SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

-- Luke 6:38 (RSV)

Heart Gifts

It's not the things that can be bought

that are life's richest treasure,

It's just the little "heart gifts"

that money cannot measure...

A cheerful smile, a friendly word,

a sympathetic nod

Are 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.

                    - Helen Steiner Rice
Here's something you probably didn't know about Mrs. Rice. I just read it in one of her books.

Mrs Rice married a wealthy Dayton, Ohio, banker in 1929, but their marriage ended in tragedy. Distraught by losses that resulted from the stock market collapse, her husband took his own life. In 1931 Mrs. Rice joined Gibson Greeting Cards in Cincinnati. A short time later, she was named editor of the company's card line and for the next 50 years she wrote literally millions of verses for greeting cards. She was also a great motivator of the company's sales force. When speaking to the salesmen, she told them a legend entitled, "The Windows of Gold." It was so well received that she later put the little story into verse.

Be sure to visit our Spiritual Sundays blog for links to more posts. We hope you will want to be one of the participants.