Don't Quit

by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must,
but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst,
you must not quit.

No Station

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby  highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant  hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and  wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city  skylines and village halls.

But uppermost on our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering - waiting, waiting, waiting for the station. 

"When we reach the station, that will be it!" we cry.

"When I'm 18." 

"When I buy a new 500SL Mercedes Benz!"

"When I put the last kid through college."

"When I have paid of the mortgage."

"When I get a promotion." 

"When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"

Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it." It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today. So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along.

The station will come soon enough.

- Robert J. Hastings

Prayer For My Witness

Dear God,

Please forgive me. I sometimes look at those I see and get frustrated by the way they are. Some are angry and act ugly and even curse. Others have no desire to do what is right. Some just want to "party" and live like the world all the time. Some are lazy. Some are hurting and holding on to bitterness. I don't always understand why they are that way. Then I, in my frustration, become angry and grumble. Forgive me for my ungodly attitudes and complaining. I am sorry. Help me to see the potential in others and to pray for them more and criticize them less. I pray that through my prayers to you and through my Christian testimony and example and through my words and deeds, these people would come to know you or come back and lay their issues on the altar. I pray that we all will lift our burdens to you and drop them at your feet, so that you can take them away and guide us in the way everlasting. Please relieve our grieves and burdens and replace them with your peace. Please bless us as we serve you. Please help us and pick us help when we stumble. Thank you for your mercies.

 In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

Why Go To Church

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now.

In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the >incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

That's Dying

By: Henry Van Dyke

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying...

Death comes in its own time, in its own way.
Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it.

Anonymous

The Rope

The story tells about a mountain climber, who wanted to climb the highest mountain.  He begun his adventure after many years of preparation but since he wanted the glory just for himself,  he decided to climb the mountain alone.

The night felt heavy in the heights of the mountain, and the man could not see anything.  All was black, zero visibility and the moon and stars were covered by the clouds.

As he was climbing only a few feet away from the top of the mountain he slipped and fell into the air.  Falling at a great speed, the climber could only see black spots as he went down, and the terrible sensation of being sucked by gravity.  He kept falling….and in those moments of great fear, it came to his mind all the good and bad episodes of his life.

He was thinking now about how close death was getting, when all of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard.

His body was hanging in the air.  Only the rope was holding him, and in that moment of stillness he had no other choice but to scream:   HELP ME GOD!!!

All of a sudden a deep voice coming from the sky answered –

-What do you want me to do?

              

               -Save me God!!

               -Do you really think I can save you?

               -Of course I believe You can!

               -Then cut the rope tied to your waist.

There was a moment of silence; and the man decided to hold onto the rope with all his strength.

The rescue team tells, that the next day a climber was found, dead and frozen.  His body hanging from a rope, his hands holding tight to it…….

ONLY 10 FEET FROM THE GROUND!!

And you?  How attached are you to your rope?  Will you let go?

Don’t ever doubt the things from God.  You never should say that He has forgotten or abandoned you.  Don’t ever think that He does not take care or you.  Remember that He is always holding you with his right hand.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Lunch With God

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen I"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, ''You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Embrace all equally!

Love, God

Dear Friend,

As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me, even if it was just a few words asking for my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed that you were too busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work. I waited again.

When you ran around the house getting ready I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point, you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.

I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around. Maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head.   You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left. And I have hope    that you will talk to me even yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few

of them were done you turned on the TV. I don't know if I like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it - not thinking about anything - just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched TV and ate your meal but again, you didn't talk to me.

As you did your paperwork I waited again. You did what you had to do. At bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.

I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayers or thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.

Well you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but love for you, hoping that today you will give me some time.

Have a nice day!

Your friend,

GOD

A Prayer For Time Management

Dear God,

Sometimes I find it hard to manage my time well. There is so much to do. Please help me to prioritize my daily activities to align with your will, your plan, your purpose, and to do what is most important as well as the little mundane tasks that must be done. Help me to know when to say "no" to projects and requests that come along that would overwhelm me or take away from what you want me to do. Please help me to always love and care for those lives you have entrusted to my care and circle of influence.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

My Quilt

As I faced my Maker at the last Judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls.  Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles.  An Angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.  But, as my Angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was.  They were filled with giant holes.  Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life.  I saw hardships that I had endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me.  Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune.  I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.  My Angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.  Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth.  The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries.  So filled their lives had been.

My Angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame.  I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes.  I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life.  I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully; each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.  And now, I had to face the truth.  My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.  An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes wide.  Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image. The face of Christ.  Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes.  He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.  Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through. -Author Unknown