LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS
Little acts of kindness,
Trifling though they are,
How they serve to brighten
This dark world of care!
Little acts of kindness,
Oh, how potent they,
To dispel the shadows
Of life's cloudy day.
Little acts of kindness,
How they cheer the heart!
What a world of gladness
Will a smile impart!
How a gentle accent
Calms the troubled soul.
When the waves of passion
O'er it wildly roll!
You may have around you
Sunshine, if you will,
Or a host of shadows.
Gloomy, - dreary, - chill.
If you want the sunshine,
Smile, though sad at heart;
To the poor and needy
Kindly aid impart.
To the soul-despairing
Breathe a hopeful word;
From your lips be only
Tones of kindness heard.
Ever give for anger.
Love and tenderness;
And, in blessing others.
You yourself will bless.
Little acts of kindness,
Nothing do they cost;
Yet when they are wanting,
Life's best charm is lost.
Little acts of kindness,
Richest gems of earth;
Though they seem but trifles,
Priceless is their worth.
Monday, March 21, 2022
Little Acts of Kindness
The Beautiful...
THE BEAUTIFUL
The beautiful! the beautiful!
Where do we find it not?
It is an all-pervading grace,
And lighteth every spot.
It sparkles on the ocean wave,
It glitters in the dew ;
We see it in the glorious sky.
And in the floweret's hue.
On mountain-top, in valley deep,
We find its presence there;
The beautiful! the beautiful!
It liveth every where.
The glories of the noontide day.
The still and solemn night;
The changing seasons, - all can bring
Their tribute of delight.
There's beauty in the child's first smile:
And in that look of faith,
The Christian's last on earth, before
His eyes are closed in death.
And in the beings that we love,
Who have our tenderest care,
The beautiful! the beautiful!
How sweet to trace it there!
'Twas in the glance that God threw o'er
The young created earth;
When He proclaimed it very good,
The beautiful had birth.
Then who shall say this world is dull,
And all to sadness given.
While yet there grows on every side.
The smile that came from heaven?
If so much loveliness is sent
To grace our earthly home,
How beautiful! how beautiful!
Will be the world to come.
Harvest-Field Of Time
HARVEST-FIELD OF TIME
Children, all of us are gleaners
In the harvest-field of time;
Day by day the grain is ripening
For a sunnier clime.
Whether in the early morning,
Going forth with busy feet.
Or, as weary laborers, resting
'Mid the noon-day heat;
Let us strive, with cheerful spirits,
Each our duties to fulfill,
Till the time of harvest, - subject
To the Master's will.
Let us garner up sweet memories,
Bound with ties of love;
Pleasant thoughts to cheer the pathway
To our home above.
Trusting that these precious gleanings
Bound with loving hand,
May in golden sheaves be gathered
To the spirit land.
Color the Life of St. Francis
Color the Life of St. Bridget
Color the life of St. Kentigern
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Making Dark Into Light
“Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one!”— Job 14:4
You have heard of the “Bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.” Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful lakes in Scotland and there is a very pretty song that is sung about it, which says:
Oh, you’ll take the high road
And I’ll take the low road,
And I’ll be in Scotland before you,
But me and my true love
Will never meet again
On the bonny, bonny banks
Of Loch Lomond.”
Well, near Loch Lomond, on the mountainside there is a little lake called Fairy Loch. You know in Scotland loch means lake. If you look into the beautiful waters of this little lake you will see a great many colors. It looks as if the rainbow were playing in the water. The coloring, of course, comes from the strange tinted rocks and sands at the bottom, but that is not why it is called “Fairy Loch. ,, I will tell you why.
A long, long time ago, when the land was full of fancies and fairies people found that the fairies played around this little lake and that many strange and wonderful things were found there. They discovered that when garments were left by the water’s edge they changed to a different color, and that if they left something to be dyed, and a thread beside it showing what color was wanted next morning the garment was changed into that very color. One night a shepherd left on the edge of this little mountain lake the fleece of a black sheep and beside it he put a white woolen thread to show that he wished the black dyed white. The fairies were at their wits’ end. They could dye a white fleece black, or even red, or blue, or yellow, but they did not know how to change a black fleece into a white one, and in their despair they threw fleece, thread and all their colors into the lake and from that time on the lake has been called Fairy Loch and the water has a rainbow appearance. That is a very pretty story and it helps us to understand how difficult it is to make a black thing white. Job asked the question, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” which is the same as saying, “Who can make a black fleece white?”
Sometimes we can do it. Queen Victoria once went to see a great paper mill, and there she saw dirty and filthy looking rags. Then she saw the men take those rags and wash and clean them and make them into pure clean white paper. After she got home she received a beautiful box of fine white stationery, all engraved with her name. That was making black things white, and bringing a clean thing out of an unclean.
Sometimes nature can do it. You remember the old tale of Hercules, the strong man of Greece, turned the waters of the rivers Alpheus and Peneus into the foul and dirty stables of Augeas, king of Elis, and made them pure and clean and fresh in a single day. But sometimes neither man nor nature can bring a clean thing out of an unclean condition. Who can make a dark heart turn into something full of light? Who can make unclean thoughts clean? Who can change dark desires into pure Christ-like purposes? Only God can. God can change darkness into light, so we pray:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God.”
Only God can cleanse us and make our hearts white and pure. He tells us that though our sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. When those who had been redeemed were seen the question was asked, “These that are arrayed in white robes, who are they and whence came they?” and the answer was given: “These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
God can do what men and nature and all the fairies in the world cannot do. He can make a dark thing light and can bring a clean thing out of something that is unclean. Kerr
“Bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.”
The Lace and The Shoe
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and
dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:
justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done,
without neglecting the others." Matthew 23:23
Jesus did not always speak sweet words. Sometimes His words had a sting in them. Seven times in one chapter in the Gospels He said “Woe to you,” and He was speaking to the leaders of the church.
Let us think of one of these “woes” of Jesus, He was speaking to the priests and scribes and Pharisees and He told them they were not a bit religious because they were putting little trifles in the place of important things. They were required by their law to give God a tenth of all they owned, and they were careful to do so. They not only gave God a tenth of all their cattle, property, and grain, but they gave Him also a tenth of their “mint, dill, and cummin.” You know what mint is. Sometimes we call it “spearmint,” and sometimes “peppermint,” and sometimes just “mint.” Well, mint and dill and cummin are little herbs, used for flavoring vegetables or chewing gum and for medicine and these people were so anxious about these three tiny things and were forgetful of the three big things called “judgment, mercy and faith.” They were willing to give God a tenth of everything but were unwilling to be true, to be kind, and to be gentle and loving to others. They were interested in little things. They forgot about the big things.
The other day I took my rod and reel and went off to hunt for some speckled trout away up in the hills of Pennsylvania. Were you ever there? It is a wonderful place. The great hills rise almost to the sky, and the little streams rush down the valleys in the springtime and there the most beautiful fish in the world play hide and seek with each other and with fishermen like myself. My brother and I had gone up to Kities to fish in Parker’s Run. We walked away up the valley about three miles, and there took off our shoes, and hid them under a log, and put on high rubber boots and then waded farther up the stream, perhaps three miles more.
When we came back with the trout we were very tired and sat down on the log to change our big rubber boots for our more comfortable shoes. When we looked under the log there were only three shoes. One of mine was gone. It was a very lonely place, and there were no burglars or bandits around. We looked for the missing shoe and found it some distance away. Some little animal, perhaps a porcupine, or groundhog or beaver, had found it and was carrying it off. It had scratched it a little and chewed the edges of the leather. The shoe was all right, but the interesting thing was that the lace was gone— gone completely. Either with its sharp toes, or with its sharper teeth, the sly little thief had unloosed the lace, hole by hole, and no trace of it was left. I have often wondered what it wanted with the lace. Perhaps it wanted to make a swing, or hammock out of it, or to use it to hang one of the other little animals that stole things from its nest in the ground. Anyway it took the lace and left the shoe. That’s what these cold-hearted dry-as-dust priests were doing, too. They took the little thing and left the important thing and that is just like taking the lace and leaving the shoe. We often do the same thing.
When we go to church, and listen to the word of God and the music, and the sermon and come away and talk about the soprano’s hat or the minister’s hands or the color of the pipes of the organ, we are taking the lace and leaving the shoe. One Sunday a little lad said to me, “Father, that was a good sermon.” I said, “Did you like it?” “Yes,” he said, “but did you ever count the number of pipes in the organ?” He had got hold of the lace that time for sure, but then he was only a little fellow, and what can very little boys do in church when the sermon is long and prosy but count the pipes in the organ or the buttons on the cushion in the pew?
When we read the Bible and instead of finding Jesus in it with His message of salvation and God’s wondrous love we are interested in what is the longest chapter and the shortest verse, and the numbers in the Book of Revelation or the wheels of Ezekiel, we are getting hold of the lace and missing the shoe. Do you understand?
When at home we are loved by our parents and everything is done for us, and we act mean and peevish, what are we doing but leaving the great fine things and running off with some selfish trifle. Jesus blamed the people to whom He said, “Woe,” for their neglect of the big things and not so much for their interest in little things. The best way is to take hold of both the little things and the big things. My little porcupine friend should have been off with both lace and shoe and made his nest for the winter out of them. Kerr
“These (little things) things ye should have done,” said Jesus, “and not have left the (big things) other undone.”
Be Somebody
"And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17
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| "Now fish for men" |
It is wonderful how many men who began as “nobodies” really became “somebodies.” Of course, everything worth while begins that way. The great oak was once a tiny acorn. The mighty river was once a little brook. Jesus, the greatest of men, was once a carpenter. Take your Bible and see how many nobodies became somebodies.
Who was Abraham? He came out of a heathen land and his father worshiped idols, but he became the father of a great nation. Who was Joseph? He was the youngest son, and began life as a messenger boy and later was sold as a slave, but he became prime minister of Egypt. Who was Moses? He was found in a basket, beside the river Nile. He was the child of slaves, but he became the greatest statesman the world has ever known.
Who was Ruth? She was a heathen girl, born in Moab, but she became the great grandmother of King David and the sweetest woman in the Old Testament. Who was David? He was a shepherd lad, keeping his sheep around Bethlehem, but he became king of Israel. Who was Esther? She was a Jewish girl, an orphan, who became Queen of Persia, and one of the heroines of history.
Turn now to the New Testament.
Who was John the Baptist? He was a “wilderness” man, living in the desert, but he became the herald of Jesus the Savior.
Who was Mary? She was an obscure maiden, living in the little village of Nazareth, but she became the mother of Jesus.
Who were John, and James, and Peter and Andrew? They were fishermen, but now they belong to the glorious company of the Apostles.
It matters little where we come from. It matters a great deal where we are going. When Matthew Henry, the great Bible student, proposed marriage to the beautiful girl who later became his wife, her parents said “No. We know nothing about him. We do not even know where he came from.” She replied, “But I know where he is going, and I wish to go with him.”
Now turn to history, Aesop, who wrote the wonderful stories we call Fables, was a slave.
Robert Burns, the poet of Scotland, was a poor farmer's son.
John Bunyan, who wrote “Pilgrim’s Progress'' one of the greatest of books, was a tinker, a traveling tinker.
Oliver Cromwell, who became the uncrowned king of England, was the son of a brewer.
Benjamin Franklin, whom we all honor, was a printer.
John Howard, the reformer, was born in the
home of a carpenter.
Samuel Johnson, the wise man of letters, was the son of a poor bookseller.
Martin Luther was a miner’s son and played music on the street in a real “German band.”
William Shakespeare was the son of a butcher, and William Wordsworth was a barber’s boy.
They called Jesus the son of a carpenter, and thought that would explain Him, but it explained nothing. Jesus did begin life as a carpenter, but He became the Savior of the World. There is a story in the Gospels that one day a poor sick woman, who did not wish to be seen, followed Jesus, touched the hem of His garments and was made well and strong. Jesus knew what she had done and turning around said, “Somebody touched me.” She had become strong and well by touching Jesus. Peter and John and James and Matthew and Mary Magdalene all came in touch with Jesus, and from being “nobodies” they became “somebodies.” Jesus is the master and maker of men. To His early followers He said, “Come after me, and I will make you to become”—what?
When He first met Simon He said, “Thou art Simon; thou shalt be called Peter.” The word Peter means “rock,” and Peter did become a rock-like man, a strong, courageous follower of Jesus. Everything depends on the end. The important thing about anything is the end. We want to know what a child or a man will “become” before we pass judgment. The rough unpolished stone may become a beautiful diamond. A few notes may become a sweet song. A humble cottage may become a happy and radiant home. When Jesus was a carpenter He made good yokes for the oxen and built good houses and as Savior He makes good boys and girls, good men and women. Let this then be our prayer:
“Make me
What I ought to be.”
Saturday, March 19, 2022
The Worst Parasite
"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do
what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you,
but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
In the third chapter of Genesis sin is likened to a serpent, a sly, sneaking, subtle serpent, that slips into our garden and strikes us with its fangs. In the fourth chapter sin is likened unto a tiger that looks as if it were asleep on the door step, but is really waiting, crouched ready to spring in and destroy all that is in the house as soon as the door is opened.
You know what a parasite is. It is something that feeds on others. It prowls around like a bandit and attacks others. All our diseases really come from little unseen parasites that get into our flesh and blood and live on our life. A parasite lies in wait at the doors of houses and nests and looks for a chance to enter and destroy. Well, sin is the worst of all parasites.
Did you ever hear of a golden wasp? It is a very beautiful creature and gets itself up in elegant garments of green and gold and pink and purple. It goes about among the flowers and garden glories like a miniature humming bird. It does not look like a parasite, a thief, or a robber, but it is. It is a dangerous, though very attractive looking criminal. The golden wasp is just as lazy and as good-for-nothing as it is beautiful. It is a bandit and a brigand. It steals. It waits around at the door of the fly-hunting wasp, that has been off in the fields searching and toiling for food, and waits until it comes home with some dainty morsel for its children. The golden wasp cannot break into the house, for it is safely closed, and it does not know how to dig or work. So it waits its chance and when the fly-hunting wasp returns and opens the door the golden wasp like a sneak thief enters also and hides away in the back of the nest. When next year comes round the children of the fly-hunting wasp, for whom the house was built, are all gone, and instead the children of the golden wasp are in possession. The golden wasp’s grub devoured the grub so carefully housed by the fly-hunting wasp. What a criminal it is!
The world is full of beautiful looking animals that are parasites and live on the life of others. A friend of mine passing along the highway one day heard a bird making a piteous noise. It kept flying to him and then back to the tree and he knew something was wrong. He stopped and followed the flying bird to the bushes and on the ground he saw a little bird. There was a thin streak of blood on its breast. He picked it up and with his handkerchief wiped away the blood stain, and was about to put it back in the nest when a great snake lifted its head from the nest. No wonder the mother bird was calling and crying. A snake was in her nest feeding upon the little birds. My friend watched the snake and wondered how it had got into the nest, for it was many feet above the ground. He saw the snake crawl along the limb out to the farthest branch and there hanging by its tail, swung itself back and forth until it was able to touch a small tree into which it leaped.
But it did not escape. He killed it, and you can see that snake in the Museum at Washington and Jefferson College.
Sin is just a parasite coming like a Snake to bite, or like a wasp to sting, or like a tiger to destroy. There are two things for us to do. First, we must keep the door tightly closed, keep the entrance barred and bolted to all who seek to do us harm. This is what the Bible tells us to do, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life."
Second, let us make God the keeper of our lives. He can keep us safely. The 121st Psalm is called “The Keeper’s Psalm,” and it has the promise “The Lord is thy keeper.” One of the great missionaries of Africa said, “I have locked the door of my heart, and Jesus has the key.” That is the way of safety. Kerr
“Except the Lord keep the city
The watchman waketh but in vain.”
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| "Garden of Eden Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted." 2 Corinthians 11:3 |
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Three Crosses Silhouette Craft
"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face
to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
Many folks have included a craft similar to this one in their Bible craft lessons online. Mine uses acrylic paints instead of soft pastels. I also have cut one of two paper plates into a silhouette and have painted it black. However, some parents may find that it is easier to cut black construction paper instead.
This craft is often made during Lent or Easter. Children often display it on a cupboard or at a table during the formal meal of Easter Sunday along with their died Easter eggs.
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| Finished three crosses silhouette craft. |
Supply List:
- acrylic paints: black, white, lavender, pink, yellow orange
- two paper plates
- scissors
- tin foil or wax paper
- paint brushes
- stapler
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Turn over the first paper plate and draw three simple crosses and a hill area on the back side of the paper plate.
- Cut out the template of 3 crosses and paint this solid black. I covered my second paper plate with tin foil to keep it clean and painted the silhouette on top of this. The purpose of my method was to give the paper plate support while it dried, so that the painted silhouette wouldn't loose it's shape while drying.
- Now paint the second plate using sunrise colors: orange, yellow, pink, and lavender on the front side of the plate. Let it dry.
- Staple the two plates together so that there is a pocket space between the two.
- Slip an Easter dinner prayer inside the pocket to read at Easter dinner. (optional)
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| Left, the silhouette of three crosses drawn on the back side of one plate. Center, I used foil to protect my surfaces and keep things clean. Right, I painted the silhouette black. |
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| Left, the painted silhouette of three crosses symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus along with two thieves, one repentant and the other a fool. Right, is the second paper plate shown just after it's paint has dried. |
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| Left, a close up of the sunrise view of three crosses is actually traditionally practiced to honor the Easter Sunrise Services that take place all over the United States the Sunday after Good Friday. In the real history of crucifixion, Jesus' cross was taken down on Good Friday, shortly after his death. It is the tradition of believers to show Jesus' cross at the largest one in the center. Right, the two paper plates are stapled together. |
Two of Each Were All Aboard Noah's Ark!
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| Two handy monkeys. Monkeys made with handprints. More About Monkeys. |
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| Two handy giraffes. Giraffes made using handprints or hand cut-outs. More about giraffes. |
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| Two handy pigs. Pigs made from handprints or cut-outs. More about pigs here. |
The web is full of these popular hand crafts in every animal imaginable. Include some of these along with my versions to expand your classroom menagerie:
- Handprint Winter Animals from Homeschool Preschool
- Find Mallard Duck Handprint Craft
- Alphabet Handprint Book
- See a example of flamingo handprint craft here . . .
- A handy little frog craft...
- Ladybug handprints or paper hand tracing here!
- A fun, colorful handy peacock pattern
- Walrus handprints or paper cuts from Thrifty Scissors