"All Things Bright and Beautiful"

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful:

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors,

He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,

The poor man at his gate,

He made them, high or lowly,

And ordered their estate.

The purple headed mountains,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,

The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

(Cecil Frances Alexander)

"Ploughing" ~ a country poem ~

Horse by Bobby Mikul

The little birds by God are fed

But man must earn his daily bread,

And work that he may eat;

Striving his best, as John does now,

The broad ten-acre field to plough,

Wherein to sow the wheat.

Old John, the ploughman, ne'er repines,

Whether it blows, or rains, or shines,

But happy still does seem;

And Dick, who leads the foremost horse,

Goes whistling as he walks across

The field beside the team.

Let us perform as gladly, too,

The work our Master bids us do,

And then we need not fear;

But when from earthly toil we rest,

We all shall meet among the blest

Who served Him truly here.

Where Love Abides . . . . .

"Every house where love abides

And friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home, sweet home

For there the heart can rest."

-Henry Van Dyke