From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Somewhere there is a place for me
A place I have a need to be.
A new plateau, a goal to meet-
Purpose, direction, without defeat.
Oh, God, give me strength to greet each day
With a cheerful countenance, don’t let me sway.
Please let me focus on the issues of life
That bring joy to others-
to relieve their strife.
To have victory over the enemy called Fear-
the energy and stamina to persevere.
Painting by DiVoran Lites
Source: Reflections of the Heart: February 2007
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
FEBRUARY 3, 2007
Pigeons are not on my list of favorite creatures-
They destroy my peace of mind.
The feeder in my yard was dwarfed by pigeons of every kind.
They came each day and flapped their wings
as they fought for a position.
The feedeer was too small, you see,
which affected their disposition.
My patio used to be a placeof quietness and contentment
Until the pigeons came in droves
and filled me with resentment.
“Lord”, I cried, “I need your help.
I cannot stand their spats.”
The Lord obliged, to my chagrin
and sent, instead, eight cats.
No squirrels, no birds, they fled in fear-
The cats, you see, do domineer.
Now you find no pigeons on Chipola.
God sent them all to Lake Eola!
Source: Reflections of the Heart: The Trade-Off
My Take
DiVoran Lites
Thank you for the sunshine, and for the Heavenly breeze.
Thank you for the clouds, and thank you for the trees.
Thank you for your Spirit, who loves me all my days.
Thank you for my soul, which overflows with praise.
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
A thankful heart causes us to look upward.
It causes us to look around,
and causes us to look within
where the peace of God is found.
The number one secret to happiness
is a grateful heart.
Beginning our day with a prayer of gratitude
brings tranquility from the start.
Fear is the father of failure-
a negative emotion, to be sure.
Replace it with a positive thought.
Failure you will no longer endure.
“When we choose not to focus on
what is missing from our life,
but are grateful for the abundance that
is present, we experience Heaven on earth.”
Author unknown.
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
A young man walking through a cemetery came across this epitaph
written on a tombstone:“Pause, stranger, when you pass me by-
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be-
Prepare yourself to follow me.”
His reply: “To follow you, I’m not content-
Until I know which way you went!”
If you want to follow someone,
follow Christ, my friend.
He will lead you into paths of righteousness,
and His mercy has no end.
What we think about heaven
determines how we live today.
We can easily be led away from God’s purpose
if we do not steadfastly pursue His way.
When things go wrong, as they often do–
How do you respond-
Do you pray it through?
It may depend on your expectancy.
Did you implore the Lord your need to see?
Patience, dear friend,
the Lord knows our needs before we even ask Him.
He will supply those needs no matter how stark or grim.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and
Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Titus 2:11-13
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Life is serious, of this we all agree-
but experience has taught me,
one’s health is improved with glee.
These brought a smile to me.
I hope they do the same for you
Those wonderful church bulletins are back.
Thank God for church ladies who type.
These sentences actually appeared in
church bulletins or were announced
at church services.
Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale.
It’s a chance to get rid of those things
around the house that are not worth keeping.
Bring your husbands.
Don’t let worry kill you – let the church help.
Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I will not pass this way again”,
giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married
on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship
that began in their school days.
The church will host an evening of fine dining,
super entertainment and gracious hostility.
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Prayer
and medication to follow.
The ladies of the church have cast off clothing
of every kind. They may be seen in the basement
on Friday afternoon.
: – )
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
When we wake up in the morning
there is promise in the air.
We don’t know what the day will bring,
but the expectancy is there.
The time to be happy is now.
We have this day to explore.
Every day is a special occasion-
What are you waiting for??
Commentary:
There are two days in every week that
we shouldn’t worry about.One is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.
Yesterday has gone, and we can’t bring it back.
We can’t undo a single act we performed
or erase a single word we’ve said.
The other day we shouldn’t worry about
is tomorrow. That, too, is beyond our control.
Tomorrow’s sun will rise either in splendor
or masked by clouds, but it will rise. Until it
does, we have no stake in tomorrow, since it is yet unborn.
That leaves just one day–today.
My Take
DiVoran Lites
I call you beloved. Dear you are mine.
I love you. I need you. You are so fine.
I call you mortal ‘cause human you are.
Each time you follow, I send you a star.
Together we conquer sadness and pain.
When it’s all over, our bond will remain.
I’ll never leave or forsake you, that’s sure.
For all your troubles, dear, I have the cure.
Look for my tangible work in your world.
Inside your soul flies my spirit unfurled.
Photo by DiVoran
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Y Y U R
YYUB
ICUR
YY4ME
Interpretation:
Too wise you are,
Too wise you be.
I see you are
too wise for me.
The young woman hiding
in this old body
came out to have some fun.
Please join in the levity-
the battle is already won!
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Years ago an anonymous writer penned
a short poem about the merit of measuring
our words.
“A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird.”
There is a connection between wisdom
and limiting what we say.
It is wise to be a good listener,
while holding our tongue at bay,
Be sensitive to the needs of the one
you are speaking to.
Listen to what their heart is saying
before expressing your point of view.
Footnote:
Although there is a time to be quiet
and a time to speak (Eccl.3:7),
choosing to speak less allows us to
hear more.
Old Things R New 