January Prayers

( This is a repost)

It’s January and I’m keeping the spirit of Christmas alive. You see, each day I re-read a Christmas card and say a special prayer for the sender.  I’ve been blessed over and over as I continue this practice year after year. When our girls were home, we would put the cards in a basket. Each evening at the supper table, one girl selected a card which we then read together and prayed a special prayer for the sender. Maybe this is a tradition you would like to start. It sure is special. Have a wonderful week.

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Christmas Prayers

This is a re post.

In the midst of the excitement of the Christmas season, I like to experience calmness. These two prayers help to keep me focused on the true meaning of the season. I like to take time regularly to reflect on these prayers written long ago.

Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson (1800’s)

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels,the gladness of the shepherds,and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing, which Christ brings,and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake, Amen!

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their savior is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

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Juggling Life

Today I was reading motivational notes that I wrote down a long time ago. I came across this bit of wisdom.  Maybe you’ll like it as much as I do.

Life is a game in which you are juggling 5 balls in the air. Name them work; family; health; friends; and spirit. Work is a rubber ball, you drop it and it bounces back. The other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. You drop one of these and they will be scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. (Paraphrased –  Brian Dyson CEO of Coca Cola Enterprise)

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Stepping Lightly – Simplicity for People and the Planet

Stepping Lightly – Simplicity for People and the Planet by Mark A Burch has been one of my favorite reads lately. When I finished reading the book the first time, I flipped back to page one and started all over again. I read the book a second time because it is such a thought provoking read. Although the book was published in 2000, it’s timeless.  The author has such a great way of describing the spiritual, soulful and planetary reasons for living a simple life. I first came across the book in the local library.  I’ve purchased two used copies  now. One I am keeping for myself and the other I lend out to friends. If you wish to simplify your life, this practical guide will give you good direction. I hope you consider reading it. Bye for now, Linda

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Christmas Prayers – Repost

This is a re post from last Christmas. I like these prayers so much, I wanted to post this again.

In the midst of the excitement of the Christmas season, I like to experience calmness. These two prayers help to keep me focused on the true meaning of the season. I like to take time regularly to reflect on these prayers written long ago.

Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson (1800’s)

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels,the gladness of the shepherds,and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing, which Christ brings,and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake, Amen!

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their savior is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

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Celebrations – Preparation

This morning I was reading in the book of Luke about Mary and Martha.  I was reminded at how important it is to have our priorities in order.  To summarize the story, Jesus was visiting Mary and Martha (sisters). Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to all that he had to say. Martha was distracted by the preparations that had to be made. She was worried and upset about many things. She came to Jesus and said ‘tell her to help’.  Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better decision.  What struck me this morning is that I am easily distracted by preparations.  I become frustrated, worried and upset. The meaning of the celebration is often clouded over by the work. I need to be certain that the reason for the celebration is clear in my mind and then all preparations will fall into place in a healthier manner.

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Christmas Prayers

In the midst of the excitement of the Christmas season, I like to experience calmness. These two prayers help to keep me focused on the true meaning of the season. I like to take time regularly to reflect on these prayers written long ago.

Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson (1800’s)

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels,the gladness of the shepherds,and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing, which Christ brings,and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake, Amen!

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440)

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their savior is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

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Taking Care of Yourself – Christmas

The Christmas season can be so full at times. I encourage you to make a point of taking care of yourself.   When we are busy with work, family and extra activities, our needs can go by the wayside. We neglect the things that rejuvenate us like exercise, restful sleep and contact with nature. Guard the time you need to refresh yourself.

Also, as women we can misjudge the time we have available. A little extra planning can be useful. Take the time to plan a couple outfits. Write these down. This will help you avoid a possible disaster when you need to get ready in a hurry.  This can be as simple as one pair of pants, or a skirt, and a couple different tops. Include shoes and accessories in your plan.  Always kept these items clean and neat. When my girls were young and our days were busier, I pre-planned a few outfits and wrote these on blank cards. I found this extremely helpful – I hope you do too. Linda

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