Sermons We See

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I' rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing, but examples are always clear;
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

Edgar A. Guest

This Is A Daily Reminder

This Is A Daily Reminder

© Nicolette

This is a daily reminder
To relax
To not get angry over small things
To stay calm

This is a daily reminder
To be yourself
To not care what people think
To know you can be anything

This is a daily reminder
To love yourself
To not hurt yourself
To not work yourself up

This is a daily reminder
That you are beautiful
That you are amazing
That you will succeed

This is a daily reminder
To always have hope
To have faith
To know everything will be okay

This is a daily reminder
That you have made it so far already
That you haven't given up
That whatever you're doing is right
And that you are going to be amazing

Don't give up
Keep holding on and believing

You Will Never See Me Fall

You may see me struggle 

but you won't see me fall.
Regardless if I'm weak or not
I'm going to stand tall.

Everyone says life is easy
but truly living it is not.
Times get hard,
people struggle
and constantly get put on the spot.

I'm going to wear the biggest smile
even though I want to cry.
I'm going to fight to live
even though I'm destined to die.

And even though it's hard
and I may struggle through it all.
You may see me struggle...
but you will NEVER see me fall.

Sodom and Gomorrah
By Wayne Hinton
April 28, 2015

Isaiah says without the LORD of hosts 
We would have become like Sodom,
Had he not left to us a very small remnant,
Who hold fast to “Thy kingdom come”

I can’t really think of more to say
Because in this world around us
We can’t get much closer to Sodom
There’s little more to discuss.

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE

William Shakespeare

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. 

What Can I Do?

WHAT CAN I DO?

by Wayne Hinton

April 26, 2015

Looking back over my seventy-one years, it is clear

That many things have remained the same.

What I liked and disliked in my younger days

I still feel is not much more than a head game.

Running fast in track meets was rewarding.

I enjoyed baseball and life in the country.

A starry, starry night is relaxing

And who doesn’t love a day that is sunny.

After my love of God and His ways,

My family is most important.

Of all the things I have experienced

Those have been the most constant.

Aging and illnesses have taken a lot away.

And it is so tempting to dwell on those things

That I can no longer do like when I was young

Yet I can still wait to see what tomorrow brings.

The business world taught me a lot

That no class room could ever do.

I try to learn from everything I have done

Selling real estate taught me, too.

I can no longer be effective in any job

No matter how hard I might try.

I know some my age that have recoiled from life

And sit around waiting to die.

Not me. Oh, no. I’ve never been that way.

To give up or to quit

Although to be totally honest,

It’s not always easy, I admit.

A dear friend and I have talked about

The physical trials we have been through.

Why we are still alive on earth can only mean

There is something else God wants us to do.

As the days go by and opportunities arise

It is important, it seems to me,

To take advantage of each and every one.

Even when the impact is hard to see.

I believe that God has a purpose and plan

For each and every person on earth.

And how we face each days challenges

He judges us for what we are worth.

So, I will try to relax and enjoy each day

Whether rainy or sunny, it doesn’t matter.

I will ask for Gods’ direction for me

And keep it in view; not let it scatter.

I’ve heard it said that the best way to learn

Is to teach others what you know.

So I plan to pass along what I have learned

To anyone wanting to grow.

If that is all I can do with my life

For whatever time I have on earth

To teach and to learn is important to God

And how we should live since our birth.

Abou Ben Adhem

Abou Ben Adhem

James Henry Leigh Hunt

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered "The names of those who love the Lord."
"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still, and said "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

Death be not proud

Death be not proud

John Donne

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die. 

No man is an Island

No man is an Island

John Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee. 

Are There Angels

Are There Angels© Kathy J Parenteau

Are there angels here beside us as we journey life's winding road,
Sent from heaven here to guide us along
future paths unknown?

I saw an angel in my dream with an
iridescent smile,
raven hair, delicate wings and a
warm angelic style.

She bore a sweet resemblance to
someone I used to know,
but the era had lapsed, long since passed, for the winds of time do blow.

She told me of a heavenly land, a
paradise she claimed,
that awaits the souls of everyone who
worships God's name.

She showed me living waters baring
life of endless flow,
unconditional love for our master above
a place where streets are paved in gold.

And when my dream came to an end she
kissed me tenderly,
whispered we'll soon meet again when
God feels it's meant to be.

In the morning I awakened to the
dawning of the day,
with my spirit a glow for I'd been
kissed by a rose,
in this dream I'll cherish till my
dying day.

Yes angels walk beside us however
unbelievable it seems,
sent from heaven here to guide us
even in our dreams.

Patience

Patience

by Wayne Hinton

4/21/2015

Patience is a strange phenomenon when we take pause

To consider what it means to each of us.

At times we are convinced that we

Are the only people in the world with a surplus.

Like many of us, I have analyzed my own level

Of patience as it applies to me.

Most of my life I have felt that my patience with people,

Was as strong as it can be.

I’ve searched the Bible to see what God expects

And have found that patience is a product

Of the testing of one’s faith in God

And we show it by our own conduct.

My focus was on verses from Solomon,

The greatest teacher and wisest of all,

And James, who gave my cursory looks

Comfort that I had the wherewithal.

I had been through two cancers and treatments

That they brought along with them.

Then with my heart damaged I had more to learn

And health concerns became more solemn.

Another year went by and I was feeling fairly well

When new challenges appeared

That required a serious test of patience

I did not do well as the new treatments reared.

It wasn’t until a few days later

That I was able to get a new revelation

When I saw a movie about Jesus Christ

And the torturing that was done.

Jesus’ back was raw and bleeding,

Yet He never said a word

The thorns on His head were more

Than most men could encounter.

While carrying His cross it was clear

That the pain and suffering were too much

For any human being to endure

It would be too painful to even touch.

As He went through this terrible ordeal,

It became too personal for my being.

As I understood Christ’s patience

That qualified Him to be King.

“Lord, grant me patience – right now”

We joke when our needs are not so great.

Our faith alone should give us what we need,

Yet in life’s challenges we simply can’t relate.

James said we should count it all joy

When you fall into various trials,

Knowing that testing produces patience.

Even when our physical body wails.

Some have said I am strong but they don’t know

The weakness I feel every day

Compared to the afflictions that Jesus

Suffered to show us His Way.

My patience will never come close to His

As I go through these days and nights.

So I must rely on His strength

To carry me when I face my fights.

A Thorny Rose

A Thorny Rose

© Kirston D. Warfield

Our life is like a thorny rose
Not perfect, but always beautiful
The thorns represent the hardships in our lives.
The delicate red petals represent the fun and beautiful things in our lives.
As a young rose the petals hugging around the seed
are the family and friends who protect, love, and care for us.

Teach Me, Lord

© Heather Flood

Teach me, Lord,
What I don't know
Show me which way
And where to go
Alone I stumble
Alone I fall
But your gentle voice
Leads through it all
Take my hand
Light my way
Be my beacon
Night and day
I am weak
And sometimes so low
But you give me strength
And make me whole
Teach me, Lord and Father,
Your child has become like new
Empty me of myself
So I can live for you

Faith and Courage In Life

Faith and Courage In Life

© Angie Flores

In life there are people that will hurt us and cause us pain,
but we must learn to forgive and forget and not hold grudges.

In life there are mistakes we will make,
but we must learn from our wrongs and grow from them.

In life there are regrets we will have to live with,
but we must learn to leave the past behind and realize it is something we can't change.

In life there are people we will loose forever and can't have back,
but we must learn to let go and move on.

In life there are going to be obstacles that will cause interference,
but we must learn to overcome these challenges and grow stronger.

In life there are fears that will hold us back from what we want,
but we must learn to fight them with the courage from within.

God holds our lives in his hands. He holds the key to our future.
Only he knows our fate.

He see's everything and knows everything.
Everything in life really does happen for a reason: "God's Reason".