Love Gifts Read online

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  A HELEN STEINER RICE® Product

  © 2013 Barbour Publishing, Inc.

  All poems © Helen Steiner Rice Foundation Fund, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cincinnati Museum Center. All rights reserved.

  Published under license from the Helen Steiner Rice Foundation Fund, LLC.

  Print ISBN 978-1-62029-786-5

  eBook Editions:

  Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62416-108-7

  Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62416-107-0

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  Printed in China.

  If you know the poems of Helen Steiner Rice, you know this book will bring you page after page of the soaring uplift, the inspiring faith, the spiritual challenge, and the down-to-earth directness that always speak to the heart.

  If you haven’t yet fallen in love with this amazing author, let us introduce her to you with a few comments based on her name:

  H—Humility. “I am a very ordinary person,” this woman whose writings have sold in the millions always insisted. But she had the extraordinary gift of bringing ordinary people life-changing inspiration, faith, and hope.

  E—Empathy. Losing her husband almost as soon as she married, Helen Steiner Rice knew the depths of shadow—and the heights of sunshine—that can touch any soul. Readers immediately sense that she is attuned to every human emotion.

  L—Love. These verses demonstrate her heartwarming love for her fellow humans, for God’s beautiful creation, and for the Creator Himself.

  E—Enthusiasm. The word means “God within.” Helen was filled with His spirit of contagious interest in everyone and everything, a spirit of zest for life and vibrant creativity.

  N—Naturalness. Many people don’t read poetry because it seems to be written in an unknown tongue. The writings of Helen Steiner Rice are so readable because they are in words everyone can immediately appreciate.

  S—Spiritual Strength. Thousands of readers draw divine power for living from these verses.

  T—Thankfulness. The spirit of gratitude to God for His wonderful world and His love and grace overflows each word.

  E—Energy. We sense a divine empowerment as Helen’s lyrics fill our minds.

  I—Inspiration. Although this word is much overused today, men and women who feel they have hit bottom constantly find in these lines the inspiring courage to soar again.

  N—Neighborliness. When you read one of these poems, you immediately feel in touch with a kindred spirit, a spiritual neighbor. Helen Steiner Rice’s writings, published in many countries, make her neighbor to the world.

  E—Enlightenment. A little boy, used to seeing saints in stained glass windows, said, “A saint is somebody that lets the light through.” These poems lighten our dark corners by helping us to see the Light of the world.

  R—Radiance. The radiant optimism and faith and love that characterized the author’s life shine through her writings.

  R—Religion. Although this word often has negative connotations today, the apostle James wrote, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Helen Steiner Rice’s life was filled with that kind of loving concern and dedication, and these writings reflect it.

  I—Intelligence. Not the abstract intellectualism of the ivory-towered philosopher, but the practical, spiritual wisdom of the Bible shines through Helen’s writings.

  C—Comfort. Tragedy strikes us all, sooner or later. The inspiring thoughts in these verses have enabled thousands of readers to face the aftermath of disappointment and sorrow with the consolation of renewed courage and confidence.

  E—Excellence. The book of Proverbs ends with the words, “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all …. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:29, 31). We believe the excellence of these works speaks for itself. “Let her own works praise her.”

  We are proud to present these Love Gifts from one of the world’s best-loved authors, Helen Steiner Rice.

  The Publisher

  THE MAGİC OF LOVE

  Love is like magic and it always will be,

  For love still remains life’s sweet mystery.

  Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange,

  And there’s nothing in life that love cannot change.

  Love can transform the most commonplace

  Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace.

  Love is unselfish, understanding, and kind,

  For it sees with its heart and not with its mind.

  Love gives and forgives; there is nothing too much

  For love to heal with its magic touch.

  Love is the language that every heart speaks,

  For love is the one thing that every heart seeks …

  And where there is love God, too, will abide

  And bless the family residing inside.

  WARM OUR HEARTS WİTH THY LOVE

  Oh, God, who made the summer

  and warmed the earth with beauty,

  Warm our hearts with gratitude

  and devotion to our duty …

  For in this age of violence,

  rebellion and defiance,

  We’ve forgotten the true meaning

  of dependable reliance.

  We have lost our sense of duty

  and our sense of values, too,

  And what was once unsanctioned

  no longer is taboo.

  Our standards have been lowered,

  and we resist all discipline,

  And our vision has been narrowed

  and blinded to all sin.

  Oh, put the summer brightness

  in our closed, unseeing eyes

  So in the careworn faces

  that we pass we’ll recognize

  The heartbreak and the loneliness

  the trouble and despair

  That a word of understanding

  would make easier to bear.

  Oh God, look down on our cold hearts

  and warm them with Your love,

  And grant us Your forgiveness

  which we’re so unworthy of.

  MAKE YOUR DAY BRİGHT BY THİNKİNG RİGHT AND YOUR LİFE WİLL BE BLESSED İF YOU LOOK FOR THE BEST

  Don’t start your day by supposin’

  that trouble is just ahead,

  It’s better to stop supposin’

  and start with a prayer instead …

  And make it a prayer of thanksgiving

  for the wonderful things God has wrought,

  Like the beautiful sunrise and sunset,

  God’s gifts that are free and not bought …

  For what is the use of supposin’

  that dire things could happen to you,

  Worrying about some misfortune

  that seldom if ever comes true …

  But instead of just idle supposin’,

  step forward to meet each new day

  Secure in the knowledge God’s near you

  to lead you each step of the way …

  For supposin’ the worst things will happen


  only helps to make them come true,

  And you darken the bright, happy moments

  that the dear Lord has given to you …

  So if you desire to be happy

  and get rid of the misery of dread,

  Just give up supposin’ the worst things

  and look for the best things instead.

  A FAVORİTE RECİPE

  Take a cup of kindness,

  mix it well with love,

  Add a lot of patience

  and faith in God above,

  Sprinkle very generously

  with joy and thanks and cheer—

  And you’ll have lots of “angel food”

  to feast on all the year.

  THİNGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR

  The good, green earth beneath our feet,

  The air we breathe, the food we eat,

  Some work to do, a goal to win,

  A hidden longing deep within

  That spurs us on to bigger things

  And helps us meet what each day brings—

  All these things and many more

  Are things we should be thankful for…

  And most of all, our thankful prayers

  Should rise to God because He cares.

  THERE’S SUNSHİNE İN A SMİLE

  Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain,

  Good things and bad things,

  pleasure and pain.

  We can’t have all sunshine,

  but it’s certainly true

  That there’s never a cloud

  the sun doesn’t shine through …

  So always remember, whatever betide you,

  The power of God is always beside you …

  And you’ll find when you smile

  your day will be brighter

  And all of your burdens

  will seem so much lighter—

  For each time you smile you will find it is true

  Somebody, somewhere will smile back at you,

  And nothing on earth

  can make life more worthwhile

  Than the sunshine and warmth

  of a beautiful smile.

  NEVER BORROW SORROW FROM TOMORROW

  Deal only with the present—

  never step into tomorrow,

  For God asks us just to trust Him

  and to never borrow sorrow,

  For the future is not ours to know,

  and it may never be,

  So let us live and give our best

  and give it lavishly …

  For to meet tomorrow’s troubles

  before they are even ours

  Is to anticipate the Savior

  and to doubt His all-wise powers,

  So let us be content

  to solve our problems one by one,

  Asking nothing of tomorrow

  except “Thy will be done.”

  WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK?

  God’s love endures forever—

  what a wonderful thing to know

  When the tides of life run against you

  and your spirit is downcast and low.

  God’s kindness is ever around you

  always ready to freely impart

  Strength to your faltering spirit,

  cheer to your lonely heart.

  God’s presence is ever beside you,

  as near as the reach of your hand.

  You have but to tell Him your troubles—

  there is nothing He won’t understand …

  And knowing God’s love is unfailing,

  and His mercy unending and great,

  You have but to trust in His promise,

  “God comes not too soon or too late” …

  So wait with a heart that is patient

  for the goodness of God to prevail,

  For never do prayers go unanswered,

  and His mercy and love never fail.

  IF YOU MEET GOD İN THE MORNİNG, HE’LL GO WİTH YOU THROUGH THE DAY

  The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof …

  It speaks of His greatness, it sings of His love.

  And each day at dawning I lift my heart high

  And raise up my eyes to the infinite sky.

  I watch the night vanish as a new day is born,

  And I hear the birds sing on the wings of the morn.

  I see the dew glisten in crystal-like splendor

  While God, with a touch that is gentle and tender,

  Wraps up in the night and softly tucks it away

  And hangs out the sun to herald a new day …

  And so I give thanks and my heart kneels to pray,

  “God, keep me and guide me and go with me today.”

  HE ASKS SO LİTTLE AND GİVES SO MUCH

  What must I do to ensure peace of mind?

  Is the answer I’m seeking too hard to find?

  How can I know what God wants me to be?

  How can I tell what’s expected of me?

  Where can I go for guidance and aid

  To help me correct the errors I’ve made?

  The answer is found in doing three things,

  And great is the gladness that doing them brings.

  “Do justice”—“Love kindness”—

  “Walk humbly with God”—

  For with these three things as your rule and your rod,

  All things worth having are yours to achieve,

  If you follow God’s words and have faith to believe.

  THE POWER OF LOVE

  There is no thinking person

  who can stand untouched today

  And view the world around

  us slowly drifting to decay

  Without feeling deep within

  him a silent, unnamed dread

  As he contemplates the future

  that lies frighteningly ahead …

  But the problems we are facing

  cannot humanly be solved

  For our diplomatic strategy

  only gets us more involved

  And our skillful ingenuity,

  our technology and science

  Can never change a sinful heart

  filled with hatred and defiance …

  So our problems keep on

  growing every hour of every day

  As man vainly tries to solve them

  in his own self-willful way …

  But man is powerless alone to

  clean up the world outside

  Until his own polluted soul

  is clean and free inside …

  For the amazing power of love

  is beyond all comprehension

  And it alone can heal this world

  of its hatred and dissension.

  SOMEBODY CARES

  Somebody cares and always will—

  The world forgets, but God loves you still

  You cannot go beyond His love

  No matter what you’re guilty of,

  For God forgives until the end—

  He is your faithful, loyal friend …

  And though you try to hide your face,

  There is no shelter any place

  That can escape His watchful eye,

  For on the earth and in the sky

  He’s ever-present and always there

  To take you in His tender care

  And bind the wounds and mend the breaks

  When all the world around forsakes.

  Somebody cares and loves you still,

  And God is the someone who always will.

  FİNDİNG FAİTH İN A FLOWER

  Sometimes when faith is running low

  And I cannot fathom why things are so,

  I walk among the flowers that grow

  And learn the answers to all I would know …

  For among my flowers I have come to see

  Life’s miracle and its mystery,

  And standing in silence and reverie,

  My faith comes flooding back to me.

  LET GO AND LET GOD!


  When you’re troubled and worried and sick at heart

  And your plans are upset and your world falls apart,

  Remember God’s ready and waiting to share

  The burden you find too heavy to bear …

  So with faith, let go and let God lead the way

  Into a brighter and less-troubled day.

  For God has a plan for everyone,

  If we learn to pray, “Thy will be done.”

  For nothing in life is without God’s design

  For each life is fashioned by the hand that’s divine.

  FLOWERS LEAVE THEİR FRAGRANCE ON

  THE HAND THAT BESTOWS THEM

  There’s an old Chinese proverb that if practiced each day

  Would change the whole world in a wonderful way.

  Its truth is so simple, it’s easy to do,

  And it works every time and successfully, too.

  For you can’t do a kindness without a reward

  Not in silver nor gold but in joy from the Lord.

  You can’t light a candle to show others the way

  Without feeling the warmth of that bright little ray,

  And you can’t pluck a rose all fragrant with dew

  Without part of its fragrance remaining with you.

  THE PEACE OF MEDİTATİON

  So we may know God better

  and feel His quiet power,

  Let us daily keep in silence

  a meditation hour …

  For to understand God’s greatness

  and to use His gifts each day,

  The soul must learn to meet

  Him in a meditative way …

  For our Father tells His children

  that if they would know His will

  They must seek Him in the silence

  when all is calm and still …

  For nature’s great forces are

  found in quiet things

  Like softly falling snowflakes