bestofwords07.html

God is the final authority here, and I thank Him for you,
and allowing me to share with you in this way.
Lord, please continue to use me to do Thy Will.
Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong that I may help the weak and unsaved.
Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
May the Holy Spirit always continue to guide me.
I ask for your continued prayers, and please pray for each other

Bunny's Words © 1999-2004 All rights reserved

Gard61@aol.com

Song Playing is: "Breathe On Me" by The Hillsongs Of Australia

Music is for evaluation purposes only.
If you like the music, please support the artists by purchasing the CD.

I absolutely do not receive any monetary gain for anything.
Everything I do is freely given, as it was freely received.

Butterfly In A Cocoon

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if
it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.
So to help the butterfly, he took a pair of scissors and snipped
off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body
and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the
butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings
would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which
would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly
spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body
and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste,
did not understand was that the restricting cocoon
and the struggle required for the butterfly
to get through the tiny opening were God's way
of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly
into its wings so that it would be ready for flight
once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles,
it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could
have been. We could never fly!

************************

I am a little child, precious in God's heart.
He knows my every moment, He planned it from the start.
He chose a set of parents, and sent me down to earth.
But something wasn't right when I met them at my birth.

He gave them just one duty, they only had one task.
To answer every question, about Jesus that I asked.
I found out what was wrong, they had gone astray.
So now My Lord Jesus, I come to You and pray.

Mommy says there is something in her soul that she must search.
I guess she hasn't found it yet, because she doesn't go to church.
Daddy says he's busy, and he has too much to do.
I fear Lord they are lost, and need some help from You.

When I come back to Heaven, I want them to be there.
Grandma says there's a mansion, for all of us to share.
And I can see my Poppa, who is waiting there for me.
With all the other angels from our family tree.

Please Lord touch them, and bring them to Your light.
Help them to say prayers instead of all these fights.
I'm just a little child, I know not what to do.
So I'm saying all my prayers, because I have faith in You.

Do you ever have a song rattle through your head,
and you can't get rid of it?
All day I've had this song dominating my mind:
"Where could I go but to the Lord?"
That is such a good song for so many situations.
When we get desperate, where else can we really go?
Our problem is that we shouldn’t wait
until we are desperate to go to Him, but we often do.
We often wait until we have messed up something
to go to the Master Planner to bail us out.
We need to consult the Chief Architect
before we make our plans.
After some followers had deserted Jesus,
He wanted to know if the twelve would leave Him, too.
Peter answered for all of them in John 6:68 (nlt),
"...Lord, to whom would we go?
You alone have the words that give eternal life."
Yes, and also the words we need for today in this life.
Trust Him!

************************

You must bloom where you are planted
In the garden we call life,
And bring some special beauty to
Each corner where there's strife.
Perhaps you're but a dandelion,
Wishing you were a rose,
Yet in this place of growing things,
You're the one God chose.
It's up to you to finish what
The Good Lord has begun,
By growing just the way you should
And face each day's new rising sun.
There's room for you, if you choose,
To be in a glorious array,
Of beauty from God's garden,
that He'll add to His bouquet.

************************

God gave us memories so that we
might have roses in December

by James M. Barrie

************************

The Bible is one of God's greatest love gifts to you.
It is the world's greatest literary treasure.
It is the foundation of the church and your faith.
But there is always the danger that you may forget
how personally God wants to give it specifically to you.
He desires you to use it daily as your spiritual food,
your personal prayer resource,
and your weapon for spiritual conquest.

Wesley L. Duewel

************************

Even in the stillness there is beauty and life,
Even in the solitude there is happiness and love.
What you see, what you feel....matters.
Who you are, what you will become....is up to you.
You are the master of your universe.
Until there is chaos, you don't appreciate quiet.
Until there are crowds, you don't appreciate being alone.
Now is the time to reflect and realize what you have.
Others envy you....no matter what your lot in life,
if it is what they lack and wish for.
You are unique.
Take time now....discover yourself, it's never too late.
You always have something to contribute.
If you are lonely, be a friend....be a smile.
For the hectic, find a slice of solitude....no matter how small.
Life is not always as it appears. You have the power....
to alter yours....and make a difference.
You are rare and unmatched....there is only one YOU.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
but the Master gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait, You say wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me to Wait?
I'm needing a yes, a go ahead sign,
Or even a no, to which I'll resign.
And Lord,
You promised that if we believe we need but to ask,
and we shall receive.

Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry;
I'm weary of asking I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate.
As My Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, grieved in my gut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the Heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
All you seek I could give and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see."
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I live and I save for a start,
But you'd not know the depth or the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that, 'My grace is sufficient for Thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, oh the loss! If you lost what I'm doing in you!
So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late
My most precious answer of all is still, Wait!"

Lord, help us to be what You want us to be
In character, actions, and will,
For You are the potter and we are the clay
Your purposes we would fulfill.

Fitzhugh

A Child's Prayer

A child knelt down to say her prayers to find someone to listen,
To her soft and very timely words, there weren't any missing.
She said "Dear Lord, I'm here again, I need to talk to You,
I'll try not to stay too long, You know my words are few.

It happened on the street again the stares upon my face,
They only see the scars there, and my different race.
Somehow I didn't know Lord, I should be of a different shade,
For mama told me all of us were in Your image made.

I know that I am different, my face and body marred,
But Lord, they make me very sad, it really is quite hard,
I still have love within my heart and dreams within my head,
I had to talk to You, Lord, before I go to bed.

Behind my scars is me, Lord, You know there's lots like me,
Who someway have a challenge, not a disability.
For Lord, You know I'm able to dream, to live with worth,
Sometimes we all aren't lucky, to live free from our birth.

So Lord I'm here to ask You to help those without grace,
To look inside, and find my heart, and not just at my face.
I'll say goodnight now to You Lord, thank You for being there,
To listen to a heart of love, a little child's prayer."

************************

Father's Strength

Thundering hooves come rushing forward with purpose strong and free.
Pure and simple justice for all, He has seen the truth ways.
Thundering forward with no regard, with spirits fighting ways.
Lightning strikes it truth mark, stinging to us all.
Torn from the heart, the words have hit the mark, bringing peace to the heart.
My Father's strength He has sent me, to guide my spirit free.
He walks the Red path with arms stretched out,
to guide me home, when justice fills others hearts.
Peace from my Father's heart, gives me strength to be.

The old people say, everyone has a song to
sing. This song is the reason we are on this
earth. When we are doing what we came on
this earth to do, we know true happiness. How
will we know our song? Pray....Ask the Great Mystery,
"What is it you want me to do during my stay on earth?"
Ask.....He will tell you.
He will even help you develop yourself
to accomplish His mission.
Great Spirit, help me find my song and let me sing it.

Pray first before you do anything,
aim and shoot high in your goals,
and stay focused on God.

Pass this on in order that
someone else might be blessed.
Never let others discourage you
concerning your past.
The past is exactly that "the past."
Live everyday, one day at a time.
And remember that only God knows our future
and that He will not put you
through anymore than you can bear.
Do not look to man for your blessings
but look to the Lord.
He can open doors for you
that only He is able to do.
Doors that you will not slip through
but doors that only He has prepared
in advance for you in your favor.

Wait, and be still, and patient:
keep God first and everything else will follow.

************************

I think that God is proud of those
that bear a sorrow bravely.
Proud indeed of them who walk straight
through the dark to find Him there
and kneel in faith to touch His garments hem.
How proud He must be of them,
He who knows all sorrow and how hard grief is to bear.
I think He sees them coming
and He goes with outstretched arms to meet them there,
and with a look, a touch on hand or head,
each finds his hurt heart strangely comforted.

************************

Believe

When the way is long and all hope seems lost
Believe.
When pain has no end and you've learned to sing the song of suffering
Believe.
When there is no answer, when you feel abandoned.
Alone.....amid a world of impossible obstacles
Believe.
For when you make the choice to accept
the Lord's mighty Deliverance,
you let Heaven unleash the power
that spoke all reality into being,
and all that you can claim by faith
in His name will fast come true.
There are many who stand at the edge of a chasm,
their hearts ever burdened with fear
with the materials they think they might use to cross,
but a few will come to understand
that the only way to gain success
is to let go of all concerns, all weight of striving
And with one trusting leap finally learn to fly.

Believe
Dear child
Believe.

Ray McAllister.....

"God is no further away than a prayer...
Whenever a sorrow is too great to bear,
Ask for His help and you'll feel, as you do,
That your burden is carried on His shoulders too...
For His strength is mighty,
His heart is vast,
And His love will surround you with peace at last."
by Jessica St. James

The Dance of Life

Let not your sorrows bind you to your past
where gloomy demons thrive on your tears
But go forth gladly into a new day without fears.
Take the hand of the child who lives within you
as you remember a warm spring day full
of the promises of youth and innocence

Do you remember running for the sheer joy of it
as the wind swept against your face?
Do you remember learning something new and magical
as if you were the first one to ever discover it?
So many possibilities of wonder and creation
will always be attainable for those with faith in themselves
So please remember this........
You may bring whomever you wish to the dance of life
but choose wisely for you also take them home with you

Dennis Hopkins

We Can't...But God Can

Why things happen as they do we do not always know,
And we cannot always fathom why our spirits sink so low...
We flounder in our dark distress, we are wavering and unstable,
But when we're most inadequate the Lord God's always able...
For though we are incapable, God's powerful and great,
And there's no darkness of the mind that God can't penetrate...
And all that is required of us whenever things go wrong
Is to trust in God implicitly with a faith that's deep and strong.
And while He may not instantly unravel all the strands
Of the tangled thoughts that trouble us, He completely understands...
And in His time, if we have faith, He will gradually restore
The brightness to our spirit that we've been longing for...
So remember, there's no cloud too dark for God's light to penetrate,
If we keep on believing and have faith enough to wait!

My Friend, if I could give you one thing,
I would give you the ability to see yourself
as others see you.....then you would realize
what a truly special person you are.

Jesus Christ has taken the sting out of death itself.
He let death sting Him instead of ourselves,
so we could live forever and never die.
How wonderful.
The Bible tells us about that sting being
taken out of death by Jesus Christ:

“O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which gives us
the victory through Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(I Corinthians 15:55-57).

The sting of death is sin -
and the strength of sin is the law.
Sin makes us unable to face a Holy God after we die.
We cannot keep God's Law.
But Jesus Christ has fixed that for us,
He has given believers the victory
and made us winners over death.
Praise God, we will never really die
when we trust in Jesus as our Lord.

What You Will Be

As I gazed up at the mountains,
I was awed by their majesty;
I bowed my head and asked myself,
"Why should He care for me?
I am not great like the mountains that tower so high above,
what is there about me that God can find to love?"

"Father, I am not strong like the wind
that makes Your tall trees sway,
I cannot sing sweetly like Your birds;
will You love me anyway?
But most of all, I am simply me,
and often have cause to fear.
In spite of all my weaknesses,
do You promise to be near?"
With eyes closed tight against my tears,
I wished He could hear me pray.

Then I felt His Spirit tell me, "Child, look up,
I have something to say.
"You are simply you, the spirit I love,
a part of My great plan.
I put you here to learn of life
and to return to Me again."
"You are more beautiful to Me
than the loveliest mountain I made,
and your strength exceeds that of the wind's,
so do not be afraid.
I love you not for what you are,
but for what I know you will be.
I am always beside you watching you grow,
you are very special to Me.

A smile touched my lips -
I knew it was true,
My Father had always been there giving me
comfort and Blessings and love
and my own special talents to share.
So I do my best to make Him proud.
I am not afraid, for you see,
He loves me not for what I am,
but for what He knows I will be.

************************

Gal 6:7-9
Don't be mislead.
Remember that you can't ignore God
and get away with it.
You will always reap what you sow!
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires
will harvest the consequences of decay and death.
But those who live to please the Spirit
will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
So don't get tired of doing what is good.
Don't get discouraged and give up,
for we will reap a harvest of Blessings
at the appropriate time.

Prayer:
Lord help me to be mindful of the things
I am sowing into my life, in my words, actions,
and the way I treat others.
I want always to follow the leadership
and direction of Your Spirit,
trusting confidently that Your promises are faithful,
and that by so doing, I will certainly reap those
things that pertain to life and peace.
Though sometimes those things may seem
long in coming, they certainly will come,
for Your word and promises will never fail.
In Jesus' Name...Amen

************************

I was doing some philosophical thinking a few weeks ago.
Many people have tried to explain
how God must be inactive in our lives
by comparing Him to a clock maker who made a clock
and then left it to its own workings.
There is one major problem with this analogy.
I can't, for the life of me,
think of anyone who'd actually do that.
Most people who'd build a clock would get it working
and then see to it that it is repaired,
at least, most responsible people.
No one in their right mind makes something
and then just lets it go.
A clock might need to be wound now and then or repaired,
and so the clock maker would want to stand by
to do such if needed, at least, to receive a nice fee for the service.
Well, God, fortunately, loves us to offer all help simply by grace
through faith. And He's the same as any sensible clock maker here,
making the universe, and then maintaining it.
So, actually, God is the Divine Clock Maker.
We just have to understand the analogy properly.
Now, here's a poem I wrote on this, making it practical and real.

Clock Maker

What kind of clock maker
Would build a device
And set it in motion
Then leave it to its own destiny
Of random accident and disrepair?
What kind of fashioner of goods
Would labor long to make such a wonder
And not be available
Should it break
Or need to be re-wound?
And so
How can one say
That God is the Divine Clock Maker
Who shapes a universe
His treasure
And tosses it out
As a gift to chaos
And whim
And disaster?
Oh, Come to the Lord
The Keeper of time
And open to Him Your damage and failure
And watch Him work a miracle
As He accepts you
Repairs you
Re-strengthens you
To shine for Him
Yet another day
In His love.

Just as no reasonable human would go
to the bother of making something that should be
permanent just to completely abandon it,
God never makes something just to ignore it.

Old age was simply a delightful time,
when the old people sat on the sunny doorsteps,
playing in the sun with the children,
until they fell asleep.
At last, they failed to wake up.

************************

I thank you God for this most amazing day,
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees,
and for the blue dream of sky
and for everything which is natural,
which is infinite, which is yes.

************************

We alone create our reality.
Our power to manifest our preferred reality
lies in transforming our beliefs and expectations

Robert Elias Najemy
{Author & Founder of Holistic Harmony}

************************

In Joshua 1 (nlt), the writer finishes Verse 5
with these words where God says to Joshua:
"I will not fail you or abandon you."
Several times more God says,
"Be strong and courageous" including Verse 9 which concludes,
"For the Lord Your God is with you wherever you go."
Make that God's special message to you today.

According to the law of averages, someone reading this today
is in a mode of discouragement and defeat,
feeling like they want to give up.
If you believe God, you can't give up.
He will not fail you,
but then He won't do everything for you, either.
You have some challenges that you have to face
with courage knowing that God will not abandon you.
You need to grit your teeth and get over the grumblies,
and you can do that with God's help -- yes, you can.
Pick up the pieces of your life and determine
to make this day a pleasant walk with God --
He's there for you.

My Husband

I look at you now
I see the years left behind
all the dreams not finished
all the years left not to complete
you bear the pain
the pain I try to take from you
but only in your slumber are you at peace
the fight is not over
and the battle not won
and all we have left now
is our faith and love
we sustain each other
and cling together
I give you all my strength
and you give me all of you
I am your will to keep trying
and you are my life
what is one without the other?
I will only be a shell without you
but one who will honor your life
what will be my reason to stay?
it is only by your wish I will do so
you have been my love
and all the things I can not describe
the whole sum of who I am
has been with you
and now
if you leave
you take my heart with you
for it's all I have left

Ginger Timm

Alone And Crying

Compassion for a crying child comes from the depth
of our own childhood where once so long ago we cried.
How profound those feelings of shared sorrow,
loss fear, anger and confusion, that move us to give of ourselves
when understanding is our only motivation.

From the poverty of tears, we learn the richness of laughter.
From the scarcity of love, we learn the abundance of living.
From the destitution of spirit,
we learn to polish the diamonds in our souls.

May the love in your soul embrace your heart
and fill your mind with the knowledge
that where you are today,
no matter how sad the emotion
or how difficult the situation,
is where you need to be.

"Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with all your might,
for in the grave, where you are going,
there is neither working nor planning
nor knowledge nor wisdom."
Ecc. 9:10 (niv)

Choose to ignore the little annoying behaviors of
others and no one will be able to annoy you.
Annoyance, after all, is all in your mind.
Choose to be free from worry and anxiety, and your
moments will instead be filled with purpose and joy.
Choose to see the beauty in people and you'll
find yourself surrounded by beautiful people.
Choose to make the best of every situation and
your days will be filled with positive achievements.
Choose to learn from each experience
and your wisdom will become more profound
with every passing day.
Choose to seek out and enjoy the difficult challenges
and you'll find yourself growing strong with each one.
Choose to make a positive difference and the
good things in your life will increase in quantity and value.
Each day is a choice.
Each moment is a choice.
Always remember that your attitude, your outlook,
your perspective, your commitments, your thoughts
and your actions are all choices --
choices which can make an enormous difference
in the way your life proceeds.

Ralph Marston

There is a Master Plan.
There are Natural Laws that run the universe.
Everything on the earth has a purpose.
Change is constant.
That which is built is constantly being destroyed.
That which is loose is being used to build new things.
Nothing can be destroyed, only rearranged.
Change will happen and
every setback is only temporary.
In other words, the Creator is in charge.
We are not in charge. He designed the universe.
He runs the universe and He will change
what needs to be changed.
As humans, it is easier for us to participate
in all of this if we are spiritual.
We need to be tuned in. Therefore,
God gave us the spiritual concept of acceptance.
When things change,
we can change ourselves through
the principle of acceptance.

Great Spirit, let me live today
in acceptance of Your will.

What More Can You Ask

God's love endureth forever...
What a wonderful thing to know
When the tides of life run against you,
and your spirit is downcast and low...
God's kindness is ever around you,
always ready to freely impart
Strength to your faltering spirit,
cheer to your lonely heart...
God's presence is ever beside you,
as near as the reach of your hand,
You have but to tell Him your troubles,
there is nothing He won't understand...
And knowing God's love is unfailing,
and His mercy unending and great,
You have but to trust in His promise
"God comes not too soon or too late"...
So wait with a heart that is patient.
For the goodness of God to prevail
For never do prayers go unanswered,
and His mercy and love never fail.

Helen Steiner Rice

"The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace."
Today, Jesus is saying to you,
"Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you.

You are not separate from creation anymore than your
thoughts are separate from you.
You are not the reality that is behind the world;
but the reality that is in it.
And I am in the world with you.
In all your life
Wherever you are
Wherever you go
Wherever you look
you can see Me in the moon and in the stars
that bring light out of the darkness.
you can feel Me in the breeze
that kisses your cheek.
you can hear Me in the flowing waters
that refresh and renew.
I am with you now in the ever challenging present
that is true eternity.
closer than the heartbeat
closer than the thought that springs to mind:
so find Me now
touch Me now
feel Me now
and love Me now,
wherever you are,
and we will walk
upon this earth in beauty

I Come To Meet You

I come to meet You, God, and as I linger here
I seem to feel You very near;
A rustling leaf, a rolling slope
Speak to my heart of endless hope.
The sun just rising in the sky,
The waking birds sing as they fly,
The grass all wet with morning dew
Are telling me I just met You.
And, gently, thus the day is born
As night gives way to breaking morn;
And once again I've met You, God,
And worshipped on Your Holy sod.
For who could see the dawn break through
Without a glimpse of Heaven and You?
For who but God could make the day
And softly put the night away?

Helen Steiner Rice

I am your friend and my love for you goes deep.
There is nothing I can give you which you have not got;
but there is much, very much, that,
while I cannot give it, you can take.
No Heaven can come to us unless
our hearts find rest in today.
Take Heaven!
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in
the present little instant.
Take peace!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow behind it,
yet within our reach, is joy.
There is radiance and glory in the darkness
could we but see, and to see we have only to look.
I beseech you to look. And so, at this time, I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings
but with profound esteem and with the prayer
that for you now and forever the day breaks,
and the shadows flee away....

Fra Glovanne Written in the year 1513

Life Is

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

Stepping Stones

The Lord came to me like a dream one day and asked, "Why do you sorrow?"
I answered, "Lord my life is so full of pain, I can't face one more tomorrow."
The Lord sat down beside me, and gently took my hand.
He said, "Let Me explain to you, and then you'll understand.
Each sorrow is a stepping stone you must surmount each day,
And every stepping stone you climb is a sorrow that's passed away.
The road of life is a mountainside, with crevices in which to be caught,
But as you struggle on your way, I, the Rock, will lend support.
Every stepping stone you climb, makes spirit and heart grow strong.
Exercising character and faith, this road seems painful and long.
The way is paved with stepping stones, to uplift your heart and soul.
Though difficult, they aid your way to a City paved with gold.
I know that you are tired, for I too have walked this way,
My sorrows did they multiply, but I cleared many stones away.
I left My Rock to lift you up, I left behind My story,
To give you strength to make your climb, to that special place in glory.
And never fear, the Rock is here, you'll never climb this mountain alone.
Surmount life's sorrows, continue on, for they are but stepping stones.

We can no longer afford to throw away even one
"unimportant" day by not noticing the wonder of it all.

Sarah B. Breathnach

Live Your Life

So live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion.
Respect others in their view,
and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
Beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long
and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you
go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting
or passing a friend,
Even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and bow to none.
When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food
and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks,
The fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no living thing,
For abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep
and pray for a little more time to live their lives over
again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."

Tecumseh, Shawnee

Two Wolves

A Native American grandfather was talking
to his grandson about how he felt.......
He said, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart.
One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."
The grandson asked him,
"Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?"

The grandfather answered, "The one I feed."

Faith is a desperate dive out of the sinking boat
of human effort, and a prayer that God
will be there to pull us out of the water

God may delay the answer to our prayers in order
to enlarge our capacity to receive.

************************

Pray for my soul.
More things are wrought by prayer
than this world dreams of.

************************

Therefore, let thy voice rise
like a fountain for Me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
that nourish a blind life within the brain,
if, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer,
both for themselves and those who call them friend?

************************

God's answers are wiser than our prayers.
Prayer is an enduring, continuing, growing love
Relationship, with the great God of the Universe.
Overwhelming love invites a response.
Loving is the syntax of prayer.
Loving God in prayer, somehow makes our
spiritual selves more receptive to love.
We feel a power so vast that we are actually transformed
and elevated to a higher, more fulfilled state of being.
We still cannot fathom the depths of the God
who is the source of life.
We cannot fully say His name or exhaust His meaning.
However, we can know His power and share His love.
As we do so, we make His name Holy.
This is what we mean when we pray,

"Hallowed be Thy Name"

"I'll lend you for a little time a child of Mine," He said
"For you to love the while she lives and mourn for when she's dead.
It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three.
But will you till I call her back, take care of her for Me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you, and should her stay be brief.
You'll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay, since all from earth return,
but there are lessons taught down there, I want the child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over in my search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you.
Now will you give her all your love, nor think the labor vain
Nor hate Me when I come to call to take her back again?"
I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter her with tenderness, we'll love her while we may
And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for her much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand."

************************

Little Eyes Upon You

There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little boy who's dreaming
of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.
In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;
He will say and do, in your way
when he's grownup just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow
who believes you're always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example
everyday in all you do;
For the little boy who's waiting
to grow up to be like you.

************************

I know it's so hard to embrace hope in your heart
when your dreams are suddenly crashing into hopelessness.
It seems your only friend is the darkness around you,
but the darkness makes you feel cold and fearful,
and becomes your bitter enemy.
My friend, hope will carry you through your darkest trial.
Even when you feel alone in your pain,
God Is Very Near

He understands your grief
and He knows all the pain you've endured.
Right now, it's very hard for you to believe
this experience will eventually work out for your good.

Especially now, when the unknown scares you.
Often, when we have endured many storms,
we fear the worst and our faith is terribly shaken.
We want so deeply to trust our future to God,
but doubts flood our mind and, like roaring rapids,
our thoughts are sometimes out of control.

"Be Still," God says to us gently.
In our stillness we will know God is in control.
My friend, I, too, have endured many storms,
and I sometimes felt God had forsaken me.
I would pray and only hear echoes of silence.
I, too, would envision the worst. God never forsakes us;
even His silence has a purpose.
He loves us so deeply. He understands our doubts
and fears, and He loves us still.
Soon the dark clouds will be lifted and the Light
once again will touch your life.
Someday you will look back and know God
in His infinite wisdom had a greater purpose for your life.
My friend, hold on to Hope and Hope will hold onto you.
Remember, in the darkness, God still hangs the moon!

Heart Prints

Whatever our hands touch
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture,
On doorknobs, dishes, books,
As we touch we leave our identity.
Oh please whereever I go today,
Help me leave heart prints!
Heart prints of compassion
Of understanding and love.
Heart prints of kindness
and genuine concern
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor
Or a runaway daughter,
Or an anxious mother,
Or, perhaps, a dear friend!
I shall go out today
To leave heart prints,
And if someone should say
"I felt your touch,"
May that one sense be...Your Love
Touching through me.

"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not
back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine.
Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."

"You are born with a burning candle and your life is over
when the candle burns down".

Lean on Jesus

As the road ahead seems rugged, and the path is getting steep,
I feel that I can't make it, so my heart begins to weep.
Then I turn to see who's coming to join me on my way.
I see it is my Lord and He slowly turns to say,
"Lean on Me when you have no strength to stand.
When you feel you're going under, hold tighter to My hand.
Lean on Me when your heart begins to bleed.
When you know I'm all you have, then you'll find I'm all you need."
Then when I felt that no one cared if I lived or died,
and no one bothered asking why, I'd go alone to cry.
When the burden got so heavy, I could barely face the day,
I felt His arms around me as I gently heard Him say,
"Lean on Me when you have no strength to stand.
When you feel you're going under, hold tighter to My hand.
Lean on me when your heart begins to bleed.
When you come to know I'm all you have, then you'll find I'm all you need."

Failure.

It's only a word.
But it carries with it so much pain
and so little concern, so much frustration
and so little respect, so much stress
and so little understanding that people
spend their lives running through their days
in the hope of avoiding the long
arm of this little word.
To test your vision, you must risk failure.
To temper your ego, you must attempt the impossible.
To tell your story, you must take a chance.
To see beyond the horizon, you must spread your wings.
To be all you can be, you must stretch, flex, try, and go beyond your proven limits.
To bridge the silence, you must risk rejection.
To advance into the unknown,
you must risk the peril of all your previous
beliefs and emotions that feel so secure.

Failure is not negative. It is a teacher.
It molds, refines and polishes you so that
one day your light will shine for all to see.
It isn't the failure you experience that
will determine your destiny,
but your next step and then the next
that will tell the story of your life.

Attitude ........How Is Yours?

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud mother-in-law of my best friend, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. Maurine Jones is the most lovely, gracious, dignified woman that I have ever had the pleasure
of meeting. While I have never aspired to attain her depth of wisdom, I do pray that I will learn from her vast experience.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mrs.. Jones, you haven't seen the room. Just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away, just for this time in my life."

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Family

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow,
the company that we are working for could
easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.
I just wanted you to know that you
are one of my happiest memories.

What a wonderful way to begin the day and depending
on Christ and "seeking those things which are above."

His Tiny Hands

While pregnant with her son beneath her heart within, she'd often feel His hands
He'd stretch His arm and hand and push out on her side
She'd lovingly push it back with a smile so sweet and wide.
She could hardly wait for His upcoming birth.
To touch His tiny hands and welcome Him to earth.
The night that He was born. With joy she couldn't contain,
She held Him until morn. She explored His tiny fingers.
She counted all His toes.
She wanted to get to know Him,
His ears, His cheeks, His nose.

The wonder of it all, at this new baby boy!
She could not hold back. She wept with tears of joy.
She touched His tiny hand, a miniature of her own.
He squeezed it tight on her finger. Such joy she had never known!
The time passed and He grew. As a toddler, it was grand
To walk along and hold His fleshy little hand.
She taught Him many things. Together they spent hours.
She'd take His little hand and touch it to a flower.
When she would hold Him close, He soon developed the knack
Of hugging her 'round the neck,
His tiny hand patting her back.
As her son grew older,
His young hands also grew.
He learned many ways to use them.
Each day brought something new.

She helped Him learn to read. She helped Him learn to write.
Then, as the day was ending, she'd pray with Him at night.
He learned to use a hammer with which to drive a nail.
He'd sometimes strike his finger and let out quite a wail!
Her son continued growing and soon became a man.
She loved Him just as much as when His life began.
His hands were now full grown, so strong, yet tender, when
He, with deep compassion, comforted a friend.
She was extremely grateful when His hands would fold;
And bowing His head in prayer, to His Father in Heaven He'd hold.
As the years flew swiftly by, she watched her son with pride,
His strong but gentle arms. She then thought her life was over.
She suffered unspeakable loss
When her son's beloved hands
were nailed to a wooden cross...
But that was just the beginning, for He died and rose again.
Her sorrow then was ended, and joy replaced her pain.
For, you see, her son was Jesus, God coming to earth as man,
To save us from our sins according to His plan.
We cannot save ourselves. Our sins would lead to death.
God put our sins on Jesus, the perfect and the best.
With this came our forgiveness if we believe in Him
And ask Him into our hearts, He'll take away our sins.
As He was Resurrected.
Eternal Life He'll bring and to His hand we'll cling.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm on your face
And the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

An Old Irish Blessing

Index	Ten	Twenty	Thirty
One	Eleven	Twenty-One	Remembering One
Two	Twelve	Twenty-Two	Remembering Two
Three	Thirteen	Twenty-Three	Remembering Three
Four	Fourteen	Twenty-Four	Animals One
Five	Fifteen	Twenty-Five	Animals Two
Six	Sixteen	Twenty-Six	Animals Three
Seven	Seventeen	Twenty-Seven	Heroes
Eight	Eighteen	Twenty-Eight	Holidays
Nine	Nineteen	Twenty-Nine

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	The Christians with Chronic Illness/Pain Site Ring
	This site is owned and maintained by Bunny