Like a Beacon

 

Softly glowing like a beacon

Through fall's gray and naked trees;

Golden poplars gently tremble

With each warm and whispering breeze.

 

Softly entering, Indian Summer

Swiftly moves cross the land,

Leaving magic where she touches,

Sprinkling gold on either hand.

 

~ Lola Neff Merritt

 

October Interlude

 

Oh, the colors of October
Are coming into town;
Wild geese are winging southward,
The leaves are tumbling down.
Oh, the woodlands are al glowing
When Autumn comes to call;
Fall's handiwork is showing
In sunset's fiery ball.
Oh, the fields are full of pumpkins,
The skies are brilliant blue;
The hills are like a wonderland
Of red and golden hue.
Oh, the colors of October
Display a multitude
Of flaming, floating brilliancy
For Autumn's interlude.

~ Nora M. Bozeman



God's Recipe

 

 A cup of joy

And a dash of love

Will keep God's happiness

Flowing from above.

A pound of hope

With kindness packed beneath

Will keep your heart

Tender and sweet.

A barrel of patience

And a spoon of peace

Will calm your soul

And your wrath will cease.

A yard of gentleness

And a foot of grace

Will keep you traveling

At a steady pace.

When these ingredients

Are mixed together

We can sail right through

Life's stormy weather.

 

~ Wilma J. Williams

 

Bless the Lord, my soul; do not

forget all the gifts of God.

Psalm 103:2

 



God's at the Table



 

 When the harvest has been gathered in

And the fields are stripped and bare,

It's time to relax beside the fire

In your favorite worn-out chair.

 

The jams and jellies taste so fine;

Fruit trees were bountiful this year.

The corn stalks were heavy-laden, too;

You even had enough to share!

 

Now comes the time for giving thanks

For the table that is overflowing.

The fields were fertile and you worked hard,

But God in Heaven did the growing!

 

~ Barbara Cagle Ray

 

In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

generosity, faithfulness...

Galatians 5:22

 

To Win God's Grace

 Our hopes and dreams are in the prayers

We say to God each day,

And it is meant to be this way

Each time we choose to pray.

So we must pray with honest hearts

And live the Christian way

To win God's grace upon this earth

And on our Judgment Day.

For each of us there is a task

That God would have us do,

That will do honor to His name

And glory Jesus, too.

And we must find and do this task

Of love and Christian grace

To win His blessings on our dreams

And hopes that we embrace.

~ Michael Dubina



Birds

 

Birds move so deftly through the air,

And proudly spread celestial wings.

With forms and grade their bodies glide,

And no effort does it take, it seems.

 

Their songs can cheer the wistful heart

And make the saddest day seem fair,

And adorn the skies with such a joy,

That God saw fit to place them there.

 

~ Barbara Cagle Ray

 

Bless the Lord, all creatures,

everywhere in God's domain.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Psalm 103:22

God's Great Power

 

 When God heralds the springtime

And greens all the grass,

Puts green leaves on bare boughs,

Grows bright flowers en masse,

Hides the darkness of Winter

Behind sunny skies,

We'll see God's great power,

Our God who's all-wise.

When God ushers in Summer

With bright-day bouquets,

With butterflies, songbirds,

And children at play,

With daisy-filled meadows

And wild Queen Anne's lace,

We'll see God's great power

In beauty Displayed.

When God opens the Fall door

To sights yet unseen:

The frost on the pumpkins,

The leaf-colored scenes...

The fields filled with bounty

To be harvested,

We'll see God's great power

As Autumn He set.

When God brings back the Winter

Before the year's close,

With snowflakes and snowdrifts

And harsh winds that blow,

With ice-covered streamlets

And icicles clear,

We'll know God's great power

Is present all year.

 

~ Loise Pinkerton Fritz

 

Be Thou exalted, Lord, in

Thine own strength; so will we

sing and praise Thy power.

Psalm 21:13

Splendors of the Silver Sea

 These singing days of dawn and dew

By shattered ocean's sunlit blue,

The gray-white seagulls poised on high,

Dark shadows painted in the sky.

The gliding gulls in spiral flight

Skim trailing clouds of dappled light.

Sea air is brisk and the wind blows free,

Mist links as one the beach and me.

Wind wings soar in mystic might,

Eerie cries echo airborne delight,

I watch them fly 'neath starry skies above,

Singing praise to God for His constant care and love.

~ Elisabeth Weaver Winstead

All you birds of the air, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Daniel 3:80

Of All the Gifts

 Of all the gifts I'd ask of Thee

In any troubled hour 'twould be

The gift of quietness of soul

That makes a weary heart feel whole.

Amid the storms to know Thy calm,

And feel Thy soothing, healing balm.

Blest quietness that comes from Thee,

And steadies me on rocky sea.

My cares are strivings then wilt find

Release through quietness of mind.

How canst I fear? For worries cease

When God, Thou sendeth me Thy peace.

~ Beverly J. Anderson

You rule the raging sea; You
still its swelling waves.
Psalm 89:10

Our Bouquet

Within each human being

Lies a seed to share and give.

We must cultivate affectionately

If we want the seed to live.

With faith we must go forward

As God extends His hand

And bid each one climb higher

To a most inviting land.

The new land is a promise

Of our Heaven here on earth

It's a dream within our being

Which will give our seeds new birth.

We must pass along our friendship,

Sow seeds of love, of trust, of faith.

We must cultivate our garden

And reduce to nil the hate.

We know there is a power

That can make our garden grow

And mold each tiny seed of love

To make our whole world glow.

Glow in brightness like the dewdrops,

Like a prayer robed in jewels,

Like a cloud with a silver lining

And our priceless gift to choose.

Like a meadowlark in springtime

And our prized designed bouquet -

If we tie it with love ribbons

It is ours to give away.

~ Chris Zambernard

So faith, hope, love remain, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Are There Hollyhocks in Heaven?

 Are there hollyhocks in Heaven

Ablaze in pastel hues?

Are there butterflies and hummingbirds

And pearls of morning dew?

Are there daffodils and roses

Dancing in the wind?

Are there apple trees and cherries

In orchards we may tend?

Are there fireflies in Heaven

Like diamonds born of light?

Are there moonbeams on magnolias

When the moon is full and bright?

Are there waterfalls and rainbows

Beyond the clouds somewhere,

And does springtime last forever

In God's celestial air?

These things are daily given

When day begins anew -

It's a sneak preview of Heaven

Unveiled for me and you!

~ Clay Harrison

The Harmony of Nature

 All Nature works together

To bring about the Spring.

Frogs croak,crickets chirp,

Birds build nests and sing.

The showers fall so gently

To moisten well the earth.

The warm sun does its portion

To give the seeds their birth.

The bees and breeze spread pollen

To fertilize the seed.

All Nature seems so eager

To fill each other's need.

Each complements the other

To live in harmony.

For them it comes so natural -

So why, oh why, can't we?

~ Martha Mastin



Made by Your Own Touch

 

 Oh, Lord, the earth is so beautiful

When springtime comes around.

The magnificent, glorious colors

Are everywhere to be found.

 

The lilac bush and redbud trees

And dogwoods are all aglow.

The little stream that barely trickled

Is now a steady flow.

 

The birds serenade so sweetly,

They bring music to my ears.

The grass is alive and green.

I think a little of Heaven is near.

 

All of Nature comes alive in Spring,

Oh, what a gift from You.

I breathe the clear and fragrant air

And gaze at the sky of blue.

 

Thank You, God, for the springtime

That I love so very much.

I know that all of the beauty

Was made by Your own touch.

 

~ Shirley Hile Powell

 



Sweet Perfume

 

 Sometimes I feel I'm sinking

Into sadness and despair,

No matter all the good I do,

The kindnesses and care.

I struggle to be happy,

To love, to laugh, to live,

To reach beyond the problems

And to others simply give.

Yet this sadness creeps upon me,

Surrounding me with gloom,

When all I really long for

Is the scent of sweet perfume.

The splendor of the flowers,

The grass so lush and green,

The sun and all its brightness,

The air so fresh and clean.

And though I'm feeling sad now,

I know the time will come

For sweet perfume, the flowers in bloom

And fields where I can run.

 

~ Gina Mazzullo Laurin

 

Our days are like the grass; like

flowers of the field we blossom.

Psalm 103:15

 

Little Feathered Friend

 

 Come, my little feathered friend,

The time is drawing nigh;

The last snowflake has melted;

There's a patch of blue on high.

 

Your birdhouse is spic-and-span

And freshly painted, too;

I now anxiously await

The welcome sight of you.

 

Winter days have ended,

But cheerless is the dawn;

Come, my little feathered friend,

And sing your happy song!

 

~ Kay Hoffman

 

...the birds of Heaven

nest; among the

branches they sing.

Psalm 104:12