Category Archives: Life

A Prayer for Fogginess and Focus

08 Wednesday Feb 2023

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Divine Dweller in My Heart,

As we abide together in the middle of this week, the grayness has plunged from the skies to accompany me on earth. The fogs from above are wrapping themselves around my tired brain.

Focus! I tell myself again – FOCUS!

And yet, my skull is filled with haziness instead of the concentration that’s much desired.

God, I ask you again to help me focus. And help me stop criticizing myself for fogginess that’s taken over my brain. My body is human, my mind is human. May I realize that my humanity is needed and which you have created to be a superpower.

Amen.

A Prayer of Gratitude for Nostalgia

18 Wednesday Jan 2023

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God of Yesterday, Holy Hope for the Future,

Running through my head throughout today is a moment from years ago.
I was young with friends I had left in the past.
The laughter was loud and our smiles were widening across our faces.

As a song from yesterday lifts my spirits-
It’s reached into my soul in a way that I just can’t explain.
But it’s transported my mind back to being a young one again.

These are the moments that are worth more than gold.
But I can’t abide in yesterday-
Otherwise I’m gonna turn into a pillar of salt.

Today I thank you for the flashes from yesteryear,
For the joys of nostalgia, and the stories which I carry.

Help me to savor the joy of memories but to leave them in the past.
Give me the drive to live fully into today’s realm
And to dream about a future with hope.

Amen.

A Mid-Winter’s Prayer

12 Thursday Jan 2023

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Divine River of Light,


As days expand and the colors stretch upon the horizon, my spirit celebrates the growing glow across the hours. This light fills our spirits with gentleness as the chilly winds whisper while it whips throughout its frigid path.

May we ignore the chill and the shadows. Even when the nights are cold, may we turn to what warms us: love, laughter, friendships. May your glow expand in our hearts- even when nights are long.

When extreme weather shoves milder temperatures out of the way, we know you are here to warm our souls and cool our spirits when needed.

Amen.

Wednesday Prayer – Searching for Gratitude

16 Wednesday Nov 2022

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God of Great Delights,

On days of bleakness, our eyes focus on the fog surrounding us instead of the warmth from your Spirit nearby.
On days of aches from the chilly climate, we search for relief from the balmy Christ in our midst.

Distractions get the best of us.
Whatever ails our bodies and minds and souls wins our attention.

We attempt to shake off any malaise as we turn onto a new road-
A path in which our senses reach for your presence.

As we see you in the light, notice you in laughter, feel you in the mild temperatures,
We turn our fields of emotions into gardens of appreciation.

In seasons of gratitude, may we express our sentiments freely.
May our hearts open to share words of encouragement and thanksgiving to you, God, and to our neighbors.

Shorten our nighttimes of despair and return the bright daylight of joy to our souls.

Amen.

A Prayer in the Face of Manipulation

26 Wednesday Oct 2022

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Trigger Warning: emotional/mental abuse

As the tornadic gales of manipulation
Toss and turn my mind one way or another,
Steady God, guide me to smooth ground.

Fill my mind with peaceful pictures
As the winds of confusion swirl around me.

Allow me the time to sort my thoughts.
Escort me away from the gaslights summoning me from another direction.

May my sympathetic soul sort the winds,
as I recognize the breezes of kindness
in the midst of the tempests of feigned emotions.

Holy Spirit, Holy Air,
As I inhale your breath,
May I inhale confidence in my thoughts.
As I exhale your breath,
May I exhale confidence in my voice.

Amen.

A Coffee Day Prayer

29 Thursday Sep 2022

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Bright God of the Dawn,

For the first awakened breath we take for this day, we celebrate with you. We pull ourselves out of our slumbers to see where our adventures with you will go.

But first, coffee.

We give much gratitude for the beans that you have produced to give us an elixir of awakeness.

For the smooth (or bitter) tastes that cross our taste buds, we give you gratitude. For the many ways that we can enjoy the fruit of your creation, we give you thanks. For the second and third winds these beverages bring our way, we share our appreciation with you, Holy One.

With our mugs and recycle-able paper cups, we toast our ritual of dawn with you, God of alertness and light.

Amen.

A Prayer in the Tedious Moments of Recovering

06 Sunday Mar 2022

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God of the Bland and the Boring-

Now I lay me down to rest as I have been on days on end. There are only so many movies to stream and shows to binge and Wordles to solve and naps to take.

My mind is willing. But my body is weak.

In this season of healing and boredom, may I see your presence in the spinning of ceiling fan and the pillows beneath my head. May I see your rainbow of colors in the blandness of days. May this body heal as it should, and allow me to see how my stillness rebuilds a healing body. May this season of rest nurture the soil which will hold the seeds of my creativity.

Above all, help me to see your light and love surrounding me in the comfort of my resting spaces.

Amen.

A Prayer for Our Former Educators

12 Friday Nov 2021

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Holy Wisdom, Divine Guide-

This day and always, we send our gratitude for our educators. From the preschool teachers who instilled a love of education from a very early age to the professors who mentored us as we sharpen our crafts, they have reflected your image as a Divine Educator.

Bless the ones who stood by us when life was hard, who listened to our pain that went far beyond the classrooms. May they realize how much their words and moments saved us from our own self-doubts and the torment of bullies.

Bless the ones who taught us information that would impact the rest of our lives and the ones who gifted us information that we never integrate into our callings. May they know that moments of education never are wasted.

Bless the ones who pointed out our talents, who spoke holy words into the world that led us to our callings. May they realize their life-long impact on the ones they taught.

Bless the memories of the ones who have passed on to that side of heaven with you. We thank you for each step walked, each word uttered here on earth. Their gifts will make an impact for generations.

And for the ones who seemed extra frustrated, whose patience ran short and their emotions ran high in the classroom, bless them with the grace they need and healing from tough moments in life.

Whether they impacted our life when we were four or fourteen or thirty-four, their words and gifts build us into the people we are today. For their time and talents, we are forever grateful.

Amen.

A Lament for the Annuals Outside

05 Friday Nov 2021

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Holy Sense of Peace-

As mid-autumn rushes into our region, its companion, frost, settles upon the grass and flowers. The beauty of frost as the morning light reflects upon it brings us momentary joy.

And then we see our plants who have journeyed with us since spring shriveled, hunched over. Their leaves waving a final goodbye.

We remember their tiny days as we would gently bury their roots into the ground and waited for their leaves to grow and flowers to burst forth. Through the summer, their beings would expand in every direction. They greeted us every morning and evening, welcoming us home when the days were rough, and sending us out into the world with a sense of hope.

Today we bid them farewell and give gratitude for the months they brightened our yards and lives. To you, God, we give thanks for the beauty of annuals, even when their lives are short. We reflect upon our own lives. Like the flowers, how will we illuminate the world with our gifts?

May your peace strengthen us in these short days, cold nights, and when our yards lack the bright colors of summer.

Amen.

A Prayer on National Stress Awareness Day

03 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Divine Source of Relaxation-

The tension rises into my forehead. Is that where this headache is coming from? The aches in my stomach are new and gnawing. And, God, what is this pain going up my neck? Is it because my shoulders are up by my ears?

Stress has been my unwanted companion for so long. But why is it I wont take the time to deep breathe, to meditate, to walk around the block?

So my mind keeps churning and turning and worrying.

God of each inhale and exhale, be my source of chilling out. Encourage me to find time to release the stress this day and each day hereafter.

Amen.

The first Wednesday in November is Stress Awareness Day.