Who never wept knows laughter but a jest;
Who never failed, no victory has sought;
Who never suffered, never lived his best;
Who never doubted, never really thought;
Who never feared, real courage has not shown;
Who never faltered, lacks a real intent;
Whose soul was never troubled has not known
The sweetness and the peace of real content.

By E.M. Brainard

She cheerily vowed she’d no time to pray,
So many homely tasks took up her day –
But I can still remember well the song
She sang about her work the whole day long –
A simple, little tune with nonsense rhyme,
Her broom, or mop, or scrub-brush keeping time –
But we, whose privilege it was to be
Where we could hear that cheery melody,
Found our world brighter as we went along,
Humming remembered snatches of her song –
And God, I know, smiled down upon her there,
Whose foolish, little song was really prayer.

By Helen Lowrie Marshall

Something of God pours into me
from the blue of the sky above
from the song of a bird,
the red of the rose,
the touch of the hand I love.

Something of God pours into me
from the ocean’s tidal roar
as I stand alone
on the windswept sand
and watch the sea gull soar.

Something of God pours into me
from the mountains capped with snow,
from the pine trees
swaying gently
as the summer breezes blow.

There’s something of God in everything,
and in everyone we see,
I pray for the grace
to see Him in others
and hope they will see HIm in me.

by Leah Zink

Give me work to do;
Give me health;
Give me joy in simple things.
Give me an eye for beauty,
A tongue for truth,
A heart that loves,
A mind that reasons,
A sympathy that understands;
Give me neither malice nor envy,
But a true kindness
And a noble common sense.
At the close of each day
Give me a book,
And a friend with whom I can be silent.

Author Unknown