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When I come to the end of my journey

And I travel my last weary mile,

Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned

And remember only the smile.

Forget unkind words I have spoken;

Remember some good I have done.

Forget that I ever had a heartache

And remember I’ve had loads of fun.

Forget that I have stumbled and blundered

And sometimes fell by the way.

Remember I have fought some hard battles,

And won, ere the close of the day,

Then forget to grieve for my going,

I would not have you sad for a day,

But in summer just gather some flowers

And remember the place where I lay,

And come in the evening

When the sun paints the sky in the west

Stand for a few moments beside me

And remember only my best.

God looked around His garden

And found an empty place.

Then He looked down upon the earth

And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you

And lifted you to rest.

God’s garden must be beautiful

For He always takes the best.

He saw the road was getting rough

And the hills were hard to climb,

So He closed your weary eyelids

 And whispered, “Peace be thine.”

It broke our hearts to lose you

But you did not go alone,

For a part of us went with you

The day God called you home.

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there,

I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight

On the ripened grain.

I am the gentle Autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there.

I did not die.

My Spirit is still alive…

Time for me to leave you, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I'll be close to you.

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, 

so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

Make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O heavenly Father, grant that I may not

so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb; Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now

and at the hour of death.

Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin

Mary, that never was it known that

anyone who fled to your protection,

implored your help, and sought your

intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,

I fly unto you, O virgin of virgins,

my Mother! To you do I come,

before you I stand, sinful and

sorrowful. Oh Mother of the Word

incarnate, despise not my

petitions, but in your mercy hear

and answer me.

Amen.

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

he leadeth me in the paths of

righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy; 

hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To Thee do we cry, poor banished

children of Eve; to Thee do we send

up our sighs, mourning and weeping

in this valley of tears. Turn then, most

gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy

towards us; and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of

thy womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary. 

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God

That we may be worthy of the

promises of Christ.

Amen.

“Let not your hearts be troubled;

believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

And you know the way where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”



Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

I've finished life's chores assigned to me,

So put me on a boat headed out to sea.

Please send along my fishing pole

For I've been invited to the fishin' hole.

Where every day is a day to fish,

To fill your heart with every wish.

Don't worry, or feel sad for me,

I'm fishin' with the Master of the sea.

We will miss each other for awhile,

But you will come and bring your smile.

That won't be long you will see,

Till we're together you and me.

To all of those that think of me,

Be happy as I go out to sea.

If others wonder why I'm missin'

Just tell 'em I've gone fishin'

-DELMAR PEPPER

-DUANE JAEGER, RN, MSN

Rest now my fallen brother

Lay soft your suffering back

Rest well and forever

Your memory shall not lack

Rest your tired hands

Wipe clean your weary brow

Rest with St. Florian

Your spirit now endowed

Rest here your breaking heart

We know you gave your all

Rest easy, you’ve done your part

You’ve answered your last call

Rest knowing that in god we sought

Oh lord, watch over another who just fell

Rest assured your troubled thought

As we ring the final bell.

-R. HOFFMAN

SSgt. USAF/MOANG, Firefighter, Rosecrans Airport, St. Joseph, Missouri

-ERIC DERENZIS

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lake, from the hill

From the sky.

All is well, safely rest.

God is nigh.

Thanks and praise, for our days,

’Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars,

’Neath the sky.

As we go, this we know,

God is nigh.

Amen.