For all the friends that you may
know who’d love to know how
much you really care. What
better way to say it?

For all the times I needed you
And you were there for me
For all the times you showed
You cared so unconditionally

For all the times a simple word
From you brought lots of smiles
For all the times you sent your
Love to me across the miles

I hope just once I’ve done for you
And helped to make your day
As happy and as meaningful
In each and every way

As you have done for me
So many times before
For you deserve it all
That and much, much more!


Music: ‘Free As The Wind’ © Yuko Ohigashi

I’d like to capture a rainbow
and stick it in a big box
so that,
anytime you wanted to,
you could reach in and pull out
a piece of sunshine. I’d like to build you a mountain
that you could call your very own-
a place to find serenity
in those times when you
feel the need to be
closer to yourself.

I’d like to be the one
who’s there with you when you’re
lonely or troubled
or you just need
someone
to hold on to…

I’d like to do this and more
to make your life happy.

But sometimes
it isn’t easy to do
the things I’d like to do
or give the things I’d like to give.

So…until I learn to
catch rainbows and build mountains,
let me do for you
that which I know best…

…Let me simply be your friend.

Submitted by: Polly

Music: ‘Wedding Song’ © Yuko Ohigashi

“Did you think that I didn’t hear you when you cried out to Me in your time of need?
Truly, I did hear you.
If I hear the final cry of every sparrow that falls in death, would I not hear you?
“Did you wonder if I was listening when you prayed to Me for an answer to the troubles that weighed you down?

Indeed, I was listening.
If I listen intently for the very heartbeat of every baby conceived in the womb, would I not listen when that child prays?
I listened, and I remember precisely the instant that your heart took it’s first beat; the moment that you took your first gasping breath upon leaving the security of your mother’s womb; the contented sigh of relief at your first belly full of warm milk. And, though you’ve grown up, I still listen for every word spoken in My direction.

“Do you think that I don’t know when problems come into your life? I know everything there is to know about you! Even the very hairs of your head are numbered! I’ve watched you daily, from those first tentative steps and groping words to your very first love; and I was there, cheering you on, though you never knew it. “Did you think that I was unconcerned because you didn’t receive an instantaneous answer to your prayer?
My dear child, I am more concerned for you than you will ever know. If I were not, would I have sent my son to earth in the flesh and allowed your kind to mock Him, spit on Him, beat Him, and nail Him up on a cross for all to see? He gave His life for You! He poured out His very life’s blood in order to pay a price for your life, and to set you free.! Would I have done that if I was unconcerned?

“Or did you accept the devil’s lie that I didn’t even exist? Can you really believe his lies when the very magnitude and complexity of the universe bears witness to the unquestionable fact that they are My handiwork? When everything that you can see and not see is a work of My perfection, delicately balanced and timed, from the spiraling galaxies to the spinning atoms? Is it possible to comprehend such an intricate work and say,
“There is no God”?
“Take a good look at yourself!
You are the very epitome of My work!
You are My greatest creation!
A one-of-a-kind human being.

Of the seventy billion humans that have lived and walked this planet, there has been no other exactly like you. I created you perfect! I created you with a hundred million receptors in your eyes so that you could see the beauty around you; I created you with twenty-four thousand vibrating fibers in your inner ears to hear the softest whisper of the wind; I designed five hundred muscles, two hundred bones, and seven miles of nerve fibers, all wrapped in a renewable, nearly indestructible layer of skin and tissue. I gave you a heart that pulses hour after hour, day after day, thirty-six million beats a year, pumping blood through more than ninety-six thousand miles of veins and arteries to give your body life and keep it free of disease; and I gave you a brain that is the most complex organ in all of the universe, made up of one-hundred-trillion cells and crisscrossed with twenty-five billion nerve cells to help you retain the minutest memory; and I equipped your body with four million pain-sensitive structures, five hundred thousand touch detectors, and over two hundred thousand temperature detectors! And then, to top it all off, I gave you the ability to reason, to dream, to imagine, and to speak; things that no other of My creatures can do. And, as a final touch, after creating that magnificent body that you live in, I created the real you, the inner you, the spirit that I created in My likeness, and I breathed you into your body at the instant of birth. “And you were connected to Me then, but you never knew it.

Deep inside of you you knew, because I planted that knowledge of Me there, but over the years you have allowed the things of the world to choke that knowledge out. In the beginning, however, you were perfect; My greatest creation; molded in My own image. Don’t you find it really quite humorous, to think that some could adamantly believe that this all came about by chance or evolution? Could such a masterpiece have come about simply by chance?
“If you can see the truth in this, then how can you think that I didn’t hear you?

“Behold, I am standing at your heart’s door, knocking and asking entrance, but I will not force My will on you. Call to Me now and ask Me to come in; into your heart and your life. Call to Me, for I am listening and waiting even as you read this. I’m only a word away, and if you will invite Me in, I will come in and never will I leave you alone. Give Me your heart and your love and, as I live, saith the Lord, this day you shall be one with Me in Paradise.”

Forever; Jesus

Suggested Scripture readings:
John 3:3 & 3:16
Romans 10:8 – 13
and the 91st Psalm

Submitted by: Sumitted by: Sammy

Music: ‘Hope’ © Margi Harrell

May I pray this night while the stars are out
May I close my eyes and see the beauty of heaven
can I walk with the lord on holy ground
my heart is good and I am kind
dear jesus may you be mine

May I pray where no one can see
I want to talk alone
just the lord and me
jesus is so gentle. his light shines within
if only I may pray, the lord will let me in

I can see jesus spirit, as a dove
it flies over me from heaven above
there is magic in the air
I feel it everywhere

May I pray to the one I love
who gave me life and created me
I hold my hands so jesus can see
he is glad that I was born
May I pray so I can be blessed
I feel jesus love and holiness

Written by: Linda Ann Henry
Do you remember me
The people’s poet


Music: ‘Hurt So Bad’ © Yuko Ohigashi

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey;
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might grow in understanding
And become a better human being through bringing forth from within
The Divine qualities of kindness and compassion with all life.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might become wise;
I asked for power, that I might be praised by people;
I was given weakness, that I might feel my need for God;
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things;
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I really needed.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
And my life is now filled with blessings.

Anon.
Edited by: Aquarius

From ‘Words & Prayers for Comfort & Healing’
raysofwisdom.com

Music: ‘Dreams’ © Margi Harrell

There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely on both sides of the bridge.

But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.

A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.

One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance thru the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge.

He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard.

He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed.

He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

“Daddy, where are you?”

His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time.

The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die.

He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed.

They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.

Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along thru life without giving a thought to what was done for us thru Jesus Christ?

When was the last time you thanked Him for the sacrifice of His Son?

When was the last time you told someone about the sacrifice?

Submitted by: Jonhny

Music: ‘solitude’ © Margi Harrell

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent.

Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a kind man, and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man.

The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti’s judgment. He then apologized for taking up Rossetti?s time, but would he just look at a few more drawings – these done by a young art student?

Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. “These,” he said, “oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it.”

Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply moved. “Who is this fine young artist?” he asked. “Your son?”

“No,” said the old man sadly. “It is me – 40 years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up – too soon.”

Submitted by: Evita


Music: ‘Dreams’ © Margi Harrell

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick,
and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing
and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it
and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw how you handled your responsibilities,
even when you didn’t feel good
and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I learned most of life’s lessons that
I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Submitted by: Thomas


Music: ‘Where I Belong’ © Bruce Deboer

Many of us, when we look at ourselves, tend to feel lonely and bored. Why? It is because we have not seen the deeper layers of
our self.

We look at ourselves only in the realm of the mind, or at the level of the body and never look at the deeper layers. If you don’t look at the deeper layers of yourself, you find yourself empty and shallow and experience a sense of loneliness. When you experience a sense of loneliness, you find that your life is utterly boring.

However, if you are meditative with reference to your self, you will see that your body, mind and intellect are the periphery of your personality. In the deeper layers of yourself, there is the pure Saakshi Chaitanya.

When you understand the deeper layers of yourself, you will become content and blissful. In that state you experience not loneliness, but aloneness. And the moment you start experiencing aloneness you will find that the quality of your life becomes very different. Therefore, with reference to your own self, learn to be more meditative. What does it mean, to be meditative?

If you are not meditative, you will find your life to be in bondage, in shackles; the more you are meditative with reference to your self, the more will be the freedom of your life, the more liberated your life will be. Therefore, being non-meditative to one’s self leads to bandhana or bondage, whereas meditativeness with reference to one’s self leads to a state of nirvana or kaivalya or moksha . Therefore, it is a great responsibility on us, whether we are in grihasthashram or sanyasashram , to learn to be more meditative with reference to our self.

A king was looking for a suitable candidate for the post of prime minister. After several tests, three people were short-listed. The next day was the final test. There was a rumor that the king had a magic lock, created by a clever craftsman, which can be opened only with great skill and knowledge. And whoever unlocked it, would be the prime minister.

Hearing the rumor, two of the selected candidates acquired a lot of books on locks. They spent the whole night going through the mathematical equations relating to locks. The third person was very relaxed. The other two commented to each other that this fellow was a fool. Instead of making the best use of the time he is relaxing! The next morning, all three were taken to the palace. And the rumor turned out to be true. The king said whoever unlocks the lock created by a master craftsman will be prime minister.

These two people felt very happy thinking that it was good that they had referred to many books and then they went and looked at the lock. Once again they returned to the books and started referring to them to find out a solution to the problem, whereas the third person, looking relaxed, went there and looked at the lock and pulled it, and to his surprise, it opened. In fact, it was not locked at all. The other two were still busy referring to the books.

In the meantime, the king announced that the third person had been selected as prime minister. The other two asked him, “You never referred to any book on locks, how did you unlock it?” And the king said, “The very first thing that a prime minister should do is that he should know whether the problem really exists or not, before trying to solve it.”

If you do not know whether the problem exists or not and if you try to solve it, the whole effort becomes futile. Here the problem was that the lock was not fastened. And these two persons assumed it was locked and with that assumption they tried to solve the problem. Therefore, they found that they had wasted their time.

We feel we are in bondage. We have to really start looking within. We’ll find that our fears are imaginary; we imagine that we are bound.

Submitted by: Jonhny

Music: ‘Dream’ © Margi Harrell

Jealousy,
You are my mind’s purity-stealer,
You are my heart’s peace-intruder,
You are my life’s divinity – invader!

Your mind’s jealousy-dagger
Has severely wounde you.
If you want to be healed,
Try to discover as soon as possible
The flames of your aspiration – heart.

You want to conquer
The perpetual fever of jealousy?
I will tell you a great secret:
Just love and become one
With your oneness – heart

Written by: Sri Chinmoy

The Wings of Joy: Finding Your Path to Inner Peace

Music: ‘You and Me’ © Yuko Ohigashi