Category Archives: Weekend Wisdom

Now And Forever More

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I was not planning on publishing a post today but when I woke up yesterday this Psalm was on my mind.

Merriam Webster defines Song of Ascents as –

“any one of 15 psalms in the series Ps 120 to 134 sung by Hebrew pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem or possibly while ascending Mount Zion or the steps of the Temple. — called also Gradual Psalm, Pilgrim Psalm, Psalm of Ascents”

One of the definitions of Ascents is “the act of rising or mounting upward”, “an upward slope or rising grade”, “the degree of elevation”

Trinity Site – White Sands Missile Range

Psalm 121 – A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121 (New International Version)

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual logistics contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.

Weekend Wisdom: Victor Hugo

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Today’s post is not from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, or from The Hunchback of Notre Dame but from a poem he wrote. I never knew he wrote poetry. I heard this in a speech last night by Elisabeth Elliot. I will be writing more about that speech this week because it is timely, very, very timely.

Sleep sweetly in this quiet room

Oh thou, whoe’er thou art,

And let no mournful yesterdays

Disturb your peaceful heart.

                                 Nor let tomorrow pierce thy rest

                                 With dreams of coming ill:

                                 Thy Maker is thy changeless friend,

                                 His love surrounds thee still.

Forget thyself and all the world;

Put out each glaring light.

The stars are watching overhead.

Sleep sweetly, then. Goodnight.

Victor Hugo (1802 – 1885)

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual logistics contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.

Weekend Wisdom: Now the Day Is Over

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A calm, peaceful poem for the end of the day. I highly recommend listening to Michael Crawford’s version on the CD On Eagles Wings. His version is very soothing. You will find the entire CD a joy to listen to anytime you need a dose of comfort and joy.

Now the day is over, Night is drawing nigh,

Shadows of the evening Steal across the sky.

Now the darkness gathers, Stars being to peep,

Birds and beast and flowers Soon will be asleep.

Jesus give the weary Calm and sweet repose;

With thy tend’rest blessing, May our eyelids close.

Grant to little children Visions bright of thee;

Guard the sailors, tossing On the deep blue sea.

Comfort ev’ry suff’rer Watching late in pain;

Those who plan some evil From their sin restrain.

Through the long night-watches May thine angels spread

Their white wings above me, Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens, Then may I arise

Pure, and fresh, and sinless In thy holy eyes.

Glory to the Father, Glory to the Son,

And to thee, blest Spirit, Whilst all ages run.

Sabine Baring-Gould (pg 570 of A Sacrifice of Praise, An Anthology of Christian Poetry in English from Caedmon to the Mid-Twentieth Century, Second Edition, Edited by James H. Trott)

P.S. Michael Crawford is the original Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, The Phantom of the Opera. Other credits in his extensive career include the role of Cornelius Hackl in the movie musical Hello Dolly!, P.T. Barnum in the musical Barnum and the role of Frank Spencer in the British TV Comedy Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em.

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual logistics contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.

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