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Laughter~An Oil Change for the Brain

9 May

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

Balderdash Mirth copy

 

 

LAUGHTER
{An Oil Change for the Brain)

Oh, what fun it was,
An evening of “Balderdash”-
A board game played by the “Gibson girls.”
Our reward was laughs, not cash

!I was reluctant to play, at first-
I felt intimidated by their knowledge.
I graduated from high school,
but I had never attended college.

The game, I found, was a stimulant.
It taxed my inner core-
We had to guess whose answer was true,
which made us laugh all the more.

I have to confess, I was a pretty good liar-
My answer was often chosen as “true”.
The game called for a great imagination,
based on our “point of view”.

The memories I treasure on Mother’s Day
are preserved in my heart-
I carry them with me at all times-
they are “riches” set apart!

Laughter in the Bible:

Genesis 18:13 “And the Lord said unto Abraham,
Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, “Shall I of a surety
bear a child, who am old?”

Eccl. 2:2 “I said of laughter, it is mad: and of mirth.
What doeth it?”

Psalm 126:2 “Then was our mouth full of laughter,
our tongue with singing”

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Do You Know the Way

2 May

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

 

The Reverend Billy Graham tells of a time early

in his career when he arrived in a small town to

preach a sermon.  Wanting to mail a letter, he

asked a young boy where the post office was.

When the boy told him, Reverend Graham thanked

him and said, “If you come to the Baptist Church

this evening you can hear me tell everyone how

to get to Heaven.”

“I don’t think I’ll be there” the boy replied.  “You don’teven know your way to

the post office”.

 

“JESUS IS THE WAY”

When things go wrong, as they often do,
and I am feeling low-
experience has shown me that Christ is the answer.
It is to Him that I go!

God has not promised skies always blue-
but on His faithfulness you can depend.
He said He will never leave or forsake you.
His mercy has no end!

When your load is heavy,
and you are feeling blue-
Look up, my friend.
There is help for you.

Jesus is waiting with a father’s love
His help and strength to give.
You have only to call on Him-
You will truly start to live!!

How do I know this?
Experience has been a great teacher
I have put God’s word to the test-
He said, “Come unto Me, all ye who are weary
and I will give you rest,”

Remember the secret of a wise young man
who would become king.
“David strengthened himself in the Lord, his God”
(1 Samuel 30:6)

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The Touch of the Master’s Hand

25 Apr

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

I wasn’t designed to be you,
nor you to be like me.
Isn’t that refreshing?
We are designed for eternity.

 

Our gifts from God
are to help our fellow man.
When you see a need-
supply it the best you can.

 

The following poem by Myra B. Welch
depicts it so beautifully.

 

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND

“Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
“What am I bidden, good folks”, he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar.” then two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll maker it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three”…But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow:
Then wiping the dust from the old violin.
and tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

 

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice:
And going and gone”, said he.

 

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand.
What changed it’s worth?” Swift came the reply.
“The touch of a master’s hand.”

 

And many a man with life out of tune,
and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd-
Much like the old violin.
A “mess of potage”, a glass of wine:
A game–and he travels on.
He is “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s ” going” and almost “gone”.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

Myra B. Welch

 

jesus hands

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  Even Nature Worships

18 Apr

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

I look through my kitchen window each day,
seeking, as I always do-
All the signs of God’s presence
in the soul-stirring scene that I view.

 

It never ceases to amaze me
that His presence is everywhere.
The Easter Lilies are radiant-
postural, as though in prayer.

 

They are programmed to bloom at Easter,
then close for another year.
Their role is to glorify the Savior-
then silently disappear.

 

Springtime is a season
of new life with a goal.
New leaves are forming, flowers are budding-
there is a stirring in my soul.

 

 

I read an interesting quote this week by Max Lucado that I would like to share with you.

 “Next time a sunrise steals your breath, or a meadow of flower leaves you speechless, remain that way and say nothing, and listenas Heaven whispers, “Do you like it?  I did it just for You,”

         

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Stop That Thief

11 Apr

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

 

His name is “Procrastination”-
a robber of the worst kind.
He will steal precious possessions,
Such as your coveted “peace of mind”.

He whispers lies so subtly
You may be totally unaware
“You can put that off ’till tomorrow-,
Who will know?, “Who will care?”

Opportunities to be successful
are often few and far between!
Be alert to the possibility
that today is the day to be seen.

No successful person is a ” procrastinator”.
Time is of the essence, don’t you see-
“Today is the Day of Salvation”
Proclaims the Lord of Eternity.

If you pile up enough “tomorrows”,
You end up with a lot of empty yesterdays.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus-
He will help you change your ways.

“Tomorrow” is the most deadly word in the Bible.
It is presumptuous, it is reckless-
The word God prefers is “Today”-
Turn your eyes to Jesus, dear friend-
” He is the Truth, the Light, the Way”.

Hebrews 3:13 warns us to exhort one another
“while it is called “Today”

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The Secret to Happiness

4 Apr

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders;

 

We all harbor secrets
(facts set apart)
But I am compelled to share my secret –
It is a grateful heart.

Life presents many challenges –
We agree that this is true.
From birth to the grave circumstances change
And so does our point of view.

I am family oriented.
It was so important to me.
To raise and nurture children with love –
Became my top priority.

It took the death of my first born son
To draw my eyes to the cross.
The Lord didn’t do it to be mean –
Rather, He put meaning to my loss.

God didn’t ask us to understand him.
He only said, “trust and obey.”
I am so grateful for His promises.
He is “the truth, the light, the way.”

Footnote:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you” says the Lord.
“Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a Future and a Hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 World English Bible

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The Joy of Encouragement

21 Mar

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

We can be encouraged by what we hear-
Words are powerful; of this we are aware.
But nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.

It’s wonderous what a hug can do-
A hug can cheer you when you’re blue.
A hug can say, “I love you so”,
or “I sure hate to see you go”.

A hug is, “Welcome back again”-
and “Great to see you, where’ve you been?”
A hug can smoothe a small child’s pain,
and bring a rainbow after rain.

The hug- there’s no doubt about it,
We scarcely could survive without it.
A hug delights, and warms and charms-
It must be why God gave us arms.

Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.
Kittens crave them; puppies love them.
and politicians are not above them.

No need to fret about your store of them-
The more you give, the more there’s more of them.
So stretch those arms without delay,
and give someone a hug today!

The message of this poem is “encouragement”-
When we touch someone with the love of God,
It fills a void;
That is my intent.

We are to encourage one another.
I know that I am encouraged by what I sense,
by what I hear, by what I read.
Reach out and touch someone-
Sense the hunger, sense the need.

Footnote: Learn to build up, not beat up.
The command to encourage one another is found
five times in the New Testament. It’s addressed
to all believers. It is not conditional, it is not optional.
It is a command.

“He climbs highest who helps another up”
Zig Zagler

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Ordinary People Living in Extraordinary Circumstances

14 Mar

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

 

 

I was a “Depression” baby
born in 1929-
Times were hard, jobs were scarce,
but I managed to grow up fine.

My father lost his job at Goodrich,
as the economy took a downward spin.
To put food on the table, he found
a job delivering milk.- much to his chagrin.

Times were hard for the working class,
but they learned to help each other out.
When dad could no longer make payments on our house,
the owner requested that we stay
’til the economy turned about.

Both of my parents had a “sweet tooth”
which they tried to satisfy
Mom would bake her chocolate cakes,
and candied orange slices dad would buy.

A lollipop was a rare treat-
a much appreciated event;
so, if dropped in the dirt,
you brushed it off,
and back in your mouth it went.

We kids found joy in simple pleasures,
like greeting the ‘Ice Man” on delivery day.
Everyone had “Ice boxes” to preserve their food
(no refrigerators on display).

While the Ice Man delivered the
large block of ice to the house.
we would scoop up the chips left behind.
It wasn’t exactly a “snow cone”,
but joy came in whatever form we could find.

No TV, cell phones, or I Pads,
Can you imagine such a catastrophe?
No computers to send e-mails,
and we never heard of a CD.

Letters were written by hand,
so communication was slow.
Mail was delivered direct to your door-
through rain, sleet, or snow.

Doing laundry was an all-day chore,
No automatics,- clothes were put through a ringer,
and you had better pay attention as you worked,
or you could damage a finger.

We had no clothes driers-
Clothes lines were strung in the basement ceiling.
Weather permitting, we hung our wash outside.
(No secrets then, it was all very revealing!)

Sunday afternoons were spent socializing.
Relatives and friends would drop by.
All of this stopped when television came along-
We said “Goodbye” with a sigh.

I thank God for His blessings.
‘though not rich monetarily-
We were rich in all the things that count;
Christ, friends and family!

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Slaying the Giants in Your Life~Destroying Discouragement

7 Mar

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

Can you recognize the enemy?
There’s a battle to be won.
Know who you are fighting-
Your armor is the Son!

There are three ways to live,
Of this there is no doubt:
You can live out-
You can wear out, or
You can burn out!

It is erroneous to say
“working too hard is burnout”-
Working hard “at the right thing”
is what it is all about.

Bring everything out of that “anxiety closet”,
and expose it to the ” Light”-
When looked at as they truly are,
You can put them all to flight!

Emotions are treacherous advisors.
We need to be disciplined to stay on track.
Work can be wonderful therapy;
It will get your confidence back!

The Biblical story of David
can turn your life around.
Get your slingshot ready,
“Discouragement, you are going DOWN”.

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble, Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

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Let it Go

28 Feb

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

What is it that’s bothering you?
Something you should have done,
but failed to do?

Or-

You forgave someone
when they didn’t seem to care?
Perhaps of the pain you felt at the time
they were totally unaware.

If we harbor our resentments,
we can cause an internal traffic jam.
Be kind to yourself and “let it go”-
Say “That’s just not who I am”.

Don’t be like the old man with bended head,
carrying a bag of feathers that he thinks is lead.
Take it to the Lord in prayer-
He is faithful, and He does care.

“I will be your helper, says the Lord, even He who takes up your cause”. Isaiah 41:4

“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

 

It's hard to be happy

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