When you get knocked down, rise once more, Let your spirit soar, don't keep score. Though life's trials may test and confound, Stand tall, keep your feet on the ground.
With each setback, find your inner light, Keep smiling through the darkest night. For strength lies not in never falling, But in the grace of rising, always calling.
Embrace the journey, each stumble and leap, In the heart's resilience, joy you'll keep. So when you get knocked down, get back up, And let your smile brim, fill your cup.
In the world, there are two kinds of souls, One's story is of highs, the other's of lows. The down and out, worn by life's cruel hand, Walking on pathways made of shifting sand.
They’ve seen the nights darker than pitch, Seeking solace in dreams that seldom stitch. With hearts heavy, burdened by the fight, They struggle for a glimpse of morning light.
Then there's the up and out, reaching the sky, Yet inside, they too, heave a silent sigh. They've climbed the peaks, tasted the stars, But still find emptiness amid their scars.
Their battles are hidden behind smiles so bright, Concealing the shadows that come with their height. For up above, the air is thin and cold, Where loneliness creeps as stories unfold.
Both wander through life, in search of peace, One hoping for dawn, the other release. In different ways, their paths entwine, Sharing the quest for a sign, divine.
So, raise your eyes and see them clear, In every face, a story near. The down and out, the up and out, Both echo life's perpetual bout.
Early to bed and early to rise, Beneath the soft and starlit skies, Brings health and wealth to those who keep The promise of a restful sleep.
When dawn awakens with gentle light, And bids farewell to the quiet night, The morning whispers to the wise, "Awake, and see the new day’s prize."
For in the early hours we find A clarity, a peace of mind, A vigor that the morning brings, To chase our dreams on tireless wings.
The sun ascends, the world awakes, Opportunity it makes, For those who greet the day with cheer, And seize each moment without fear.
So rest your head when night descends, And rise before the daylight ends, For health and wealth, and wisdom’s grace, Are gifts for those who keep this pace.
In simple truths, these words confide, With diligence as our trusted guide, Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" Benjamin Franklin
In the valley deep and low, Where shadows stretch and cold winds blow, God plants a vision in our sight, A dream that glimmers in the night.
He takes us through the rugged land, With firm and gentle guiding hand, To shape us in His perfect mold, In valleys dark, His truths unfold.
It’s here our hearts are tried and torn, Amidst the struggles, faith is born, So many faint and lose their way, Forgetting dawn follows the gray.
Yet patience holds the sacred key, To see what we are meant to be, For every vision, bright and clear, Becomes more real year by year.
In valleys where we fear and strain, We learn to rise above the pain, Each trial shapes the soul’s pure gold, Until His vision we behold.
Isa 35:7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
In the quiet halls where whispers flow, I stood as a guide where shadows grow, A Funeral Director, in solemn grace, Helping families in their grief-stricken place.
Through endless tears and nights so long, I offered solace, kept hearts strong, Solving puzzles of sorrow's maze, Lifting burdens in a tender haze.
On call by day, by night, each hour, A steadfast presence, a calming power, Leaving meals, prayers half-said, To comfort souls in mourning's dread.
In the sanctity of shared despair, A light of hope, a breath of air, Bringing peace where pain had thrived, In the act of care, I felt alive.
For in the service of the grieving heart, A sacred duty, a hallowed art, To ease the ache, to bring relief, A balm to the endless tide of grief.
If you want something done, seek the busiest soul, In their bustling world, they fulfill every role. Their hands never still, their heart never cold, For in their endeavors, a story is told.
The busiest person, with a smile so bright, Turns labor to laughter, and dark into light. Their cheerfulness spreads, like a warm summer breeze, They handle their tasks with remarkable ease.
Kindness is free, a gift to behold, Given in measures more precious than gold. In the rush of their day, they still find the space, To share a kind word, a touch of grace.
So grasp all you can, of this bountiful cheer, Hold it close to your heart, let it draw you near. For in the realm of the busiest, life's riches unfold, In the warmth of their kindness, the greatest stories are told.
Tame the winds and lessen the damage, Oh Lord, Bring healing to our hearts, with Your word. Calm the storm that rages wild and fierce, Let Your gentle touch our spirits pierce.
Peace around me, as I walk this way, Guide my steps, in Your light I stay. To those who cross my path, bestow, Your grace and love, let mercy flow.
Healing hands, tender and kind, Mend the broken, ease the troubled mind. In Your presence, let our fears subside, With faith and hope, let us abide.
Oh Lord, Your power we implore, To tame the winds, and heal us more. In calm and peace, let us find, Your love eternal, pure, and kind.
Painting by Spike O’Dell W4WGN Brentwood Tennessee
The fourth of July is my Favorite time of year
It draws us closer to our family so dear
Picnics Barbecues and all the fun things
With these traditions great joy, it brings
Fireworks Hamburgers Hotdogs and Apple Pie
All these are great Treasures in our eye
Our Country was founded on Faith in our GOD
Giving us great wisdom by which we are awed
Let us remember the Sacrifices of so many
So that we might have Freedom with Peace and Plenty
July 3, 2021
MarkWaldrop
