Sometime between the whirl of teenage activity and the confinement to cane and rocking chair, we find a strange creature called a missionary. Missionaries come in two varieties: elders and sisters. They come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors-green being the most common among the new ones.
Missionaries are found everywhere, hurrying, climbing, knocking, walking, and getting thrown out. Converts love them, young girls worship them, the law tolerates them, dogs hate them, most people ignore them, and heaven protects them.
A missionary is a composite. It has the appetite of a horse, the enthusiasm of a firecracker, the patience of Job, the persistence of a Fuller Brush salesmen, and the courage of a lion tamer. It likes letters from home, invitations to Sunday dinner, conferences, checks, and visits from the mission president.
It isn't much fun tracting in blizzards, ladies who slam doors, hats, suits and dull ties, apartment houses, transfers to hot areas, shaking hands at arms length with the opposite sex, alarm clocks, and "Dear John" letters.
A missionary is an odd character. It can get homesick, discouraged, and temporarily lose faith in the whole human race. Yet nobody else can knock so boldly with such a shaky hand. Nobody is so early to rise or so tired at 10:30 p.m. And nobody else can get such a thrill at the end of a discouraging day from the words, "Come on in-I've been waiting for you."
A missionary is truth with a pocket full of tracts, and faith with 69 cents in its pocket. "Hey Dad, where is that check?" Yes, they are all this but a strange lump will rise in its throat the day it receives its letter of release, and on arrival home its homecoming speech will probably contain the phrase it once considered trite. "The time I spent in the mission field was the happiest time of my life."
-From the Finnish Mission newsletter, November 1959-
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
the moments
This is a poem that Kathy Petersen of Hastings, MI wrote, she is a very dear friend of mine and I wanted to include her work for others to see
THE MOMENTS
The hands of time
like an hour glass of sand,
Flowing ever so silently
yet swiftly.
Embrace the moment
that falls into your hands...
Cherrish it.....
Love it......
Embrace it...
Sweet are the moments.
Monday, October 17, 2011
on the horizon
On the horizon I watch
waiting to see what will arise today
Will it be the majestic glow of the rising sun
Which would only cast a glimmer of hope upon my
Darkened heart?
Will it be the white sails I long to see,
Signifying that the Lord's breath upon the ocean
Brought you back to me?
On the horizon I watch
Day to day I leave when the setting sun
Steals my hopes once more
And return in the early morn when the sun
May joyfully announce your safe harbor
On the horizon I have watched
All these years, waiting, never failing
On the horizon I will continue to watch
Until that fateful day, if God permits
That you will be with me watching the malicious sun set
Knowing that no more will it steal our dreams
For that reason,
On the horizon I watch
waiting to see what will arise today
Will it be the majestic glow of the rising sun
Which would only cast a glimmer of hope upon my
Darkened heart?
Will it be the white sails I long to see,
Signifying that the Lord's breath upon the ocean
Brought you back to me?
On the horizon I watch
Day to day I leave when the setting sun
Steals my hopes once more
And return in the early morn when the sun
May joyfully announce your safe harbor
On the horizon I have watched
All these years, waiting, never failing
On the horizon I will continue to watch
Until that fateful day, if God permits
That you will be with me watching the malicious sun set
Knowing that no more will it steal our dreams
For that reason,
On the horizon I watch
you are not forgotten
At times when the day seems rough you want to quit when the going gets tough
And wallow in misery when you feel alone
That is when you need to remember
You are not forgotten
Standing alone can be an intimidating job
Especially when it is against the schools biggest snob
In front of the crowd you make your pact
And manage to keep your words on track
Only after does the shame set in
For standing alone is the unpopular act
That is when you need to scan the crowd, and remember
You are not forgotten
Once on the bus you thought you were safe
Instead you find a new case of teasing and torment
For everyone knows that you are different
That difference is what makes you remember
You are not forgotten
Friday night and you have a date with the one
That you have dreamed about; the one who makes
Your step flutter when they look in your direction
In an instant all of your fairytale endings
Come crashing down, as you have to tell the
One you thought you loved...no
Just remember as you lay weeping wondering why
You are not forgotten
Remember there is one who remembers
Particularly well when he felt your pain
And witnessed the reflection of your face on the
Innocent drops of his blood
When you fall on bended knee when life gets to
Tough to stand, thank your Maker
And always remember when the path your trudging
Seems all uphill
You are not forgotten
And wallow in misery when you feel alone
That is when you need to remember
You are not forgotten
Standing alone can be an intimidating job
Especially when it is against the schools biggest snob
In front of the crowd you make your pact
And manage to keep your words on track
Only after does the shame set in
For standing alone is the unpopular act
That is when you need to scan the crowd, and remember
You are not forgotten
Once on the bus you thought you were safe
Instead you find a new case of teasing and torment
For everyone knows that you are different
That difference is what makes you remember
You are not forgotten
Friday night and you have a date with the one
That you have dreamed about; the one who makes
Your step flutter when they look in your direction
In an instant all of your fairytale endings
Come crashing down, as you have to tell the
One you thought you loved...no
Just remember as you lay weeping wondering why
You are not forgotten
Remember there is one who remembers
Particularly well when he felt your pain
And witnessed the reflection of your face on the
Innocent drops of his blood
When you fall on bended knee when life gets to
Tough to stand, thank your Maker
And always remember when the path your trudging
Seems all uphill
You are not forgotten
Monday, October 3, 2011
the hope within
Frustrated you turn away, angry you hide. Unsure you tremble. Each step is another of pain, each thought taking you back to when you knew happiness. Now walking through the valley of sorrow with taunting remembrance toying with the strings of your heart. You ask yourself as you trudge ruthlessly, how did I fall so low? Without warning you lose your footing and crumple into a heap, sobbing, to weak to get up. Slowly you let the frustration take over; you are tired of going on into the unknown. Tired of feeling alone. Tired of being judged by the cruel demanding world. Tired of the pain with the each day. Tired......
As your tears water the barren ground a reflection comes forth glimmering the hope that you once knew. Could it be that it still lies deep within? Do you have the strength to continue into the unknown? Shaking, trembling, faithful, you go on.
As your tears water the barren ground a reflection comes forth glimmering the hope that you once knew. Could it be that it still lies deep within? Do you have the strength to continue into the unknown? Shaking, trembling, faithful, you go on.
the day the world stood still september 11, 2001
The sky rained fire and hell
Bringing down the hope of a nation
That stood parallel
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
A gaping wound was opened as old ones healed
While forgiveness was spoken through the rising fear
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
Many watched in horror, others cheered in vain
For what they thought was a crippling blow
Only awoke the zeal to press on through the pain
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
Many were not present, but all felt the effects
When our country bonded together in prayer
Asking God to rewind time, so we could all prepare
For that beautiful fall morning when the world stood still
Bringing down the hope of a nation
That stood parallel
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
A gaping wound was opened as old ones healed
While forgiveness was spoken through the rising fear
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
Many watched in horror, others cheered in vain
For what they thought was a crippling blow
Only awoke the zeal to press on through the pain
On that beautiful fall morning the world stood still
Many were not present, but all felt the effects
When our country bonded together in prayer
Asking God to rewind time, so we could all prepare
For that beautiful fall morning when the world stood still
power of the pen
1776 marked the year our Founding Fathers altered the strongest force with words of wisdom composed to declare this country's freedom.
In later years we the people see the divine impact their signatures have had on one nation under God.
Commonly seen as simple and obsolete, but with reconciliation the power of the pen becomes complete.
Without the pen Independence could not have been found; for the spoken word could not have reached across the vast blue wasteland.
Untamed the power of the pen can destroy what one has worked so hard to employ.
Used wisely the power of the pen can unite us all to what we the people hold to be self evident in the unalienable rights of, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
In later years we the people see the divine impact their signatures have had on one nation under God.
Commonly seen as simple and obsolete, but with reconciliation the power of the pen becomes complete.
Without the pen Independence could not have been found; for the spoken word could not have reached across the vast blue wasteland.
Untamed the power of the pen can destroy what one has worked so hard to employ.
Used wisely the power of the pen can unite us all to what we the people hold to be self evident in the unalienable rights of, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)