Everlasting Joy

From Genesis 1:1-3:  “When God began to create the heavens and the earth,  the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.  Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

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Early morning giants

Creator in its midst

Forest landscape stirring

His breath offers assist

 

Glorious sky blossoms

Creator brightens light

Sunrise worships with praise

Night’s glory taking flight

 

Vision of what He wants

Creator wakens rain

Parched wilderness transformed

Gratitude fills each vein

 

Salvation always near

Creator sharing grace

Gentle waters flowing

Life reborn in this place

 

Heavenly eyes look down

Creator turns new page

Everlasting joy sings

Nature’s gifts come of age

 

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From Genesis 2:1-3:  “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all their multitude.  On the sixth day God finished the work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all the work that He had done.  So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that He had done in creation.

South Carolinian’s Quotes

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Left to right:  Althea Gibson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mary McLeod Bethune.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

Althea Gibson (1927-2003)

No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helped you.

Althea Gibson was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina.  In 1956, she became the first black athlete to win a Grand Slam tennis championship, and she captured a total of five during her career.

Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)

Mutual respect is so important because as soon as it disappears in relations between you and the next person, there’s trouble.

Dizzy Gillespie was born in Cheraw, South Carolina.  His jazz music featured his highly accomplished skills as a trumpet player as well as being a highly effective bandleader.

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

Invest in the human soul.  Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.

Mary McLeod Bethune was born in Mayesville, South Carolina.  In addition to being an educator, she was a philanthropist and humanitarian.

Grenville Kleiser Quotes

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A great river is not aimless.  It has direction and purpose.  So also must a good life have a definite aim; all its strength and fullness must be turned in one direction.

Be grateful for the joy of life.  Be glad for the privilege of work.  Be thankful for the opportunity to give and serve.

Grenville Kleiser (1968-1935) was an American author.  Many of his writings offered inspiration and guidance for personal development.

Maya Angelou Quote

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Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.  And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.

From 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18:  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American author, poet, and civil rights activist.  Her body of published work is found in autobiographies, essays, poems, and numerous credits in plays, movies, and television shows.

William Arthur Ward Quotes

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Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

From 1 Thessalonians 5:18:  “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) was an American motivational writer.

Monday Memories: Love Triumphs

From 1 Corinthians 13:13:  “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

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Living hollow life without love

Nothing but emptiness, thereof

 

Disconnected faith fills our veins

Minus love, tall mountains remain

 

Mankind’s meaningless possessions

Forgotten in life’s recessions

 

Worldly knowledge, means so little

Love gently binds, never brittle

 

Love arrives with Holy kindness

Patience without any blindness

 

Never arrogant or hateful

Without envy, always grateful

 

Jesus teaches, love each other

Sincere love, sisters and brothers

 

Caring God so loved this dark world

Christ’s own unselfish love unfurled

 

From a blood-stained Cross comes His Grace

Love speaks out, sin falls on its face

 

Our Lord offers His Holy gift

Faith, hope, love . . . no longer adrift

 

God’s Word delivers life’s new lease

Love triumphs, building lasting peace

 

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From the words of Christian theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr:  “The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as a historic truth.  Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one.”

Originally published September, 2020.

Elmer L. Towns Quotes

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Gratitude is the least remembered of all virtues but is the acid test of character.

We choose our attitudes.  When we let little things annoy us, we even choose to be grumpy.

Elmer L. Towns (born 1932) is an American pastor and Christian writer.  Along with Jerry Falwell, he co-founded Liberty University in 1971.

Lionel Hampton Quotes

Lionel Hampton showing off his skills.  (courtesy of Pinterest)

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.

Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God.

Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader.  As a composer and arranger, he wrote more than 200 works.

Berthold Auerbach Quotes

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Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Gratitude is a soil on which joy thrives.

Berthold Auerbach (1812-1882) was a German poet and novelist.

Knowing Jesus

From Lamentations 3:55-56:  “I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; You heard my plea, ‘Do not close Your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!'”

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Facing distant horizon

Lingering darkness ahead

Knowing Jesus always hears

Providing His daily bread

 

Thirsting for living water

Drawing drink from Jacob’s well

Knowing Jesus always hears

Giving thanks, gratefulness swells

 

Waiting follows each sunset

Rising sunrise, full of hope

Knowing Jesus always hears

Scaling Zion’s mighty slope

 

Kneeling at Calvary’s cross

Praying for redemption’s seed

Knowing Jesus always hears

Harvesting from tender reed

 

Seeking His mercy’s comfort

Looking to heavens above

Knowing Jesus always hears

Responding with steadfast love

 

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From Lamentations 3:22-23:  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”