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POPULAR VERSES
Gone From My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says,
"There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout,
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
-Rev. Luther F. Beecher / Henry van Dyke
After Glow
I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow
Of smiles when day is done.
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve
to dry before the sun,
of happy memories that I leave behind
when day is done.
Come to Me
God saw you getting tired,
And a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around you,
And whispered, “Come to me.”
With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts
But said to us,
“It is time for him/her to rest.”
When I’m Gone
When I come to the end of my journey
And I travel my last weary mile,
Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile.
Forget unkind words I have spoken;
Remember some good I have done.
Forget that I ever had a heartache
And remember I’ve had loads of fun.
Forget that I have stumbled and blundered
And sometimes fell by the way.
Remember I have fought some hard battles,
And won, ere the close of the day,
Then forget to grieve for my going,
I would not have you sad for a day,
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay,
And come in the evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best.
Working Hands
These hands ain’t the hands of a gentleman.
These hands are calloused and old.
These hands raised a family;
These hands raised a home.
These hands won the heart of my loved one,
And with Hers, they were never alone.
If these hands filled their task,
Then what more could one ask,
For these fingers have worked to the bone.
Now please don’t judge me
By what you’d like me to be,
For my life ain’t been
What others call success,
But, still they grieve.
While these hands brought me happiness.
Now I’m tired and I’m old,
and I ain’t got much gold.
Maybe things ain’t been all that I planned
God above, hear my plea,
When it’s time to judge me,
Take a look at these hard-working hands.
These hands.
God looked around His garden
And found an empty place.
Then He looked down upon the earth
And saw your tired face.
He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful
For He always takes the best.
He saw the road was getting rough
And the hills were hard to climb,
So He closed your weary eyelids
And whispered, “Peace be thine.”
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you did not go alone,
For a part of us went with you
The day God called you home.
Some People Make A Difference
Some people make a difference
just by being who they are.
Their inner light shines bright
and touches lives
both near and far,
and even when they are gone,
they still forever play a part.
Some people make a difference
by touching other’s hearts.
HOPI PRAYER of The Soul's Graduation:
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there,
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight
On the ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.
My Spirit is still alive…
The Broken Chain
We little knew that morning
God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
You did not go alone;
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories,
Your love is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you,
You are always by our side.
Our family chain is broken
And nothing seems the same,
But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.
Time for me to leave you, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I'll be close to you.
-Conn Bernard
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you."
-Christopher Robin (A.A. Milne)
FOOTPRINTS
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me,
so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."
BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYERS
PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O heavenly Father, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
HAIL MARY
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of death.
Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin
Mary, that never was it known that
anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, and sought your
intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto you, O virgin of virgins,
my Mother! To you do I come,
before you I stand, sinful and
sorrowful. Oh Mother of the Word
incarnate, despise not my
petitions, but in your mercy hear
and answer me.
Amen.
GLORY BE
Glory be to The Father,
and to The Son,
and to The Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
PSALM 23 (TRADITIONAL)
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
PSALM 23 (MODERN)
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down
in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of
righteousness for his names sake.
Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy
will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
HAIL, HOLY QUEEN
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy;
hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve; to Thee do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears. Turn then, most
gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy
towards us; and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of
thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be worthy of the
promises of Christ.
Amen.
PSALM 121
I will lift mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord,
which made Heaven and earth.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil;
He shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out
and thy coming in from this time forth,
and even for evermore
JOHN 14:1-6
“Let not your hearts be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
SERENITY PRAYER
God grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in
this life and supremely happy with
You forever in the next.
Amen.
CAREER VERSES
FISHERMAN'S POEM
I've finished life's chores assigned to me,
So put me on a boat headed out to sea.
Please send along my fishing pole
For I've been invited to the fishin' hole.
Where every day is a day to fish,
To fill your heart with every wish.
Don't worry, or feel sad for me,
I'm fishin' with the Master of the sea.
We will miss each other for awhile,
But you will come and bring your smile.
That won't be long you will see,
Till we're together you and me.
To all of those that think of me,
Be happy as I go out to sea.
If others wonder why I'm missin'
Just tell 'em I've gone fishin'
-DELMAR PEPPER
SHE WAS THERE
When a calming, quiet presence was all that was needed, She was there.
In the excitement and miracle of birth or in the mystery and loss of life, She was there.
When a silent glance could uplift a patient, family member, or friend, She was there.
At those times when the unexplainable needed to be explained, She was there.
When the situation demanded a swift foot and sharp mind, She was there.
When a gentle touch, a firm push, or an encouraging word was needed, She was there.
In choosing the best one from a family's “Thank You” box of chocolates, She was there.
To witness humanity,—its beauty, in good times and bad, without judgment, She was there.
To embrace the woes of the world, willingly, and offer hope, She was there.
And now, that it is time to be at the Greater One's side, She is there.
-DUANE JAEGER, RN, MSN
FALLEN
Rest now my fallen brother
Lay soft your suffering back
Rest well and forever
Your memory shall not lack
Rest your tired hands
Wipe clean your weary brow
Rest with St. Florian
Your spirit now endowed
Rest here your breaking heart
We know you gave your all
Rest easy, you’ve done your part
You’ve answered your last call
Rest knowing that in god we sought
Oh lord, watch over another who just fell
Rest assured your troubled thought
As we ring the final bell.
-R. HOFFMAN
SSgt. USAF/MOANG, Firefighter, Rosecrans Airport, St. Joseph, Missouri
A HERO IS...
One Who Never Hesitates
To Tackle The Most Difficult Problems..
One Who Is Always By Your Side..
One Who Knows Right From Wrong..
One Who Acts With Pride..
A Hero Touches Every One Of Us,
Whether It Be Word Or Deed..
Always Tending To Those
Who Find Themselves In Need..
When A Hero Leaves This Earth,
Yes, It's Sad, But True..
All Too Many Times,
The Hero Is Dressed In Blue.
-ERIC DERENZIS
TAPS
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lake, from the hill
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest.
God is nigh.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
’Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars,
’Neath the sky.
As we go, this we know,
God is nigh.
Amen.
A FIREMAN'S PRAYER
When I am called to duty, God,
wherever flames may rage.
Give me strength to save some life
whatever be it’s age.
Help me to embrace a child
before it is too late,
or save an older person
from the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert and hear
the weakest shout
And quickly and efficiently to
put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me.
To guard my every neighbor and
protect his property.
And if according to my fate,
I am to lose my life,
Please bless with your protecting
hand my children and wife.
