Prayer & Praise
The day demands that we begin in praise of you,
for the day is yours and we are yours;
we could not live the day without reference to you,
without your gifts, without your commands.
We begin with praise,
for the gift of life,
for the gift of our life together,
for the gift of life in your world with all your beloved creatures,
for the gift of life in your church with your steady recital of wonders.
You, you alone, only you,
you who made and makes and remakes heaven and earth,
you who executes justice and gives food we know not how,
you who sets prisoners free and sights the blind,
you who lifts up and watches and upholds,
you who reigns forever, you … and therefore us.
You, except we turn to lesser trusts,
all of us with our trust in the powers,
You, except we turn to ignoble aims,
all of us preoccupied with ourselves.
You, except we invest in our little controls and our larger fears,
all of us marked by anxiety.
And then we watch as you ease us out of anxiety,
as you heal our selves turned new,
as you topple powers and bring new chances for truthful public life.
You … except … but then finally, always, everywhere you … and us on the receiving end.
And we are grateful. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann. Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: The Prayers of Walter Brueggemann (Kindle Location 151). Kindle Edition.
I am thanking God today for the diverse community of people here…people created in the image of God. You have prayed for me and my family, you challenge me, encourage me, edify me, sometimes make me laugh, other times cry, and some even mystify me.
Praying for this community today.
The following quote has ministered to me today and I pray others will be encouraged by it.
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of the kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously – no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinners – no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat, the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.”
From The Weight of Glory, by C.S. Lewis
I accepted an offer from my boss to become part of the Ā management team where I work.
I will be off the road officially 7 days.Ā I am excited about and up for the new challenge and learning how the business works from the inside out. My boss is a generous and good man.
God is good…
There is no way I could of imagined being in this place in life just four short years ago when the vocational rug was literally pulled right out from underneath me.
I would really appreciate prayers for our finances (we raise support like missionaries do, only we are in the US). We prayed for a big one time gift, got it, then a serious car repair was needed a few days later, gobbling it up.
I bet a few of you know the feeling.
With only a couple of weeks before our work starts up again, I need another answer to the prayers of my patient wife and young children (and mine of course).
Could use some prayer for our backpack event this week.
I’m struggling to find the passion or heart for it this year and just need prayer that doesn’t show to whomever comes to help out.
Scott, what a great praise report. I can remember praying for you to get a job, then all the training you went through, then being gone for long periods of time. Wow! I hope you enjoy your new duties! Thanking God with you!
JTK, we know what it is to live from month to month never knowing how much is coming in and yet we also (like you) get to experience God’s incredible provision in ways we could not dream of. Praying for you need right now and expectant as to how the Lord will provide for you and yours.
London, praying for you. May His joy be your strength in this wonderful outreach you have to so many needy folks.
Nonnie, thank you so much.
I will be heading over to the beautiful Oregon coast for an all expenses paid training period of 8 to 10 weeks in the corporate office Monday through Friday and then home on the weekends.
After training, I will most likely be managing a fleet and office within an hour of where I live. The boss has offered to pay for 1 year of housing expense if I don’t want to commute back and forth every day. I think I will opt for a vehicle allowance instead. I mean, what’s an easy no traffic two hour commute to me? I’m used to driving 500 to 600 miles every day š
Also, the boss told me that if I don’t like the office environment, he’ll put me right back in a truck on the road again. I appreciated that and that’s just a reflection of the kind of person this man is.
Love C.S. Lewis, Nonnie.
Praying for jtk and London.
That is good news Scott!
Please pray for me, I’m at the end of the rope, really discouraged.
You have it, Bob.
I’m sorry to hear that Bob. If you ever need someone to talk to and pray with, Michael knows my number.
Praying, Bob.
Praying through these needs…with a sigh of relief that God knows with deep intimacy and compassion the intricacies of each request, and equally the intricacies of each answer.
Praying Bob
Bob, praying.
Praying for Bob.
My wife took my mom to the ophthalmologist today and she has severe cataracts that require surgery. The doctor told my mother he doesn’t want her driving till after the surgery as her vision is terrible. Upon arriving here my mom began a rant saying the doctor was trying to screw her and she’s rather be dead than not be able to drive. She’ll be able to drive and her vision better than ever after the surgery. She intends to keep driving.
My mother has early dementia and forgets a ton of things. I take her everywhere because she can’t drive without getting lost except for four places she goes close to home. She lives with my sister who moved in five years ago and has serious issues. My mom won’t allow people to come to the house as my sister refuses to see people. She used to be outgoing and very successful in work but now she’s a recluse hiding from the world and not receiving any type of aid and having my mom totally take care of her. My sister has always had a terrible temper and I’m afraid this is a bad situation as my sister (56) is refusing to do anything for herself.
As I take care of my mother and my other two siblings are nowhere close things fall on me. I’ve spoken with them and am mulling things over.
My mother has a terrible temper and I imagine anything I seek to do is gonna tick her off. She couldn’t read letters today that were a few inches big and would not hear what the doctor was trying to explain to her. She has run into things with her car and it’s full of dents but she’s convinced she’s a good driver.
I’m not sure how far I should go to prevent her from driving. She’s been driving as it is but I’m concerned she could hurt someone let alone herself if she continues. I then need to figure out what if anything to do about my sister who lives there.
My mother lived with us for eight years after my father died. I made her move out because she made life unbearable for us. Think of making your mother move out. We’ve reconciled but her actions lately make me not want to be around her. I need prayer and thoughts please. Right now I’m at a loss..
Bob, praying for you.
London could you post how we can help support the back pack campaign. Thanks I missed this in my original view of this thread. Sorry about that.
Praying for erunner
Thank you all for the prayers.
Had a great night of backpack packing!
Had volunteers from 5 to 76 years.
Best year yet.
Revived and excited to do this again next year.
Yes!
The best news was the “revived” part…
Rejoicing with you London. Galatians 6:9
Thanks!
Saturday we get to go be part of an event for a specific group of kids who have been abused or neglected. Another organization is providing school clothes for them and we provided the backpacks with school supplies.
Excited to go to a local store and meet up