Heart Gifts: There's Sunshine In A Smile: ~After The Winter, God Sends The Spring

Heart Gifts: There's Sunshine In A Smile: ~After The Winter, God Sends The Spring: Springtime is a season of hope and joy and cheer, There's beauty all around us to see and touch and hear. So no matter how downhearted a...

~After The Winter, God Sends The Spring

Springtime is a season
of hope and joy and cheer,


There's beauty all around us
to see and touch and hear.

So no matter how downhearted
and discouraged we may be,

New hope is born when we behold
leaves budding on a tree,

Or when we see a timid flower
push through the frozen sod

And open wide in glad surprise
its petaled eyes to God.

For this is just God saying
"Lift up your eyes to Me,

And the bleakness of your spirit,
like the budding springtime tree,

Will lose its wintry darkness
and your heavy heart will sing"-

For God never sends the winter
without the joy of spring.

~Helen Steiner Rice

~The Difference Between "Drive" And "Driven"

There's a difference between "drive" and "driven" --
The one is selfish the other God-given.

For the driven man has but one goal,
Just worldly wealth and not riches of soul,

And daily he's spurred on to reach and attain
A higher position, more profit and gain,

Ambition and wealth become his great need
As daily he's driven by avarice and greed.

But, most blessed are they who use their drive
To work with zeal so all may survive,

For while they forfeit great personal gain,
Their work and their zeal are never in vain,

For they contribute to the whole human race,
And we cannot survive without growing in grace.

So help us, dear God to choose between
The driving forces that rule our routine

So we may make our purpose and goal
Not power and wealth but the growth of our soul.

And give us strength and drive and desire
To raise our standards and ethics higher

So all of us and not just a few
May live on earth as You want us to.

~Helen Steiner Rice

~Thank-You God, For Everything!

Thank You God, for everything-
the big things and the small-

For every good gift comes from God,
the giver of them all.

And all too often we accept
without any thanks or praise

The gifts God sends as blessings
each day in many ways.

And so at this Thanksgiving time
we offer up a prayer

To thank You, God for giving us
a lot more than our share.

Thank You for the miracles
we are much too blind to see,

And give us a new awareness
of our many gifts from Thee,

And help us to remember
that the key to life and living

Is to make each prayer a prayer of thanks
and every day "Thanksgiving".

~Helen Steiner Rice

~Spring Song

"The earth is the Lord's
and the fulness thereof"--

It speaks of His greatness
and sings of His love,

And the wonder and glory
of the first Easter morn,

Like the first Christmas night
when the Savior was born,

Are blended together
in symphonic splendor

And God with a voice
that is gentle and tender

Speaks to all hearts
attuned to His voice,

Bidding His listeners
to gladly rejoice,

For He who was born
to be crucified

Arose from the grave
to be glorified,

And the birds in the trees
and the flowers of spring

All join in proclaiming
this heavenly King.

~Helen Steiner Rice

~Birthdays Are A Gift From God

Where does time go in its endless flight--
Spring turns to fall and day to night.

And Birthdays come and birthdays go
And where they go we do not know

But God who planned our life on earth
And gave our mind and body birth

And then enclosed a living soul
With heaven as the spirits goal

Has given us the gift of choice
To follow that small inner voice

That speaks to us from year to year
Reminding us we've naught to fear,

For birthdays are a stepping-stone
To endless joys as yet unknown.

So fill each day with happy things
And may your burdens all take wings

And fly away and leave behind
Great joy of heart and peace of mind,

For birthdays are the gateway to
An endless life of joy for you

If you but pray from day to day
That He will show you the truth and the way.

~Helen Steiner Rice

~Prayers Are The Stairs To God

Prayers are the stairs
we must climb every day,

If we would reach God
there is no other way,

For we learn to know God
when we meet Him in prayer

And ask Him to lighten
our burden of care.

So start in the morning
and, though the way's steep,

Climb ever upward
'till your eyes close in sleep--

For Prayers are the stairs
that lead to the Lord,

And to meet Him in prayer
is the climber's reward.

~Helen Steiner Rice