Forsyth Park Caller January 2024
A Prayer for the Year
God of the years that lie behind us, Lord of the years that stretch before,
Weaver of all the ties that bind us, Keeper and King of the open door.
Grant us hope and a courage glowing, white and pure as the stars above;
Grant us faith in a full stream flowing, from the heights of your eternal
love.
Out of the ruins of doubt and sorrow, out of the aches and pain and tears,
Help us fashion a new tomorrow, free of the anguish of bight’s fears.
All through the seasons of sowing and reaping, all through the harvest of
song and tears,
Hold us close in Your tender keeping, a maker of all New Years!
A New Beginning
It doesn’t take a new year to begin our lives anew
God grants us many beginnings each day the whole year through.
So never be discouraged for there comes daily to all men
A chance to make another start and begin all over again!
-Helen Steiner Rice
Trust
Sure, it takes a lot of courage to put things in God’s hands
To give ourselves completely, our lives, our hopes, our plans;
To follow where He leads us and make His will our own,
But all it takes is foolishness to go the way alone.
Whiter Than Snow
How quietly fall the snowflakes released from darkened cloud
And swiftly the moments it only takes to clothe the earth in whitened
shroud
Nature herself puts on a show in quieted countryside
She scatters around the winter snow and soon the earth she will hide
Beneath a carpet, white and soft, all things are gently covered
Like the flakes there from aloft came also the One who suffered.
He willingly went to Calvary hill, for sinners He did go
On wooden cross; His blood would spill
To wash scarlet sins whiter than snow.
Come today before it is night, with all your sins and guilt.
Change filthy rags to robes of white, before snow and grace will melt
Your sins will be hid as covered earth, the snow it hides her scars
When you repent; there is new birth, and a home beyond the stars.
Take a thought on winter’s day, as snow lies under feet
Why in sin should you delay when in judgement you will meet
The Lamb of God face to face and from His presence bids you go
In heaven’s mansions there is no place you were never washed whiter
than snow.
The Sanctity of Life
Oh God, how far is man allowed to go before Your sovereign hand shall
call a halt?
When shall his cup be filled with evil fault, and then its brim, with
blood, shall overflow?
Infanticide? Abortion is the name for such a course of self- expedience.
A thrill without the inconvenience. Society now seldom sees the shame.
To kill is an indictable offense. Yet life, when still confined within the
womb, with conscience free, consign it to the tomb?
But life is life, so where’s the moral sense? Your holiness has long since
been ignored,
But man has yet to answer to You, Lord. – Tom Chapman
To Comfort a Child
To comfort a child brings a singular grace; the fear in the eyes, the tear
on the face-are symbols of need felt deep in the soul, emotions a child
shouldn’t try to control.
When you comfort a child there is comfort for you, for it brings to
remembrance your youth in review;
How family members, when you needed peace, gave strength and
reliance and needed release.
You may not remember the kindness shown, given to you before you
were grown;
But when the time comes to use love from your store
You find that the giving returns even more.
So welcome the chances, though many or few; to comfort a child brings
comfort to you.-Larry L. Finke
Chuckles
After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed
all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked
him three times what was wrong. Finally, he replied “That
preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home-and I
wanted to stay with you guys!”
A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor’s office. After
the check-up the doctor took the wife aside and said “If you
don’t do the following, your husband will surely die. 1) Each
morning, fix him a healthy breakfast and send off to work in a
good mood. 2) At lunch time, make him a warm, nutritious meal
and put him in a good frame of mind before he goes back to
work. 3) For dinner, fix an especially nice meal and don’t
burden him with household chores.” On the way home, the
husband asked the wife what the doctor said. She replied
“You’re going to die.”
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Christian
elementary school for lunch. At the beginning of the table was a
large bowl of apples with a note attached “Take only one. God is
watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end
of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies with a
note attached by a child “Take all you want. God is watching the
apples.”