A Prayer

God grant me kindly thought
   And patience through the day,
And in the things I've wrought,
   Let no man living say
That hate's grim mark has stained
What little joy I've gained.

God keep my nature sweet,
   Teach me to bear a blow,
Disaster and defeat,
   And no resentment show.
If failure must be mine,
Sustain this soul of mine.

God grant me strength to face
   Undaunted day or night;
To stoop to no disgrace
   To win my little fight;
Let me be, when it is o'er,
As manly as before.

           ~ Edgar A. Guest

Look To This Day

Look to this day, for it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lies all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power--

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

                           ~ Sanskrit Proverb

Seasons of the Heart

The heart has many seasons,
Just as this good old earth,
And they all combine together,
To comprise what we are worth.
There is a childhood innocence,
In which we dream and play,
There is a time for growing up,
And making our own way.

There is a time for keeping,
And a time for letting go,
A time for moving swiftly,
and a time for walking slow.
There is a time for learning,
And a time for teaching, too,
and there is time for resting,
When all the chores are through.

We all know joy and sorrow,
'Tis written in the plan,
But Heaven waits beyond life's gates,
For every earnest man.
Each life has many pictures,
And all a work of art,
But what a silver symphony,
. . . The seasons of the heart.

                   ~ Grace E. Easley

The Larger Prayer

At first I prayed for Light:
   Could I but see the way,
How gladly, swiftly would I walk
   To everlasting day!

And next I prayed for Strength:
   That I might tread the road
With firm, unfaltering feet, and win
   The heaven's serene abode.

And then I asked for Faith:
   Could I but trust my God,
I'd live enfolded in His peace,
   Though foes were all abroad.

But now I pray for Love:
   Deep love to God and man,
A living love that will not fail,
   However dark His plan.

And Light and Strength and Faith
   Are opening everywhere;
God only waited for me, till
   I prayed the larger prayer.

                ~ Edna D. Cheney

A Morning Prayer

Let me today do something that will take
   A little sadness from the world's vast store
And may I be so favored as to make
   Of joy's too scanty sum a little more.

Let me not hurt, by any selfish deed
   Or thoughtless word, the heart of foe or
      friend;
Nor would I pass, unseeing, worthy need,
   Or sin by silence when I should defend.

However meager be my worldly wealth,
   Let me give something that shall aid my
      kind --
A word of courage, or a thought of health
   Dropped as I pass for troubled hearts to
      find.

Let me tonight look back across the span
   'Twixt dawn and dark, and to my
      conscience say --
Because of some good act to beast or man --
   "The world is better that I lived today."

                        ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

This Life of Mine

This life of mine can nothing be
If I don't give it, Lord, to Thee;
For only Thou canst see ahead
How rough the way that I must tread.

And, only Thou new life can give
When I have lost the will to live;
When hope has died and dreams have fled,
When o'er the wreck my tears are shed.

Oh, take it, Lord, this life of mine,
And fill it with Thy love divine;
For only Thou dost know the way
That leads me to eternal day!

                       ~ Vera J. Davis

When Evening Comes

Evening is a time to think
   and cast your cares aside;
A time to pray and meditate,
   and in the Lord, confide.

Evening is a time to read,
   write letters to a friend;
A time to sit with family,
   to visit, sew, or mend.

A time to ponder in your mind,
   and think your own thoughts
      through;
A time to cuddle little ones,
   and them, to cuddle you.

Evening is a time to dream,
   and sleep in Holy care,
And trust that God,
      is working nights
   to answer every prayer.

        ~ Roxie Lusk Smith

In the Quiet of the Morning

In the quiet of the morning,
   Oh, how sweet it is to come
Just to talk a bit with Jesus
   Ere the crowding duties come.

Just to kneel there for a moment
   With your head upon His breast,
All your problems laid before Him,
   Every human need confessed.

Oh, the loving strength that surges
   From His heart to yours all day;
Like a bright and shining armour,
   Just because you knelt to pray!

     ~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Respite

Just beyond the rapids
And then beyond the falls,
Lies a pool of cool, calm water --
Still
Smooth
Tranquil . . .

So it is with life --

Just beyond the crisis
And then beyond the chaos,
Comes an interlude of cool, calm rest --
Peaceful
Soothing
Blessed by God.

        ~ Nancy Neff Dostie

Walking With God

O for a closer walk with God,
   A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
   That leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the blessedness I knew
   When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
   Of Jesus and His word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoy'd!
   How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void,
   The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove, return,
   Sweet messenger of rest:
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
   And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
   Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
   And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
   Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
   That leads me to the Lamb.

                  ~ William Cowper

I Hear the Master Speak

In the song of birds at the break of day,
In the quiet hush before work and play,
In the early morn as I kneel and pray--
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the budding life of a flowering seed,
In a hand outstretched in a time of need,
In a friendly smile and a thoughtful deed --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the fragile beauty of a butterfly,
In the strength of mountains towering high,
In the crimson glow of the evening sky --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

In the merry song of a silver brook,
In the peacefulness of a shady nook,
In a chapter read from God's Holy Book --
    I HEAR THE MASTER SPEAK!

                 ~ Beverly J. Anderson

Fulfillment

Help me, Lord,
to meet this day --
its challenges,
its changes,
its opportunities
to speak of Thee
whose loving care
arranges each transient hour
I live upon
this great
(though troubled) earth,
that when I kneel
at eventide
I'll have been for Thee --
some worth!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Never Borrow Sorrow From Tomorrow

Deal only with the present,
Never step into tomorrow,
For God asks us just to trust Him
And to never borrow sorrow --
For the future is not ours to know
And it may never be,
So let us live and give our best
And give it lavishly --
For to meet tomorrow's troubles
Before they are even ours
Is to anticipate the Saviour
And to doubt His all-wise powers --
So let us be content to solve
Our problems one by one,
Asking nothing of tomorrow
Except "Thy Will be done."

             ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Something of God

Something of God pours into me
    from the blue of the sky above
    from the song of a bird,
    the red of the rose,
    the touch of the hand I love.

Something of God pours into me
    from the ocean's tidal roar
    as I stand alone
    on the windswept sand
    and watch the sea gull soar.

Something of God pours into me
    from the mountains capped with snow,
    from the pine trees
    swaying gently
    as the summer breezes blow.

There's something of God in everything,
    and in everyone we see,
    I pray for the grace
    to see Him in others
    and hope they will see Him in me.

                             ~ Leah Zink

Soaring

Sometimes God takes away our props
   that we might lean on Him,
allows temptations so we'll grow
   and triumph over sin.
Sometimes He takes away our strength
   for doing earthly things,
to rest our bodies that our souls
   may soar on eagle's wings
to heights ne'er dreamed
   when busy-ness did all our vision fill.
Let's not resent it when He says
   "Come ye apart--Be still",
nor chafe at disappointments
   and unexplained delays;
but keep on soaring 'neath His wings
   with gratitude and praise!

           ~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Nobility

True worth is in being, not seeming, --
   In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good--not in dreaming
   Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,
   And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
   And nothing so royal as truth.

We get back our mete as we measure --
   We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
   For justice avenges each slight.

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
   Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
   Helps more than the thing which it gets.

For good lieth not in pursuing,
   Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
  As we would be done by, is all.

                              ~ Alice Cary

Ours for Free

So many things in life are far
Beyond our meager means,
A long hoped for vacation,
Just for a change of scenes.
A penthouse with a terrace
That boasts a lovely view,
A cottage by the sea side,
. . . Just dreams for me and you.

And yet there is so much within
This world we can afford,
We all should welcome each new day,
And no one should be bored.
For while it's true we might not get
To see a foreign land,
Or sail across the ocean,
There's something just as grand,

And every bit as beautiful,
Within each passing day,
That only costs us something,
. . . If we let it slip away.
Very much within our reach,
And meant for us to share,
Once-in-a-lifetime moments,
Encountered everywhere.

A tender smile, a gentle touch,
Night wind through the trees,
Sunrise, sunset, autumn leaves,
What can compare with these?
Flowers by a raodside,
A treasured memory,
I think the very best in life,
Is what God gives for free.

         ~ Grace E. Easley

Heart Gifts

It's not the things that can be bought
   that are life's richest treasure,
It's just the little "heart gifts"
   that money cannot measure . . .

A cheerful smile, a friendly word,
   a sympathetic nod
Are priceless little treasures
   from the storehouse of our God . . .

They are the things that can't be bought
   with silver or with gold,
For thoughtfulness and kindness
   and love are never sold . . .

They are the priceless things in life
   for which no one can pay,
And the giver finds rich recompense
   in giving them away.

           ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Light Shining Out of Darkness

God moves in a mysterious way
   His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
   And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
   Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
   And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
   The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
   In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
   But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
   He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
   Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
   But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
   And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
   And He will make it plain.

             ~ William Cowper

When Winter Comes

When winter comes into our lives
    With its uncertain sound,
To strip us of our warmth and joy,
    Our petals on the ground,
We may be tempted to give up;
    To fold beneath life's storm.
We may be tempted to forsake
    The hope which keeps us warm.
But, we must learn to stand up tall;
    To always face the sun
And patiently await the day
    When winter's work is done.
For winter winds will cease to howl,
    The snows will melt away,
Then we shall see the beauty of
    Another summer's day.
And we will have renewed our strength
    When summer's wind first blows,
For God will whisper once again
    The promise of a rose.

                  ~ Glenda Fulton Davis

What I Live For

I live for those who love me,
    Whose hearts are kind and true;
For the Heaven that smiles above me,
    And awaits my spirit too;

For all human ties that bind me,
For the task by God assigned me,
For the bright hopes yet to find me,
    And the good that I can do.

I live to hold communion
    With all that is divine,
To feel there is a union
    'Twixt Nature's heart and mine;
To profit by affliction,
Reap truth from fields of fiction,
Grow wiser from conviction,
    And fulfill God's grand design.

I live for those who love me,
    For those who know me true;
For the heaven that smiles above me,
    And awaits my spirit too;
For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the wrong that needs resistance,
For the future in the distance,
    And the good that I can do.

              ~ G. Linnaeus Banks

Today's Scripture [2-1-13]

   And the men [angels] rose up from thence, and
looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with
them to bring them on the way.
   And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham
that thing which I do;
   Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed in him?
   For I know him, that he will command his child-
ren and his household after him, and they shall
keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abra-
ham that which he hath spoken of him.
   And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is
very grievous;
   I will go down now, and see whether they have
done altogether according to the cry of it, which is
come unto me; and if not, I will know.
   And the men [angels] turned their faces from
thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the LORD.
   And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou
also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
   Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the
city: wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place
for the fifty righteous that are therein?
   That be far from Thee to do after this manner,
to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from
Thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
   And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty
righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes. . .
   Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty
righteous: wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack
of five? And He said, If I find there forty and five,
I will not destroy it. . .
   Peradventure there shall be forty found there.
And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
   And he said unto Him, Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall
thirty be found there, And He said, I will not do it,
if I find thirty there. . .
   Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.
and He said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
   And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and
I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten
shall be found there. And He said, I will not de-
stroy it for ten's sake.
   And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had
left communing with Abraham: and Abraham re-
turned unto his place.

                       ~ Genesis 18:16-26, 28-33
  
  
  

The Perfect Song

One perfect song our hearts can sing,
   One air that's crystal-clear,
One melody of love sublime
   With charm for every ear.

One perfect song our tongues can frame
   Of goodness, deep and true,
Of seeking and of sacrifice,
   Of mercy, ever new.

O Christ, our singing is of Thee;
   To Thee our hearts belong;
Thou art that perfect melody
   Of life's triumphant song.

           ~ Marion Schoeberlein