Forsyth Park Caller
May 2025
Pastor’s Corner
“It’s That Time of Year Again!”
It’s that time of year again. Outside, we can see the flowers in full bloom; the grass always needs cutting; and there’s enough pollen to make us sneeze our heads off!
May is also a month for celebration and remembrance.
We remember our mothers—those still with us, and those who’ve passed. We honor the sacrifices they’ve made and the love they continue to give.
We celebrate our college graduates, cheering on their achievements and praying for bright and purposeful futures ahead.
Some, like Beth and me, celebrate anniversaries. Beth chose Memorial Day weekend to ensure I wouldn’t forget—and 42 years later, I still remember! I remain forever thankful that such a wonderful woman has put up with me all this time.
We also remember Memorial Day—those who gave their very lives for this nation in times of war and beyond. May we never take our freedoms for granted. Memorial Day is much more than the unofficial start of summer. All gave some; some gave all. May we never forget.
We also observe the National Day of Prayer, a time to lift up our leaders and our country. May they lean not on their own understanding, but always look to God. May He bless our nation from sea to shining sea. And may we always bow down to Him—our Creator, our Sustainer. Bless His holy name. Enjoy the month. May it be a true blessing to us all.
National Day of Prayer
In May of 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a new law. It said: “The President shall set aside and proclaim the First Thursday in May of each year as a National Day of Prayer, on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.”
A Prize For Mothers
Mom you are a shining star, though the world doesn’t know your name.
You have no fancy title, like Baroness or Dame.
Mom you really are a star, my mother, mentor, and friend.
A Nobel Prize for motherhood, is what I’d recommend!
And if I won the lottery I’d share my win with you.
I’d take you Mom on a spending spree each day the whole year through!
You may not be famous, as your face is known to few.
But Mom I think you are wonderful, and I’m so proud of you!
Just One Mom
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn.
But only one mother the whole world over.
– George Cooper
My Mother Kept a Garden
My mother kept a garden, a garden of the heart.
She planted all the good things that gave my life its start.
She turned me to the sunshine, and encouraged me to dream.
Fostering and nurturing the seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rain came, she protected me enough.
But not too much because she knew I’d need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example always taught me right from wrong.
Markers for my pathway that will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother’s garden. I am her legacy.
And I hope she feels the love reflected back from me.
Our Purpose
“Our purpose as a nation is firm. Yet our wounds as a people are recent and unhealed and lead us to pray. We do not yet have the distance of history, but our responsibility to history is already clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil. War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation, is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing. This world God created is of moral design. Grief and tragedy are only for a time. But goodness, remembrance, and love have no end. And the Lord of life holds all who die and all who mourn.”
– President George W. Bush (National Day of Prayer and Remembrance)
Chuckles
The woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, he came to and motioned for her to come nearer. “You know what? You have been with me through all the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side… You know what?”
“What dear?” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.
“I think you’re bad luck.”
Lionel was getting bald and his daughter’s wedding was coming up—so he bought a toupee to wear. Things went well on the wedding day. The next day, the daughter saw her dad looked sad. He said he just knew everyone knew he was wearing a toupee. She said, “No they didn’t, daddy. No one I told knew.”
One day, a police officer pulls a car over and sees the backseat is full of penguins. The officer tells the driver, “You can’t be doing this. You need to take these penguins to the zoo!” The next day, the police officer pulls the same car over again and says, “Hey! I told you to take these penguins to the zoo!” The driver said, “I did… and today I’m taking them to the movies!”
A child comes home from his first day at school. His mother asks, “What did you learn today?” The child replied, “Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow.”