If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing.
But if you meet JESUS and forget Him, you have lost EVERYTHING.
*************************
January 22, 2022

M - O - T - H - E - R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

Howard Johnson (c. 1915)
*************************
MOTHER

To one who bears the sweetest name
And adds a luster to the same
Shares my joys, cheers when sad
The greatest friend I ever had
Long life to her for there's no other
Can take the place of my dear mother
*************************
Love without end
My mother, my friend
*************************

"The Magic of a Mother's Touch"

There's magic in a Mother's touch, and sunshine in her smile.
There's love in everything she does to make our lives worthwhile.
We can find both hope and courage just by looking in her eyes.
Her laughter is a source of joy, her words are warm and wise.
There is a kindness and compassion to be found in her embrace,
And we see the light of heaven shining from a Mother's face.

~Author Unknown
*************************

I thought of you with love today
But that is nothing new
I thought about you yesterday
And days before that too
I think of you in silence
I often speak your name
Now all I have are memories
And your picture in a frame
Your memory is my keepsake
With which I'll never part
While God has you in His keeping
I have you in my heart

*************************
We are connected...my child and I...by an invisible cord...not seen by the eye...It's not like the cord that connects us 'till birth...this cord can't be seen by any on earth....This cord does its work...right from the start...It binds us together....attached to my heart...I know that it's there...though no one can see...the invisible cord from my child to me......The strength of this cord is hard to describe...It can't be destroyed...it can't be denied.....It's stronger than any cord man could create....It withstands the test...can hold any weight.....And though you are gone...though you are not here with me....This cord is still there...but no one can see......It pulls at my heart...I am bruised...I am sore....But this cord is my lifeline...as never before......I am thankful we are connected this way....A mother and child....death can't take it away!

Author Unknown
*************************
Dear God,
As I stumble through this life,
Help me to create more laughter than tears,
Dispense more happiness than gloom,
Spread more cheer than despair.
Never let me become so indifferent,
That I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child,
Or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.
Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people,
Make them happy, and forget momentarily,
All the unpleasantness in their lives.
And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper:
"When you made My people smile, you made Me smile."
Amen
(author unknown)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

No matter how big your house is, how recent your car is, or how big your bank account is. Our graves will always be the same size. Stay humble. - (Borrowed from bio page of FAG contributor #46552524 -Curtis Jackson. I hope he doesn't mind. ☺)

Strangers in the Box
By Pamela A. Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, serene.
I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among my socks.
I wonder what their lives were like.
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.
If only someone had taken time
To tell who, what, where, when,
These faces of my heritage
Would come to life again.
Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?
Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.

A Daisy Beside the Rose
by Diana Sue Lindley Horton

Among the many flowers, God,
Within Your garden fair,
May I, a simple daisy be
So proudly standing there.
I need not be the most admired,
Great beauty to disclose;
It's certain in Your garden, God,
Not all can be a rose.
'Twould be to me an honor,
If where Your garden grows,
I could but be a daisy -
That stands beside the rose.

THERE IS A HEAVENLY GARDEN
By Otis Rainwater

Sometimes God picks the flower
That is still in bloom
Sometimes the rosebuds chosen
That we feel He's picked too soon
Sometimes the flower is fading
With Petals floating down
But God knows the perfect time
to gather flowers from the ground
There is a heavenly garden
In which God takes great pleasure
Because He's placed within it
The loved ones that we treasure
He walks among the blossoms
Giving them eternal rest
And I know that it must please him
Because He chose our very best.

Otis Passed November 4, 2010

******

"Life - The time God gives you to determine how you spend eternity".
(Borrowed from the profile page of fellow FAG Contributor Mary Martin Eisel, #49034341.)
********************

The Dash Poem (By Linda Ellis)

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning...to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?
*************************

One Final Gift
Scatter me not to restless winds
Nor toss my ashes to the sea.
Remember now those years gone by....
When loving gifts I gave to thee.
Remember now the happy times....
The family ties we shared
Don't leave my resting place unmarked
As though you never cared.
Deny me not one final gift
For all who come to see....
A single lasting proof that says
I loved....and you loved me.
by D. J. Kramer

"Grief is just love with no place to go."
(Borrowed from the profile page of fellow FAG Contributor Jane, #47569466.)

If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing.
But if you meet JESUS and forget Him, you have lost EVERYTHING.
*************************
January 22, 2022

M - O - T - H - E - R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

Howard Johnson (c. 1915)
*************************
MOTHER

To one who bears the sweetest name
And adds a luster to the same
Shares my joys, cheers when sad
The greatest friend I ever had
Long life to her for there's no other
Can take the place of my dear mother
*************************
Love without end
My mother, my friend
*************************

"The Magic of a Mother's Touch"

There's magic in a Mother's touch, and sunshine in her smile.
There's love in everything she does to make our lives worthwhile.
We can find both hope and courage just by looking in her eyes.
Her laughter is a source of joy, her words are warm and wise.
There is a kindness and compassion to be found in her embrace,
And we see the light of heaven shining from a Mother's face.

~Author Unknown
*************************

I thought of you with love today
But that is nothing new
I thought about you yesterday
And days before that too
I think of you in silence
I often speak your name
Now all I have are memories
And your picture in a frame
Your memory is my keepsake
With which I'll never part
While God has you in His keeping
I have you in my heart

*************************
We are connected...my child and I...by an invisible cord...not seen by the eye...It's not like the cord that connects us 'till birth...this cord can't be seen by any on earth....This cord does its work...right from the start...It binds us together....attached to my heart...I know that it's there...though no one can see...the invisible cord from my child to me......The strength of this cord is hard to describe...It can't be destroyed...it can't be denied.....It's stronger than any cord man could create....It withstands the test...can hold any weight.....And though you are gone...though you are not here with me....This cord is still there...but no one can see......It pulls at my heart...I am bruised...I am sore....But this cord is my lifeline...as never before......I am thankful we are connected this way....A mother and child....death can't take it away!

Author Unknown
*************************
Dear God,
As I stumble through this life,
Help me to create more laughter than tears,
Dispense more happiness than gloom,
Spread more cheer than despair.
Never let me become so indifferent,
That I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child,
Or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.
Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people,
Make them happy, and forget momentarily,
All the unpleasantness in their lives.
And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper:
"When you made My people smile, you made Me smile."
Amen
(author unknown)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

No matter how big your house is, how recent your car is, or how big your bank account is. Our graves will always be the same size. Stay humble. - (Borrowed from bio page of FAG contributor #46552524 -Curtis Jackson. I hope he doesn't mind. ☺)

Strangers in the Box
By Pamela A. Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, serene.
I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among my socks.
I wonder what their lives were like.
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.
If only someone had taken time
To tell who, what, where, when,
These faces of my heritage
Would come to life again.
Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?
Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.

A Daisy Beside the Rose
by Diana Sue Lindley Horton

Among the many flowers, God,
Within Your garden fair,
May I, a simple daisy be
So proudly standing there.
I need not be the most admired,
Great beauty to disclose;
It's certain in Your garden, God,
Not all can be a rose.
'Twould be to me an honor,
If where Your garden grows,
I could but be a daisy -
That stands beside the rose.

THERE IS A HEAVENLY GARDEN
By Otis Rainwater

Sometimes God picks the flower
That is still in bloom
Sometimes the rosebuds chosen
That we feel He's picked too soon
Sometimes the flower is fading
With Petals floating down
But God knows the perfect time
to gather flowers from the ground
There is a heavenly garden
In which God takes great pleasure
Because He's placed within it
The loved ones that we treasure
He walks among the blossoms
Giving them eternal rest
And I know that it must please him
Because He chose our very best.

Otis Passed November 4, 2010

******

"Life - The time God gives you to determine how you spend eternity".
(Borrowed from the profile page of fellow FAG Contributor Mary Martin Eisel, #49034341.)
********************

The Dash Poem (By Linda Ellis)

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning...to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?
*************************

One Final Gift
Scatter me not to restless winds
Nor toss my ashes to the sea.
Remember now those years gone by....
When loving gifts I gave to thee.
Remember now the happy times....
The family ties we shared
Don't leave my resting place unmarked
As though you never cared.
Deny me not one final gift
For all who come to see....
A single lasting proof that says
I loved....and you loved me.
by D. J. Kramer

"Grief is just love with no place to go."
(Borrowed from the profile page of fellow FAG Contributor Jane, #47569466.)