When I was a young boy
and in my youth,
Being clever and funny
made me happy, that’s truth.

But now that I’m older
and close to my time,
What I value the most
is for me to be kind.

When I think of the legacy
that I want to leave,
It’s not goods or money
but kindness, I believe.

So on my gravestone of granite,
write these words of mine:
“Here lies old Gene
a man who was kind.”

A Beacon of Light
By Jason Kirk Bartley
VA Medical Center—Chillicothe, OH
You are a beacon of light 
in everyone’s sight.
Keep your flame burning bright 
through the night.
Show the way to the cross,
illuminate the way
in this sea of life,
through the burdens, tides
and the waves of strife,
crashing onto the shore,
safely to be with Jesus,
safe forevermore.
You are a beacon of light 
to those who cannot see.
Lead them to Jesus 
and sweet victory.