Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for May, 2014

Quote

The Gospel Acco…

The Gospel According to You

The Gospel According to You

 

There’s a sweet old story translated for man,
     But writ in the long, long ago –
The Gospel according to Mark, Luke and John –
     Of Christ and His mission below.

Men read and admire the gospel of Christ,
     With its love so unfailing and true;
But what do they say, and what do they think
     Of the gospel according to you?

‘Tis a wonderful story, that gospel of love,
     As it shines in the Christ-life divine;
And oh that its truth might be told again
     In the story of your life and mine.

Unselfishness mirrors in every scene;
     Love blossoms on every sod;
And back from its vision the heart comes to tell
     The wonderful goodness of God.

You’re writing each day a letter to me;
     Take care that the writing is true;
‘Tis the only gospel that some men will read –
     The gospel according to you.

 

No poet was given credit for authoring this beautiful poem. It was on a clipping in the same page in the “Dictionary of the Holy Bible” where “Be Still, And Know” was found –  An 1859 edition that had belonged to my husband’s maternal grandfather. On the back of this clipping was an article dated June 4, 1926. Another treasure, indeed!

May your life and mine be a credit and a beacon that shines bright the love of the Gospel. Let our God be praised!

Amen?

Written

on May 19, 2014

Quote

Be Still, and K…

Be Still, and Know…

“Be Still, and Know”

a poem by Maude Dillard Fryer

Since I have learned the art of being still
Before the Lord, patiently to wait His will,
There have come sweet release
From fevered fret and worry; peace
That I never knew before; calm
That is an anodyne, a healing balm.

The yesterdays are in His hand,
And though I may not fully understand
All that they brought, there is today,
Fresh and good and fair. I pray
I may have grace to keep it free
From anxious thought of what for me
Tomorrow holds. And so I will,
Since He commands, wait and be still.

 

I discovered the above poem this morning in a book I inherited from my mother-in-law more than two decades ago. The book, published in 1859 and recorded in the Clerk’s office in the District Court for the Southern District of New York, belonged to my husband’s maternal grandfather, Frank Arthur Foote. His own gorgeous calligraphy-type signature is on the inside second page with the date, Nov. 8, 1881 scribed below it. It was a providential nudge (do you ever get those?) that caused me to take it off the shelf and open it this morning. Barely visible on the tattered spine, the book is titled, “Dictionary of the Holy Bible.” I was reading my devotionals and came to a word, anodyne. It was unfamiliar to me. Looking for a Webster’s dictionary, I spied the Bible dictionary and thought I might find the mysterious word in there. As I opened the book, a yellowish, almost crisp piece of an old newspaper clipping tumbled out from the page. It had been in the book so long that page 270 was faded a brownish shade in the spot where the clipping had been. I stared in disbelief at the clipping as I read the poem. Go back and read the 6th line again. There it is… anodyne. Defined.

God works in mysterious ways.

 

 

Be still, and know…

Psalm 46:10

Written

on May 18, 2014

Young and Old

I shared that cup of tea with a friend my age today, savoring the time together, enjoying her presence without expectations, recalling sad times no longer filled with pain. It was pure pleasure. Such a blessing… old friends! 🙂

Category:

Love

Ennis, Montana

Our little town of Ennis, Montana has in it some of the most interesting people in the world. There are less than 1000 residents in the city limits. Another 1000 (perhaps) live in the surrounding area of Madison County.

They come from all over the United States and from every background imaginable. I am constantly amazed as I get to know people at what their previous (or other) life involved (involves).

Many of them are part-time residents who come here to hunt, fish, golf, hike, ski, or take a break and enjoy the gorgeous scenery seasonally. It’s a relaxing, slow-paced place; a little like stepping back fifty years in time.

People here are friendly, inclusive, and welcoming. A typical first question is, “Where are you from?” Montana natives are far outnumbered – hard to come by! A treasured rarity! But because they welcome us “transplants” with open arms, strangers aren’t strangers for long.

There are more than 50 service organizations in Madison County. Each of them, from the Woman’s Club (👍yup, spelled singular on purpose) to the Lion’s Club, the Aquatic Club to the History Association, the various churches (7 of them) to the Friends of the Library and the Madison County Writers’ Group, all are anxious to help people find a way to serve, to connect, to feel a sense of purpose and belonging.

In his daily devotional, Rick Warren (author of The Purpose Driven Life) wrote today, “… being a member means being a vital organ in a body, an indispensable, interconnected part… ” Quoting from Romans 12:4-5, he reminded us, “We are created for community. Don’t just come, belong!”

It’s such a privilege to BELONG to a community where folks are encouraged and welcomed and valued. You might think such a place only existed in “The Good Old Days.” Guess again. Come to Ennis, Montana! It’s a place where The Wild West still is. The deer and the antelope roam. And the sky is not cloudy all day!

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Don’t just come. BELONG!

Category:

Living in Harmony, Serving One Another, Travel

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