Salute ot Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy King Day

A KING FIT TO BE A KING

A King is what you were destined to be

One who could see injustices others could not see.

Hand chosen by God to lead the battle against inequality

You were a King fit to be a King.

You changed the world with one cry, “Let freedom ring.”

Selfless, humble, courageous and strong,

You gave your life to right the ultimate wrong.

Yours was not a message of violence, but one of love,

Peace and humility.

You could forgive the unforgiveable,

Motivate the unmotivatable  and move the seemingly  immoveable

You awakened the sleeping and quickened the dead in spirit.

You taught us to draw from a well spring of strength

That lay dormant in the pain and agony of injustice.

You gave us a vision of what was on the other side

You ignited our hearts with pride.

You enabled us to see that we could overcome,

If in our hearts we would believe,

That was your hope.

That was your dream.

Penetrating the darkness of hopelessness and despair,

You were a beacon of hope, challenging,

Inspiring and gently guiding us through,

Like the great men and women before

Who championed freedom’s cause.

They may have stilled your voice, but

In our spirits, we can still hear your cry,

“Free at last, Free at last, thank God

Almighty, we are free at last!”

All hail to you Martin

Forever in our hearts you will be

A King

Fit to be a King.

copyright:  P. Newman-Harris

One Wish

If I had one wish

It would be to make every Christmas dream come true

So, Lord, I’d like to talk to you.

Little Jasmine wants a new pair of shoes,

But if she had to choose,

She’d rather have a place to sleep.

She knows her Mother is tired of staying on the street.

Little Tyler’s gift cannot be wrapped

All he wants is to have his father back.

Every time Nicholas goes to church,

He prays that one day there will be peace on earth.

There are so many soldiers fighting in Iraq

Their families just want them to come back.

All over the world

There are little boys and girls

With needs such as these,

So, Lord, please

Bless them tonight

As they make a wish and turn out the light.

Lord remember those who have no home.

I hate to see them spend Christmas alone.

I come on their behalf

Knowing you can bring miracles to pass.

Lord, we know you are there.

We know how much you care.

So, we come asking you

To do whatever you can do.
Lord, we are counting on you

To make our Christmas dreams come true.

All over the world

There are little boys and girls

With tiny hands clasped

Innocently they ask

Not knowing what they ask

Will be no small task

Lord, I come on their behalf.

If I had just one wish 

It would be to make every Christmas wish come true.

copyright by P. Newman-Harris

Prayer for Peace

If you have been visiting this blog for any length of time, I'm sure you have discovered my private passion is for bringing peace and harmony to the world.  That is why, especially, at this time of the year, I have great concern for those whose fight for the battle of peace has kept them away from family and friends.  For them, I say a special holiday prayer, for their families, and friends, that this time next year, they will be at home hugging their loved ones tight.  I wish you all a very Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year...Whoever you are and Where ever you are I dedicate this prayer and this song to you.

To the war torn countries of the world:

For you, I say this prayer today

To Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, to Jerusalem, Sarajevo,

Beirut, Belfast, Africa, Kuwait, Mongolia,

To the world.

May God 's peace rain from shore to shore,

Cleansing hardened hearts from hatreds of generations past.

May the winds of unrest be stilled at last.

May God open blinded eyes and allow them to

See the world afresh and new.

     May he shut the bowels of anger, hatred and wrath

And lead us down compassion’s path

May broken spirits be repaired

and old wounds healed.

I pray that the children of the world

will remain untouched by the violence their young

eyes have seen.

May God raise up amongst them leaders who will teach the

way of peace, godliness and love.

I pray that they will be young men and women

That will desire to resolve their differences

Without the need for weapons or missiles, but instead will work

together to bring about a peaceful coexistence.

I pray that they will not fight without purpose or cause,

but, will choose to stand for what is decent and right.

I pray for those who have lost their lives needlessly.

On behalf of their families I seek comfort and healing.

Lord, I ask that you would fill us with your love.

Give us a heart of understanding and a tolerance for diversity

in race, color, nationality and customs.

Teach us how to love one another with the same love

wherein you have loved us, unconditionally and without merit.

I pray for everlasting peace and restoration for us all.

Forever grant us your sweet Shalom.

In Jesus name.

  Amen

Remember

To those who believe

Christmas only comes in December

Let’s take a moment to remember.

Remember the Holy one

Remember all that he has done.

Christmas is much more than a season,

Much more than a few days of fun.

Christmas is a time to remember.

Remember the love

That was sent from above.

Remember God’s grace,

Remember his mercy

By showing the same love and trust

That he has shown toward us.

It’s taking a stance,

Independent of circumstance,

For a sister or brother who can’t stand on his own

It’s opening your home

When someone is spending Christmas alone.

It’s going out of your way to help the deprived.

It’s offering someone a ride,

Giving an encouraging word or two.

It’s doing whatever you can do.

It’s standing in a gap for someone,

Regardless of ethnicity, birthplace

Or race.

It’s never about color.

It’s about helping one another.

It’s the caring

And the sharing

It’s about putting a smile on the face

Of boys and girls

Throughout the world.

It’s the showing of God’s amazing grace

Not just one day,

But everyday.

It’s the giving.

It’s the living.

No matter what the reason

Or the season might be

It’s showing the same love as he.

To those who believe Christmas only comes in December,

Lets take a moment to remember.

Remember God’s love.

Remember his grace.

Remember

Remember

Not just in December

Remember.

The Story Without End

There’s a story we know so well,

One we love to tell.

It's been called the story without end.

It has been told again and again.

A story as old as time,

It has survived many lifetimes.

Who hasn’t heard the story

Of how, Jesus, in all of his glory,

In one immaculate birth

Came to earth?

To those who believe,

It is neither myth nor prodigy of the rumor mill.

It is Biblical prophesy fulfilled.

To those who might ask, “How can it be?”

I ask, “How can you not see

The beauty of all his hands has made?”

The green grass, like a carpet, he laid.

His play goes unrehearsed

Throughout the universe.

He, the author of time,

Has written every line.

The flowers, trees, and skies,

Humming birds and butterflies,

The stars that sparkle brilliantly,

The ever-reaching sea,

The sun that shines down on us each day,

The waves that mysteriously roll away,

Are evidence of his power and glory.

It’s all a part of the never-ending story.

He created all that we can see

Just by uttering the words, “Let there be.”

The master of earth and sky,

Keeps the birds soaring through the sky.

He created the mountains, hills and plains,

And he waters them with the rain.

How can we not see the little miracles he gives us every day?

Like a Shepherd, he knows if just one sheep goes astray.

It is he who makes the cattle on a thousand hills

And whisper to the raging sea, “Peace be still.”

To those who will ask,” How can he be?”

I ask, “How can you not see the beauty of his majesty?”
Whether or not you believe the story is true

Is up to you,

Regardless, the story will live on

Long after we are gone

For it is a story without end

That will continue to be told again and again.

copyright 2011 P. Newman-Harris

Merry Christmas

         The Christmas Gift

As I sat thinking on Christmases past

How, as a child, I thought of foolish things.

I wanted a new doll every Christmas,

I never once thought of how much it would cost

Or whether my parents had the money at all

I never knew how difficult the task proved to be

When things magically appeared under the tree.

Somehow, they managed to fulfill most of our requests.

I remember the lighted Christmas trees,

The gifts and toys always strewn underneath

I never wondered if one day they wouldn’t be

My belief and faith in my parents never let me doubt.

We rarely had to do without.

Not to imply we had a lot

My parents worked hard for everything we got.

Now that I’m grown, I see things differently.

I know what is important and what is not.

I’ve learned to be grateful for everything I’ve got.

I still enjoy all the lights and festivities of the season,

But it’s not what matters most.

All the toys and gifts we received didn’t last any length of time.

Some were outgrown, some lost, others given away.

In some sense, they were never really mine.

I enjoyed them for a brief period of time.

The gift we received that mattered most,

Is the precious memories we made as a family.

This is what I will always treasure

It is a gift that is beyond measure.

As a child I thought of foolish things,

But now I know the value of the gift

 That we received every day of the year.

It wasn’t something you put in a box with a bow

And place under the Christmas tree

It was a gift that will last forever

One that will be with our family always

It can never be taken away

It will never lose its sparkle or shine

It will be ours until the end of time.

That is the  unending gift of love

Copyright 2011 P. Newman-Harris