"Pleasantness"

Psalm 16:11

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By "pleasantness" surrounded

The word of God has said

The message clear and simple

With wisdom now is read

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So read and learn and listen

And live a life of praise

Think always of the kingdom

Throughout all of our days

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Appreciate each other

And with them now partake

We're serving God Jehovah

And will not him forsake

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Jehovah with much pleasure

Has watched us as we grow

His comfort, love and blessing

How constant now the flow

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So take the message forward

Go out into the land

Thus others are surrounded

In "pleasantness" to stand

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12-6-98 Bro. Harwood - my notes on his talk entitled "Are You Doing What God Requires of You?"

"Jehovah Holds You Near"

Jehovah's arm's around you are

And he will hold you near

His strength you will absorb within

He'll take away your fear

So lean on him, he'll carry you

And help you through the night

For to Jehovah God you've come

You're walking in his light

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12-2-98 no reason just wrote it. I guess sometimes I need to think about Jehovah's arms being around me.

"Light Just Ahead"

Although we are separate

We'll always be near

From my heart to your heart

The message is clear

It takes courage my brother

And sister it's true

To face every morning

As well as you do

When problems surround you

As they've done before

Remember that others

Have walked through that door

A difficult passage

That fills you with dread

But look through the darkness

There's light just ahead

So lean on Jehovah

Let him be your guide

He'll lift up your spirits

And stand by your side

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August 7,1998 - written for Bill and Teri about their problems - I sent them the Does God Really Care About You brochure - I hope they like it

"Walk With Jehovah"

We must keep on the watch

Jehovah has said

Alert to entrapments

The world will have set

We walk with Jehovah

Each step that we make

We're watching for potholes

On this road we take

So watch where you're walking

Step carefully all

We don't want to stumble

Or trip or to fall

So walk with Jehovah

He'll help you each day

For his love and guidance

And wisdom we pray

We trust in Jehovah

The potholes he'll fill

He'll smooth out our roadway

And help with each hill

As each day we're walking

A watch we will keep

And with God's direction

What blessings we'll reap!

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12-24-98 school talk #1

"Bearing Up Under Pressure"

To bear with honor now each day

The trials that lie ahead

For persecution now it seems

Has raised its ugly head

So lean upon Jehovah God

For he will make you strong

He'll comfort you with love and joy

And fill your heart with song

And through each day you'll conquer things

You never have before

What strength and guidance you have found

And how your heart will soar

So do not think about the way

That things appear to be

But lean upon Jehovah God

And watch and wait and see

For problems will assail us all

As persecution nears

But wait upon Jehovah God

He'll chase away your fears

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12-13-98 my notes for Bro. Riley's talk entitled "Bearing Up Under Pressure"

"Mephistopheles"

Mephistopheles you Devil

A word that fits her too

A small white fluffy creature

It just cannot be true

An image of an angel

Does not appear to me

Though small and white and fluffy

A Devil now I see

Her mistress loves her truly

Though she is quite a pest

Mephistopheles is present

Your patience now to test

Her image is deceiving

She has a lovely flair

But Satan now is hiding

Beneath that fluffy hair!

So watch her now with caution

She's sneaky don't you know

She'll attack you without warning

Then off again she'll go!

Prepare yourself for action

And wait and watch and see

Find a place of cover

For around again she'll be

Her innocent appearance

Deceives you now with ease

But under all that fluff you'll find

A wee Mephistopheles!

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6-7-98 Jan Farinsky has a little fluffy dog she calls Angel but it is far from angelic! Her son Robert asked me to write a poem about her using the title Mephistopheles

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It is pronounced Meh fah tho leez - means Devil or Satan

"The Class of Sixty Seven"

Thirty years out of school

Sure are getting old

Look back at our pictures

What a story's told

We were young and eager

Life was pleasure bound

Our sails were unfurling

Couldn't run aground

Growing old together

Patched and mended sails

Float on smoother waters

Not so many gales

Age has brought us wisdom

All our years have found

Class of Sixty Seven

Wise and still around

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1-9-97 I got an invitation to my 30th class reunion - did not attend but sent this to them

"Searching, Sifting, Seeking"

Appreciate Jehovah God

And earn a godly name

For all around the earth today

His work we must maintain

We're searching, sifting, seeking

A soul in need of peace

For hearts that suffer will abound

Their suffering must cease

So we to them must go each day

And help them all to find

That through Jehovah's word they'll learn

To leave the world behind

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4-19-98 at the meeting, Bro. Fain and Bro. Amy - (circuit and district overseers) -

"need to strain your last nerve to get in through the narrow door"

"Grandpa's Chair"

Now every grandpa needs a chair

To rock his babies in

And to and fro he'll go with them

Til sleepy times begin

So rock your babies William dear

And hold them close to you

They'll remember how it felt

When grandpa rocked them too

So to and fro you'll go again

With creaky groaning chair

For of the creaks and of the groans

Your babies are aware

Such soothing sounds they've come to love

Without a single word

For grandpa rocks them to and fro

When creaks and groans are heard

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8-27-98 written for my brother as he had just become a grandpa "again"

"When I'm Tired"

When I'm tired

Feel the pain

"When I'm tired"

Tears will rain

Through the evening

Or the day

Makes no difference

I will pray

Comfort I will

Seek from you

Oh, Jehovah

Help me do

Take me through each

Day to come

Or the evening

That's begun

Give me strength

To conquer all

Though I stumble

Or I fall

Each day I must

Turn to you

Give me guidance

Help me through

Thus I turn with

Eager heart

Day begins and

I must start

Night time too I

Need to find

Time to say what's

On my mind

And with all my

Heart I speak

For Jehovah

God I seek

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9-14-98 needing Jehovah's comfort today so wrote about it