,

Deep down in a dungeon

Or high on a star.

Life is worth living;

It all has a plan

When God knows you're giving

The best that you can.

The saint and the sinner,

The great and the small,

We all are God's children

And he loves us all.

So pray when you're happy

And pray when you're blue,

For life is worth living

When God lives with you.

~ Nick Kenny

Only Trust Him

God knows your secret longings,

He knows your silent tears,

and even within the shadows

His hand is on your fears.

Wen your head is on the pillow

in the wee hours past midnight,

just trust that God is with you

somewhere within your room this night:

Watching, never sleeping,

He tends your fragile care,

and in the quiet hours a vigil keeping

He breaths for you a prayer.

Just trust Him for the answers

that a questioning heart can't give,

for God holds your every tomorrow

knowing your "each today" is His.

~ Roxie Lusk Smith

Dream Dreams

Dream dreams of real compassion
And the joys your dreams could bring.
Dream dreams of their fulfillment
And the sad you helped to sing.
Then think of ways of making
These good dreams to come true.
The good Lord needs more dreamers
Yes, the Lord has need of you.

He needs your hands to minister
To the sick and insecure,
Your life to be a sermon
How to love and to endure,
He needs your voice to tell men
The humble Gospel story
And to spread abroad the knowledge
Of his great love and glory.

~ Sister Mary Gemme Brunke

Deeper

Let me try a little harder

Let me pray a little more

Let me go a little farther

Than I've ever gone before

Let me sing instead of sighing

As I pass beneath the rod

Let my life burn out for others

Less of self and more of God.

Let me see the ones about me

Hungry for the peace I know

And the spirit of my Savior

Father let me ever show

Let me lift the one who's fallen

Help the lame upon the way

Soothe the weary, calm the suffering

Knowing thou wilt come someday

Others, Lord, yes others

Let this my motto be

Help me to live for others

That I may be like Thee.

~ Nellie Martin

Life's Adventure

Life is a great adventure,

Each day a new surprise,

So sweep the cobwebs from your heart,

And open up your eyes.

Sorrow flees the sunlight,

So throw the windows wide,

And watch the brightness flooding in,

Warm everything inside.

Life is a great adventure,

For those who would explore,

The road wings upward and the wind

Taps lightly at the door.

And should the day be cloudy,

No reason to complain,

When trees along the avenue,

Are singing in the rain.

Life is a great adventure,

Each day that passes by,

A dazzling panorama

As broad as it is high.

Beyond all comprehension,

The wonder of the spheres,

When one by one the ours make

A ladder of the years.

~ Grace E. Easley

Just For Today

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs,

I do not pray;

Keep me, my God, from stain of sin,

Just for today;

Let me no wrong or idle word

Unthinking say:

Set Thou a seal upon my lips,

Just for today.

Let me both diligently work,

And duly pray;

Let me be kind in word and deed,

Just for today;

Let me in season, Lord, be grave,

In seasons, gay;

Let me be faithful to Thy grace,

Just for today.

In pain and sorrow's cleansing fires,

Brief be my stay;

Oh, bid me if to-day I die,

Come home to-day;

So, for to-morrow and its needs,

I do not pray;

But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,

Just for to-day.

~ Sybil F. Partridge

Tell Him So

If you hear a kind word spoken

Of some worthy soul you know,

It may fill his heart with sunshine

If you only tell him so.

If a deed, however humble,

Helps you on your way to go,

Seek the one whose hand has helped you,

Seek him out and tell him so!

If your heart is touched and tender

Toward a sinner, lost and low,

It might help him to do better

If you'd only tell him so!

Oh my sisters, oh, my brothers,

As over life's rough path you go,

If God's love has saved and kept you

Do not fail to tell men so!

Today

My life is a gift of God given, not in years,

but a day at a time. Today is the day the

Lord has made for me, and He planned it to

be the most important day of my life.

Yesterday is gone, never to return. I must

not worry about it, but leave it in the hands

of God. Tomorrow and all that it holds is

God's secret and its coming is not assured.

Only today is mine. Each day, arranged by

God with infinite wisdom and goodness is

His gift, His act of love for me. In thanks-

giving I will offer Him every day the gift of

myself - my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings.

Dear Lord, receive it graciously.

God Bless You

I seed in prayerful words, dear friend,

My heart's true wish to send you,

That you may know that, far or near,

My loving thoughts attend you.

I cannot find a truer word,

Nor better to address you;

Nor song, nor poem have I heard

Is sweeter than God bless you!

God bless you! So I've wished you all

Of brightness life possesses;

For can there any joy at all

Be yours unless God blesses?

And so, "through all thy days

May shadows touch thee never -"

But this alone: God bless thee

Then art thou safe forever.

Worth While

It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with the years,
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through tears.

It is easy enough to be prudent,
When nothing tempts you to stray,
When without or within no voice of sin
Is luring your soul away;
But it's only a negative virtue
Until it is tried by fire,
And the life that is worth the honor on earth
Is the one that resists desire.

By the cynic, the sad, the fallen,
Who had no strength for the strife,
The world's highway is cumbered today;
They make up the sum of life.
But the virtue that conquers passion,
And the sorrow that hides in a smile,
It is these that are worth the homage on earth
For we find them but once in a while.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Home

Home is where the heart is,
you have often heard it said.
Home is where the songbirds sing
their sweetest, overhead.

Home is like the rainbow's end
that beckons in the blue.
Home is where your brightest dreams
take root and all come true.

And yet it's more than just a place
where people sleep and eat.
A home that's real and has something
indefinable and sweet.

It may be just a cottage
or a castle with a dome,
But if God dwells within its walls
it really is a Home!

~ Nick Kenny

God's Voice

I hear God's voice in the gentle rain

That softly falls on my window pane.

I hear God's voice in the wind that blows

O'er fragrant meadows and winter snows.

I hear God's voice in the heaving sea,

In song of wind and in hum of bee.

I hear God's voice in the hush of night;

At evening's close and noon's bright light.

I hear God's voice in all mankind,

In childhood's laughter, in gifted mind.

I hear God's voice in the frail and old,

In the strong and vibrant - we make one fold.

The voice speaks ever of peace and love,

Of joy unending in Heaven above.

God made this earth for our delight;

Let us sing His praise by day and night.

~ Rev. Thomas Foy

Day by Day

Day by day my Shepherd walks beside me;

Day by day I know His tender care.

And I know whatever shall betide me,

Christ my Lord goes wit me ev'rywhere.

Midst life's storms and through deepest valley,

His abiding Presence goes before.

I'm assured whatever shall befall me,

His rich grace my courage shall restore.

Day by day my Saviour's love surrounds me,

Day by day communion sweet is mine.

And darkest night shall not confound me,

When I walk with Christ my Lord divine.

~ Kathryn T. Bowsher

Prayer

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives Thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace.

~ John Greenleaf Whittier