Forsyth Park Caller January 2025
His Unfailing Presence
Another year I enter, its history unknown;
Oh, how my feet would tremble to tread its path alone.
But I have heard a whisper, I know I shall be blest;
“My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
What will the new year bring me? I may not, must not know;
Will it be love and rapture, or loneliness and woe?
Hush! Hush! I hear His whisper; I surely shall be blest;
“My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
A New Year Prayer
Dear Master, for this coming year just one request I bring;
I do not pray for happiness, or any earthly thing.
I do not ask to understand the way that Thou leadest me,
But this I ask; teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee.
And then the year I now begin, a happy year will be
If I am seeking just to do the thing that pleaseth Thee.
-from Christian clippings
Beatitudes for Aging
Blessed are they who understand my faltering steps and palsied hand.
Blessed are they who know my ears today must strain to catch the words they say.
Blessed are they who see that my eyes are dim and my wits are slow.
Blessed are they who looked away when I spilt my cup of tea today.
Blessed are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat for a little while.
Blessed are they who never say “You’ve told that story twice today.”
Blessed are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.
Blessed are they who make it known that I’m loved, respected, and not alone.
Blessed are they who know I’m at a loss to find the strength to carry my cross.
Blessed are they who ease the days on my journey Home in loving ways.
Random Thoughts
The first Ten Commandments are the hardest to keep.
People who are wrapped up in themselves are overdressed.
An expert is someone called in the last minute to share the blame.
A journey of a hundred miles starts with an argument how to load the car.
CHUCKLES
“Now, what are you planning to do about that excess weight you’re carrying around?” the doctor asked the patient. “I just can’t seem to lose the weight” the patient said. “Must be an overactive thyroid.” The doctor said “the tests show your thyroid is normal. If anything is overactive it’s your fork.”
Nine year old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge, and the Israelites were saved.” “Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?” his mother asked. “Well, no, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it!”
On admission to the nursing home where I worked, each new resident was interviewed by a social worker. During one session, an alert, twinkling-eyed, 96 year old man was asked “Did you have a happy childhood?” He replied “So far, so good!”