The Tomb is Empty

On the tombstones of
All men on earth
Is the date of date
As well as date of birth
All through History
Men could see
When one was born--
And when they ceased to be.
But the tomb of Jesus
This Savior of mine
Is an easy one to find
For the tomb of Jesus
God's only Son
Is easy to recognize...
It is the empty one!
It is empty!
The tomb is empty!
And on that glorious Easter Day
The stone had been rolled away!
And God placed an angel there to say
"He is not here for He has risen!
" Praise the Lord the tomb is empty!
Thena Smith
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What was it Lord
That made you go
To Calvary so long ago...
To give your life
On that cruel tree?
"Dear Child," He said
"It was for thee."
Thena Smith

Two poems written by request

Honoring Grandfather

Today I share with others
And remind myself as well
Of my dear and special grandfather
Who I loved more than words can tell.
His faith in God was not lessened
Because he could no longer hear
For long ago he stored those truths
In his heart to keep them near.
He met his lifelong sweetheart
When she was just a kid
But they knew they would someday marry
And that is what they did.
They had 6 children who gave them 12 grandkids in all
And 22 greatkids answered to his loving call.
His talents on this earth were many
And he was always ready to help a friend in need
His heart was blessed with happiness
When he helped others to succeed.
Grandma is not the only one who will miss him
Now that her Floyd has gone away
But she, along with all of us who love him
Know we will be reunited with him someday.
Until then, let us not dwell on being sorrowful
Or dwell on the sadness in our hearts today
But be thankful for the precious times we had together
And memories that will not fade away.
And though he had 84 years here
How short, today, that seems to be
But thankfully there is a Heaven to welcome him
Where we shall all have eternity.

Thena

Saying Good Bye

Saying Good Bye is never easy
And our hearts are heavy today
As we gather here with those who love my Grandfather
And share our grief that he has been called away.
It is difficult to keep our tears from flowing
And to keep our spirits from sinking as we gather
But we remember that he would want sorrow for us, never!
Floyd had many names in this community
And wore many hats as he went about his day
But whether as husband, father, dad or grandparent
He wore each one in a very special way.
Children, know that he loved you;
Grandkids, you were special delights,
And greatgrandkids, I hope you know
That you were like his shinning lights.
His great joy was in helping others
In any way that he could do it
If someone gave him a task to perform
He could hardly wait to get to it.
Camping and the great outdoors
Were a joy to him from the time he was young
Perhaps that love of nature
Is where his appreciation of woodworking was begun.
We say goodbye now only briefly
As we entrust him to Heaven into God's loving care
Singing softly the songs the Father gives our hearts
Whose words remind us that someday we will join him there.
Thena

Getting Old

Tonight I heard from Sandra
My chum from high school years
The one I shared my secret crushes with
And confided my girlish fears.
"We are getting old" she said
In her email I just received
I checked to make sure it was meant for me
Since it was so hard for me to believe!
Why it was only yesterday
That I ran up and down the stairs at school
And vented to my girlfriend, Sandy
About some silly dress code or rule.
"Has your hubby retired?" she asked
And I answered that we both had recently
Ceased to be obligated to go to work each day
And felt so relaxed and free!
Suddenly it hit me full force
Like a snowball hard and cold
I was still a youngster
But the rest of my classmates were getting old!
Thena

Does Heaven Hold a Flock of Butterflies

Does Heaven Hold a Flock of Butterflies
(a four year old in Heaven)

Does Heaven hold a flock of butterflies
That flitter flower to flower
A sweet meadow where a little boy
Could chase them hour by hour?
Is there a special room for trains
And toys that little boys like
Do they have skateboards to ride
And for toddlers, are there trikes?
And when I join you there someday
Will you have aged at all?
Or will my same bright eyed four year old
Answer this loving mother's call?
I do not know if we stay there
The same age forever more
I only know Heaven will be sweeter
Than anything we've known before.
And if I see a toddler
Come running to welcome me home
Or if I see a grown up young man
I'll recognize him as my own!
Thena