"See you, Darling...See you in the Morning..."

"We are assured and know that God being

a partner in their labor, all things work together

and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those

who love God and are called according to

His design and purpose."

Romans 8:28

The Reverend Peter and Catherine Marshall

and their son, Peter John Marshall

"Hope is not just an appendage to salvation.

It is an essential part of salvation.

We are saved in hope; we are saved by hope.

Hope is built on the faith that brings salvation,

but it is an essential part of the total package."

Derek Prince

"That June, as usual, the little Cape Cod cottage beckoned.

As we drove into the yard, we saw that the shutters were

just as blue as ever; the rambler roses were just about to burst

into bloom as they always had; a pair of bluebirds had built

their nest in the old pine by the kitchen door.

Yet there was a difference this year.

Even the little boy could feel it. We tried to be gay

with each other as we unlocked the door.

Our neighbor had very thoughtfully opened some of

the windows, and the white organdy curtains fluttered in

the sea breeze.  The Highland Regiments still marched jauntily,

with kilts swinging, across the living-room wall-

The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders,

 the Black Watch and the Royal Scots Greys.

By his favorite lounge chair sat Peter's slippers,

just as he had stepped out of them, and on the table

by the chair lay a pocket edition of

"The Case of the Perfumed Mouse".

Each room spoke of him; his presence was everywhere.

In the hall closet was one of his summer hats, the one whose

blue band had faded to an intriguing shade of lavender.

Under his bed were his old white shoes, the pair he used

for garden work, with a pair of blue socks still stuffed inside.

I held one of the shoes in my hand and thought, "Now I

understand those words, 'O memories, that bless and burn.

O God, how it hurts!"

Later that evening,

 after the tempest of emotion had subsided

a bit, I headed beachward.  

The waves made gentle little lapping noises

on the pebbled shore, and there was a path

 of silver across the water.

The crisp sea air fanned my hot cheeks.

 Suddenly I remembered

something, the last words I had ever spoken to Peter.

Was it possible that God had prompted those words,

seemingly so casual?

The scene was etched forever on my mind-

Peter lying on the stretcher where two orderlies had put him

down for a moment, while the ambulance waited just outside the

front door. Peter had looked up at me and smiled through his pain,

his eyes full of tenderness, and I had leaned close to him and said,

"Darling, I'll see you in the morning."

As I stood looking out towards that far horizon, I knew 

that those words would go singing in my heart
 down all the years...

""See you, Darling, see you in the Morning..."

Writer Catherine Marshall

 "See You In The Morning"

Excerpt from the book, "A Man Called Peter"

By Catherine Marshall

(1951)

The War, the Terrible...August 1917

"As he nearly strangled, he exclaimed,

"These beans are sure salty!"

Once upon a time, 
a crowd of men were working in

the woods where they had
 to do their own cooking.

They took turns being cook,
 and they made a rule that

when any of them found fault
 with the food provided,

that man must take the cook's place,
 until he in turn was

released from the distasteful job
 by someone  finding fault with his cooking.

This worked very well,
 with frequent changes in the

occupancy of the cook shanty,
 until the men learned better

not to criticize the food.
 No one wanted 
to take the cook's place,

so they became very careful 
about what they said; 
and the poor

unfortunate who was cooking 
for the hungry crew saw no chance

of escape.
 He was careless
 as to how his work was done
 but no one found fault;

 he burned the biscuits,
 then he made the coffee too weak,
 but still no one objected.

At last he cooked a mess of beans
 and made them as salt as brine.

One of the men at supper that night
 took a huge mouthful of the beans,
and as he nearly strangled, he exclaimed,

 "These beans are sure salty!"

Then, as the eye of the cook,
 alight with hope, glanced in his direction,
 he added, "But my, how good they are!"

It is so much easier to find fault
 with what others do than to do the 

thing  right one's self. 
Besides, how much more pleasanter 
to let someone else do it.
 Of course, a mere woman
 is not expected to
 understand politics in Missouri,
 but there is no objection to her 
understanding human nature, 
and it is certainly amusing to
 watch the effects of  human nature
 on men's political opinions.

I know some men
 who were all for war 
during President Wilson's first term. 
 "The United States soldiers 
ought to go down there and take Mexico!
  A couple of months would do it! 
The United States should fight 
if our shipping is interfered with.
 It would be easily settled." 
There was much more to the same effect. 

But now that the fight is on, 
and there is a chance for them
 to show what they can do,
 their fighting spirit seems to have evaporated.
 It was easy to find fault,
 but rather than do the work themselves,
 almost anything is good enough.
 It is the quiet ones who hoped
 we might be able to keep out of war
 that are volunteering.

One after another our young men are enlisting.
 Eight in a body volunteered a few days ago.
 The war, the terrible, has been something far off,
 but now it is coming closer to home
 and soon we shall have a more understanding
 sympathy with those who have been experiencing
 its horrors for so long.
  There is nothing quite like experience
 to give one understanding,
 and nothing more sure than that 
if we could be in the other fellow's place for a while,
 we would be less free with our criticisms.

American Wounded Making Way To First Aid Station

In The Village Of Marne During German Attack

 George Matthews Harding

In the days of long ago 
when armored knights went
 journeying on prancing steeds,
 two knights coming from opposite directions, 

saw between them a shield
 standing upright on the ground.

As the story goes,
 these fighting men disagreed
 about the color of the shield,
 and each was so positive,
 the one that it was black,

and the other that it was white,
 that from disputing about it, they

came to blows and charged each 
other right valiantly.

The fury with which they rode their steeds
 carried each one past

the shield to where the other had stood before, 

and as they turned to face each other again,

 each saw the side of the shield which the other

had first seen; 
and the man who had said the shield was white
 found the side he was now looking at to be black, 

while the one who had declared the shield was black
 found himself facing the white side, 
so each got the other's point of view
 and felt very foolish that they had fought over
 so simple a thing.  

It makes a difference
 when you're in the other fellow's place. 

The War, the Terrible...

August 1917

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

From the book, "Little House In The Ozarks"

A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler

The Rediscovered Writings

Edited by Stephen W. Hines

(1991)

Fourth Sunday Meditation: A Heart of Thanksgiving

"Offer to God the sacrifice of

thanksgiving, and pay your vows to

the Most High, And call on Me

in the day of trouble; I will deliver you,

and you shall honor and glorify Me."

Psalm 50:14-15

"For the Lord will comfort Zion;

He will comfort all her waste places,

And He will make her wilderness like Eden,

and her deserts like the gardens of the Lord.

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song,

or instrument of praise.

Listen to Me, the Lord, O My people,

and give ear to Me, O My nation; for a

divine law will go forth from Me,

and I will establish My justice for 

a light to the peoples.

My rightness and justice are near,

My salvation is going forth, and My arms

shall rule the peoples; the islands shall wait for

and expect Me, and on My arm shall they trust

and wait with hope.

Isaiah 51:3-4

"Sky and earth will pass away, 

but My words will not pass away."

Matthew 24:35

"But as to the Son, He says to Him,

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

to the ages of the ages, and the scepter of

Your kingdom is a specter of absolute righteousness,

of justice and straightforwardness.

You have loved righteousness, 

You have delighted in integrity, virtue, 

and uprightness in purpose, thought and action,

and You have hated lawlessness, injustice and iniquity.

Therefore God, even Your Godhead has anointed You

with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and

beyond Your companions.

And further, You, Lord, did lay the foundation

of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the

works of Your hands.  They will perish, but You

remain and continue permanently; they will 

grow old and wear out like a garment.

Like a mantle thrown about one's self, You will

roll them up, and they will be changed and replaced

by others. But You remain the same, and Your years

will never come to an end nor come to failure."

Hebrews 1:8-12

"Advocate"

A painting by David Bowman

"Be happy in your faith and rejoice

 and be glad-hearted continually; 

Be unceasing in prayer;

Thank God in everything, 

no matter what the circumstances

may be, be thankful and give thanks,

 for this is the will of God

for you who are in Christ Jesus

 the Revealer and the Mediator

of that will.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Because now we really live, if you

stand firm in the Lord.

And may the Lord make you to increase

and excel and overflow in love for

one another and for all people...

So that He may strengthen

and confirm and establish your hearts

faultlessly pure and unblamable in holiness

in the sight of our God and Father, at the

coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah,

with all His saints, the holy and glorified people of God.

Amen!  So be it!

1 Thessalonians 3:8, 12,13

Jesus on the Mount of Olives

 Oil on canvas by

 Enrique Simonet Lombardo

(1892)

Faith Of Our Fathers, Living Still

"Now faith is the assurance, the confirmation,

the title deed, of things we hope for, being proof

of things we do not see and the conviction of their

reality, faith perceiving as real fact what is not

revealed to the senses."

Hebrews 11:1

(Amplified Bible)

Saint Paul in Prison

Rembrandt

(1627)

Faith of our fathers, living still

In spite of dungeon, fire,and sword,

O how our hearts beat high with joy

Whenever we hear that glorious word.

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death.

The Pilgrims' Landing at Plymouth

A painting by Dr. Michael Haywood

Our fathers chained in prisons dark,

Were still in heart and conscience free;

And blest would be their childrens' fate,

If they, like them, should die for Thee

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death.

The Signing of the Constitution of the United States in 1787

Howard Chandler Christy

(1940)

Faith of our fathers, we will love

Both friend and foe in all our strife,

And praise thee, too, as love knows how

By kindly words and virtuous life.

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death.

Two Great Americans and Soldiers

General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant

What does America's Independence Day
(the 4th of July) and the holiday of Christmas
have in common?




"We poor sinners need to come back from our wanderings
to seek pardon through the all-sufficient merits of our Redeemer.
And we need to pray earnestly for the power of the Holy Spirit
to give us a precious revival in our hearts and among the unconverted."
Robert E. Lee





"Faith Of Our Fathers, Living Still
Words by Frederick W. Faber
(1849)
Refrain by James G. Walton
(1874)

August Poems & Praise

Oh, give me a quiet place to walk

Where few men before have trod;

A place where I can know myself

And walk hand-in-hand with God.

A place where I can know the joy

Of God's endearing embrace,

Commune with Nature's calming voice

And feel her breath upon my face.

A place to hear God's peaceful voice

away from life's hectic pace,

To hear His voice in the whispering breeze

And know of His love and grace.

I hear His voice in a trickling stream

On its journey to the distant sea;

I feel His presence ever near-

As He whispers His peace to me.

I've found a quiet place to walk

Where blessings shower from above.

To know myself-is to know my God-

May my life reflect His love.

"A Quiet Voice"

Charles Clevenger

A Woman Under An Umbrella In A Meadow

Ivan Shuskin

(1881)

"Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell in unity together!
It is like the precious ointment poured on
the head, that ran down on the beard,
even the beard of Aaron, the first high priest,
that came down upon the collar and skirts 
of his garments, consecrating the whole body.
It is like the dew of lofty Mount Hermon and the
dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there
the Lord has commanded the blessing; even
life forevermore upon the high and the lowly."
Psalm 133

Mount Hermon Israel




Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Saviour hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name;
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the Fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity. Amen.

"The Life in Christ"
Reverend Charles Wesley
(1740)

Walking at the Arcachon Dune
Vladimir Volegov



The sunshine paints a rainbow when
A summer storm is through,
And on the roses droplets shine
From early morning dew.

The misty blue bell colonies
Tucked in a deep ravine
Are hidden, and by people they
Are very seldom seen.

While in the clear blue sky clouds float
For everyone to see,
And in the trees the song-birds nest
And sing in harmony.

The music from a mountain stream
Mankind can never quell,
Nor can we match the splendor of
The twilight in the dell.

The color spectrums sparkle from
The ripples of a stream,
Wild flowers by a country lane
Sown by our God supreme!

These are just a few paint strokes
That decorate our land
Directly from our God of love,
And painted by His hand.

"Paint Strokes of God"
Luther Elvis Albright

A field of wildflowers near Park City, Utah




"Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous
things out of Your law."
Psalm 119:18


I open my eyes with joy, O Lord,
And with thanks that I can see
The earth's great bounties everywhere-
All blessings that come from Thee.

I begin this day with love, Oh Lord,
For those who share with me
The love that will not let us go,
The love that comes from Thee.

I awake again with faith, Oh Lord,
That you'll walk with me all day,
And use me to touch a fettered soul,
Or mend some hurt along the way.

My heart awakes with thanks, Oh Lord,
For tasks which remain undone,
That I may work with strength anew
'Til I welcome the setting sun.

Please use this day of my life, O Lord,
In a way that pleases Thee,
And when I come to evening's rest
May I find You still near to me.

"A Morning Prayer"
Evy Reis

One Summer Morning
Karen Margulis