We watch the rich and famous
bedecked in precious jewels,
Enjoying earthly pleasures, defying moral rules,
And in our mood of discontent
we sink into despair
And long for earthly riches and
feel cheated of our share …
But stop these idle musings,
God has stored up for you
Treasures that are far beyond
earth’s jewels and riches, too,
For never, never discount
what God has promised man
If he will walk in meekness
and accept God’s flawless plan,
For if we heed His teaching as
we journey through the years,
We’ll find the richest jewels of
all are crystallized from tears.
IN EVERYTHING
Blessings come in many guises
That God alone in love devises,
And sickness, which we dread so much,
Can bring a very healing touch,
For often on the wings of pain
The peace we sought before in vain
Will come to us with sweet surprise,
For God is merciful and wise …
And through long hours of tribulation
God gives us time for meditation,
And no sickness can be counted loss
That teaches us to bear our cross.
Only what we give away
Enriches us from day to day,
For not in getting but in giving
Is found the lasting joy of living,
For no one ever had a part
In sharing treasures of the heart
Who did not feel the impact of
The magic mystery of God’s love.
Love alone can make us kind
And give us joy and peace of mind,
So live with joy unselfishly,
And you’ll be blessed abundantly.
God sends His little angels
in many forms and guises.
They come as lovely miracles
that God alone devises,
For every little angel with a body bent or broken
Or a little mind challenged
or little words unspoken
Is just God’s way of trying to reach
out and touch the hands
Of all who do not know Him
and cannot understand
That often through an angel
whose wings will never fly
The Lord is pointing out the
way to His eternal sky,
Where there will be no handicaps
of body, soul, or mind,
And where all limitations will
be dropped and left behind …
So accept these little angels
as gifts from God above,
And thank Him for this lesson
in faith and hope and love.
A baby is a gift of life born
of the wonder of love—
A little bit of eternity sent from the Father above,
Giving a new dimension to the love
between husband and wife
And putting an added new meaning
to the wonder and mystery of life.
The dearest gifts that heaven holds,
the very finest, too,
Were made into one pattern that
was perfect, sweet, and true.
The angels smiled, well pleased, and said,
“Compared to all the others,
This pattern is so wonderful let’s
use it just for mothers!”
And through the years, a mother has
been all that’s sweet and good,
For there’s a bit of God and love
in all true motherhood.
God in His loving and all-wise way
Makes the heart that once was too young yesterday
Serene and more gentle and less restless, too,
Content to remember the joys it once knew.
And all that we sought on the pathway of pleasure
Becomes but a memory to cherish and treasure—
The fast pace grows slower and the spirit serene,
And the soul can envision what
the eyes have not seen.
And so while life’s springtime is sweet to recall,
The autumn of life is the best time of all,
For our wild youthful yearnings all gradually cease,
And God fills our days with beauty and peace!
No one likes to be sick, and yet we know
It takes sunshine and rain to make flowers grow,
And if we never were sick and we never felt pain,
We’d be like a desert without any rain.
And who wants a life that is barren and dry
With never a cloud to darken the sky?
For continuous sun goes unrecognized
Like the blessings God sends,
which are often disguised,
For sometimes a sickness that seems so distressing
Is a time of renewal and spiritual blessing.
More than hearts can imagine
or minds comprehend,
God’s bountiful gifts are ours without end.
We ask for a cupful when the vast sea is ours,
We pick a small rosebud from a garden of flowers,
We reach for a sunbeam but the sun still abides,
We draw one short breath but there’s air on all sides.
Whatever we ask for falls short of God’s giving,
For His greatness exceeds every facet of living
And always God’s ready and eager and willing
To pour out His mercy, completely fulfilling
All of man’s needs for peace, joy, and rest,
For God gives His children whatever is best.
Just give Him a chance to open His treasures,
And He’ll fill your life with
unfathomable pleasures—
Pleasures that never grow worn out and faded
And leave us depleted disillusioned and jaded—
For God has a storehouse just filled to the brim
With all that man needs, if we’ll only ask Him.
Into our lives come many things
to break the dull routine—
The things we had not planned
on that happen unforeseen,
The unexpected little joys that
are scattered on our way,
Success we did not count on
or a rare, fulfilling day,
A catchy, lilting melody that
makes us want to dance,
A nameless exaltation of
enchantment and romance,
The sudden, unplanned meeting
that comes with sweet surprise
And lights the heart with happiness
like a rainbow in the skies.
Now some folks call it fickle fate
and some folks call it chance
While others just accept it
as a pleasant happenstance,
But no matter what you call it,
it didn’t come without design,
For all our lives are fashioned
by the hand that is divine.
Tender little memories
Of some word or deed
Give us strength and courage
When we are in need.
Blessed little memories
Help us bear the cross
And soften all the bitterness
Of failure and loss.
Precious little memories
Of little things we’ve done
Make the very darkest day
A bright and happy one.
It’s not the things that can be bought
That are life’s richest treasures,
It’s just the little gifts from the heart
That money cannot measure.
A cheerful smile, a friendly word,
A sympathetic nod,
All 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.
Everywhere across the land
You see God’s face and touch His hand
Each time you look up in the sky
Or watch the fluffy clouds drift by,
Or feel the sunshine, warm and bright,
Or watch the dark night turn to light,
Or hear a bluebird brightly sing,
Or see the winter turn to spring,
Or stop to pick a daffodil,
Or gather violets on some hill,
Or touch a leaf or see a tree,
It’s all God whispering, “This is Me.
And I am faith and I am light,
And in Me there shall be no night.”
To be in God’s keeping is surely a blessing,
For though life is often dark and distressing,
No day is too dark and no burden too great
That God in His love cannot penetrate.