Let us bow our heads and say grace . . . Lord, we thank you for the blessings of this day and the bounty before us . . .
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Prayers and Spiritual Affirmations” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank You God
Thank You God for
The world so sweet,
Thank You God for
The food we eat,
Thank You God for
The birds that sing,
Thank You God for
Everything.
Amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poetry” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Johnny Appleseed Grace
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The Sun and the rain and the apple seed.
The Lord’s been good to me.
Hallelujah, amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Arbor Day Page.
Lord, we thank You
For the food before us
The family beside us
The love between us
And Your presence among us.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Lord, You give us good things to eat
Like spuds and carrots, peas and meat.
May all the things we say and do
Show our love and thanks to You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Foods Page.
Humorous or rhyming mealtime graces may not be suitable for all occasions; however, we have been endowed by our Creator with an ability to be joyful and playful, and there may well be a time for them as there is a time and place for everything in God’s Creation.
For food and health
And happy days,
Please receive
Our gratitude and praise.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Gratitude and Thankfulness” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
“Us and this, God bless.” -Author Unknown: Quaker grace
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce, who?
Lettuce be thankful for our food.
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Knock-Knock Jokes” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Grace
God is great,
God is good,
Let us thank Him
For our food.
Amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Minimalism and Extravagance” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord, thank You for this food.
It’s yet another reminder,
Of this truth from “Lamentations”:
That You are good to those whose hope is in You,
To those who seek You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Thank You, Lord,
For the richness of this food,
In color, taste, and texture,
And that it tastes all the sweeter,
For this blessing:
That we can enjoy it with those we love.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Love” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Grace with Hands
God bless us (touch hands on head).
God bless the food (place hands around plate).
Amen (fold hands).
by Author Unknown
Table Grace for Christmastime
In the midst of our decorating, shopping, and baking,
Christmas whispers, “Immanuel.”
In the midst of our parties and merry-making,
Christmas whispers, “Immanuel.”
Help us pause, Lord, while this food partaking,
To rejoice in the promise, “Immanuel.”
by Author Unknown (For this prayer, whisper the first two occurrences of ‘Immanuel,’ but say the last one loudly and joyfully. Explain that ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God is with us.’)
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Christmas Page.
“Benedictus, Benedicat.” [original Latin]
“May the Blessed One, Bless.” [translation to English]
-Author Unknown
The treasures of this life
Are love, hope, and family.
God, thank you for all three.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Numbers and Counting” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Many prayers end with the word ‘amen’ meaning ‘so may it be.’
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Daffynitions and Definitions” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord, we thank You for this food.
As we receive all You give,
Help us to trust You more:
To trust in Your generosity,
For You are eager to bless us,
To trust in Your love,
For You will never reject us,
To trust in Your strength,
For You want to work through us.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.
-Author Unknown: from the Huron Hunger Fund, Anglican Church of Canada
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Life and Living” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Dear God,
Please bless us sinners
As we prepare to eat our dinners,
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Prayers and Spiritual Affirmations” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank You God
Thank You God for
The world so sweet,
Thank You God for
The food we eat,
Thank You God for
The birds that sing,
Thank You God for
Everything.
Amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poetry” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Johnny Appleseed Grace
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The Sun and the rain and the apple seed.
The Lord’s been good to me.
Hallelujah, amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Arbor Day Page.
Lord, we thank You
For the food before us
The family beside us
The love between us
And Your presence among us.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Lord, You give us good things to eat
Like spuds and carrots, peas and meat.
May all the things we say and do
Show our love and thanks to You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Foods Page.
Humorous or rhyming mealtime graces may not be suitable for all occasions; however, we have been endowed by our Creator with an ability to be joyful and playful, and there may well be a time for them as there is a time and place for everything in God’s Creation.
For food and health
And happy days,
Please receive
Our gratitude and praise.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Gratitude and Thankfulness” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
“Us and this, God bless.” -Author Unknown: Quaker grace
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce, who?
Lettuce be thankful for our food.
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Knock-Knock Jokes” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Grace
God is great,
God is good,
Let us thank Him
For our food.
Amen.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Minimalism and Extravagance” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord, thank You for this food.
It’s yet another reminder,
Of this truth from “Lamentations”:
That You are good to those whose hope is in You,
To those who seek You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Thank You, Lord,
For the richness of this food,
In color, taste, and texture,
And that it tastes all the sweeter,
For this blessing:
That we can enjoy it with those we love.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Love” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Grace with Hands
God bless us (touch hands on head).
God bless the food (place hands around plate).
Amen (fold hands).
by Author Unknown
Table Grace for Christmastime
In the midst of our decorating, shopping, and baking,
Christmas whispers, “Immanuel.”
In the midst of our parties and merry-making,
Christmas whispers, “Immanuel.”
Help us pause, Lord, while this food partaking,
To rejoice in the promise, “Immanuel.”
by Author Unknown (For this prayer, whisper the first two occurrences of ‘Immanuel,’ but say the last one loudly and joyfully. Explain that ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God is with us.’)
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of this article, or click or tap on these words to visit the Christmas Page.
“Benedictus, Benedicat.” [original Latin]
“May the Blessed One, Bless.” [translation to English]
-Author Unknown
The treasures of this life
Are love, hope, and family.
God, thank you for all three.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Numbers and Counting” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Many prayers end with the word ‘amen’ meaning ‘so may it be.’
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Daffynitions and Definitions” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord, we thank You for this food.
As we receive all You give,
Help us to trust You more:
To trust in Your generosity,
For You are eager to bless us,
To trust in Your love,
For You will never reject us,
To trust in Your strength,
For You want to work through us.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.
-Author Unknown: from the Huron Hunger Fund, Anglican Church of Canada
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Life and Living” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Dear God,
Please bless us sinners
As we prepare to eat our dinners,
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
-Author Unknown
A Hare’s Prayer
God is great,
God is good,
For a hare
Green means food,
And all the Earth
Is a dinner plate.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Father, please bless this food
For our everlasting good.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Bread is a lovely thing to eat;
God bless the bakery and the wheat.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Baked Goods” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Bless this food for our use
And us to thy service. Amen.
-Author Unknown
There once was a cock and a hen,
Who gave lunch to a goose in a pen.
“Good Lord,” said the goose,
“For good food and those who prepare it,
For good friends with whom to share it,
We thank you Lord. Amen.”
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Birds” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Father, thank you for meat and bread.
May all the world be clothed and fed.
-Author Unknown
Heavenly Father bless us
And keep us all alive
There’s ten of us to dinner
And not enough for five
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poverty and Prosperity” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Colors of the Rainbow
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue,
For food that is all the colors
Of the rainbow,
Oh, Lord, we thank You!
Amen.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of “Sing a Rainbow”
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Rainbows” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
“On a gloomy, rainy morning, it came little eight-year-old Tommy’s turn to say the blessing at breakfast. ‘We thank Thee for this beautiful day,’ he prayed. His mother asked him why he said that when the day was anything but beautiful. ‘Mother,’ said he, with rare wisdom, ‘never judge a day by its weather.’” -Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Weather and Climates” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank you Lord,
And please know
That we are truly grateful
For every cup and every plate full.
-Author Unknown
We thank the Lord for happy hearts
For rain and sunny weather
We thank the Lord for this our food
And that we are together
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Happiness” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord,
Please make us able
To eat all the food on the table
I think we can do it
If we all stick to it.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Goals and Planning” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Evening Grace
We thank you Lord at our evening meal,
For the blessings, friendships, and love we feel.
Oh, guide our minds and our hearts we pray,
Let us all make tomorrow a joyful day.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of, “What Child is This”
God is great,
God is good.
Let us thank God
For our food.
By his grace
We are fed.
Thank you God
For daily bread.
-Author Unknown
God of goodness, please bless our food,
And please keep us in a pleasant mood.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Emotions and Feelings” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Our hands we fold;
Our heads we bow;
For food and drink,
We thank thee now.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poetic Epigrams” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
God our Father,
Lord and Savior,
Thank you for
Your love and favor
Bless this food we pray
And all who share it
With us today.
-Author Unknown
Many mealtime graces are short in length, because if hungry people are at a table with the promise of food, and they do not get food soon, they might start chewing on their fingernails, the napkins, the tablecloth, each other, or anything else that is within reach!
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Mealtimes and Eating” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank you God
For milk and bread
And other things so good
Thank you God
For those who help
To grow and cook our food.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Employment and Work” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
And the glory and the victory and the majesty,
For all that is in the Heavens and in the Earth is Yours.
We thank You and praise Your name,
For all this abundance comes from Your hand.
Help us keep joy and gratitude in our hearts
And direct our hearts toward You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown: prayer based on “The Bible,” ‘First Chronicles,’ chapter 29
God,
We thank you
For the food we eat,
For your protection,
From cold and heat,
For health and strength,
For love and laughter,
And finally, God,
For life ever after.
Amen.
-David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Beaumont’s Quotations” by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank You for the Special Things
Dear God,
We thank you for our food,
For life and joy and play,
We thank you for the special things
You give to us this day.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Today and the Present” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Singing Grace
Lord, we thank You,
Lord, we thank You,
For our food,
For our food,
And our many blessings,
And our many blessings.
Amen. Amen.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of “Frere Jacques,” also known as, “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”
Thank You God
Thank You God for feet that run
And hop and jump and have such fun.
Thank You God for hands that clap,
Wiggle, wave, and pet a cat.
Thank You God for making me,
And mom and dad and friends I see.
We love You, praise You, and shout out Your name.
Our God is forever and ever the same!
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Anatomy and Physiology” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
We love our bread,
We love our butter,
But most of all,
We love each other,
Thank You Lord
For our food.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Homes and Families” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
We are MFOL! . . . your cheerful ways and pleasant smiles make it all worthwhile . . .
God is great,
God is good,
For a hare
Green means food,
And all the Earth
Is a dinner plate.
by David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Father, please bless this food
For our everlasting good.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Bread is a lovely thing to eat;
God bless the bakery and the wheat.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Baked Goods” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Bless this food for our use
And us to thy service. Amen.
-Author Unknown
There once was a cock and a hen,
Who gave lunch to a goose in a pen.
“Good Lord,” said the goose,
“For good food and those who prepare it,
For good friends with whom to share it,
We thank you Lord. Amen.”
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Birds” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Father, thank you for meat and bread.
May all the world be clothed and fed.
-Author Unknown
Heavenly Father bless us
And keep us all alive
There’s ten of us to dinner
And not enough for five
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poverty and Prosperity” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Colors of the Rainbow
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue,
For food that is all the colors
Of the rainbow,
Oh, Lord, we thank You!
Amen.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of “Sing a Rainbow”
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Rainbows” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
“On a gloomy, rainy morning, it came little eight-year-old Tommy’s turn to say the blessing at breakfast. ‘We thank Thee for this beautiful day,’ he prayed. His mother asked him why he said that when the day was anything but beautiful. ‘Mother,’ said he, with rare wisdom, ‘never judge a day by its weather.’” -Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Weather and Climates” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank you Lord,
And please know
That we are truly grateful
For every cup and every plate full.
-Author Unknown
We thank the Lord for happy hearts
For rain and sunny weather
We thank the Lord for this our food
And that we are together
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Happiness” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Lord,
Please make us able
To eat all the food on the table
I think we can do it
If we all stick to it.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Goals and Planning” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Evening Grace
We thank you Lord at our evening meal,
For the blessings, friendships, and love we feel.
Oh, guide our minds and our hearts we pray,
Let us all make tomorrow a joyful day.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of, “What Child is This”
God is great,
God is good.
Let us thank God
For our food.
By his grace
We are fed.
Thank you God
For daily bread.
-Author Unknown
God of goodness, please bless our food,
And please keep us in a pleasant mood.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Emotions and Feelings” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Our hands we fold;
Our heads we bow;
For food and drink,
We thank thee now.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Poetic Epigrams” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
God our Father,
Lord and Savior,
Thank you for
Your love and favor
Bless this food we pray
And all who share it
With us today.
-Author Unknown
Many mealtime graces are short in length, because if hungry people are at a table with the promise of food, and they do not get food soon, they might start chewing on their fingernails, the napkins, the tablecloth, each other, or anything else that is within reach!
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Mealtimes and Eating” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank you God
For milk and bread
And other things so good
Thank you God
For those who help
To grow and cook our food.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Employment and Work” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
And the glory and the victory and the majesty,
For all that is in the Heavens and in the Earth is Yours.
We thank You and praise Your name,
For all this abundance comes from Your hand.
Help us keep joy and gratitude in our hearts
And direct our hearts toward You.
Amen.
-Author Unknown: prayer based on “The Bible,” ‘First Chronicles,’ chapter 29
God,
We thank you
For the food we eat,
For your protection,
From cold and heat,
For health and strength,
For love and laughter,
And finally, God,
For life ever after.
Amen.
-David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Beaumont’s Quotations” by David Hugh Beaumont.
Thank You for the Special Things
Dear God,
We thank you for our food,
For life and joy and play,
We thank you for the special things
You give to us this day.
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Today and the Present” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
Singing Grace
Lord, we thank You,
Lord, we thank You,
For our food,
For our food,
And our many blessings,
And our many blessings.
Amen. Amen.
by Author Unknown: can be sung to the same tune as that of “Frere Jacques,” also known as, “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”
Thank You God
Thank You God for feet that run
And hop and jump and have such fun.
Thank You God for hands that clap,
Wiggle, wave, and pet a cat.
Thank You God for making me,
And mom and dad and friends I see.
We love You, praise You, and shout out Your name.
Our God is forever and ever the same!
by Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Anatomy and Physiology” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
We love our bread,
We love our butter,
But most of all,
We love each other,
Thank You Lord
For our food.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
Continue scrolling down this website page to read the rest of the article, or click or tap on these words to read “Fun and Learning about Homes and Families” gathered by David Hugh Beaumont.
We are MFOL! . . . your cheerful ways and pleasant smiles make it all worthwhile . . .
Have Faith
People hurt you,
God will heal you.
People humiliate you,
God will magnify you.
People judge you,
God will justify you.
People hate you,
God will love you.
by Author Unknown: based on a quotation of Nicky Gumbel
Original quotation:
“People may hurt you but God will heal you. People may humiliate you but God will honor you. People may judge you but God will justify you.” -Nicky Gumbel (Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel (born 1955))
Nicholas Glyn Paul ‘Nicky’ Gumbel was born on 28 April 1955 in London, England. He was married to Pippa Gumbel in 1978. He became a barrister, a writer, and a Christian priest in the Church of England. Web page http://www.bible-reflections.net/contributors/nicky-gumbel/290/.
People hurt you,
God will heal you.
People humiliate you,
God will magnify you.
People judge you,
God will justify you.
People hate you,
God will love you.
by Author Unknown: based on a quotation of Nicky Gumbel
Original quotation:
“People may hurt you but God will heal you. People may humiliate you but God will honor you. People may judge you but God will justify you.” -Nicky Gumbel (Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel (born 1955))
Nicholas Glyn Paul ‘Nicky’ Gumbel was born on 28 April 1955 in London, England. He was married to Pippa Gumbel in 1978. He became a barrister, a writer, and a Christian priest in the Church of England. Web page http://www.bible-reflections.net/contributors/nicky-gumbel/290/.
Keep a Bright Face
Keep a bright face, darling,
Though the task is hard,
Life holds up before you
Many a bright-faced card.
Though the clouds have gathered
And darkened all the way,
Rainbows o’er you arching
Tinge the skies of gray.
You have said what sunshine
Leaked in with the rain
Only brought new sorrow,
Brought but grief and pain.
Keep a bright face, darling,
Set your scales anew,
Weigh again the sunshine
And the raindrops, too.
And you’ll find your measure
Hitherto was wrong,
Keep a bright face, darling,
And on your lips a song.
Heaven decrees our burdens,
And our faith God tries;
But a broken spirit
He cannot despise.
Keep a bright face, darling -
Even while I write,
In the fields of midnight
Blossom stars of light.
Though the morning cometh
With a streak of gray,
’Tis a hint of sunshine
And a perfect day.
Journey slow and patient
With a purpose strong.
Keep a bright face, darling,
On your lips a song.
by Kate Slaughter McKinney
Kate Slaughter ‘Katydid’ McKinney, who used Katydid as an author pseudonym, was born on 6 February 1859 in London, Kentucky, United States of America. She became a writer and a poet. In 1931, she was elected Poet Laureate of the state of Alabama. Kate Slaughter ‘Katydid’ McKinney passed on at about 80 years of age in 1939.
Keep a bright face, darling,
Though the task is hard,
Life holds up before you
Many a bright-faced card.
Though the clouds have gathered
And darkened all the way,
Rainbows o’er you arching
Tinge the skies of gray.
You have said what sunshine
Leaked in with the rain
Only brought new sorrow,
Brought but grief and pain.
Keep a bright face, darling,
Set your scales anew,
Weigh again the sunshine
And the raindrops, too.
And you’ll find your measure
Hitherto was wrong,
Keep a bright face, darling,
And on your lips a song.
Heaven decrees our burdens,
And our faith God tries;
But a broken spirit
He cannot despise.
Keep a bright face, darling -
Even while I write,
In the fields of midnight
Blossom stars of light.
Though the morning cometh
With a streak of gray,
’Tis a hint of sunshine
And a perfect day.
Journey slow and patient
With a purpose strong.
Keep a bright face, darling,
On your lips a song.
by Kate Slaughter McKinney
Kate Slaughter ‘Katydid’ McKinney, who used Katydid as an author pseudonym, was born on 6 February 1859 in London, Kentucky, United States of America. She became a writer and a poet. In 1931, she was elected Poet Laureate of the state of Alabama. Kate Slaughter ‘Katydid’ McKinney passed on at about 80 years of age in 1939.
God Will Count Your Honest Try
If in life’s great, onward battle
You have done your best and lost,
If amid the din and rattle
You regarded not the cost,
If you met your foeman bravely,
If you dared to do or die,
God will credit you, most surely,
For your fearless, honest try.
Have you sometimes felt discouraged,
Felt that life had lost its charm,
And that every effort failed you,
Bringing to you only harm?
Look within and ask this question:
“Have I done my level best?”
If you answer, without guessing,
“Yes,” then God will do the rest.
Has this neighbor won more glory?
That one more of earthly store?
Though your hair is thin and hoary,
Are you poorer than before?
Have you helped, with hands quite willing?
Have you heard the orphan’s cry?
Given part of your last shilling?
God will count your honest try.
by William Henry Dawson
William Henry Dawson, also known as W. H. Dawson, was born in 1853. He became a poet. He is the author of the book, “Sunshine of Hope, and Other Poems” (1910). William Henry Dawson passed on at about 75 years of age in 1928.
If in life’s great, onward battle
You have done your best and lost,
If amid the din and rattle
You regarded not the cost,
If you met your foeman bravely,
If you dared to do or die,
God will credit you, most surely,
For your fearless, honest try.
Have you sometimes felt discouraged,
Felt that life had lost its charm,
And that every effort failed you,
Bringing to you only harm?
Look within and ask this question:
“Have I done my level best?”
If you answer, without guessing,
“Yes,” then God will do the rest.
Has this neighbor won more glory?
That one more of earthly store?
Though your hair is thin and hoary,
Are you poorer than before?
Have you helped, with hands quite willing?
Have you heard the orphan’s cry?
Given part of your last shilling?
God will count your honest try.
by William Henry Dawson
William Henry Dawson, also known as W. H. Dawson, was born in 1853. He became a poet. He is the author of the book, “Sunshine of Hope, and Other Poems” (1910). William Henry Dawson passed on at about 75 years of age in 1928.
Points on Living
Try to live for one week without grumbling.
Be severe with yourself, but gentle with other folks.
The men who master situations master themselves first.
Better let favors seek you than spend time seeking for them.
Penitence is the morning star to a brighter and better day.
Faith is the leading characteristic of men of honor and heroism.
The highest type of chivalry is that which serves the commonplace need.
A hope for the future that is not based on right effort in the present is a ‘false hope.’
He who appreciates the help of others most will get the most good out of others.
An understanding heart is superior to an understanding mind, and a religion without emotion is a cold, cheerless affair.
Where there is darkness be a light; where there is a desert be a fountain; where there is need be a giver; where there is trouble be a peacemaker; such are the children of God.
by Author Unknown
Try to live for one week without grumbling.
Be severe with yourself, but gentle with other folks.
The men who master situations master themselves first.
Better let favors seek you than spend time seeking for them.
Penitence is the morning star to a brighter and better day.
Faith is the leading characteristic of men of honor and heroism.
The highest type of chivalry is that which serves the commonplace need.
A hope for the future that is not based on right effort in the present is a ‘false hope.’
He who appreciates the help of others most will get the most good out of others.
An understanding heart is superior to an understanding mind, and a religion without emotion is a cold, cheerless affair.
Where there is darkness be a light; where there is a desert be a fountain; where there is need be a giver; where there is trouble be a peacemaker; such are the children of God.
by Author Unknown
Golfer’s Prayer
For all the times
I have swung a club.
For the many friends
and the game I love.
For the patience I have found
in sand or rough.
For the excitement of making shots
thought tough.
For success is not measured
by holes in one,
But by the times that are shared
when you are having fun.
Lord would you grant me
one last request,
To play you a round of the game
I love best.
by Author Unknown
For all the times
I have swung a club.
For the many friends
and the game I love.
For the patience I have found
in sand or rough.
For the excitement of making shots
thought tough.
For success is not measured
by holes in one,
But by the times that are shared
when you are having fun.
Lord would you grant me
one last request,
To play you a round of the game
I love best.
by Author Unknown
Folks Like You
Wouldn’t the world be nice to live in,
Cheery through and through,
If everyone were just as kind as
Folks like you.
’Course we can’t get all we aim for
Every day, it’s true,
But there’s one thing never fails us,
Folks like you.
Mighty sure when I embark for
Shores beyond our view,
I shall find that Heaven is only
Folks like you.
by Author Unknown: as published by P. F. Volland Company (1 January 1916)
Wouldn’t the world be nice to live in,
Cheery through and through,
If everyone were just as kind as
Folks like you.
’Course we can’t get all we aim for
Every day, it’s true,
But there’s one thing never fails us,
Folks like you.
Mighty sure when I embark for
Shores beyond our view,
I shall find that Heaven is only
Folks like you.
by Author Unknown: as published by P. F. Volland Company (1 January 1916)
Virtues That Wash
In the days before fast-color dyes had been developed, women made dyes from herbs, berries, and roots. Only a few dyes made in this manner were fast-color, and they were eagerly sought after since the others faded.
When a child was born in a minister’s family in Puritan New England, the father wrote the baby’s name in the old family Bible, and beside it this wish: “May the Lord endue her with virtues that wash.”
In language comparing virtues to fast-color dyes, the minister was expressing the hope that his daughter would possess such stable virtues that they would not fade in the repeated launderings of life, but that they would remain to the end as pure and wholesome as they were at the beginning. Too often our characters are so weak that our much-vaunted virtues and lauded goodnesses grow dimmer and dimmer as they are laundered in the suds of temptation in the washtub of life.
In his progress away from barbarism, man has sometimes unwisely divorced himself from virtue and goodness, when what each of us needs is a generous supply of virtues that wash - convictions that will not be shaken, principles that stand firm.
Possessing virtues that wash, we are ready for the world.
by Leo Bennett: as published in Monta H. Crane and Selma Shepherd Downey, compilers: “Sunshine and Shadows” (1973), ‘Book I - From Dawn to Afterglow, Eventide,’ page 97
In the days before fast-color dyes had been developed, women made dyes from herbs, berries, and roots. Only a few dyes made in this manner were fast-color, and they were eagerly sought after since the others faded.
When a child was born in a minister’s family in Puritan New England, the father wrote the baby’s name in the old family Bible, and beside it this wish: “May the Lord endue her with virtues that wash.”
In language comparing virtues to fast-color dyes, the minister was expressing the hope that his daughter would possess such stable virtues that they would not fade in the repeated launderings of life, but that they would remain to the end as pure and wholesome as they were at the beginning. Too often our characters are so weak that our much-vaunted virtues and lauded goodnesses grow dimmer and dimmer as they are laundered in the suds of temptation in the washtub of life.
In his progress away from barbarism, man has sometimes unwisely divorced himself from virtue and goodness, when what each of us needs is a generous supply of virtues that wash - convictions that will not be shaken, principles that stand firm.
Possessing virtues that wash, we are ready for the world.
by Leo Bennett: as published in Monta H. Crane and Selma Shepherd Downey, compilers: “Sunshine and Shadows” (1973), ‘Book I - From Dawn to Afterglow, Eventide,’ page 97
A Prayer for Every Day
Make me too brave to lie or be unkind.
Make me too understanding, too, to mind
The little hurts companions give, and friends,
The careless hurts that no one quite intends.
Make me too thoughtful to hurt others so.
Help me to know
The inmost hearts of those for whom I care,
Their secret wishes, all the loads they bear,
That I may add my courage to their own.
May I make lonely folks feel less alone,
And happy ones a little happier yet.
May I forget
What ought to be forgotten; and recall
Unfailing, all
That ought to be recalled, each kindly thing,
Forgetting what might sting.
To all upon my way,
Day after day,
Let me be joy, be hope! Let my life sing!
by Mary Carolyn Davies
Mary Carolyn Davies was born in about January 1888 in Sprague, Washington, United States of America. She became a poet, a playwright, and a novelist. Mary Carolyn Davies passed on at 86 years of age on 19 May 1974 in Manhattan, New York, United States of America and rests in Vancouver, Washington, United States of America.
Make me too brave to lie or be unkind.
Make me too understanding, too, to mind
The little hurts companions give, and friends,
The careless hurts that no one quite intends.
Make me too thoughtful to hurt others so.
Help me to know
The inmost hearts of those for whom I care,
Their secret wishes, all the loads they bear,
That I may add my courage to their own.
May I make lonely folks feel less alone,
And happy ones a little happier yet.
May I forget
What ought to be forgotten; and recall
Unfailing, all
That ought to be recalled, each kindly thing,
Forgetting what might sting.
To all upon my way,
Day after day,
Let me be joy, be hope! Let my life sing!
by Mary Carolyn Davies
Mary Carolyn Davies was born in about January 1888 in Sprague, Washington, United States of America. She became a poet, a playwright, and a novelist. Mary Carolyn Davies passed on at 86 years of age on 19 May 1974 in Manhattan, New York, United States of America and rests in Vancouver, Washington, United States of America.
Grace
Give me the grace to care without neglecting my needs,
The humility to assist without rescuing,
The kindness to be clear without being cold,
The mercy to be angry without rejecting,
The prudence to disclose without disrespecting my privacy,
The humor to admit human failings without experiencing shame,
The compassion to give freely without giving myself away.
by Juanita Ryan
Give me the grace to care without neglecting my needs,
The humility to assist without rescuing,
The kindness to be clear without being cold,
The mercy to be angry without rejecting,
The prudence to disclose without disrespecting my privacy,
The humor to admit human failings without experiencing shame,
The compassion to give freely without giving myself away.
by Juanita Ryan
