High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, –and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of –Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air…
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

by John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Time

Time is too slow for those who wait,

too swift for those who fear,

too long for those who grieve,

too short for those who rejoice,

but for those who love,

time is eternity.

by Henry Van Dyke

Change

I’ve been thinking about the word ‘change’ and the effect it has on people….especially in the church. 

I recently heard the song – Mrs Beamish by Richard Stilgoe & Peter Skellern….which has a funny take on change

When I returned from holiday I found this poem about change….about welcoming change, which whilst not as funny as Mrs Beamish is a more positive view of change.

 

WELCOME CHANGE   by Gina Whitacre

Change is inevitable,

But yet we fight it, just the same.

Change is essential to our evolution.

Change is going to happen,

In fact, it happens every day,

Maybe it is too small to see, or perhaps we would rather not see it.

We fight change, because we fight the unknown,

We fight the unknown, because we are scared,

Scared of change, scared of the unknown.

If we were to allow change to happen freely,

We might find solutions to the problems that exist around us,

But instead, we are hung – up on controlling everything around us.

Maybe this is the problem with the world today.

Everyone assumes control of everything and does not allow nature to run her course.

Maybe this is why, we have devastating fall out from Nature,

Natural catastrophic disasters, such as fire and flooding.

We fight change, therefore we are fighting nature and her natural being and her existence in the world that she has created by God’s hand and has graciously allowed us to be a part of .

We should welcome change and allow nature to control our destiny.

Change is uncontrollable,

Change is inevitable,

Change is the unknown.

Nature takes pride in being one of life’s illusive wonders, the unknown. 

 

It just takes one…to make a difference

Author Unknown

If each grain of sand were to say:
One grain does not make a mountain,
There would be no land.

If each drop of water were to say:
One drop does not make an ocean,
There would be no sea.

If each note of music were to say:
Each note does not make a symphony,
There would be no melody.

If each word were to say:
One word does not make a library,
There would be no book.

If each brick were to say:
One brick does not make a wall,
There would be no house.

If each seed were to say:
One seed does not make a field,
There would be no harvest.

If each of us were to say:
One person does not make the difference,
There would never be love and peace on earth.

You and I do make the difference,
Begin today and make the difference.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…. 

Author unknown…

A friend of mine shared this poem with me and said it helped them when their pet died.

She is Gone

I read this at a funeral recently…

 

She Is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

by David Harkins

Part the curtains

I went with the Bishop fo Grantham to a Confirmation Service at St. George’s Church in Stamford.  It was a great service and there was a time of sharing of faith…why the candidates  had chosen to / been called to be confirmed within the service.  Katrina shared this poem she had written:

Part The Curtains

Does not beauty shine forth behind the clouds?

Does not light overrule the darkness?

 

God’s light is like the sun above the clouds,

Always present.

And when the clouds part, does not a banner of hope come forth?

 

A golden beacon,

A candle in the dark.

 

Does not a smile appear upon your face,

At the sight of such beauty and hope?

 

Don’t give up hoping,

Don’t live in despair.

 

Christ is watching from behind the clouds,

Waiting for you to part the curtains,

 And embrace the light.

By Katrina Sissins

Love by Roy Croft

I used this poem in a sermon and found it on this blog, it can also be found on many others and is used at weddings. 

I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;

I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.

Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.

Sharing Pain with Teddy Bear

Teddy, I’ve been bad again,
My Mommy told me so;
I’m not quite sure what I did wrong,
But I thought that you might know.

When I woke up this morning,
I knew that she was mad;
‘Cause she was crying awful hard,
And yelling at my dad.

I tried my best to be real good,
And do just what she said;
I cleaned my room all by myself,
I even made my bed.

But I spilled milk on my good shirt,
When she yelled at me to hurry;
And I guess she didn’t hear me,
When I told her I was sorry.

‘Cause she hit me awful hard, you see,
And called me funny names;
And told me I was really bad,
And I should be ashamed!

When I said, “I love you, Mommy,”
I guess she didn’t understand;
‘Cause she yelled at me to shut my mouth
Or I’d get smacked again.

So I came up here to talk to you,
Please tell me what to do;
‘Cause I really love my Mommy,
And I know she loves me, too.

And I don’t think my Mommy means,
To hit me quite so hard;
I guess sometimes, grown-ups forget
How really big they are!

So Teddy, I wish you were real,
And you weren’t just a bear;
Then you could help me find a way
To tell Mommies everywhere.

To please try hard to understand.
How sad it makes us feel;
‘Cause the outside pain soon goes away,
But the inside never heals!

And if we could make them listen,
Maybe then they’d understand;
So other children just like me,
Wouldn’t have to hurt again.

But for now, I guess I’ll hold you tight,
And pretend the pain’s not there;
I know you’d never hurt me,
So Goodnight, Teddy Bear!

“It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.”
Luke 17:2 NLT

Anon

Funeral Poem

Miss me, but let me go

We’ve known lots of pleasure,

At times endured pain,

We’ve lived in the sunshine

 And walked in the rain.

  

But now we’re separated

And for a time apart,

But I am not alone-

You’re forever in my heart.

 

Death always seems so sudden,

And it is always sure,

But what is oft’ forgotten-

It is not without a cure.

 

There may be times you miss me,

I sort of hope you do,

But smile when you think of me,

For I’ll be waiting for you.

 

Now there’s many things for you to do,

 And lots of ways to grow,

So get busy, be happy,and live your life,

Miss me, but let me go.

  

Anon.