This Peace He Gives

I know not why my pathway leads

Through valleys rough and steep,

But this I know, while walking there

I've found communion sweet

With those I love, and, best of all,

With Him who climbed for me,

Beneath a heavy cross, the hill

That led to Calvary.

I know not why so many props

Have gently been removed,

But I do know through every loss

His arms unfailing proved.

I have no reason, none at all,

To doubt His precious Word;

Through all I love be swept away,

His voice would still be heard

Above the storm and, as I lift

My tear-filled eyes to Him,

The great Creator, Lord of all,

He whispers, "Peace," within.

So as I look beyond today,

I pray that I may share

This peace He gives with those who have

A greater cross to bear.

I know not now how long 'till be

Before He calls me home,

But this I know - beneath His wings

I'll never be alone!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Quietude

I love the hours of quietude

I spend on hilltops high,

To marvel at life's peacefulness

Beneath a bright blue sky,

Perhaps to spend an hour in thought

Sometimes a magic dream,

And listen to the sighing breeze

Within this wondrous scene.

Sometimes a special quietude

Beside life's restless sea,

To capture all the miracles

In quiet reverie,

The calm I feel within my soul

Such fascination rare,

Enchanted by the wonderment

I'm ever finding there.

All nature seems to fondly lend

A soft and tender touch,

The mystery of life so dear

That always means so much,

A country lane - a meadow vast -

One special interlude,

The happiness that is my own

In hours of quietude.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz

Blessings Counted...

...For sunshine, for quenching rain,

For relief of our pain.

...For green leaves on trees so tall.

For Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

...For midnight, for afternoon,

For starlight and for the moon.

...For laughter,

For children's smiles,

For walking with us across the miles.

...For tears of joy, for hearts that care.

For the ability to love,

For the ability to share.

For gentle guidance,

For constant love,

We owe our thanks to God above.

~ Marsha Smith Meigs

When you hearken

to the voice of the Lord, your God,

all these blessings will come upon you

and overwhelm you.

Deut. 28:2

A Full Day With God

Fill my days with sunshine bright,
With flowers in wondrous array -
Each in its own colorful hue
And all in a fragrant bouquet!
Fill my hours with moonlit skies,
With stars and the Milky Way -
With a peaceful sleep and rested mind
To help me greet the new day.
Fill my hours within each day
With joy and praise to Thee
For each and every blessing sent
From You, dear Lord, to me.
And may I use each minute, each second,
Throughout the entire day
To share Thy love and peace with those
I meet along the way!

~ Mary Chevalier

Guide me in Your truth and teach
me, for You are God my Savior. For
You I wait all the long day, because
of Your goodness, Lord.
Psalm 25:5

The Little Country Store

The oak trees grew around it,

Casting shapes of dappled shade,

And behind it ran a little brook

In which we used to wade.

Built of frame and shingles,

It was a humble store,

But it stocked all we needed,

And perhaps a little more.

It had a porch with railings

And kegs to sit upon,

A lazy, twirling ceiling fan,

A quaint, old-fashioned phone,

The glass jars on the counter

Gave one a tempting view

Of brightly colored candies

An ginger cookies, too.

The old icebox had plenty

Of orange soda pop.

There were balls and jacks for children

And kites and shiny tops.

The walls were lined with bolts of cloth

And matching spools of thread.

There were barrels of red apples

And the smell of homemade bread.

Folks had a way of visiting

Beneath its friendly roof.

You could learn who just got married

And which baby had a tooth.

And if it was companionship

That you were longing for,

It was never out of season

At the little country store.

~ Grace E. Easley

Moreover, you are to provide

yourself with all the food that is

to be eaten, and store it away,

that it may serve as provisions

for you and for them.

Genesis 6:21

Healing Grace

How gentle is that healing grace
That comes from "God knows where,"
When all the remedies of earth
Have failed to ease despair.
It is a miracle of love,
An act if sacred heart,
That touches us with healing grace
No human can impart.

We rise from off a bed of pain
With smiles - instead of tears -
And walk again without restraints
Or crippling aches and fears.
And no one can explain this cure
That comes from "God knows where"-
It's just a healing grace of love
That heals us in its care.

Yet there are those who will proclaim,
"It's just a cure of time,"
While Christian hearts declare such cures
As healing grace, divine.
The lame are seen to rise and walk
From only faith and prayer
And miracles are made to be
From only "God knows where."

~ Michael Dubina

Heal me, Lord, that I may be
healed; save me, that I may be
saved, for it is You whom I praise.
Jeremiah 17:14

And God Created Them All

The wonders of Nature are mighty,

The soul of man they enthrall.

The mountains, the trees, the waters...

And God created them all.

The wonders of Nature are holy,

To the spirit they call.

The wind, the stars, a rainbow...

And God created them all.

Give tanks for the wonders of Nature,

For miracles large and small.

The earth abounds with treasures...

And God created them all!

~ Eleanor Torchia

 A clean heart create for me,

God; renew in me a 

steadfast spirit.

Psalm 51:12

Gentle Lord and Savior

When the world seems set against us
And no matter what we do,
Nobody seems to understand
What we are going through...
When plans that seemed so perfect
Do not materialize,
And dust of all our worn-out hopes
Keeps getting in our eyes...

It's time to re-evaluate
The way which we have come,
And start to count our blessings,
Which are greater far than some.
To hand our burden over
To the One whom we can trust,
And our gentle Lord and Savior
Will carry it for us.

~ Grace E. Easley

The Three Visitors

 

They came one lonely Winter's eve
When I was at wit's end;
They came because I was alone,
In need of a good friend.
The first came dressed in glory
With a cast of holy light.
She met me as I knelt in prayer -
Faith met me there that night.

I uttered such a broken prayer
I knew it wasn't good,
But then a feeling swept through me,
I felt I understood.
The words were not important,
Just what was in my heart.
Hope became my friend that night -
I knew we'd never part.

Love was my third companion;
She filled me so inside.
She gave me back my self esteem,
Filled me with Godly pride.
The three now travel with me,
Helping me along life's way.
They are the gifts my Father gives
As I turn to Him each day.

~ Nancy Watson Dodrill

One of God's Best Secrets

The clouds like mighty trumpets

Blew in the Winter's first snow

And created an enchanting wonderland,

Making an architectural show.

The air was of purest white

That danced around in swirls

And made the ghostly-barren fields

A sea of giant, white furrows.

All of the thickened woodlands,

Once barren, naked, and brown,

Now glisten and sparkle with splendor

As the snowflakes drift around.

"Oh, let it snow!" cry the little ones.

It's a sight to see and feel.

It's one of God's best-kept secrets

That in the Winter He reveals.

~ Shirley Hile Powell

Adorn yourself with grandeur

and majesty, and array yourself

with glory and splendor.

Job 40:10

Compassionate People

Compassionate people,

Warm-hearted and true,

Who enrich lives of others

With nice things they do.

Compassionate people,

So precious but few,

Who know in a crisis

The right thing to do.

Compassionate people

Who find joy in giving

And put others first

In their process of living.

When I count my life's blessings

From beginning to end,

I thank God for you,

My compassionate friend.

~ Ruth Moloney Cowgill

My Grand Catherdral

I have a grand cathedral
For myself and God alone;
It has no stained-glass windows,
No gold, nor polished stone.
No incense sweet, nor candles,
No carpet for my knees,
Just fragrant grass beneath my feet
And the beauty of tall trees.
Eloquently this quiet world
Tells of the father's love.
In silence, all the stars speak out
From the darkened sky above.
Then gracefully they fade away,
Replaced with rosy light,
As emanating sunbeams
Whisk away the night.
How lovely is my Father's world
When morning breaks the skies,
And from my grand cathedral,
My morning prayers arise.

~ Gael Phaneuf

Do you know? Have you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the
Creator of the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 40:28

Autumn Reflection

The winds of Autumn softly blow.

They whisper, "Soon there will be snow."

The sun sets early, nights are long.

The morning birds have ceased their songs.

The trees ablaze with Autumn gold,

But, soon it will be turning cold.

This time of year, it's time to pause,

And count the blessings that are ours...

For all the bounty that we see,

Good harvest, and for family.

These blessings come from God above,

And through all these, He shows His love.

~ Mary Ann Jameson

Show us, Lord, Your love;
grant us Your salvation.
Psalm 85:8

God's Autumn Radiance

In joy I watch the woodland leaves
Adrift in jeweled jamborees;
Parading banners twist and fly
Into the shimmering morning-glory sky.

Rich colors whirl from treetops bare,
Their beauty burning windswept air.
In Autumn breeze, leaves tumble down -
Vermillion, bronze, and chestnut brown.

Scarlet apple trees with fruit bend down,
Glowing pear trees flaunt each golden crown,
Bright, bittersweet blooms with heads held high,
As milkweed parachutes fly by.

Dazzling maples in splendor along the lane
Wear frost-silvered halos once again.
Night echoes the whippoorwill's farewell call...
God's heavenly radiance spreads over all.

~ Elizabeth Weaver Winstead

Laughter Through the Tears

Friendship is a golden thread

That binds our hearts with love,

A bond that reaches to the stars

That twinkle high above.

Friends see the pain behind the smile

And come before we call

To walk with us that "extra mile"

And lift us when we fall.

Friends see beyond our failures

The person we can be,

And they never are too busy

To share a cup of tea.

Friends are the glue God gives us

To mend a broken heart,

The anodyne that sustains us

When our world falls apart.

Friendship is a precious thing
That lives beyond the years,
A looking glass that lets us see
The laughter through the tears.

~ Clay Harrison