In the hour of adversity be not without hope, for crystal rain falls from black clouds. ~ Nizami
Excerpt From
Book of Wise Sayings
W. A. Clouston
hope
“If All The Skies” Poem by Henry Van Dyke
IF ALL THE SKIES
by Henry Van Dyke
If all the skies were sunshine, Our faces would be fainTo feel once more upon them The cooling plash of rain.
If all the world were music, Our hearts would often longFor one sweet strain of silence. To break the endless song.
If life were always merry, Our souls would seek relief,And rest from weary laughter In the quiet arms of grief.
Today’s Quote by Michelangelo on Love
To know each other is the best way to understand each other. To understand each other is the only way to love each other.
Michelangelo
“The Sermon” Poem by Herman Melville
The Sermon
“The ribs and terrors in the whale,
Arched over me a dismal gloom,
While all God’s sun-lit waves rolled by,
And lift me deepening down to doom.
“I saw the opening maw of hell,
With endless pains and sorrows there;
Which none but they that feel can tell—
Oh, I was plunging to despair.
“In black distress, I called my God,
When I could scarce believe him mine,
He bowed his ear to my complaints—
No more the whale did me confine.
“With speed he flew to my relief,
As on a radiant dolphin borne;
Awful, yet bright, as lightning shone
The face of my Deliverer God.
“My song for ever shall record
That terrible, that joyful hour;
I give the glory to my God,
His all the mercy and the power.”
Today’s Quote on Hope – Never Quit
Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons do not last. The spring rains will come. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach
Today’s Quote by Christopher Reeve on Hope
Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.
CHRISTOPHER REEVE
“The Way of It” Poem by Grantland Rice
The Way Of It
‘THERE are roads that lead through valleys where the
grass is soft and green ;
There are lanes that lead through morning where the
friendly maples lean;
But for those who face the battle where the far height
holds its thrillThe only goal worth finding
Where the rock-filled road is winding,
Where the heavy burden’s binding,
Is the goal upon a hill.We may think of life as something that is built up from
a dream;
We may hear old songs that call us where the shafts of
morning stream;
But the storms beyond are waiting for the raw, un-
conquered will,And though hearts and hopes are breaking
As we come to bitter waking,
Yet the only road worth taking
Is the road that leads uphill.Grantland Rice
My Faith in the Future Affirmed
A Story of a Walk, a Father, Two Children, and a Bird
It’s Sunday. I went for a long walk in a nearby park. A walking, jogging, bike riding paved trail runs through miles of south Texas landscape. The former ranch is now covered with prickly pear cactus, yucca, cedar trees, and live oak trees. A sign at the trail head warns travelers to watch out for mountain lions, feral hogs, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and dangerous insects. The warning does not stop people from using the trail.
At the midpoint of my walk, I spotted a father and his two children, one boy, one girl stooping near the edge of the trail. Their three bicycles lay nearby just off the path. The children appeared to be between eight to ten years old. The boy was the younger child.
As I approached them, the boy turned and looked up at me. He said, “This baby bird is hurt. Do you know how to help him?”
The boy’s father and his sister looked at me. In front of the small boy was an open water bottle and straw. He was using the straw to transfer water from his bottle to the bird’s mouth. I told them them they were doing the best they could and making the baby bird feel comfortable.
I walked on filled with renewed hope for the future. When young children care deeply for the environment and its living creatures, there is hope for the future. I promised myself to learn from them and practice the lessons they taught me.
