Prayers Can't Be Answered Unless They Are Prayed

I go again to one of the many little books of poetry by Helen Steiner Rice. This one was especially meaningful as I read it today so I'm sharing it with you. It's called Prayers Can't Be Answered Unless They Are Prayed. Of course God knows what we need and want before we ask him, but He wants us to ask. We know what our children need and want but many times we wait for them to ask. I guess maybe God looks at it the same way. Here's the poem:

Life without purpose is barren indeed―
There can't be a harvest unless you plant seed,
There can't be attainment unless there's a goal,
And man's but a robot unless there's a soul . . .
If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,
And unless there's a contest, nobody can win. . .
For games can't be won unless they are played,
And prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed . . .
So whatever is wrong with your life today,
You'll find a solution if you kneel down and pray
Not just for pleasure, enjoyment, and health,
Not just for honors and prestige and wealth . . .
But Pray for a Purpose to make life worth living.
And Pray for the Joy of unselfish giving,
For great is your gladness and Rich your Reward
When you make your Life's Purpose the choice of the Lord.

People are very busy this time of year. I hope you will take some time out of your busy schedule to visit Spiritual Sundays and visit some of the links there. You will be blessed.

So Many Reasons to Love the Lord

Helen Steiner Rice has so many great poems and I have so many books containing her poetry that very often I like to share one of them on my blog. This one really spoke to my heart today so it is the one I'm sharing. It's called "So Many Reasons to Love the Lord." I hope it speaks to your heart as it does to mine.

Thank You, God, for little things

that come unexpectedly

To brighten up a dreary day

that dawned so dismally―

Thank You, God, for sending

a happy thought my way

to blot out my depression

on a disappointing day―

Thank You, God, for brushing

the dark clouds from my mind

And leaving only sunshine

and joy of heart behind.

Oh, God, the list is endless

of things to thank You for

But I take them all for granted 

and unconsciously ignore

that everything I think or do,

each movement that I make,

each measured rhythmic heartbeat

each breath of life I take

Is something you have given me

for which there is no way

for me in all my smallness

to in any way repay.

           - Helen Steiner Rice

I'm sharing on Spiritual Sundays. I hope you will want to do that too.

ANGELS UNAWARES

I don't know about you, but I have often pondered the above scripture and wondered exactly what it meant. I've heard explanations but I still don't really know. It is an intriguing thought though and so I decided to share a poem on the subject by Helen Steiner Rice. 

UNAWARE, WE PASS HIM BY

On life's busy thoroughfares
We meet with angels unawares―
But we are too busy to listen or hear,
Too busy to sense that God is near,
Too busy to stop and recognize
The grief that lies in another's eyes,
Too busy to help or share,
Too busy to sympathize or care
Too busy to do the good things we should,
Telling ourselves we would if we could.
But life is too swift and the pace is too great
And we dare not pause for we might be late
For our next appointment which means so much.
We are willing to brush off the Savior's touch.
And we tell ourselves there will come a day
We will have more time to pause on our way.
But before we know it "life's sun has set"
And we passed the Savior but never met.
For hurrying along life's thoroughfare
We passed Him by and remained unaware
That within the very sight of our eye, Unnoticed, the Son of God passed by.

                                              Helen Steiner Rice 

I was hungry - a Christian perspective
Jesus taught that when we do good deeds for the weak and downtrodden, it's as if we are helping Jesus himself. Here, he makes it clear that he values kindness done to stranger and to those who struggle to make ends meet.
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:35&version=NIV
"The Least of These" in the Bible: Matthew 25:35-41
One of Jesus' most interesting teachings is that our commitment to him can be measured by how we treat other people, especially people who have been rejected by society for one reason or another. If we say we love Jesus but can't be bothered to show love to those in need, how genuine can our love for Jesus really be?
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.25.35-Matt.25.41&version=NIV

Click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many inspiring posts.

SUNSHINE OF JOY

I was wondering what I should post on my blog so I was looking at the books in our bookcase and one of them caught my eye. It was a little Helen Steiner Rice book called Sunshine of Joy. We have so much sunshine here where we live ― not only in the summer but year around. So I took the book down and opened it. I know I have seen this book before because we've had it for years, but we have so many books that I have not looked at it in a long time. It was almost as if I'd never seen it before. Could be my age I guess. I do forget a few things. LOL
Any way, back to the book. My goodness ― so many wonderful poems. The one I chose to share today is called Warm Our Hearts With Thy Love.

Warm Our Hearts With Thy Love

                    Oh God, who made the summer

                              and warmed the earth with beauty,

                    Warm our hearts with gratitude

                              and devotion to our duty.

                    For in this age of violence,

                              rebellion and defiance

                    We've forgotten the true meaning

                              of "dependable reliance."

                    We have lost our sense of duty

                              and our sense of values, too,

                    and what was once unsanctioned

                              no longer is taboo.

                    Our standards have been lowered

                              and we resist all discipline

                    And our vision has been narrowed

                              and blinded to all sin.

                    Oh, put the summer brightness

                              in our closed, unseeing eyes

                    So in the careworn faces

                              that we pass we'll recognize

                    The heartbreak and the loneliness,

                              the trouble and despair

                    That a word of understanding 

                              would make easier to bear.

                    Oh, God, look down on our cold hearts

                              and warm them with Your love,

                    And grant us Your forgiveness

                              which we're so unworthy of.

                                            -Helen Steiner Rice

It is my prayer that God will warm all our hearts with His love. For links to lots of inspirational posts, please click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog.

Father's Are Wonderful People

Happy Father's Day to all father's who read this post. A special Happy Father's Day to the father of my two children. I'm sure they both would tell you they couldn't have asked for a better dad. We will be so blessed to spend this special day with them.

Clif always smiles and even laughs a little when I share a Helen Steiner Rice poem, because back when he was the pastor of our last church and I was secretary we often needed "filler" for our newsletter. He would many times come up with one of her poems. One day I told him I thought we shared too many Helen Steiner Rice poems. Now I'm thinking "maybe not." LOL I think I appreciate her poems more now than I did then. That was over 12 years ago. Anyway, now I find myself sharing many of her poems on my blog. Here's one about fathers.

Fathers Are Wonderful People

                              Fathers are wonderful people
                                   too little understood,
                              And we do not sing their praises
                                   as often as we should . . .
                              And fathers struggle daily
                                   to live up to "his image"
                              As protector and provider  
                                   and "hero of the scrimmage" . . .
                              And perhaps that is the reason
                                   we sometimes get the notion
                              That fathers are not subject
                                   to the thing we call emotion,
                              But if you look inside Dad's heart,
                                   where no one else can see,
                              You'll find he's sentimental
                                   and as "soft" as he can be. . .
                              Fathers are just wonderful
                                   in a million different ways,
                              And they merit loving compliments
                                   and accolades of praise,
                              For the only reason Dad aspires
                                   to fortune and success
                              Is to make the family proud of him
                                   and to bring them happiness.
                              And like Our Heavenly Father,
                                   he's a guardian and a guide,
                              Someone that we can count on
                                   to be always on our side.
                                               - Helen Steiner Rice

Spiritual Sundays is a place where many people go each week to share a spiritual/inspirational post on their blogs by linking there. If you are not familiar with Spiritual Sundays I hope you will go there now by clicking right HERE. You might want to leave a comment first, and then go there.

          

MY GOD IS NO STRANGER

It's June. Can it really be June already? Yes, time is marching on. Mother's Day is past, Memorial Day 2012 is history, and soon it will be Father's Day. No, this is not going to be a Father's Day post. Well, maybe in a way it is. Every day is Father's Day if you think of it like this: God is our Father and every day is His day. I was wondering what to post for Spiritual Sundays for this week, and as I often do, I picked up one of Helen Steiner Rice's books of poetry. I still can't believe she wrote so many wonderful poems. The first one my eyes fell on when I opened the book was a poem entitled My God Is No Stranger. So ― guess what? That's the one I'm sharing today. I hope it will be a blessing to you as it is to me.

My God Is No Stranger

God is no stranger in a faraway place,
He's as close as the wind that blows 'cross my face.
It's true I can't see the wind as it blows
But I feel it around me and my heart surely knows
That God's mighty hand can be felt every minute
For there is nothing on earth that God isn't in it ―
The sky and the stars, the waves and the sea,
The dew on the grass, the leaves on a tree
Are constant reminders of God and His nearness,
Proclaiming His presenced with crystal like clearness.
So how could I think God was far, far away
When I feel Him beside me every hour of the day?
And I've plenty of reasons to know God's my Friend
And this is one friendship that time cannot end!
                                Helen Steiner Rice

 A special "thank you" to all who share with us each week on Spiritual Sundays. A special "thank you" to all who "liked" that blog on Facebook. And a special "thank you" to those who went to the Spiritual Sundays Facebook page and "liked" that too. You are all so special to me. Click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

                   

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

                    by Kelly Strong

                    I watched the flag pass by one day.

            It fluttered in the breeze.
            A young Marine saluted it,
            and then he stood at ease.
            I looked at him in uniform
            So young, so tall, so proud,
            He'd stand out in any crowd.
            I thought how many men like him
            Had fallen through the years.
            How many died on foreign soil?
            How many mothers' tears?
            How many pilots' planes shot down?
            How many died at sea?
            How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
            No, freedom isn't free.

            I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
            When everything was still
            I listened to the bugler play
            And felt a sudden chill.
            I wondered just how many times
            That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
            When a flag had draped a coffin
            Of a brother or a friend.
            I thought of all the children,  
            Of the mothers and the wives,
            Of fathers, sons and husbands
            With interrupted lives.
            I thought about a graveyard
            At the bottom of the sea
            Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
                           No, freedom isn't free.

In reading this poem and thinking about this holiday, I am reminded that freedom definitely is not free. I'm reminded of the great price the Son of God paid for our freedom from sin. Memorial Day has a special meaning for me because it was on Memorial Day 1948 that I was baptized. That was definitely one of the best days of my life and one I will never forget even though that was many years ago and I was just 11 years old.  

For links to lots of inspirational posts, please click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog.

God's Jewels

Sunday is Mother's Day and like so many who do not have their mother with them here on this earth, I was feeling nostalgic when I was looking for a poem to share for the occasion. I opened up one of Helen Steiner Rice's books on poetry and the first page I opened up to was a poem entitled God's Jewels. Before I read the poem, I thought to myself. That describes my mother. She certainly was and is one of God's Jewels. So I'm dedicating this to my precious mother who left this earth in 1999.

GOD'S JEWELS

            We watch the rich and famous
          Bedecked in precious jewels,
          Enjoying earthly pleasures,
          Defying moral rules—
          And in our mood of discontent
          We sink into despair
          And long for earthly riches
          And feel cheated of our share—
          But stop these idle musings,
          God has stored up for you
          Treasures that are far beyond
          Earth's jewels and riches, too—
          But never, never discount
          What God has promised man
          If he will walk in meekness
          And accept God's flawless plan—
          For if we heed His teachings
          As we journey through the years,
          We'll find the richest jewels of all
          Are crystalized from tears.

                                - Helen Steiner Rice 

I think one of the reasons this reminded me of my mother is because she never had very many earthly possessions but she had great faith and lots of love to share. The older I get the more I realize how short this life is and the importance of storing up treasures above as the Bible says to do. My mother had a lot of treasure stored up above and I believe she is enjoying it now. But I also believe the greatest treasure she has is being with her Lord.

I hope you will visit the Spiritual Sundays blog. You will find many many links to wonderful inspiring posts. Just click HERE to go there.

God's Love Endures Forever

Another dear friend in his 90s went home to be with the Lord this week. I'm sharing the following poem by Helen Steiner Rice in memory of him.

God's Love Endures Forever

God's love endureth forever ―

    What a wonderful thing to know.

When the tides of life turn against you

     and your spirit is downcast and low.

God's kindness is ever around you,

     always ready to freely impart

Strength to your faltering spirit,

     cheer to your lonely heart.

God's presence is ever beside you,

     as near as the reach of your hand.

You have but to tell Him your troubles,

     there is nothing He won't understand.

And knowing God's love is unfailing,

     and His mercy unending and great,

You have but to trust in His promise ―

     God comes not too soon or too late.

So wait with a heart that is patient

     for the goodness of God to prevail.

For never do prayers go unanswered,

     and His mercy and love never fail.

And the following quote by HSR

God never said die not, sorrow not, or suffer not, but He did say, 'Fear not!' And when you take the fear out of life, then all the terrible experiences ― all the trials and all the suffering ― become bearable.

I hope you will visit Spiritual Sundays. So many wonderful inspirational posts are shared there each week. Here is the url:  http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving

I found the following poem/prayer online and wanted to share it with you.

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing 

Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited

Amen!

--Scott Wesemann

I especially like the last part of the prayer. I want to make it my prayer as well. 

Thank you for letting me share with you. Please visit Spiritual Sundays where many inspirational posts are shared each week. Click HERE to go to that blog.

OPEN MY EYES

A FAVORITE PRAYER OF HELEN STEINER RICE

God, open my eyes so I may see
And feel Your presence close to me.
Give me strength for my stumbling feet
As I battle the crowd on life's busy street.
And widen the vision of my unseeing eyes,
So in passing faces I'll recognize
Not just a stranger, unloved and unknown.
But a friend with a heart that is much like my own.
Give me perception to make me aware
That scattered profusely on life's thoroughfare
Are the best gifts of God that we daily pass by
As we look at the world with an unseeing eye.

I pray God will open the eyes of my heart to see others as He sees them. Even more important is to have eyes that see Him. This is also my prayer and I think the video expresses it very well.


To everyone who came here from Spiritual Sundays you have my heartfelt thanks. If not, I hope you will visit Spiritual Sundays. I promise you that you will be blessed.

IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

Following In His Footsteps

When someone does a kindness

it always seems to me

That's the way God up in heaven

would like us all to be.

For when we bring some pleasure

to another human heart

We have followed in His footsteps

and we've had a little part

In serving Him who loves us . . .

for I'm very sure it's true

That in serving those around us

we serve and please Him too.

- Helen Steiner Rice

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer up somebody else.

- Mark Twain

Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 
Matthew 25:39-41 (in Context) Matthew 25 (Whole Chapter)

Today is the first time I've hosted Spiritual Sundays by myself. I'll have to admit it feels a little lonely. But all the encouraging comments from so many has really helped. I know Ginger appreciates all the encouragement she has received also. You have blessed both of our lives so much.

ROSES

I don't know about you, but I'm glad God created roses. And for me, it is especially pink roses.

I like this poem by Helen Steiner Rice.

Roses Always Make a

Garden a Bit More Lovely

Like roses in a garden,

kindness fills the air

With a certain bit of sweetness

as it touches everywhere.

For kindness is a circle 

that never, never ends

But just keeps ever-widening

in the circle of our friends.

For happiness is only found

in bringing it to others

And thinking of the folks next door

as sisters and as brothers.

For the more you give, the more you get

is proven every day.

And so to get the most from life

you must give yourself away.

And if this greedy world today

would only start to give

Life everywhere for everyone

would be more sweet to live.

Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Luke 10:26-28 (in Context) Luke 10 (Whole Chapter)


John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-36 (in Context) John 13 (Whole Chapter)

Each week as I read what others have shared on Spiritual Sundays I am reminded of the love that is shown. Thank you to all who share there each week. Be sure to go to that blog to find out how we can show our love for others by being a part of the Miracle Makeover that is coming up next month.

Help Us To See and Understand

In trying to decide what to share this week for Spiritual Sundays, I ran across a little book that was given to me many years ago by a secret sister. Through the years, off and on, at the different churches we've been with, there has been a "secret sister" program. The little book is called Blossoms of Friendship, a collection of poems by Helen Steiner Rice. Inside the book was a cute little card revealing who that secret sister was. Her name is Jane Jones. I haven't seen Jane in several years and it was nice to recall our relationship of the past. The poem I chose was one called

Help Us To See and Understand.

God, give us wider vision

to see and understand

That both the sun and showers

are gifts from Thy great hand.

And when our lives are overcast

with trouble and with care,

Give us the faith to see beyond

the dark clouds of despair.

Teach us that it takes the showers

to make the flowers grow

And only in the storms of life

when the winds of trouble blow

Can man, too, reach maturity

and grow in faith and grace

And gain the strength and courage

to enable him to face

Sunny days as well as rain,

high peaks as well as low,

Knowing that the April showers

will make the May flowers grow.

And then at last may we accept

the sunshine and the showers,

Confident it takes them both

to make salvation ours!

As I stated at the beginning of this post, I'm sharing this on Spiritual Sundays. I hope you will go there and be blessed by reading what so many others have shared.

Mothers and Angels

Yes, I know, mothers are people, not angels. Sometimes when you have a mother as special and precious as mine was, you almost think of them as angels. I found this poem online and thought it described my mother so I wanted to share it here.

My mother left this earth over 11 years ago. I still miss her especially on special occasions like Mother's Day. The following picture of my mother and me was taken in the 1960s. I still remember this special day. I made my dress and the one my mother is wearing for Mother's Day that year. My dear Hubby bought the corsages for us. 

One of the things I appreciated most about my mother was her love for God, Jesus, and the church. Everyone who knew my mother loved her. She showed genuine interest in everyone she met. In fact, she used to drive me a little crazy when she would start telling me about someone she knew who I hardly knew or didn't know at all, and she would go into detail telling me all about something going on in their lives. I would think, "I don't care." "I don't even know these people." She was interested in everybody. I mean, it wasn't like she just did this once in awhile. She did it all the time. Now I wish she was here to tell me some of her stories. I have the feeling that when I see her in heaven she will have lots of stories about lots of people she has met there to tell me about. It will be a wonderful time. I totally look forward to it. 

I'm sharing this for Spiritual Sundays this week. You can click HERE to go to that blog. So many wonderful people share their hearts with us there. I hope you will check it out if you are not familiar with Spiritual Sundays.

SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Spring is in the air. I think people in general are happier to see spring come this year than anytime in the recent years. Maybe it's because winter has been so brutal in many parts of the country. Anyway, I was thinking "Spring" when deciding what to share for Spiritual Sundays this week and decided to share the following poem by Helen Steiner Rice.

The Seasons of the Soul

Why am I cast down and despondently sad

When I long to be happy and joyous and glad?

Why is my heart heavy with unfathomable weight

As I try to escape this soul-saddened state?

I ask myself often what makes life this way?

Why is the song silenced in the heart that was gay?"

And then with God's help it all becomes clear.

The soul has its seasons just the same as the year.

I too must pass through life's autumn of dying,

A desolate period of heart-hurt and crying,

Followed by winter in whose frostbitten hand

My heart is as frozen as the snow-covered land.

Yes, man too must pass through the seasons God sends,

Content in the knowledge that everything ends.

                             - Helen Steiner Rice 

 

 

Please join us each weekend at Spiritual Sundays to share inspiration and encouragement.

Click HERE to go to that blog. 

KEYS TO LOVE

Matthew 22:36-38 (Today’s New International Version, ©2005)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment.

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. If we would love others the way we love ourselves, it would solve a lot of problems. I like the following poem written by Robert M. Millay.

      THE KEYS TO LOVE

      The key to love is understanding . . .

           the ability to comprehend

           not only the spoken word,

           but those unspoken gestures,

           the little things that say

           so much by themselves.

     The key to love is forgiveness . . . 

           to accept each other's faults

           and pardon mistakes,

           without forgetting ―

           but with remembering

           what you learn from them.

     The key to love is trust . . . 

           though dark doubts

           lay in hollowed thoughts,

           it must shine brightly on

           with reassuring radiance

           that suppresses fear with faith.

     The key to love is sharing . . . 

           facing your good fortunes

           as well as the bad, together;

           both conquering problems ―

           forever searching for ways

           to intensify your happiness . . .

     The key to love is giving . . .

           without thought of return,

           but with the hope of just

           a simple smile

           and by giving-in, but never up.

  

     The key to love is respect . . .

           realizing that you are 

           two separate people

           with different ideas;

           that you don't belong to each other,

           but that you belong with each other

           and share a mutual bond.

     The key to love is inside us all . . .

           it takes time and patience 

           to unlock all the ingredients

           that will take you to its threshold;

           it is a continual learning process

           that demands a lot of work . . . 

           but the rewards are more than

           worth the effort . . . 

               And you

                    are the key

                         to me.

― Robert M. Millay

I hope everyone has a great weekend and a great Spiritual Sunday. Please go to that blog for links to many inspirational posts.