A LIGHT UNTO MY FEET

....I give unto you to be the light of this people.... 3 Nephi 12:14

"An English writer tells of a blind man who always carried a lantern. People were wont to ask of what use the lantern could be to his sightless eyes. 'I do not carry it to prevent my stumbling over others', he replied, 'but to keep them from stumbling over me.' Let your light so shine so that somebody else will not stumble because of you."

- Rev. Peter Pleune

THE KNOT

With thoughtless and impatient hands
We tangle up the plans
The Lord hath wrought;
And when we cry in pain He saith,
'Be quiet, man, while I untie the knot'.

- Anonymous

DESTINY

There's destiny that makes us brothers
None goes his way alone.
All that we send into the lives of others
Will come back into our own.

- Edwin Markham

THE OYSTER AND THE PEARL

There was once an oyster whose story I tell,
Who found that some sand had got into his shell.
It was only a grain, but it gave him great pain
For oysters have feelings although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate the harsh workings of fate
That brought him to such a deplorable state?
Did he curse at the government, cry for election,
And claim that the sea should have given him protection?

No - he said to himself as he lay on a shell,
Since I cannot remove it, I shall try to improve it.
Now the years have rolled around, as the years always do,
And he came to his ultimate destiny: stew.

And the small grain of sand that had bothered him so
Was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.
Now the tale was a moral for isn't it grand
What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand.

What couldn't we do if we'd only begin
With some of the things that get under our skin.

- David Cohen

IF I COULD CATCH A RAINBOW

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could, I would build a mountain
You could call your very own
A place to find serenity,
A place to be alone.

If I could, I would take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who's always there.

-  Sandra Lewis Pringle

THE DASH

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

He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the 'dash' between those years.
(1934 - 1998)

For that 'dash' represents all
That she spent alive on earth,
And now only those who loved her
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 re-arranged.

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 that this special 'dash'
Might only last a little while.

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

-  Linda Ellis