Wishing You Many Blessings This Holiday Season

This is the season to be thankful for our blessings.  Remember, there but for the grace of God go we.  It is something I have to keep reminding myself of.  As the song Thank You Lord says, "It could have been me outdoors with no food and no clothes."



Bag Lady

Bag lady,

Bag lady,

Every day as I drive by

You always catch my eye

The load you carry is too heavy for you alone

You’re only skin and bones

Yet, there you are walking the street

With worn out shoes on your feet

I have seen you brave the cold and the scorching heat,

But you never seem to concede to defeat

I have seen the angry rain

Plummet your small frame

I have seen the wind send you in an aimless twirl

As if it’s you against the world

Bag lady,

Bag lady,

I know you are tired of struggling on your own.

How much longer will you be able to hold on?

I ponder your history.

Do you have family?

What is your name?

Who is the blame

For you being where you are?

How did you end up having no home and no car?

Do you only own the clothes you wear

And the bags you push around everywhere?

You peak my curiosity

I can’t help but admire your tenacity

And your capacity

To keep holding on

When everything is gone

Bag lady,

Bag lady,

I worry for your safety

Out on the streets

And wonder

Whether or not you have enough food to eat.

I pray.

I pray

Because even if you won’t concede to defeat

It’s got to be hard waging a battle against the streets.

I know there will come a day when I’ll look for you

And you’ll be gone,

The load you carry is too heavy for you alone

One day soon things will unravel,

And that will be the end of your travels.

You will be replaced

By another homeless face

That will catch my eye

As I drive by

Leaving me to ponder

And wonder

Once again,

Until another story comes to an end.

Poem, Bag Lady taken from Matters of the Heart
By Patricia Newman-Harris copyright 2010

Tis the Season of Thanksgiving

Once a year, we pause to reflect on our many blessings.  For some, life is a daily struggle to survive.  If we begin to count our blessings, naming them one by one,  we will find we have so much to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving.

  

If I never get a chance to say thank you one more time,

I want the last thank you to be mine.

For the little things that seem insignificant to some

Lord, I thank you for every one

I have so much to be thankful for

There are so many good things yet in store.

I don’t want to take anything for granted

So, I thank you for every blessing you have granted.

I want to be among the few

Who returned to say thank you.

Before the day is done

I’m going to count my blessings one by one

I am going to give you all the praise you are due.

Lord, I just want to say thank you

In the midst of the heartache and the tears,

There were so many wonderful years.

You never left me alone and lonely

You never turned your back on me.

You were always there.

You heard my every prayer.

Without you in my life, it would not have been this way

That is why I want to say

Thank you for every day

And for every blessing that came my way

There is nothing anyone can say or do

To keep me from thanking you.

I’m going to count my blessings one by one

Giving thanks for every one

In case I never see this day end.

I want to begin

By saying thank you for everything you have done.

I just want to be among the few

Who returned to say thank you.

If I never get a chance to say thank you one more time,

I want the last thank you to be mine

Copyright P. Newman-Harris

Veteran's Day Tribute & Prayer

Today we honor those who paid willingly paid the price and
made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could leave in peace.
May we, as survivors and benefactors of their sacrifice,  honor them
by doing our part to make the dream of peace one day become reality.

Lord, every day I pray
Bless the soldiers far away.
Bless the young man who left his first love behind
Give him peace of mind
Bless the Father who left his family alone.
Keep them safe while he is gone
Lord, bless each and every one.
Let them know we appreciate all they have done.
Walk with those who have no one
I pray for each and every one.
Be their Father and their Mother
With you as their guide, they don't need another.
Keep them close to your heart I pray
Be with them every step of the way.
God, bless the young man who is barely twenty-two.
Let him know he can make it through.
Ease his fears
Dry his falling tears.
Lord bless the soldiers while they are away.
When their spirits are low, let them feel your touch.
Let them know we love them so much.
Then, Lord we pray that the fighting will soon cease
And that there will be an outpouring of peace
Open the door to each and every heart
So that the healing will start
Lord we commit our soldiers to your care
This is our prayer
Lord, bless the soldiers while they are away.
Be with them each and every day.

The Miracle of You

Father, thank you for the miracle of you,

For showing us what love can do.

Every time I see a Mother giving birth

I’m reminded of the miracle of your birth

What a gift that God did give

When he sent his only son that we might live!

When I think of the miracles you performed,

How you transformed

Water into wine,

And gave sight to the blind.

Every time I read about the ten thousand you fed

With two fish and five loaves of bread,

I cannot deny the awesomeness of you.

There is nothing you can’t do.

That any man could stand in your presence

And deny your existence

Is evidence to me

That blinded eyes cannot see your power and your majesty.

It hurts to think of what we put you through

When the ultimate display of love came through you.

So, Father I thank you for allowing us to feel your touch,

For loving us so much

But most of all for showing us what love can do.

Thank you for the miracle of you.

copyright  P.Newman-Harris