1. Inspirations to get us through…

2. Prints of Elbows On My Bed I was but a youth and thoughtless.. As all youths are apt to be; Though I had a Christian mother.. Who had taught me carefully. There came a time when pleasure.. Of the world came to allure, And I no more sought the guidance.. Of her love so good and pure. Her tender admonitions fell.. But lightly on my ear, And for the gentle warnings.. I felt an inward sneer. But Mother would not yield her boy.. To Satan's sinful sway, And though I spurned her counsel.. She knew a better way.

3. She made my room an altar.. A place of secret prayer, And there she took her burden.. And left it in His care. And morning, noon and evening.. By that humble bedside low, She sought the aid of Him who.. Understands a mother's woe. And I went my way unheeding.. Careless of the life I led, Until one day I noticed.. Prints of elbows on my bed. Then I saw that she had been there.. Praying for her wayward boy, Who for love of worldly pleasure.. Would her peace of mind destroy.

4. Long the conflict raged within me.. Sin against my Mother's prayers, Sin must yield - for Mother never.. While she daily met Him there. And her constant love and patience.. Were like coals upon my head, Together with the imprints.. Of her elbows on my bed. And so at last the fight was won.. And I to Christ was led, And Mother's prayers were answered.. By her elbows on my bed. © Original Author

5. Angels in my Heart When I have no one to turn to and I’m feeling kind of low When there’s no one here to talk to and nowhere I want to go I search deep down within myself It is the love inside the heart that let’s me know my Angels are there Even though we are miles apart A smile then appears upon my face and the sun begins to shine I hear a voice, so soft and sweet, saying, “everything will be just fine” It may seem that I am alone, but I am never by myself at all Whenever I need my Angels near All I have to do is call An Angels love is always true, on that you can depend He will always stand beside you and will always be your friend.

6. Your presence is a present to the world. You're unique and one of a kind. Your Life can be what you want it to be. Take the days just one at a time. Count your blessings, not your troubles. You'll make it through whatever comes along. Within you are so many answers. Understand, have courage, be strong. Don't put limits on yourself. So many dreams are waiting to be realized. Decisions are too important to leave to chance. Reach for your peak, your goal, your prize. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying. The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. Remember that a little love goes a long way. Remember that a lot ... goes forever. Remember that friendship is a wise investment. Life's Treasures are people ... together. Realize that it's never too late. Do ordinary thing in an extraordinary way. Have health and hope and happiness. Take the time to wish upon a star. And don't ever forget... for even a day ... how very special you are. Author: Colin McCarty

7. My lady's presence makes the roses red, Because to see her lips they blush for shame. The lily's leaves, for envy, pale became, And her white hands in them this envy bred. The marigold the leaves abroad doth spread, Because the sun's and her power is the same. The violet of purple color came. Dyed in the blood she made my heart to shed. In brief: all flowers from her their virtue take; From her sweet breath their sweet smells do proceed; The living heat which her eyebeams doth make Warmeth the ground and quickeneth the seed. The rain, wherewith she watereth the flowers, Falls from mine eyes, which she dissolves in showers.

8. A SMILE costs nothing, but gives much* It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give* It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever* None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it* A SMILE creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship* It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble* Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away* Some people are too tired to give you a SMILE * Give them one of yours, as none needs a SMILE so much as he who has no more to give. *~*Author Anonymous*~*

9. Two Walks There are two walks. One is a walk of the Spirit and the other a walk of the flesh. What is the walk of the flesh? It is living under the burden of work, work and work and, then, if you work hard enough, God will notice just how hard you're working and, as a result, might love you. The walk of the Spirit is the understanding that you don't have the energy, goodness or skills to work long enough or hard enough to get God to love you. It is looking to His mercy and grace... period. Someone once said, "I am a self-made man." To which his pastor replied, "I'm glad. It relieves the Lord of a great responsibility." Along the same lines and with great insight, C.S. Lewis once said that the definition of hell is, getting your way for all of eternity. Did you hear about the preacher who went to the golf course and on the first tee, topped the ball? It landed about three inches from the tee. An eagle swooped down, picked up the ball, flew to the green and dropped it there. Then a rabbit pushed the ball with its nose right into the hole. The preacher looked up into the sky and said, "Please Father, I would rather do it myself." If you are the kind of golfer I am, if God doesn't do it, it just doesn't get done. And if you are the kind of sinner I am, if God doesn't do it, it just doesn't get done. What is walking in the Spirit? Quite simply, it is leaning on Christ. It is understanding that, if it weren't for His grace, you and I would be lost. It is trusting in God alone for salvation and for sanctification. And it is the premise from which Paul draws the conclusion: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" Romans 8:1

10. Dreams keep running through my mind Reflecting memories of long ago. Made in a land of fairy tales, A place my heart longs for so. Cut off from the rest of the world With streams, and meadows to roam, Viewed from a little girl's eyes, A place that would always be home A place where berries grew wild Where rabbits and squirrels were seen Where a racoon could be a friend And deer played down by the stream. A world where imagination made all come true And a little girl could be a queen Where daydreams were spun like cobwebs But a world where everything wasn’t what it seemed. For every little girl has to grow up And daydreams shatter in your hand, You find the home you thought was your own Is nothing but a simple piece of land. The flowers don't seem to bloom so bright, And fairy tales no longer come true, For it is seen now through grownup eyes, No longer the world that you knew. But still...Somewhere in the back of my mind That place will always remain From all those memories long ago To beckon me back time and again. ~~Written By Angie Olson ~~

11. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow. You may succeed with another blow Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds no doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit. Author:- Unknown

12. The Rich Merchant Once upon a time, there was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved his fourth wife the most, because she was the most beautiful one amongst his other wives, and gave her a lot of his riches and wealth. This man was very proud of his third wife and always tried to introduce her to all his friends, though he was always worried if his wife would run away with other guy. He loved his second wife very much, because she was patient and understanding. Whenever he had problem, he always asked for her opinion; she was the one he could rely on. Through difficult times, the second wife always helped and was always by her husband’s side. His first wife was a faithful partner. She always brought goodness for the family. She was the one who took care and organized her husband’s business. Unfortunately, the merchant did not love her that much. Although the first wife loved the merchant so much, he did not really care about her. One day, the merchant was very sick and realized that he was going to die soon; so he called for all his wives. He asked his fourth wife, “You are the one I love the most, I gave you beautiful dresses and jewelries. Would you accompany me?” His wife was stuck shut, then she answered him, “Of course I wouldn’t!” then she left without another word. That answer hurt the merchant’s heart so much.

13. Then, he asked his third wife, “I too love you with all my heart and, this time, my life will be over. Would you go with me?” The wife answered, “Life is so beautiful here, I will marry again if you die.” The merchant was very struck with her saying. Again, he asked his second wife, “I always turned to you every time I have problems and you always helped me. Now, I really need your help. If I die, would you stand beside me?” The wife quietly answered, “Please forgive me,” she said, “I cannot help you this time. I can only see to your grave. However, I’ll make a beautiful burial plot for you.” The answer was like a striking lightning. The merchant felt so hopeless. Suddenly, he heard a voice, “I will stay with you. I’ll go wherever you go. I won’t leave you, I’ll be faithful to you.” The merchant looked to his side and saw his first wife there. She looked so thin, like a person in starvation. Feeling very sorry, the merchant whispered, “If only I could take care of you while I could, you won’t look like this my wife.”

14. In this life, we all have 4 wives. The fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and money we spent to make it look beautiful and handsome, everything will be gone. It would quickly leave us when we passed away. There will not be any beauty left when we see Him face to face. The third wife is our social status and wealth. When we passed away, everything that we have will be others’. It will leave and forget its owner. Our second wife is our relatives and friends. No matter how close our relationship to them, they will not be with us forever. They will only accompany us to our grave. The first wife is our soul and truth. Maybe we often ignore and forget about them for the sake of wealth and our personal pleasure. However, the truth is that, only our soul and our truth that will always be and be faithful to us wherever we go. If our soul clings to Jesus and we do good deeds in truth, it will lead us to eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. John 3:16 and 17

15. The Gossiper A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor. Within a few days the whole community knew the story. The person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended. Later the woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old sage to find out what she could do to repair the damage. "Go to the marketplace," he said, "and purchase a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop them one by one along the road." Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told. The next day the wise man said, "Now go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me." The woman followed the same road, but to her dismay, the wind had blown the feathers all away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three in her hand. "You see," said the old sage, "it's easy to drop them, but it's impossible to get them back. So it is with gossip. It doesn't take much to spread a rumor, but once you do, you can never completely undo the wrong."

16. Words Some words are like buckets that carry lots of things. Some words are like hornets that leave some nasty stings. Some words are like music that make us want to sing. Some words are like messengers that have good news to bring. Some words are like hammers that beat upon your day. Some words are like pillows that soften what you say. So when you open up your mouth and have some words to share, Be sure those are just the words to show that you really care! Soft words are pillows for the hurts!!!

17. See if you can identify "WHO AM I?" from the following clues: I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless; they cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and ruin marriages. I end ministries set up by God. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartache and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. I make headlines, headaches and heartaches. I make innocent people cry in their pillows. Even my name hisses.

18. WHO AM I ? I AM CALLED GOSSIP. I come in many forms: Church gossip Office gossip Shop gossip Party gossip Telephone gossip Online gossip How many clues did it take for you to identify it? So...before you repeat something, first ask yourself... IS IT TRUE? IS IT FAIR? IS IT NECESSARY? WOULD I WANT IT DONE TO ME? Just something to think about for this day... Have a blessed, gossip-free day! Ann Landers Aug 1985

19. Three simple little words but they mean so very much. Sometimes they are said with a tender loving touch. At time it's seen within each others eyes. For loving eyes never tell lies. And sometimes it is heard ... In these three little words. I love you as I have never loved before. I need you To feel safe and secure. I want you Of that there is no doubt Life is short sometimes it is taken away. Never put off until tomorrow what should be said today. Love begins with love Sometimes with the first hello. My love grew for you and I have told you so. Love isn't what we are ... It's something that we do. And I will spend my whole life through ... Always loving you. These are the feelings to you I want to shout.

20. Wrinkles I was ironing my husband's shirts the other day, a chore which is not glamorous nor one which I seek with great anticipation. It is one, however, I do with love - for him. He does not care for the finish which comes on shirts taken to the laundry , so I spend a little time each week ironing. If I sprinkle the shirts, roll them up and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight, they press very well. But if I am lazy, and just use the steam iron, the result is not quite as satisfactory.

21. I thought about my life, and how I have tried to iron out problems that have cropped up over the years. I thought about the way I like to have a plan, ironing out any foreseeable wrinkle that may appear. I thought about grief I have experienced, and how unable I was to iron out the deep creases of sadness they left in my heart. I remembered my many moments of fear -- for my family and myself -- and how I was unable to iron out fear from entering my mind.

22. There is a Master Ironer, however, who never leaves creases of fear, grief, problems or preplanning in our lives. He can iron out every one of them to perfection, and He steps up to the job with a smile on His face. He picks up His iron of love and begins to work on the wrinkles of our lives. He does so with great compassion, as His love strokes go back and forth across the material of our lives. His name is Jesus, and He is not content to just give

23. Us the ‘steam iron treatment’, He will work us out into perfection, for it says in the Bible that " he who has begun a good work in you will not quit till the day of completion." He just keeps ironing, working those wrinkles of helpless and hopelessness out of our lives. I am thankful I have turned my wrinkled self over to Him -- for I know he can get the job done - and done perfectly!

24. Bible Vitamins that Work Anxious? Take Vitamin A All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 Blue? Take Vitamin B Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 103:1 Crushed? Take Vitamin C Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 Depressed? Take Vitamin D Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8 Empty? Take Vitamin E Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. Psalm 100:4

25. Fearful? Take Vitamin F Fear not, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10 Greedy? Take Vitamin G Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put unto your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Luke 6:38 Hesitant? Take Vitamin H How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isaiah 52:7 Insecure? Take Vitamin I I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

26. Jittery? Take Vitamin J Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Know nothing? Take Vitamin K Know this that the Lord is God, it is He that made us and not we ourselves. Psalm 100:3 Lonely? Take Vitamin L Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 Mortgaged? Take Vitamin M My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Nervous? Take Vitamin N Never, no never will I leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5

27. Scared? Take Vitamin S Stay with me, and do not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me. 1 Samuel 22:23 Overwhelmed? Take Vitamin O Overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 Perplexed or puzzled? Take Vitamin P Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27 Quitting? Take Vitamin Q Quit you like men and women, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Restless? Take Vitamin R Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7

28. Wondering what to do? Take Vitamin W What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 Tired? Take Vitamin T Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 Uncertain? Take Vitamin U Understand that I am (the Lord). Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. Isaiah 43:10 Vain? Take Vitamin V Vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Acts 5:16

29. Exhausted? Take Vitamin X Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 Yearning for hope? Take Vitamin Y Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you art with me; your rod and your staff -- they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 Zapped? Take Vitamin Z Zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:14

30. I've dreamed many dreams that never came true, I've seen them vanish at dawn. But I've realized enough of my dreams, thank God, To make me want to dream on. I've prayed many prayers, when no answers came, Though I waited so patient and long, But answers came to enough of my prayers To make me keep praying on. I've trusted many a friend who failed And left me to weep alone, But I've found enough of my friends to be true To make me keep trusting on. I've sown many seeds that fell by the way For the birds to feed upon, But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hands To make me keep sowing on. I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain And gone many days without song, But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life To make me want to live on. Author Unknown

31. How Do I Miss Thee? How do I miss thee? Let me count the ways... I miss the way you made me mad I miss the way you made me glad I miss the way you made me smile And loving me all the while. I miss the way you used to care I miss the way you were so fair I miss the way we used to chat About this and about that. I miss the way we stuck together Through thick and thin, in any weather I miss the way you made me feel Like my life was so unreal. But most of all I miss your love That, surely was sent from God above. Author: Michael Bugon Trinity