Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
From Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”
Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and Christian theologian. He was perhaps best known for his efforts as a human rights activist in dismantling his nation’s system of apartheid.
Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased. It comes out of heaven, unasked and unsought.
To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.
American writer and novelist, Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), spent much of her early life in China as a missionary. She was widely heralded for her book, THE GOOD EARTH, which was published in 1931. She garnered the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and later the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938.
From Psalm 25:4-5: “Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all day long.”
God of Creation
Filling life with hope
Divine promised land
Future grasps His rope
God of Salvation
Teaching with His Word
Holy righteousness
Grace freely conferred
God of Faithfulness
Sending steadfast love
Mercy walks ahead
Truth shines from above
God of Redemption
Erasing stumbles
Lives forever changed
Faith never crumbles
God of Blessedness
Praising our goodwill
Acts of compassion
Life never stands still
From Psalm 25:20-21: “O guard my life and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.”
Looking and searching
Sometimes life’s obvious waits—
Right in front of us
Life’s interactions
Seeing goodness in people—
Help them to blossom
Out of life’s darkness
Human character rising—
Overcoming all
Every life needs a little space. It leaves room for good things to enter it.
Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared, then you’re not doing it right.
From Psalm 100: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is He that made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
Child learning of God’s kindness
Unaware of its vastness
Praise His eternal goodwill
Laboring with steadfastness
Goodness, perfect and Holy
From righteousness, living water
Worship always with gladness
Crafting hands, grace-filled potter
God’s blessings, never-ending
His mercy flows from above
Lives rescued with divine hand
Transforming with endless love
Lost sheep, needing daily grace
Good Shepherd’s assisting hand
Heaven’s gate, darkness scattered
Lifting eyes to God’s homeland
From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley: “At times when we’re struggling to trust God, we should remember all the ways He is good to us.”
Drifting
Compass forsaken
Man’s stubbornness reigns
Hope’s light reaches out
Jesus
Facing
World’s infections
Physical, social, spiritual
Will Hope pursue Christ?
Faith
Community
Faithfully building
Using Hope’s hands
For God’s lasting goodness
Welcoming
From Psalm 31:23-24: “Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
Every life thirsts
For eternal love
Some find it, some won’t
Shared from God above
Life writes its story
Father values each
Treasured Book of Life
Gospel lessons teach
Chapter lengths vary
Some long and filling
Others short and brief
All earn top billing
No favorites here
Tranquility’s peace
Resting as equals
Memories won’t cease
Walking among saints
Honoring each one
Final resting place
Blessed setting sun
From Psalm 23:6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Dreaming of fresh dough
To grocery store for yeast—
Bread shall rise again
Eighty-two years young
Earning high school diploma—
Ageless dreams blossom
Golden harvest waits
Farmer’s efforts rewarded—
Blessed field of dreams
In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
Find the good, and praise it.
Big Sky Buckeye 