Let Me Build Others Up  Heavenly Father, Be with me today. Let my words and actions  please You. Let my heart sing with joy      because I am Your child. Let me bring honor and glory      to Your name. Let me love. Be with my loved ones;   Guide me to hurting people; Lead me to places       where I am needed. Let me feel your holy presence; Give me strength; Give me Your comfort Help me to see the lonely hearts      in my life. Be with those who mourn      the loss of loved ones,      the loss of the security of routine,      the loss of jobs and traditions. Assure them that all things      will be done in accordance      with  Your Will.

Be with those who are estranged      from family members      from friends.      from You. Lead them and show them      how to walk across the room          of reconciliation. Be with those who live      in the dark caves of depression,      feeling unloved,       rejected,       worthless. Shine the beacon of Your light on them. Illuminate the path for them to follow       from the depths of despair      into the sunlight of Your love and grace. Let them feel the warmth of Your presence. Lord, as I age, help me      have a positive attitude,      look at myself and evaluate myself      before giving in to the temptation       to point accusing fingers at others. Thank you for my many blessings/ Let me build others up in love;       not tear them down in jealousy.                                     In Christ's name.

Turn my Sorrows into Joys

Dear Lord, Almighty God, 

You who are able to calm the troubled seas and turn water into wine, 

I ask you to calm my soul and turn the my sorrows into joys. 

Forgive me for my many sins, for hurting others, 

for so many actions that I should not have done, for so many actions 

that I should have done. 

I am so sorry that I so easily stray from Your pathways 

     ending up in places that I would rather not be. 

Give me the strength to forgive others who have knowingly or unknowingly hurt me.  

Help me  let the petty barbs go; let me hand them over to You.  

Do not let me act as if I am 7 instead of 70.  

Do not let me stoop to swapping silly, childish verbal blows 

     with those who would hurt me. 

Help me to remember that it is better to save a relationship than to win an argument.  

Help me to remember that my purpose is to help others.  

Let me become the person You intended for me to be.  

Help me to look at others as You intended them to be; 

     let me see You in others; 

     let me celebrate them, not destroy them.

Help me to empty myself of me so that I can be filled with you. 

Be with those I love;  

may they walk in the light of Your love, peace, and mercy; 

may they know You and follow You and not be tempted 

     by the idols and evils of this world.  

Let them understand that this world is not our home; 

  something better lies ahead for us all

     --an eternal home with You if we will choose it. 

Father, help me to deal with this last conflict; let me let You lead. 

Give me faith to believe that You will put the pieces of broken relationships 

     back together in Your time, not mine. 

I thank You; I praise You; I honor You; I love You.

In Christ's name I pray.    Feb 8, 2015

Getting Older

Lord, I am such a mess some days.  

I don't remember as well as I used to; 

and  my body certainly doesn't function as well as it once did. 

 I am nearing my 70th year of life which doesn't sound that old 

     until I look at the mirror and see my tired, wrinkled face.

I thank You for what has been a wonderful life 

and praise You for all the blessings You have given me: 

     family, friends, shelter, food, assurance of Your Love, 

          Presence, Strength, and Comfort each day.  

Father, I love You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit 

Who remains with me to guide me, encourage me, protect me.  

Help me to be the person You have created me to be.  

Keep me from straying from Your shelter. 

Help me to love others, to forgive others 

     as You have forgiven me my many sins.  

Let all I say, think, and do be in accordance with Your will.  

Help me to be Your hands and feet
     to those in my world who have a need.  

Forgive me when I try to take Your place, and 

... when I think I know how to do things better than You.  

Forgive my many sins. 

Let me be a blessing to someone today.  

In Christ's name.  Feb 1. 2015

Our loving, protecting, encouraging Abba

Merciful and Mighty God,   

Master Creator of the Universe, 

Lover and Protector of those whom You have created.  

Be with Your children who are sick, lonely, frightened, 

     grieving, depressed, estranged from You.  

Let us feel Your comforting presence 

     bringing the assurance that we are not alone, 

     for You are not even a breath away from us, 

     You will always be holding us to Your bosom, 

     Your love will never willingly let us go.  

Let us remember that You, unlike us, our friends and family, 

     do not break Your promises.   

Lord, help us to remember 

     that we are not worthless in Your sight. 

Instead, we are the crown of Your creation, 

     so important that You chose to make us in Your own image. 

Help us to see ourselves as You see us, 

     not as the world sees us. 

Give us strength to keep our concentration on You; 

     keep us from being influenced by the cruel words 

         of those who hate us.  

Help us to believe in You, 

     to believe that You are a Loving God;

     Who never rejoices in seeing our failures and inadequacies.  

Assure us that we can turn to You; 

     share our joys and concerns with You 

     no matter how small or petty others think they are.  

You are our loving, protecting, encouraging Abba 

     who has given us bounteous riches of the world 

          You have created for us.  

You are our Abba who wants us to be all that we can be;

     to do all that we can do to make our lives acceptable to You.

Thank You, Precious Father, for the goodness, the blessings 

     You have provided for us.  

Forgive us for being hard-headed, stubborn people 

     who whine too much and who say "thank you" too  little. 

Thank you for Your goodness and mercy.  

Hold us close today as we speak, travel,   .  

Let us stay close to You showing justice, love and mercy to others. 

In Christ's name       1-27-15 (Mab)

Lord, empty me of self and fill me with You.

Remove from my heart the desire to take revenge

for the hurt I have received from those who I think

      should love me.

Remove from my heart all traces of jealousy

      stemming from my insecurities.

Help me avoid the urges to indulge in pity parties

      because I don't get my own way,

      and others don't give me

      the attention and glorification

            I selfishly think I deserve.

Let me serve with a glad heart.

Let me show abundant mercy instead of spitefulness.

Let me bestow grace to others.

And let me love,

     especially the despised, the rejected, the lonely.

Lord, let me remember

     that You are God,

            and I am not.

Let me be still and quiet

      and content to let You be God.

Let me trust Your promise of eternal life

      for those who believe in Jesus Christ,

               Your beloved Son.

Help me take up my cross and follow You

      confident that You will never ask more of me

               than You and I can do together.

Show me where I need to go, what I need to do.  

Let Your kingdom come, Lord.

Let Your Will be done

      on earth as it is in Heaven.                     (Mab)

Lessons from the Guineas

While John and I were visiting his cousin Randy one afternoon, we watched a line of guineas pompously marching to the bird pen. As the guineas approached the open gate of the pen on the side where the gate was pulled back to make a small angle with the pen, the first two guineas, walking in tandem, smartly went around the gate, hopped over the threshold, and entered the pen.

     All of the other guineas behind them, however, followed the third guinea’s lead; and instead of going around the gate into the pen, they all walked into the center of the angle where the gate touched the pen.   They then looked as if they were moving in a sideways “V”!!

    The third guinea stopped when he literally couldn't go any farther because he was jammed between the fence and the gate.   The other guineas following him continued to move forward until they too had to stop because they had bumped into him.  They had crowded so tightly into him that he couldn't move forward or backward.  After several seconds, the birds finally gave up, turned around, and marched back into the woods.   Randy then had to walk behind them and herd them into the pen from the other direction to make sure that they were safely home at last!

While it was amusing to watch the little guineas,  the incident reminded  me of how we humans can also get ourselves into similar predicaments when we brainlessly follow the leader.  

1. We can run into dead ends with no instructions for getting ourselves out of a situation.

2. We must watch where we are going and not assume our companions know the way to go; we must question them and pay attention to the world around us. 

3. And then, when we can’t find the way to our shelter, we need a leader who is bigger, more powerful, and smarter than we are who will have compassion on us and herd us into a safe place.