Children remind us to treasure the smallest of gifts, even in the most difficult of times.
When times get tough, at some point, people instinctively know they need to lighten up in order to get through it.
Allen Klein Quotes
Reply
Tag Archives: children
Charles Swindoll Quote
The two most important tools of parenting are time and touch. Listen to your boys and girls, look them in the eye, put your arms around them, hug them close, tell them how valuable they are.
From Proverbs 20:7: “The righteous walk in integrity—happy are the children who follow them!”
Numbing Journey
Breathing in silence
Poverty living
Suffocating life
Empty, ungiving
Living with little
Sadly, no escape
Seeing no future
Desolate landscape
Bonding together
Despite life’s darkness
Overcoming much
Home lives with starkness
Searching, any job
Family needs food
Tasting emptiness
Life feeling so skewed
Thinking of future
Numbing journey calls
Shattering each dream
Poverty’s pitfalls
Facing each crisis
Today’s worries leave
Finding work again
Hope now smiles, believe
Different levels of poverty strike the world everywhere. Some areas face more daunting challenges than others. Here are a few sobering statistics:
- Ten percent the world lives in extreme poverty.
- For every 1,000 children born, 39 will die before reaching five years of age.
- Over 60 million children, ages 6-11, are not attending school.
- Seventy-five percent of extreme poverty is found in Africa and Asia.
- About one third of the world’s least developed countries are the least churched in the world.
Cherished Treasures
From Mark 10:14:16: “‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Our children and grandchildren
Grace fills their nurturing love
For generations to come
With God calling out with love
Young, innocent, and fragile
Our youth require constant love
Their welfare rests in our hands
With God sending lasting love
Our decisions beg wisdom
Cherished treasures need our love
Number “One” priority
With God shielding through His love
Unselfish, humble adults
Time to step forward with love
Our angry wrangling at rest
With God moving hearts with love
Common sense should always lead
Precious children seek our love
Misplaced actions now buried
With God dispatching His love
From 1 Corinthians 13:11-13: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
As a community, we are called by God to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of our children and grandchildren. There can be no greater calling when we are encouraged by the love and grace of our Heavenly Father.
Circle of Life
Children and grandchildren
Each fills precious treasure
Hug this “Circle of Life”
Family time’s pleasure
Watching young daughters grow
Teaching lessons of love
Taking delight each day
Dad, where’s my softball glove?
Time moves much too quickly
Each day shares its rewards
Daughters become women
“Circle of Life” records
Transforming life’s landscape
Mastering how to crawl
Cherishing grandchildren
Grandpa, will you play ball?
Robust “Circle of Life”
Family roster grows
Memories made each day
Lifetime’s delightful rose
Some of the best poems are written from from the heart. Such is the case with this poem; created from just a thought about family and its blessings. My wife and I have been blessed with five daughters between our Montana and Ohio families. Our grandchildren now number ten. Our own “Circle of Life’ has indeed been a blessed one.
John Trent Quotes
If we are serious about helping our children move toward warmth and light and love, we need to light their footsteps on just such a positive path.
Every person needs the blessing to feel truly loved and secure about himself or herself.
Charles Stanley Quote
What greater joy could we have than to see our sons and daughters walking with Jesus, not just in the early years but even after they grow up and leave home?
From Matthew 4:19-22: “And He said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. As He went from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
L. R. Knost Quotes
It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.
Forgiveness empties the past of its power to empty the present of its peace.
Evening with Family
Sun sets on another day
Evening calls, wanting its way
Family gathers around
Home now, love and peace abound
Night sky envelopes the land
Stillness breathes on high command
Supper cooking, hunger calls
Mom’s spaghetti and meatballs
All hands on deck, helping mom
Frenzy soon returns to calm
Television calling out
Favorite show brings a shout
Mom crochets, sitting nearby
Dad reads book, about Shanghai
Final chores, homework to do
Soon slumber stirs up its brew
Before the last light goes out
Prayers praise God, so devout
Backyard Classic
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Sportscaster Joe Buck has been sidelined with the postponement of the Major League Baseball season. The legendary play-by-play announcer has been looking for opportunities to stay in the game. Let’s join Joe Buck, live on the air.
Good afternoon baseball fans! Coming from the home of Billy and Tony Bennett is today’s Backyard Home Run Derby.
This amazing duo will be challenging each other as pitcher and batter with a whiffle ball and bat. While most of the sporting world has been silent with their contests, these two brothers have definitely discovered their niche.
Billy has been assigned as the pitcher in today’s contest. His assignment will be to prevent any and all home runs. His brother, Tony . . . yes, he’s named after the famous crooner . . . will be stepping into the batter’s box to crush one of Billy’s fastballs out of the park.
Let’s set the scene. The Bennett’s backyard is a formidable challenge for both pitcher and batter. Home plate is located in the corner of the yard up next to the house. The pitcher’s mound is tucked behind Mom’s favorite rose bushes. The outfield fence is lined with a forest of Lombardy poplar trees . . . the wall looks quite reminiscent of Fenway Park’s “Green Monster.”
Billy stands ready on the mound to face Tony. Freddie, their neighbor friend, has volunteered to be both the catcher and the umpire.
Tony steps into the batter’s box. He looks all set.
From behind the roses, Billy winds up with his first pitch. “Strike One!”
Tony watches the fleeting fastball cross the plate without even taking a swing. I guess he’s sorting out the speed of Tony’s stuff.
Billy receives his sign from Freddie. The pitch is on its way.
Swing and a miss. “Strike Two!”
Tony steps out of the batter’s box. What’s this?
Defiantly, he points his bat toward the massive outfield wall. Yes folks, Tony is calling his shot just like the Babe did at Wrigley Field in the 1932 World Series between the powerful Yankees and the upset-minded Cubs.
Tony steps back into the batter’s box, digging both feet into the plush, green grass.
Billy takes the sign from Freddie. It looks like another fastball will be on its way.
Here’s comes the pitch.
[Crack of the bat crushing the ball]
Deep to center field. Is it enough? Gone!!
Easily clearing the majestic center field wall . . . a tape measure shot into the next yard . . . splashing into the Snyder’s backyard swimming pool. Mickey Mantle would be proud!
There you have it baseball fans. Tony is one up in today’s Backyard Home Run Derby.
We will pause for a commercial break while the game ball is retrieved from its watery splashdown. We’ll be right back with more of this backyard classic.
Big Sky Buckeye 