May The Following Bring Light and Joy To Your Heart!
Oh, my name it means nothing, and my age it means less
The country I come from is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there, the laws to abide
And that the land I live in has God on its side
Oh, the history books tell it, they tell it so well
The cavalry charged and the Indians fell
The cavalry charged and the Indians died
Oh the country was young then, with God on its side
The Spanish-American war had its day
And the Civil War too was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands and God on their side
Oh, the first World War, well it came and it went
And the reason for fighting I never did get
But I learned to accept it, accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead with God on your side
When the second World War came to an end
We forgave the Germans and then we were friends
Though they murdered six million, in the ovens they fried
The Germans now too have God on their side
I've learned to hate Russians all through my whole life
If another war comes, it's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them, to run and to hide
And accept it all bravely with God on our side
But now we've got weapons of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to, then fire them we must
One push of the button and a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions with God on your side
In many a dark hour I've been thinking about this
That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you, you'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side
So now as I'm leaving, I'm weary as hell
The confusion I'm feeling, ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head and fall to the floor
If God's on our side, He'll stop the next war
-- Bob Dylan
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
and the world makes you king for a day,
just go to a mirror and look at yourself
and see what THAT man has to say.
For it isn't your father, your, mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
Some people may think you a straight shootin chum
and call you a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says your only a bum
If you cant look him straight in the eye.
He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
for he's with you clear up to the end.
And you've passed your most difficult,dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life
and get pats on your back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
if you've cheated THE MAN IN THE GLASS.
--Unknown
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak that I might learn to humbly obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything
I had hoped for.
Almost despite despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.
--Unknown
I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there.
The clay they used was a young childs mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher - the tools she used
Were books, music and art.
The other, a parent, worked with guiding hand
And a gentle, loving heart.
Day after day, the teacher toiled with touch
That was deft and sure.
While the parent labored by her side
and polished and smoothed it o'er.
And when at last, their task was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the thing that they had molded into the child
Could neither be sold or bought.
And each agreed they would have failed
If each had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school
And behind the teacher, the home.
--Unknown
Once upon a time in the land of hush-a-bye,
round about the wondrous days of Yur;
I came across a sort of box,
bound up with chains and locked with locks; and labelled
- kindly do not touch ... its WAR.
A decree was issued round about, all with a flurry and a shout,
and a gaily coloured mascot tripping lightly on before said:
"Don't fiddle with this DEADLY BOX or break the chains or pick the locks
- and please -
don't ever play about with WAR."
Well the children understood. Children happen to be good.
They were just as good round the time of Yor.
They didn't try to pick the lock or break into that deadly box.
They never tried to play about with WAR.
Mommies didn't either.
Sisters, aunts and grannies neither
cause they were quiet, sweet and pretty in those wonderous days of YOR.
Well very much the same as now.
Not the ones to blame somehow for opening up that deadly box of war.
But someone did!
Someone battered in the lid and spilled the insides out across the floor
- a sort of bouncy, bumpy ball made up of guns and flags
and all the tears
and horrors
and the death ....
that goes with WAR.
It bounced right out and went bashing all about and bumping into
everything instore.
And what was sad and most unfair
is that it didn't really seem to care much
who it jumped ...
...OR WHY...
...OR WHAT...OR FOR....
It bumped the children mainly.
And I tell you this quite plainly - it bumpes them every day and more and more,
and leaves them dead and burned, and dying.
Thousands of them sick and dying
because when it bumps... it's really very sore.
Now there's a way to stop the ball. It isn't difficult at all.
All it takes is wisdom.
I'm absolutely sure that we could get it
back into the box.
And BIND THE CHAINS AND
LOCK THE LOCKS.
But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.
Well! ... that's the way it all appears.
Because its been bouncing around for years and years inspite all the wisdom whizz since those wondrous days of Yor
and the time they came across the BOX
bound up with chains and
locked up with locks - and labelled
- kindly do not touch -
it's WAR.
-- Lascelles
... Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a
bright and friendly face.
Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.
Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech.
Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men.
Be as a lamp unto them who walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.
Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.
Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of
strength for the fugitive.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
--Baha'u'llah
It is wondrous what a hug can do,
A hug can cheer you when you're blue.
A hug can say, "I love you so,"
or, "Oh, I hate to see you go."
A hug is a "Welcome back again."
A hug can soothe a small child's pain
and bring the rainbow after rain.
The hug! There's just no doubt about it,
we scarcely can survive without it.
A hug delights, warms, and charms,
it must be why God gave us arms.
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,
sweet for sisters, even fine for brothers.
And chances are favorite uncles and aunts
will love them more than potted plants.
Hugs can break the language barrier
and make the day seem merrier.
No need to fret about the store of them,
the more you give, the more you get of 'em.
So stretch those arms without delay
and give someone a hug today!
--Author Unknown
If you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
and stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings,
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son.
-- Rudyard Kipling
"I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wiser.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for
--but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself,
my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed!"
-- An Unknown Confederate Soldier
Imagine...
as we lay in a field...
on a humid August eve...
The stars envelope us...
with their shimmering light...
In the breeze, trees whisper...
Tales of days gone by...
fireflies flash across the sky...
searching for a suitable mate.
reassuring that all is safe..
the moon silouhettes..
a perfect scene..
so peaceful,
yet so full of life...
As we lay in a field
on a humid august eve...
silently we agree...
could life be anything less
than the delicate balance
that is laid before us...?
at that moment in time...
All life is us...
as we lay in a field...
on a humid august eve...
-- Lilly Jacobs
It must have been cold there in my shadows
To never have sunliught on your face
You were content to let me shine (that's your way)
You always walked a step behind
So I was the one with all the glory
And you were the one with all the strain
A beautiful face without a name
A beautiful smile to hide the pain
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
And everything I would like to be
I could fly higher than an eagle
But you are the wind beneath my wings
It might have appeared to go unnoticed
but I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know I know the truth (of course I know it)
I would be nothing without you
--Bette Midler
Here's to the kids who are different
the kids who don't always get A's
the kids whose ears are
twice the size of their peers,
or noses that go on for days.
Here's to the kids who are different,
the kid's who are just out of step;
the kids they all tease,
who have cuts on their knees
and whose sneakers are constantly wet.
Here's to the kids who are different,
the kids with mischievous steak;
for when they have grown
as history has shown
it's their difference that makes them unique
-- Author unknown
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on
the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I
thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake just
for me, and I knew that little things are special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I
believed there is a God I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me good night
and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked...
and I wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.
-- Author unknown
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on my
life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important
than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than
failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It
is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or
break a company .... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we
have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that
day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people
will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only
thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude...
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react
to it. And so it is with you ..... we are in charge of our attitudes."
-- Charles Swindoll
I went to a party Mom,
I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink Mom,
So I had a soda instead.
I felt really proud inside Mom,
The way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive Mom,
Though the others said I should.
I know I did the right thing Mom,
I know you're always right Mom,
Now the party's finally ending,
As everyone is driving out of sight
As I got into my car Mom,
I knew I would make it home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me,
So responsible and sweet.
I started to drive away Mom,
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me Mom,
And hit me like a load.
As I lay there on the pavement Mom,
I hear the Policeman say,
The other guy is drunk Mom,
And I'm the one who will pay,
I'm lying here dying Mom,
I wish you would get here soon,
How could this happen to me,
My life just burst like a ballon
There is blood all around me Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say Mom,
I'll die in a short time.
I just want to tell you Mom,
I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others Mom,
The others didn't think.
He was probably at the same party as I,
The only difference is he drank and I will die.
Why do people drink Mom,
-- Unknown
This is the beginning of a new day. You have
been given this day to use as you will. You
can waste it or use it for good. What you do
today is important because you are
exchanging a day of your life for it. When
tomorrow comes, this day will be gone
forever; in its place is something that you
have left behind...let it be something good.
-- Author Unknown
Then said a rich man, Speak to us of Giving.
And he answered:
You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep
and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the
over-prudent dog burying bones in the trackless
sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself?
Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the
thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which
they have - and they give it for recognition and their
hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life,
and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is
their reward;
And there are those who give with pain, and that
pain is their baptism.
And there are those give and know not pain in
giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with
mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its
fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks,
and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give
unasked, through understanding;
And to the open-handed the search for one who
shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withhold?
All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may
be yours and not your inheritors'.
You often say, 'I would give, but only to the deserving.'
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks
in your pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his
nights is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of
life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be, than that
which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay
the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom
and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth
naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and
an instrument of giving.
For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you,
who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers - and you are all receivers -
assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke
upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt is to doubt his
generosity who has the free-hearted earth for
mother, and God for father.
-- Kahlil Gibran
Do not stand at my grave and weep. I'm not there, I do not leep.
I'm a thousand winds that blow. I'm the diamond glint on snow.
I'm sunlight on ripened grain. I'm the gentle rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush, I'm the swift uplifting rush.
Of quiet birds in circled flight. I'm the soft stars that shine in the night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry. I'm not there. I did not die.
-- Unknown
You fill up my senses, like a night in the forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a
walk in the rain Like a storm in the
desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again
Come let me love you, let me give my life to you
Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms
Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you
Come let me love you, come love me again
-- John Denver
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost
Friendship is a PRICELESS GIFT that cannot be bought or sold,
But it's value is far greater than a mountain made of GOLD.
For gold is cold and lifeless, it can neither see nor hear
AND in the time of trouble it is powerless to cheer--
It has no ears to listen, nor heart to understand,
It cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand
So when you ask GOD FOR A GIFT
Be thankful if HE sends NOT DIAMONDS, PEARLS OR RICHES
BUT THE LOVE OF REAL TRUE FRIENDS
-- Unknown
Tell me,I'll forget.
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me, I'll understand.
-- Author Unknown
And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship.
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the 'nay' in your own mind, nor do you withhold the 'ay'.
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and cared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is
clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and
only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him
with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its
morning and is refreshed.
-- Kahlil Gibran
to laugh often and much
to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends
to appreciate beauty
to find the best in others
to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a
redeemed social condition
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some people come into
our lives and quickly go.
Others stay for a while,
leave foorprints on our
hearts, and we are
never the same.
-- Unknown
Goodbye England’s rose.
May you ever grow in our hearts.
You were the grace that placed itself where lives were torn apart.
You called out to our country,
and you whispered to those in pain.
Now you belong to heaven,
and the stars spell out your name.
And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind,
never fading with the sunset when the rain set in.
And your footsteps will always fall here,
along England’s greenest hills;
Your candle’s burned out long before your legend ever will.
Loveliness we’ve lost,
these empty days without your smile.
This torch we’ll always carry
for our nation’s golden child.
And even though we try,
the truth brings us to tears;
All our words cannot express
the joy you brought us through the years.
Goodbye England’s rose,
from a country lost without your soul,
Who’ll miss the wings of your compassion
more than you’ll ever know.
-- Elton John
More To Be Added By and By!! Page TWO Soon ... Keep Coming Back!!!
And Guest Book