From My Heart
Louise Gibson
Lynn, Janice and Louise
My daughters and I are bonded in love.
as we stand at the foot of the cross..
Each is blessed in so many ways-
Yet all have suffered loss.
Everyone is surrounded by distractions every day.
It can be easy to let them cloud our vision.
Keep your focus on Christ, dear friend.
It will help you make the right decision.
When you come to know Him,
Constant and abiding, always the same,
Bring glory, praise and honor
to His precious name..
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
Written applause carries a special
power all its own.
It is tangible evidence of appreciation
that can never be overthrown.
Penned praise can be savored.
It can bring joy to a heart.
Email may be a time saver –
But a handwritten note is set apart.
Has someone done you a favor,
even “gone the extra mile?”
Touch their heart with a letter
It makes their effort worthwhile.
We don’t do “good works” to be praised,
that is truly not our intention.
God created us to serve our fellow man.
It is heartfelt intervention.
“H-m-m-m Wait a minute, please!”
This lady has changed her mind –
While penning my thoughts I received 3 emails,
Each one of a kind.
One, especially, touched my heart.
Its words I want to savor.
I simply pushed the “print” button
And did myself a favor.
The lesson I just learned is so true.
It isn’t important “how” your communicate –
Just be sure you do!
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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”
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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)
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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,”
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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”
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
;
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
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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
From My Heart
Louise Gibson
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.
Old Things R New 