Prayer Prompt

Love on the dotted line

Love is not a solid circle.
Love is a reinforcing band of substance and energy.
A solid band would fence off the within Love from the not.

That is not Love nor Love's intent.

Love encloses as it welcomes:
all ways open to receive and embrace,
all ways open to give and express.

Prayer Prompt 28

This morning's Sunday silence--but for the wondrous birdsongs--brought clearly to mind how much I want to know the universe of love.

Living, loving God
Help me lose my fear
of recognizing love.

Love and blessings,

Prayer Prompt 27

The awareness of one love--and all the human love-types just  variations--is beautiful. Simplifying. Uplifting.

Love is all from God.
God's love is all.
All love is God's.
Love is all God.
God is all love.
All love is from God.

Love and blessings,

Prayer Prompt 24

I know you, God.
Continue to open my mind to my heart
that I may know more of your presence.

Love and blessings,

...and in with the New

Ellen Fannin, Director of Special Activities (and just about everything else!) at Unity Church of the Hills, read us her recipe for a Happy New Year at yesterday's service.

I do not have the restraint to wait until this last day of 2008 to share it with you.

Earlier this month, as I was planning for a holiday meal and I came across a recipe that I would like to share with you. It is a “Recipe for a Happy New Year.”

1. Take twelve fine, full-grown months.
2. See that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate.
3. Cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.
4. Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness.
5. In short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them as fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.
6. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts.
7. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way), but prepare one day at a time.
8. Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution.
9. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.
10. Cover this with God's love and enjoy it to its fullest.

Anushruti RK

I cannot imagine a more delicious way to prepare and serve up 2009.

Happy New Year!

Prayer Prompt 12

As 2008 winds down, my mind hops and skips over the many joys of the year. And my mind stumbles over some of the not-so-great moments of 2008.

As 2009 approaches, I breathe deeply the anticipation of all the grace, peace, and prosperity in the year to come. And I occasionally catch my breath because fear of the unknown is a natural (human) reaction.

So...here's my application of the continuous reminder that fear is just the absence of love.

I am safe with you, God.
Help me constantly light the darkness
of fears I feel with love I know.

I look forward to 2009. I hope you will, too.

Love and blessings,

Prayer Prompt 11

As I've begun to find (and love!) praying more and more present in all parts of my day, I've made a few discoveries:

• Praying means more than talking to God;
• Praying means talking to myself as well.
• Praying does not originate with me (neither my mind nor my heart);
• Praying originates with God.
• Praying makes this physical world a better place for me because
• Praying takes me for a moment or two out of this world.

Those discoveries did not happen over night. Maybe they can, but for me they did not. They took time.

Time well made.

I praise you, God.
Help me know your Divine Self
that is within me.

Enjoy this beautiful season.

Love and blessings,

Prayer Prompt 10

There can be pleasure in being alone. There's usually not so much pleasure in feeling lonely.  

Being alone gives me time to think, to reflect, to meditate, to contemplate. And, surely, to do mundane things like read and write and cook and "veg."

Being lonely comes from not wanting to be alone. And the vicious circle makes me feel all the more alone...

Recognizing what alone and lonely share and how they are different helps.

But nothing helps more than realizing neither is Truth.

I enjoy you, God.
You are my instant, constant and abundant
supplier of love, joy and peace.

God doesn't supply those blessings from afar. They are delivered "in person" and mean I'm never alone.

Or lonely.

Love and blessings,

Prayer Prompt 7

I love solitary time, in proper amounts.

I do not enjoy feeling alone. Ceilings get lower and minutes get longer.

Real-izing that I'm never alone has taken me years and years. And when it happened it seemed so obvious, I felt it was a "duh-scovery."

My mind has known for a long, long time that I am God's creation. My heart has been a slow study.

And it's the heart that must feel it for it to be true. That's true for me, anyway.

I feel you, God
Everyday you live
within me.

The solitary time, now, is refreshing, refueling. I am not alone.

Neither are you.

Prayer Prompt 6

The energy and concentration required just to live this human life makes me give inordinate attention to my being.  Brings lots of attention to my mind. Causes me to overvalue my feelings, my opinions.

My ego too often convinces me it serves my own good. I almost hear it say it helps me not only survive but also succeed.

It helps when I can remember that it's not all about me.

I adore you, God.
You are greater than my mind,
Greater than my heart.

This reminder, taken just once a day makes it so much easier.

If you wish, I hope you'll enjoy its use.