Tag Archives: love

How Great Thou Art

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He was a new member of our choir when he offered a solo rendition of How Great Thou Art. The strong, mellow baritone voice filled the sanctuary with sonerous sounds and a feeling of awe.

On Friday a gathering of friends, family and church family sang this very hymn in honor of yet another of our members who left us to sing in Heaven’s choir, after many years of loyal service in our church.

Laurie will be so missed by so many and I, for  one, could feel his presence on Friday as we sang his favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art.

Just For Now

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One hour after her eightieth birthday, Barbara was blowing out candles in heaven. It was one birthday her husband and daughters could not attend physically, but be sure they were wishing her well in the midst of their own grief.

Two months after his one-hundredth birthday, Bob traded in his wheelchair on earth for a chariot in heaven. Bob’s birthday party was well attended and a resounding rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” filled the auditorium of St. Andrew’s Scarborough where both Bob and Barbara had attended for many, many years.

Yes, in January we at St. Andrew’s bade farewell to two more of our dearly loved members; people who not only attended the church but attended to the church in so many ways over the years.

We were one month into the new year when Barbara and Bob climbed that stairway to heaven, following in the footsteps of the many who had gone before them. We at St. Andrew’s who love our people deeply, also grieve deeply when they answer that final call to “Come Home.”

Although they leave behind two separate families who miss them, they also leave behind one church family who misses them also.

And so we say not “Good-bye” to Barbara and Bob, but “Just for now.”

 

How To Be Your Own Valentine

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Okay, so we’re not all lucky enough or blessed enough to have a special someone in our life anymore. But we do remember the time when we did, and it is a good memory. Or not.

So here’s what to do if you are all alone on Valentine’s Day.

  1.  Thank God that you’re alive…alone or not.
  2.  Have your favorite breakfast.
  3.  Call someone else who is alone.
  4.  Arrange a lunch or dinner date with them.
  5.  If that doesn’t work go to #6 and #7.
  6.  Prepare your favorite lunch.
  7.  Cook your favorite dinner…better still, order in.
  8.  Look for someone to hug…if that doesn’t work hug yourself.
  9.  Smile in the mirror and say, “I love you.”
  10.  Start looking for next year’s Valentine so you don’t have to be your own.

Happy Valentine’s Day. 

When a Pet is More than a Pet

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We all know that pets can be more than that as they take their place in our families and our hearts. Losing them to death, then, becomes as soul-wrenching as losing one of human family members. Here is what my sister, Mary, felt when one of her dearly beloved pets, her dog, Farleigh, became a treasured memory. Mary would appreciate knowing how many of us feel the same way.

When Farleigh Said Goodbye

I loved her from her very birth
This special pup God sent to earth
To warm again a heart grown cold
From hurts so deep they seared my soul 
She brought me joy, love and peace
And from turmoil came release.
Thirteen years she was by my side
With a cute smile she could never hide
 Though the years took their toll
She lost an eye as she grew old
Arthritic joints couldn’t be denied
Still she hobbled on by my side
 A spirit so strong illness could not still
She carried on through force of will
‘til that day she could barely stand
And left me for a better land
 I felt my heart pain deep inside
And knew my precious Farleigh had died
But before a single tear could be cried
A veil drew back and I saw her on the other side
 I saw my Farleigh whole and new
Not one eye she again had two
As I gazed at her happy face
I was again touched by grace
 She gave me comfort one last time
As her eyes laughed into mine
She was telling me not to cry
From beyond the veil when Farleigh said goodbye
 © Mary Frances Martin
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Act of Surrendering

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When we think of surrendering do we think of giving up or giving in? Do we think of positive or negative?

I like to think of surrendering in a positive way…as in quitting a bad habit. Instead of surrendering to the idea that I could never quit smoking, I  surrendered to the thought that it was bad for my health and detrimental to the loved ones in closest proximity to me. With that thought in mind the surrendered state became a reality. It has been twenty-one years since smoking has been part of my life.

Likewise, when disagreements occur and cause friction in friendships, families, and relationships, the thought of trying to end the conflict could be seen as giving in or surrendering to those who we think are the cause of such disruptions. But if our thoughts are of only making things better even at the risk of further alienation, then surrendering to those thoughts instead of to the grudge can, in the end, lead to peace of mind, knowing that all attempts were made to remedy a situation even if it is not remedied.

The greatest surrender of all is surrendering to God’s plan for our life, no matter what our belief. With that surrender everything else falls into place. It may not always be to our liking or to the way we expect it should be, but we can know that it is always for our best even though that may not appear evident at the time.

As this is being written, an old year is being surrendered to a new year. There is nothing we can do about that…it just is…and in surrendering old thoughts for new, bad habits for better, bitterness for understanding, hatred for love…we will be giving in to the act of surrendering.

Happy New Year.

 

 

Is Unconditional Love a Myth?

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This question was asked by Ken Gallinger in his column, Ethically Speaking, in the Toronto Star on November 25th. Ken describes the four kinds of love this way in part:

Eros: a lusty melange of heart and hormones, and highly conditional

Mania: short lived and obsessive (as in “I love chocolate”)

Phileo: this form of love, when expressed between parents and their kids, for example can be quite powerful – but it’s ultimately based on feelings and feelings are forever fragile.

Agape: unconditional love. And Ken describes it this way…Agape is not based on emotion, passion or possession. It is based on conscious decision, a unilateral choice that only the “lover” can make. Agape sounds like this: “No matter what you do, no matter whether I like you or hate you at this particular moment, I will always do what I believe is best for you.” Agape is unconditional love. It is “the love that will not let you go. It can be excruciatingly painful. Agape is tough love, rooted neither in passion nor affection, but rather in sheer determination to do what is just and right; it allows for no conditions. As such Agape is the foundation of every ethical decision, and a thing of great beauty.

Ken’s column is definitely worth the read.

Is unconditional love a myth? I don’t think so. If it was many of us would not experience it in all its beauty and heartache.

 

 

More Power to You

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What do you think of when you think about power? Do you think of those who hold high places in government? Do you think of the rich and famous? Power is only powerful when used for the benefit of all. Here is what the Bible has to say about power: 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, Acts  1:8 ESV

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 ESV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20 NIV

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

 

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, Colossians 1:11 NIV

And from my poem “All Things Are Possible”…When you call on the power that’s inherent in you…

So, what do you think of when you think about power? Do you think of you?