A Recipe Of Love

One cup of hope
Two tablespoons of faith
Three scoops of patience
Two cups of kindness
A handful of trust
One-third cup of peace
Two tablespoons of generosity
Two cups of joy
Four pints of purity


Mix these ingredients together
And don't leave any out;
Keep them with you forever-
They will help you out.


And in times of doubt,
Faith will step in and bring hope,
Then to God you can turn-
He will help you cope.


And in times of trouble
Peace and trust will come around,
And where there is sunshine,
Joy will certaintly be found.


And in weary silence
Patience will endure;
It will guide and 
Strengthen you for sure.


When the world offers lust
You'll remember purity;
For without it sin will triumph-
It will choke you and me.


When you see a needy stranger
Generosity will strech out its hand
And bring happiness and blessings
To your home and your land.


Finally, when love is ready,
Freshly baked, soft, and done;
Then the smell of kindness
Will envelop everyone.

By My Side

This is another one of my old poems that I wrote a couple of years ago...

The good times I remember
Were times we spent together.
You were there with me,
Watching the birds migrate,
Listening to the waves of the sea;

You were there with me
In the stillness-
Holding my hand when I wanted to cry,
giving me strength and telling me why.
You woke me up each day
With the sunshine in my window.
In the classroom, on the playground,
You watched me as I played.

The first breath I took,
You were there- working your miracle.
Every moment I spent with you
You stood by my side.
Footstep after footstep, you were my guide.

The memories I remember,
Were times we spent together-
The good and the bad,
They were the best I ever had.

Childhood

Childhood

There, on the swings, I dreamed. I dreamed of tomorrow; The melted ice cream trickled down my fingers. I dreamed of growing up. I sat on the tall, green grass, Picking wildflowers, Playing with dolls. I went to the fair: There were balloons and ferris wheels. My small hands touched and explored, And I dreamed of flying. My mother taught me how to pray, And though I was still small, I prayed with simple words, And curiosity took me by the hand. I grew, and with the years, My dreams grew. And now as I glance back, I dream of yesterday.

"Imperfection"

Imperfection.
That's what I'm thankful for;
Because without it,
I wouldn't have so much blessings in store.
And through my imperfection
I see God's loving hand
Take my hand in his,
And carved there in the sand
Are his footprints,
With mine, that follow beside.
Imperfection is gone when God is my guide.
He leads me through obstacles,
Through troubles and fears
And shows me his care-
Wiping away my tears.
Correcting my mistakes,
He forms my life like clay,
And shows my imperfections
Are lost in yesterday.
 

Revive In Me

Revive in me 

The power of your spirit;

The shower of your rain.

This dry and thirsty heart

Is tired of the pain.

Revive in me

The joy of your salvation

The greatness of your love.

This dry & thirsty soul

Is crying to God above.

Revive in me

The peace that calms stormy seas

The faith that can move mountains

This dry and thirsty soul

Longs to drink from your fountains.

Revive in me

The passion of serving

The strength of eagles' wings

This dry and thirsty heart

Longs for better things.

One Last Chance

Proverbs 23:4-" Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
Psalm 90:12- "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

I saw the man's old, shriveled, dry hands-
They were hardened from long,
Restless hours of work.
He had lived to an old age,
But had not found satisfaction.
He had made many riches
But had not found happiness.
Life, as he saw it, was all about riches;
Because with riches, one could have anything,
Except the most valuable things in life.

Money could not buy a smile or a sunset-
He had finally come to understand this.
Wealth was not everything in life,
the most treasured things were free.
But now it was too late-
He had lost contact with his kids-his family.
He had grown weary and old,
And his health was failing.
He did not feel happy or loved-
And most importantly, he had forgotten God.

I looked up at his tired wrinkled face.
His blue eyes had lost their sparkle;
His lips could not form a smile.
I wondered why it took people so long
To realize the most important things in life.
I noticed how fast people could
Fall away from God and change.
Even though the old man had made a huge mistake in life,
He had a chance:
A chance to make things right with family and with God.
There was a little more time left to change-
A crust of hope left,
But only if he would realize it sooner than he had
Realized the destructive forces of wealth.

"Heartbeat"

Another sunset passed without you,
But the world keeps moving,
The ferris wheel turns;
My heartbeat keeps going-
With heartache it burns.


The wind continues blowing,
The sun comes up shining,
But all I can hear
Is my heart's worthless chiming.


My lover is not near;
My smile fades away,
For life without you
Is like another lifeless day.


The guilt keeps on tugging
At my hardened, filthy heart,
And I realize that without you 
My life is falling apart.


I look to the cross-
For forgiveness I pray.
Give me a second chance;
Give me a brand new day.


...My heart beats a melody;
I hear the birds sing, 
And the beautiful sunrise
Makes my heart ring.


Life comes anew,
With colors so bright.
My heart flames with a fire-
Like a flickering light.


You've changed my heart
And captured it aflame,
And now my life
Is not a worthless game.


The world keeps going,
The ferris wheel turns.
My heartbeat keeps going-
With God's love it burns.


-Elina V., age:15

"Charm & Beauty"

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."- Proverbs 31:30

Like a rose- she was beautiful;
Every petal smooth and perfect;
Standing out among the rest-
She was obviously the best.


Like a diamond- she was full of charm;
Glistening everywhere like the sun,
Making mens' knees shake
And showing other ladies that they looked fake.


But as the rose withered,
So her beauty passed away.
And as the diamond glittered,
She lost her charm one day.


Another lady was found.
She prayed each day,
And in every way
She lived to please the Lord.
He was her rock on which she stood,
And she lived life as best as she could.


All men and women respected
And thought fondly of her,
For she would help the sick and poor
And greet weary visitors at her door.


Her beauty was on the inside;
Her charm was purity.
Her soft blue eyes and welcoming smile
Had made her life worthwhile.


And so it is a lesson in life
To those ladies who fear the Lord-
Their beauty will never pass away 
And their strength and charm will renew each day.


-By Elina V.