by Marie | Jun 23, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day, the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river, paralleling the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it. A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening, as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance before he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He
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by Marie | Jun 21, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
I’d like to sit you down and tell you everything’s okay And have the strength enough to pull you through another day I’d like to help you to believe that this will be all right And that you will not have to spend another sleepless night I’d like to hold your hand and wipe the teardrops from your eyes And help you just to sort things out while you question why I’d like to try and lift the load and carry it for you And truly help you understand just what you’re going through I’d like to have the words to make this trouble disappear And give you peace of mind so you won’t shed another tear I’d like to have the magic touch to take away your pain And help you see the blue sky just beyond this blinding rain But sometimes what we say or do just cannot be enough To ease another’s passage through a trail so dark and rough There is one thing I know will help much more than I can say And rest assured that I will do it when I kneel to pray I will take your name before the Father as I seek His face And ask Him to enfold you in His arms of warm embrace There’s no one who can
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by Marie | Jun 20, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
“Mommy, look!” cried my daughter, Darla, pointing to a chicken hawk soaring through the air. “Uh huh,” I murmured, driving, lost in thought about the tight schedule of my day. Disappointment filled her face. “What’s the matter, Sweetheart?” I asked, entirely dense. “Nothing,” my seven-year-old said. The moment was gone. Near home, we slowed to search for the albino deer that comes out from behind the thick mass of trees in the early evening. She was nowhere to be seen. “Tonight, she has too many things to do,” I said. Dinner, baths and phone calls filled the hours until bedtime. “Come on, Darla, time for bed!” She raced past me up the stairs. Tired, I kissed her on the cheek, said prayers and tucked her in. “Mom, I forgot to give you something!” she said. My patience was gone. “Give it to me in the morning,” I said, but she shook her head. “You won’t have time in the morning!” she retorted. “I’ll take time,” I answered defensively. Sometimes, no matter how hard I tried, time flowed through my fingers like sand in an hourglass, never enough. Not enough for her, for my husband, and not enough for me. She wasn’t ready to give up yet. She wrinkled her freckled little nose in anger and swiped away her chestnut brown
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by Marie | Jun 19, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
My alarm went off. It was Sunday again. I was sleepy and tired. My one day to sleep in. But the guilt I would feel. The rest of the day would have been too much, so I’d go and pray. I showered and shaved. I adjusted my tie. I got there and sat in a pew just in time. Bowing my head in prayer, I closed my eyes. I saw the shoe of the man next to me touching my own. I sighed with plenty of room on either side, I thought, “Why must our soles touch?” It bothered me, his shoe touching mine, but it didn’t bother him much. A prayer began: “Our Father… I thought, “This man with the shoes has no pride. They’re dusty, worn, and scratched even worse; there are holes on the side!” “Thank you for blessings,” the prayer went on. The shoe man said a quiet “Amen.” I tried to focus on the prayer, but my thoughts were on his shoes again. Aren’t we supposed to look our best when walking through that door? “Well, this certainly isn’t it,” I thought, glancing toward the floor. Then the prayer was ended, and the songs of praise began. The shoe man was certainly loud, sounding proud as he sang. His voice lifted the rafters, and his hands
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by Marie | Jun 18, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
John Harper was born to a pair of solid Christian parents on May 29th, 1872. It was on the last Sunday of March 1886 when he was thirteen years old that he received Jesus as the Lord of his life. He never knew what it was to “sow his wild oats.” He began to preach about four years later at the ripe old age of 17 years by going down to the streets of his village and pouring out his soul in earnest entreaty for men to be reconciled to God. As John Harper’s life unfolded, one thing was apparent…he was consumed by the word of God. When asked by various ministers what his doctrine consisted of, he was known to reply, “The Word of God!” After five or six years of toiling on street corners preaching the gospel and working in the mill during the day, Harper was taken in by Rev. E. A. Carter of Baptist Pioneer Mission in London, England. This set Harper free to devote his whole time of energy to the work so dear to his heart. Soon, John Harper started his church in September of 1896. (Now known as the Harper Memorial Church). This church, which John Harper had started with just 25 members, had grown to over 500 members when he left 13
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