Seeing a man for what he wants to be

I read the following on another blog and thought it worth posting here.

“Smith said that family ought to see a man less for what he is, and more for what the man wants to be. Said that’s called grace. I reckon he’s right.”

Speak Gently

Speak gently! it is better far
To rule by love than fear;
Speak gently! let not harsh words mar
The good we may do here.

Speak gently! Love doth whisper low

The vows that true hearts bind;
And gently Friendship’s accents flow;
Affection’s voice is kind.

Speak gently to the little child,
Its love be sure to gain ;
Teach it in accents soft and mild;
It may not long remain.

Speak gently to the young, for they
Will have enough to bear;
Pass through this life as best they may,
‘Tis full of anxious care.

Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the careworn heart;
The sands of life are nearly run,
Let such in peace depart.

Speak gently, kindly, to the poor;

Let no harsh tone be heard.
They have enough they must endure,
Without an unkind word.

Speak gently to the erring; know
They must have toiled in vain;
Perchance unkindness made them so;
Oh, win them back again!

Speak gently: He who gave His life
To bend man’s stubborn will,

When elements were fierce in strife,
Said to them, “Peace be still!”

Speak gently, ‘t is a little thing,
Dropp’d in the heart’s deep well;
The good, the joy, that it may bring,
Eternity shall tell.

-        by George W. Hangford

Love means following the commands of God

It is Christ who is to be exalted, not our feelings. We will know Him by obedience, not by emotions. Our love will be shown by obedience, not by how good we feel about God at a given moment.  And love means following the commands of God.  "Do you love Me?" Jesus asked Peter. "Feed My lambs." He was not asking, "How do you feel about Me?" for love is not a feeling. He was asking for action.

Elisabeth Elliot in Discipline - The Glad Surrender

Hearts, like doors,. . .

Hearts, like doors, open with ease
To very, very little keys.
And don't forget that two of these,
Are "Thank you, sir," and "If you please."

To Keep Your Marriage Brimming

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever your're wrong admit it;
Whenever your're right shut up.

- Ogden Nash

It's in the valleys I grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe,
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love,
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn,
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing ...
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me Lord,
And use my life each day,
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys Lord,
For this one thing I know ...
The mountain tops are glorious,
But it's in the valleys I grow!

~ Jane Eggleston ~

Be not angry. . .

'Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be!' 

quoted in A Treatise on Temper—its Use and Abuse