A Prayer

I said a prayer for you today

And know God must have heard

I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke no word!

I didn't ask for wealth or fame

(I knew you wouldn't mind)

I asked Him to send treasures

Of a far more lasting kind!

I asked that He'd be near you

At the start of each new day

To grant you health and blessings

And friends to share your way!

I asked for happiness for you

In all things great and small

But it was for His loving care

I prayed for most of all!

I Wish

I wish I were there

To hear man's first word,

Or to see with what flair

In battle he fought with his sword.

I wish I could have seen

How the pyramids slowly grew

Or how life would have been,

Living in ancient Rome, or Greece, too.

I wish I were present

When Arthur ruled Camelot

When one was a king, knight, monk, or peasant,

And a scientist was not worth a lot.

I wish I were there to see

Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel,

Copernicus developing the heliocentric theory

Or when on Newton's head an apple fell.

I wish to have been there

When America was discovered by Columbus.

There wasn't a moment to spare

As the Spanish and English colonized the coasts.

I wish I could have witnessed

The progress of the Industrial Revolution,

Or when the Age of I Wish . . . started,

Bringing us the computer, a life-changing invention.

And how could I

Not want to be there

When man first set foot and eye

On the moon's terrain.

I wish I could know

What the future is like,

Whether peace, unlike now,

Will dominate and reside.

I wish I could see

If Earth would be

A land of beauty and safety

For you and me.

I wish I could know

If women will be presidents,

Or if I Wish . . . will grow

And everyone will use robots.

Thinking about the past and future may

Make me wish I could be there

But like the old Latins used to say

"Carpe Diem" meaning live in the moment: here, not there.

Friendship

Each of us has a hidden place

Somewhere deep within ourselves;

A place where we go to get away,

To think things through,

To be alone, to be ourselves.

This unique place, where we confront our deepest feelings,

Becomes a storehouse of all our hopes,

All our needs, all our dreams,

And even our unspoken fears.

It encompasses the essence of who we are and what we want to be.

But now and then, whether by chance or design,

Someone discovers a way into that place we thought was ours alone.

And we allow that person to see, to feel and to share

All the reason, all the uncertainty

And all the emotion we've stored up there.

That person adds new perspective to our hidden realm,

Then quietly settles down in his own corner of our special place,

Where a bit of himself will stay forever.

And we call that person a friend.

A Time To Believe

To believe is to know that 

every day is a new beginning.

It is to trust that miracles happen, 

and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels 

dancing among the clouds,

To know the wonder of a stardust sky 

and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,

The innocence of a child's eyes 

and the beauty of an aging hand,

for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength 

and courage that lies within us

When it is time to pick up 

the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know 

we are not alone,

That life is a gift 

and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe is to know 

that wonderful surprises are just

waiting to happen,

And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

A PRAYER FOR A LOVED ONE

Lord, be his shepherd,

Keep him with the flock,

Watch him and tend him,

Be his resolute rock.

Don't let him falter,

Don't let him fall,

Wait with him, Father,

Be there for his call.

Hold his hand firmly,

The path grows so steep,

Wipe his tears gently,

Should he start to weep.

Teach him to follow,

In Your humble way,

Help him to walk,

In Your shadow each day.

Strengthen his body,

Weaken his will,

Should he deny You,

Stay with him still.

Give him Your shoulder,

On which he may rest,

Embrace him warmly,

Next to Your breast.

Please place Your hand,

Upon his dear head,

And give him Your blessing,

As his spirit is fed.

Quiet his mind,

Comfort his soul,

Put peace in his heart,

Make his life whole.

Give him a vision,

Of Your tender smile,

Let him feel loved,

All of the while.