O Great Spirit

O Great Spirit
Whose whispers we hear in the winds,
To inhale the morning air giving life to All
We pray our simple words are heard.
Allow our footsteps to be light and full of beauty
Our eyes to see the miracle of flight.

Allow our ears to hear the songs of your winds,
Our hands open to receive all that you gift.
Allow our souls to experience the eternal love
That our heart may share it with all we meet.

O Great Spirit
Whose whispers we hear in the winds,
Gift our spirits your strength
That we may be strong in faith.
Gift our spirits your wisdom
That we may be clear in vision.
Gift our spirits your grace
That we may be compassionate to all.

We ask as the sun rises to cross the skies
May we experience all the joy of all your creations.
May you receive our prayers and petitions
As we offer them in humble gratitude

~ Carla Goddard

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Photos on Pinterest

Gracious Wisdom

“Somehow I feel sure that the most direct route to religious experience is to ask for the grace to give, to share, to console another, to bandage a hurting wound, to lift a fallen human spirit, to mend a quarrel, to search out a forgotten friend, to dismiss a suspicion and replace it with trust, to encourage someone who has lost faith, to let someone who feels helpless do a favor for me, to keep a promise, to bury an old grudge, to reduce my demands on others, to fight for a principle, to express gratitude, to overcome a fear, to appreciate the beauty of nature, to tell others I love them, and then to tell them again.”

– John Powell, S.J.
in Through Seasons of the Heart

Photo on Pinterest

From The Depths Of Night

No one knew the name of this day;
Born quietly from deepest night,
It hid its face in light,
Demanded nothing for itself,
Opened out to offer each of us
A field of brightness that traveled ahead,
Providing in time, ground to hold our footsteps
And the light of thought to show the way.

The mind of the day draws no attention;
It dwells within the silence with elegance
To create a space for all our words,
Drawing us to listen inward and outward.

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place
Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,
Transforming our broken fragments
Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.

Somewhere in us a dignity presides
That is more gracious than the smallness
That fuels us with fear and force,
A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

So at the end of this day, we give thanks
For being betrothed to the unknown
And for the secret work
Through which the mind of the day
And wisdom of the soul become one.

John O’Donohue

Photo on Pinterest

With Soft Petals Falling

With soft petals falling
I behold the wonder of Your Beauty
on this glorious day,
my Gracious God.

The Blessing of Your Presence
comes to sing within my heart.

In gratitude I bow
to honor all that’s given to me ~

and rise to live in faith
that Life lives on.

~ Anna Lin
Photo at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289989663482414530/

 

Day 4: Living Below The Line Challenge – More Than Enough

I find I’m coming to accept a simpler menu without regret.
I have greater appreciation for every bit of food I’m able
to eat.

When preparing meals, I notice how I value every piece with
more regard. Parts I would normally toss into the compost
bucket, I now pause and think: “I could use this to give more nutrition and flavor to soup broths”. I look to each morsel with great thanksgiving.
This greater awareness and appreciation for all I have extends to
my surroundings as well. Instead of thinking: “I need this and this
and this” – I find myself thinking: “I have so much more than I really need –
it’s time to let this go.”

It reminds me of when I did an exercise from the life-changing book
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez.
It asks us to make a complete inventory of all the items in every
room of our house, just to be aware of how much we really do have.
I started with our bedroom and never got any further; I was so
overwhelmed with gratitude, realizing I have more than enough
with which to live.

At the time, we were considering building a house here on Denman Island.
This experience invited us to choose plans for a small cottage rather than
a grandiose house with more than we need.

That’s how I feel today about my relationship with food.
As I look at our cupboards, filled to the brim,
I am grateful, yet humbled.
I have so much more than enough with which to live.
I can share even more.

A Moment Of Gratitude: Light One Candle Today

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
To sing praise to your name, O Most High”
~ Psalm 92:1

Have you noticed lately how good it makes you feel to genuinely thank someone for being in your life? It changes the energy between people to acknowledge the relationship and honor what that person means to you.

We all love to hear that we are special and that we make a difference in the world.

It’s the same with our relationship with God ~ the Divine Source of our life.

When we take a moment to offer thanks for all of God’s goodness and tender mercy, the bond between us grows stronger and we are blessed.

There’s a wonderful site at http://www.gratefulness.org where you can go and light a candle of gratitude to offer thanks for some blessing God has bestowed upon your life.

Take a minute today to light one candle,
to offer a moment of gratitude,
to reflect on all that you have been given from our gracious God.
And then share it with someone close to you.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord;
To sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Mystery of Life

Mystery of life
Your song for me today is
fully LOVE ~
I rest upon the truth
of knowing I am blessed to be
the child of wonder
that your heart adores.

You come to hold me in
the stillness of this sacred hour ~
tenderly speaking to my
anxious mind ~ “Be still”

Here, only peace is offered
to the wandering soul ~
For in your Presence ~
all is well.

I rise to live this day
with gratitude and praise ~
In JoyfulSong your
dance of life lives on.

~ Anna Lin