Friday, March 30, 2012

Progress

Until I learned to trust,
I never learned to pray,
And I did not learn to fully trust
Till sorrows came my way.

Until I felt my weakness,
His strength I never knew;
Nor dreamed till I was stricken,
That He could see me through.

Who deepest drinks of sorrow
Drinks deepest too, of grace;
God sends the storm so he Himself
Can be our hiding place.

His heart, that seeks our highest good,
Knows well when things annoy;
But who would long for heaven,
If earth held only joy?

by  Barbara C. Ryberg

Monday, March 26, 2012

A very vulgar virtue

To get along with men of goodness and kind temper, is but a very vulgar virtue. The difficulty is to carry matters smooth and inoffensively with men of rugged, intractable, and fiery dispositions, with those who make little conscience of what they do or say, and stick at nothing unjust or unfair in their dealings. And he who can do this. . . sets a noble and commendable pattern of Christian fortitude.

- A Treatise on Temper—its Use and Abuse

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Trusting in our Troubles

Let us trust God in our troubles,
He is loving, kind and wise;
And most often trials and troubles
Are but blessings in disguise.

- Unknown

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Idle Words

The strongest love hath yet, at times,
A weakness in its pow’r;
And latent sickness often sends
The madness of an hour!
To her I loved, in bitterness
I said a cruel thing:
Ah me! how much of misery
From idle words may spring!

I loved her then - I love her still;
But there was in my blood
A growing fever, that did give
Its frenzy to my mood;
I sneer’d because another’s sneers
Had power my heart to wring:
Ah me! how much of misery
From idle words may spring!

And when, with tears of wonder, she
Look’d up into my face,
I coldly turned away mine eyes,
Avoiding her embrace;
Idly I spoke of idle doubts,
And many an idle thing:
Ah me! how much of misery
From idle words may spring!

‘Twas over soon, the cause; not soon
The sad effects pass’d by;
They rule beneath the winter’s sun,
And ‘neath the summer’s sky!
I sought forgiveness; she forgave,
But kept the lurking sting:
Ah me! how much of misery
From idle words may spring!

Month after month, year after year,
I strove to win again
The heart an idle word had lost,
But strove, alas! in vain.
Oh! ye who love, beware lest thorns
Across Love’s path ye fling:
Ye little know what misery
From idle words may spring!


- Major Calder Campbell

Friday, March 9, 2012

Quiet, humble, patient. . .in a turbulent and passionate world

Cecil's Remains is a work replete with excellent advice to all religious professors, and particularly to ministers. He thus admonishes us concerning our fellowship with the irreligious and refractory, 'Let them see that you have some secret in possession, which keeps you quiet, humble, patient, holy, meek, and affectionate, in a turbulent and passionate world.'

A Treatise on Temper—its Use and Abuse

Friday, March 2, 2012

The self-same test

It is all in vain to preach of the truth,
To the eager ears of a trusting youth,
If, whenever a lad is standing by,
He sees you cheat and he hears you lie:
Fine words may grace the advice you give,
But youth will learn from the way you live.

Honor's a word that a thief may use,
High-sounding language the base may choose.
Speech is empty and preaching vain,
Though the truth shines clear and the lesson's plain;
If you play false, he will turn away,
For your life must square with the things you say.
 
He won't tread the path of your righteous talk,
But will follow the path which you daily walk.
"Not as I do, but do as I say,"
Won't win him to follow the better way;
Through the thin veneer of your speech he'll see
Unless you're the man you would have him be.

The longer you live you will find this true:
As you would teach, you must also do.
Rounded sentences, smooth and fair,
Were better not said if your deeds aren't square,
If you'd teach him to live to his very best
You must live your life by the self-same test.

- Edgar Guest