The Sum of a Few Spare Parts

Sept. 8th: Carolyn would have been 67. Getting through the day by remembering the good times and birthdays past. I'm grateful for having shared life and love with her for 20+ years. I'm also grateful for her example of strength, courage, toughness, kindness and compassion, traits that I try to carry with me each day to honor her memory. Miss you my love. --from her husband Gene

Over the past weekend I thought about Carolyn at a Lifelight concert by Burlap to Cashmere. Carolyn always loved something she owned constructed out of cashmere.  I started thinking about the band's name again..."Burlap to Cashmere."  

When I have sought fulfillment out of the world or my accomplishments, I've felt lost and represented the burlap.  With faith; however, I have access to cashmere in all it's glory!  

But I tend to "live" with burlap...

I remember when I had passed out getting an X-ray done for the removal of my wisdom teeth. It was placed far back in my mouth and it hurt, thus causing me to black out. The unfortunate event that followed was that I went by emergency room to the hospital from the dentist's office, only to find my dental X-rays were incomplete and my parents were stuck with a large emergency room bill.  I was very frustrated in that I would have to repeat the process, and my dentist asked me to find another location to get it done (he'd only been my dentist since childhood!) 

I lamented to my now-husband that I didn't know why I should even try to go through the X-rays as it would make me pass out again -- after all, this was how God made me...a FAINTER!  

So Chad suggested I pray about it to which I told him this didn't qualify for prayer because it was not something that could change.  He told me he'd pray anyway and see what God would do. 

Imagine as I went to the Twin Cities, and the updated technology allowed me to have my first panoramic X-ray back in the late 90's!  The X-ray film never even entered my mouth, and the problem was solved.

I really did laugh over the little faith I had that God could fix the problem, but later in life I've come to realize how many, many times I have prayed with virtually no hope -- and really trust -- that a remedy would be provided.  

Can we suffer from feelings that we don't really need or deserve what our heart desires or believe these situations that seem impossible to remedy (like my teeth) can be solved and neglect Him?

The subsequent provision can be missed because we base a decision not to pray from feeling disappointed. 

For me personally, I now see that I had a belief that Jesus took the penalty for my sin, but the faith of a mustard seed, often times has not even existed.  I am desiring to shift to having faith in small things or large, extending the request and seeing how God "handles" it.  There are long-term requests that I do keep asking about, yet I don't resolve so quickly that the delay is a denial.  How about you?  I'd like to hear your thoughts right now.
I've been noticing this over and over again, and taking my heart to the Lord.

I know there are many people out there who feel and respond to needs by a sense of burden and with a small response to a great desire.  On the other hand, I was blessed with a Grandma who when I asked her if I could pop come popcorn at her house responded, "Jennifer...You can have anything to eat in this house that you want to eat!"  I think this was after repeatedly asking her politely for various items, and she just figured it'd be easier to let me know I had full-access.  
Could our sight be limited in the wisdom God has to offer us?  I think so.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7-8

So, thank God that He KNOWS what you need -- a Heavenly Father with a pantry of veggies and all the ingredients to help you grow S T R O N G physically and spiritually -- helping others, nurturing the heart and showing you where you're only believing for burlap. Remember, it's not very cuddly!  Let's seek HIM for revelation while struggling with life in the world.  It's only then we won't miss HIM singing through the birds  -- showing us how to proceed and taking care of the little things like dental X-rays.  Amen.

From "Skin is Burning" by Burlap to Cashmere - link below...
And my skin is burning with the fire of the world
Sometimes my eyes are tricking me
But when the words of His song
Are singing through the birds
I can't help but die, so He can take me higher
I can't help but die, so He can take me higher
And this dark small pain grows like cancer
Sometimes her eyes are speaking to me
But when the flesh is gone, my soul is all I travel by
And my guitar will vanish like the earth and the sea
Yes, my guitar will vanish like the earth
And my skin is burning with the fire of the world
Sometimes my eyes are tricking me
But when the words of His song
Are singing through the birds
I can't help but die, so He can take me higher
I can't help but die, so He can take me higher   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYmdlKE4nJE

Shepherding...Or So it Seems

"Have a Happy Family by Friday" and "The Storm Inside" were two books I read this week.  Nice and easy beings that one was from my mother-in-law and the other from the library.  "The Storm Inside" by Sheila Walsh tackles some interesting concepts like shame. I latched onto a new verse and learned about galbanum.

It reads in Exodus 30, ³⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, ³⁵ and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. ³⁶ Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. ³⁷ Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. ³⁸ Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”

Galbanum (Ferula gummosa) has an earthy aroma. It was used in ancient temple ritual incense anointings associated with springtime. Galbanum supports the immune, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and other body systems. It is also useful as an aid for troubled or mature skin. Galbanum has an approximate ORAC of 261,826 (TE/L).

Galbanum has an intense green fragrance with woody and balsamic elements. Often described as earthy or forest-like, this fragrance compound is valued for its ability to impart a rich, spicy green scent. Perfumers use galbanum both as a strong top note in "green" fragrances and as a base note in combination with musk and/or chypre elements such as oakmoss and pine.

Fragrances for women that feature the perfume ingredient galbanum include Chanel No. 19, Guerlain Vol De Nuit, Cartier Must, Balmain Vent Vert, Fresh Galbanum Patchouli and Azzaro Couture.

"Have a Happy Family by Friday" by Kevin Leman brought be back to my children and their strengths and weaknesses.  I'm excited that it's spurred on a family devotion that I'm preparing for this weekend. 

My favorite part was when Leman referenced some research he'd done for "Shepherd."  He said a group of psychologists recorded a shepherd's voice and dressed another person like him to imitate his persona among the sheep.  Fortunately, the sheep know their shepherd's voice so closely that a recorded version doesn't quite do the trick.  The next book I need to find is one Sara Grove's recommended.  "Long Obedience in the Same Direction" by Eugene Peterson-who's read it?

Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child

Any book that chronicles the life of Julia Child should have the same amount of perseverance in its formation to match Child's career path.  Jessie Hartland's efforts of writing and illustration are top notch, and she grew up watching episodes of "The French Chef" and enjoys cooking herself. 

Jessie Hartland is a New York City-based commercial artist and writer and illustrator of books for children. She has painted murals at a Japanese amusement park, designed Christmas windows for Bloomingdale’s and put her mark on ceramics, watches and all sorts of other things.
She has done drawings for many magazines and newspapers such as: the New York Times, Travel and Leisure Family, Martha Stewart Kids, Bon Appetit, and Fit Pregnancy.

In working through this non-fiction book with a 4th grader, we found approximately 25 new vocabulary words.  We also found out that Julia Child once painted a toliet seat red as a prank!

Follow Julia Child—chef, author, and television personality—from her childhood in Pasadena, California, to her life as a spy in WWII, to the cooking classes she took in Paris, to the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to the funny moments of being a chef on TV. This is a comprehensive and enchanting picture book biography, told in many panels and jam-packed with lively, humorous, and child-friendly details.

Japan Connections

Sae was our 12 year old Japanese exchange student, and second her name is pronounced like the word “Hi,” only with an “S.” --the following post was written by my daughter Olana Noble after her LABO exchange experience.         

 

When she got to Sioux Falls she was a little tired, but luckily she didn’t get jetlag like most of the kids that came. We managed to open the gifts that she brought for us that day. The gifts were some Japanese coins and kimonos.

After that, it was time for bed. She was staying in my bedroom. We wore the kimonos to church the next morning.

One of the best memories with her was camping at Palisades State Park. I remember singing “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles all the way there. Another thing we did with her was go to the Little House on the Prairie place in DeSmit. I remember the tiny kittens that I fell in love with. I think her favorite thing that we did was going to my great grandparents lake cabin. We went tubing and ate a lot of food. One of my last memories with Sae is of a little stuffed chick in a cracked, stuffed egg that she got attached to and would make it “speak.” She named it Ha HaHa.

When she got home to Japan her first meal was seal. She emailed us and told us her grandma wanted to wash Ha HaHa, but she wouldn’t let her. She told her grandma it smelled like the Noble’s house. The last thing she wrote is something I will remember forever. It is that she was homesick for Sioux Falls.

Kate Coomb's "Water Sings Blue" was a book I found because I was looking for non-fiction for a fourth grade reader.  Although I sought it out for the poetry, I ended up being the most impressed with the illustrator.  Meilo So, by her own biography was "Madie in Hong Kong.  Packaedg in England," and "Domiciled in the Shetland Islands," and to end her description states, "Delicate: contains one life." 

Inside "Water Sings Blue" the colors were vibrant and the whimsy over the combination of the sea turle and the verse was adorable.

There's a wide green map
on sea turtle's back.
Currents?  She knows
their flows, never slows,
needn't stop for directions
wherever she goes,
flapping her elegant
paddle-shaped toes. 

Meilo So's website intrigued me further with her designs for food packaging as well as another children's title "Alex the Parrot" by Stephanie Spinner. Looks like I have another book to discover.

Papaya Discoveries

Papaya instructions... Peel it.  Cut it in half and scoop out and discard the seeds in the center and cut the fruit in chunks.  Add to an assortment of fruit like strawberries, peaches, watermelon, blueberries, etc.  It doesn't have too much flavor as a stand-alone fruit.  However, it's been fun to learn of some of its health benefits.

Papaya enzymes have been used for tenderizing meats because they act to break down proteins, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Papain also appears to have modulating effects on the immune system and possible antitumor or anticancer properties, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Normally, your pancreas produces sufficient enzymes such as those found in papayas to digest foods and stimulate cell reactions. Therefore, papaya enzymes may be especially helpful for people who don't produce enough pancreatic enzymes, which causes indigestion symptoms such as gas, bloating and flatulence.
In addition to treating gastrointestinal and pancreatic conditions, papaya enzymes could potentially help treat lower back pain, sprains, tendinitis and strains, as well as chronic yeast infections, acne rosacea and osteoarthritis. Papain might help reduce the side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and prevent diabetes complications, and outbreaks of human papilloma virus -- HPV - and herpes and inflammation, Papain may help treat hepatitis C and rheumatoid arthritis as well. Talk with your doctor before taking papaya enzymes for any medical purpose. Papain can interfere with certain blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin and Coumadin, cautions the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

Check the outside. The outside of a papaya tells you a lot about what is on the inside. Green papayas are not ripe and must be stored properly to allow further ripening. Yellow papayas are ready for eating.  

Good papayas are slightly firm to the touch. Bad papayas feel soft, look shriveled and do not have a healthy green or yellow color. Bruising on the outside of the papaya is a clear indicator that the meat of the fruit is not going to taste well. Softness at the stem of the fruit also indicates that the inside is bruised or rotten.

Smell the fruit. Uncut papayas do not have a scent. Before eating a papaya, cut it open and inhale. The inside of a good papaya smells sweet and musky. A bad papaya smells rotted or fermented. Ripe papaya is usually eaten raw. 

Papaya contains latex (the white sap that oozes out of an unripe papaya) which can cause an allergic reaction in people with a latex allergy. The greener (more unripe) the fruit is, the more latex it contains. When buying papayas, look for ones that are mostly or completely yellow and give slightly to pressure. Green, hard papayas are unripe.

Papaya aids in weight loss. This fruit is low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and a good source of fiber. The papain present in papaya increases metabolism, digests fats, and assimilates carbohydrates in your body.Papaya is great for improving skin health. Its rich vitamin E content delays aging by minimizing the formation of wrinkles and giving the skin a healthy glow. Lightening soaps made from papaya fruit has been patronized especially in Asian countries for its beauty results. Papaya's powerful enzyme, called papain, has the ability to remove dead skin off thus encouraging skin renewal resulting in younger looking skin.

Read more: How to Know the Health Benefits of Papaya | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4771450_health-benefits-of-papaya.html#ixzz2ITmbzFdc
Read more: How to Tell If a Papaya Is Bad | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8303603_tell-papaya-bad.html#ixzz2ITkkM6IB 

Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

The other day I was looking through photos and videos.  I was already excited for summertime.  Going to Boone, Iowa, was a great time with my mom, Mel and our kids.  We went on a "Dessert Train" ride and my mom brought a deck of cards and a few books to read to the kids.  It was a great day for getting outside and taking photos.  Since you're on a train, even in hot temps, it's fine to go out and take a few snapshots as the train is moving along.

Kate Shelley's biography was appropriate for a train ride!

 

The Dessert Train features First Class service in climate controlled comfort aboard the

historic "City of San Francisco" or "City of Los Angeles" cars.  You can enjoy a beverage,  light snack, and scrumptious dessert during your two hour ride through the  Des Moines River Valley. Prices range from $20-24.00.

From their webside, I noticed that right now they have a few openings for their Christmas tour!   The ride departs from the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad depot, located at 225 10th Street  in Boone, travels to the "North Pole", and returns. On board, you will: sing Christmas carols,  hear the story of "Santa's Scenic Valley Ride", be served hot chocolate and a cookie,  greet Santa, and receive a silver bell.   http://www.scenic-valleyrr.com/

Great Books for New Believers

These two books are awesome in understanding your position of grace and unconditional love under Jesus Christ's care.  In "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller, the most revealing descriptions were of the two sons in the parable of "The Prodigal Son," in describing what they were truly searching after. He assessed the first as searching after moral duty and the second for self discovery. Further, he detailed how these pursuits would have cost their father greatly.

Keller reminds readers that the parable has an open ending, leaving you with a question of how the story can be applied. For myself, I took a more serious look at my own longing for self discovery in the past. With the Lord's leading, I have been able to have much victory over sinful areas that I've wrestled with over the years, but with my own "fixing" or "searching" I've also led myself down roads that brought distance in my relationship with Jesus and distracted me from spiritual matters. I appreciated his insight on the dangers of self discovery.

Taxpayer with rights?

How do you solve a problem?  

My favorite quote in the book come from one of the attenders at Keller's church.  She said, "If I was saved by my good works-then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through.  I would be like a taxpayer with rights.  I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life.  But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace--at God's infinite cost, then there's nothing he cannot ask of me."

Keller adds, "She could see immediately that the wonderful-beyond-belief teaching of salvation by sheer grace had two edges to it.  On the one hand it cut away slavish fear.  God loves us freely, despite our flaws and failures.  Yet she also knew that if Jesus had really done this for her--she was not her own.  She was bought with a price."

Now, with "Be Transformed" I was immediately drawn to the cover.  Every time I look at it I am inspired.  This study was written through the discipleship process.  It is amazing what is covered and how well everything is explained.  The study covers dealing with guilt, managing emotions and dealing with expectations.  I came across this study because a dear friend uses it with people who have questions in their faith.  He has permission from the publisher to give a "copied" first chapter to them, and if they keep going, he'll buy the book for them.

How inspiring is that?  I am blessed to know him and want to emulate this kind of investment to those who are searching for truth.  Scope Ministries have done an excellent job in articulating the love of God, and my favorite illustration is of the garbage in the basement!  (that's all I'm gonna say about that, you'll have to read it for the whole story!)

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

I love how this whole story comes together.  I'd done a search on "healthy" cookbooks.  One of them featured recipes by Chuck White.  I didn't know how wonderful a chef he was until I started reading the book.  I was touched that he is a Christian and he was able to minister to Sheryl Crow during her recovery from breast cancer.  His light definitely shines through the pages as stories are shared of his presence in the family's life as he cooks for them.  I almost wonder if it will completely remove the edge on Sheryl's music - wouldn't that be awesome!  (by edge I mean profanity!)

At the Outback with Enrique

So then, the other day we went out to eat as a family, taking a special birthday boy along with us to the Outback Steakhouse.  They brought us samples of their roasted pork tenderloin.  

I went home and found a recipe that I thought looked similar to what we tasted and made 1/2 of the loin at a time (cooks at 200 for 3 hours, last 1/2 hour at 300).

Great collection Chuck!

One of Chuck White's recipes was also for pork.  He added a few things into his "rub," that I wanted to include with the glaze recipe I'd used before.  Ultimately, this is what I liked best, after adding anise as White recommended and making it a second time.  I felt like the capers also added a complexity to the flavor that the recipe needed.

Seriously, it looks this good.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1  Pork Tenderloin 

Sweet Tangy Glaze Ingredients:
1 TBS. butter
¼ pound Chopped Roasted Red Peppers 
1 TBS. Chopped Garlic 
2 tsp. Chili Powder 
1 tsp. Salt 
1 TBS. Apple Cider Vinegar 
2 cups Apricot Preserves 

+ my additions

1/2 t. anise

1 t. capers

In a saute pan over medium heat warm butter. Add chopped peppers and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add seasonings and vinegar and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Carefully place mixture into a blender, pour in apricot preserves and blend until smooth.

Last, speaking of things coming together, I hunted down Sheryl's "Real Gone" from Cars 2.  It was awesome, because following hearing this song  I listened to Bill Hybel's message called "Dangerous Leaders," where he referenced a class he took to learn the basics of race car driving.  There was a professional driver who sandbagged while they "thought" they were driving really fast--only to see him pick up the pace and lap them several times.  He uses this example of intensity in ministry and how we need to stay "dangerous" to our enemy.  Way to flip the meaning around and challenge me Bill.  If you'd like to take a listen, let me know.

Thankful Titles

These three books are my faves for fall.  "All the World" had a praiseworthy feel to it, noting symbols Christ used in his illustrations of the kingdom of heaven and faith.  Poetic too...a few examples, "Nest, bird, feather, fly, all the world has got its sky," and "Spreading shadows, setting sun, crickets, curtains, day is done. A fire takes away the chill, all the world can hold quite still."  Illustrations are also excellent (LIz Garton Scanlon & Marla Frazee).

"One Smile" by Cindy McKinley & Illustrated by Mary Gregg Byrne takes an act of kindness, adds generosity and shows how goodness spreads among people.  Kind of a pay-it-forward story...  I think an adult has to refer back to the beginning, unless you have kids who REALLY pay attention to that kind of thing.  But we enjoyed it as a teachable moment.

"Applesauce Season" by Eden Ross Lipson taught me some new methods with making applesauce.  I don't really think we'll go to the extent of adding a strainer to my kitchen utensils, but it was interesting that some people cook apples and then strain the seeds & peel.  Their applesauce took on different colors then according to which season it was.

Green Grass Grew All Around Part 2

Over the summer I worked with a sweet child from my son's first grade class. Her and I really connected during the time I spent reading with her, and I also liked her mom a lot too!  I loved to watch Aubree sing every Monday morning. I believe it's one of her favorite things to do!  She enjoyed the refrain, "And the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the hole and the hole in the ground.  And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around."

When the first graders worked on this song in school, they were missing was the list of words to follow the order of the whole growth process!  As an activity, Aubree was able to cut out pictures and add the words to work on this song with me.  It not only made the song more fun, as she could see the words, but she was reading through the words to string the song together.  Now I know she looks adorable, but you should really hear her sing!

Check out the link below to my first post on "The Green Grass" song and it will give you a link to the photos we used for this project.
http://easyreadingpicks.blogspot.com/2012/06/and-green-grass-grew-all-around.html 

Conformist or Non-conformist?

            In any organization, conformity and non-conformity can present challenges. Todd Hahn considered healthy ways to address conformity and non-conformity in his book “Song of the Second Fiddle:  The Challenge of Followership.” 

             A conformist’s strength is that he trusts his leader, but his weakness is that he assumes that his relationship with his leader is one-way. Conformists may go along with whatever way the prevailing wind is blowing, particularly if by a determined or charismatic leader. Conformists are slow to ask critical questions and quick to consent. If criticized for their mindless compliance, they are quick to deflect back to the leader. We can remember the legions of Nazi bureaucrats who carried out the most horrific crimes all in the name of obedience and discipline “I was just following orders” as an excuse.

The best leader-follower relationships are mutual ones, where there is give and take, common respect and honoring of one another’s gifts. A conformist has to begin to look at the challenges he or she and his or her leader face with new eyes. When they can ask questions and dialogue with their leader respectfully and acknowledging the leader’s role, they will move into serving their leader better and becoming a more useful follower. A conformist has to acknowledge and deal with a fear of conflict and learn how to engage in healthy disagreement. There is a fine line between creative, fruitful disagreement and destructive conflict based on the desire to control, wield power or be vindicated. But since the conformist is tempted to avoid conflict all together, they must concentrate on learning to engage in conflict that honors the other person and forms appropriate roles, yet stretches respectfully to stand firm in matters of conviction.

The opposite of an unquestioning conformist is the follower who challenges every opinion and directive of the leader. This type of follower almost unfailingly opposes the leadership regardless of the issue. Ironically, a non-conformist usually begins as a promising performer, often having developed skills that conformists lack – independent thinking, courage and initiative, but something goes wrong when a promising performer becomes an adversary to leadership.

Non-conformists may complain about bureaucracy, systems and structures. If the leadership is visionary and creative, non-conformists may accuse the system of being power-hungry or too task-orientated. If the leaders are more cautious, the complaint may be the leadership is slow and conservative. The only common denominator is complaint, with a healthy dose of feeling. Non-conformists tend to be cynical, sarcastic or enjoy the image of a battle-scared veteran, wise to the ways of the organizational world. 

To be fair, there are usually legitimate sources for a cynic’s resentment, as even the best organizations have employees with unmet expectations or who have suffered broken promises. Over time, these incidents can create a climate of mistrust and wariness which fosters cynicism and caution. But a non-conformist’s position is to maintain an inability to handle setbacks and disappointments that others are able to endure. In time, they may poison the hearts and minds of additional employees, destroy the leader’s effectiveness and their own reputation. Outsiders can sense when an organization is filled with critical people, and it can do tremendous damage to an organization’s credibility.

The cure is not painless, but effective. It involves a refocusing from rights to responsibilities, from bitterness to forgiveness, from critical words to ones that seek to understand and from the desire to be right to the desire to be faithful. The good news is that skills such as initiative, independent thinking and courage are already in place, and the even better news is that they have an opportunity to learn some deeper lessons about authority – trust, an ability to serve others and speaking words which build others up rather than tear them down. After identifying potential fallacies of followership, employees will have discovered foundational ways to work with excellence.

Five Poems

The Salesian Missions produce small books that they publish to fund missions work.  I looked them up after reading "Lift Up Your Hearts."  Here are a few examples of the faith-focused poetry compiled in one of them.


Listless moments spent in flight, lost forever, a fool's delight. Lasting moments spent in prayer, saved forever, in heaven's care. Bill Tworney

"Candle of Faith"

Yesterday the day was dark

And washed with mirky streams;

My heart was marked with fitful fare

that spattered on my dreams

Yesterday revealed the past

And no one seemed to care

The hours threaded it with woes

But healing labored there.

Today the candle of my faith

Is held up to shine

In steady trust I forge a path

that time reveals as mine

Today I let my spirit soar

To sing unending song

And if for mercy I must wait

Lord, make me sweet and strong

Roxie Lusk Smith

Hearts that open to the love that is God, feel loved in loving and served in serving.  Edward Gloeggler


"A Light at the End of the Tunnel"
There's a light at the end of the tunnel, a love awaiting me there
All cares and troubles I will leave behind, as I climb the golden stairs
There's a light at the end of the tunnel, meeting my Lord face to face
And I'll be in the home that I long for, saved by His heavenly grace...Helen Parker

"Nobility" by Alice Cary

True worth is in being, not seeming-

In doing each day that goes by

Some little good - not in dreaming

Of great things to do by and by

Whatever men say in their blindness

And spite of their fancies of youth

There's nothing so kingly as kindness

And nothing so royal as truth

We get back our mete what we measure

We cannot do wrong and feel right

Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure

For justice avenges each slight

For good lie not in pursuing

Nor gaining of great nor of small

But just in the doing, and doing

As we would be done by, is all