SIMPLE PRAYERS
prayer of gratitude
Lord, thank You for the light of day,
God, thank You for guiding my way,
Father, thank You for giving me life,
My Rock, thank You keeping me from strife,
My Light, thank You for handing me the key,
My Redeemer, thank You for allowing me to see,
My Liege , thank You for my childhood joy,
Great Spirit, thank You for saving this boy,
Holy One, thank You for Your Hand on my shoulder,
Nameless One, thank You for carrying me as I get older,
Absolute Truth, keep me on Your path,
Fearsome One, save me from Your wrath,
Mighty Ruler, school me to do my part,
Infinite Essence, help me hold You in my heart,
Most Real of all I sense, aid me to accept Your grace,
Joyous One, lend me Your Will to help me to face,
My Sweet Lord, join me with all others,
Holy Creator, help me love my brothers.
Lord, thank You for the light of day,
God, thank You for guiding my way,
Father, thank You for giving me life,
My Rock, thank You keeping me from strife,
My Light, thank You for handing me the key,
My Redeemer, thank You for allowing me to see,
My Liege , thank You for my childhood joy,
Great Spirit, thank You for saving this boy,
Holy One, thank You for Your Hand on my shoulder,
Nameless One, thank You for carrying me as I get older,
Absolute Truth, keep me on Your path,
Fearsome One, save me from Your wrath,
Mighty Ruler, school me to do my part,
Infinite Essence, help me hold You in my heart,
Most Real of all I sense, aid me to accept Your grace,
Joyous One, lend me Your Will to help me to face,
My Sweet Lord, join me with all others,
Holy Creator, help me love my brothers.
Starting from Zero
is there such a thing as zero, or is it something only humans have devised?
we say that nature abhors a vacuum, at least that is what scientists have surmised.
I know personally what none is, when my stomach starts to drool,
but I wonder about the "tabula rasa" that we learned about in school,
Is space really empty, or filled by dark cosmic flux,
because we can not see it, can we say, without quacks, there are no ducks?
Maybe because we are human or maybe because we do not care,
what we do not see, we don't believe in, including our pure air,
we breathe it in and breathe it out as do our brother trees,
and without it we are swiftly brought right down to our knees,
of all the things we are given and all the things we are,
an empty slate is not one that gets us very far,
for each day is full of something, tho often we are struck deaf and dumb,
we bring something to the table when at least two give thanks to the One,
and in the holy communion of waking to God's new day,
we regain the magic and wonder of having no thing in mind to say,
for without mind and speech, we see the earth afresh as whole and full,
a world of color and scent and light, only God could create such an irridescent jewel!
is there such a thing as zero, or is it something only humans have devised?
we say that nature abhors a vacuum, at least that is what scientists have surmised.
I know personally what none is, when my stomach starts to drool,
but I wonder about the "tabula rasa" that we learned about in school,
Is space really empty, or filled by dark cosmic flux,
because we can not see it, can we say, without quacks, there are no ducks?
Maybe because we are human or maybe because we do not care,
what we do not see, we don't believe in, including our pure air,
we breathe it in and breathe it out as do our brother trees,
and without it we are swiftly brought right down to our knees,
of all the things we are given and all the things we are,
an empty slate is not one that gets us very far,
for each day is full of something, tho often we are struck deaf and dumb,
we bring something to the table when at least two give thanks to the One,
and in the holy communion of waking to God's new day,
we regain the magic and wonder of having no thing in mind to say,
for without mind and speech, we see the earth afresh as whole and full,
a world of color and scent and light, only God could create such an irridescent jewel!
Living for More than Myself
Sweet Lord, thank You for keeping me in the Life another day, let me count my blessings,
I can see the beauty of Your world,
I can touch the hard and soft, the rough and the smooth,
I can taste food and drink drink,
I can feel my body moving, I have two legs and two arms,
I can hear the wind and the rain,
I can smell the coffee,
And I can sense larger things happening, I have a mind that listens to my heart,
And even if my heart is a work in progress, and my head overflows with fears and questions,
my vista is fixed on the Big Picture,
and I understand I always have a choice and a need to feel Your presence in my life,
For I see how sometimes I forget I am part of the big tapestry that includes everything
and all life and all the generations of my bloodline, and more importantly,
that I live not just for myself, but also for my ancestors who struggled with more difficult challenges
and paved the way for my narrow behind to experience the joy of life.
And there is a duty to pay back to all those who gave of their sacred essence, their spirit, their bodies
and their blood, their time and attention, and all the ways people give of themselves to others
to share the burdens of life, for the fount of Your Spirit is infinite in us, and it is our choice to draw
from this reservoir and help our brothers and sisters in their path, for all of us are pilgrims on the path
and no one has all the answers and everyone falters, and it swells my heart and gives peace to my soul
when I can turn my mistakes into something positive.
So help me, Lord of Life, to carry my burdens, both great and small, remind me to keep the Big
Picture in my mind, and my duty to myself, to others, and to You in my heart.
Prayer of a 63 year old boy who is still learning what it means to live life
written this day, Sunday, 28th day of October, in the year of our Lord 2012
Sweet Lord, thank You for keeping me in the Life another day, let me count my blessings,
I can see the beauty of Your world,
I can touch the hard and soft, the rough and the smooth,
I can taste food and drink drink,
I can feel my body moving, I have two legs and two arms,
I can hear the wind and the rain,
I can smell the coffee,
And I can sense larger things happening, I have a mind that listens to my heart,
And even if my heart is a work in progress, and my head overflows with fears and questions,
my vista is fixed on the Big Picture,
and I understand I always have a choice and a need to feel Your presence in my life,
For I see how sometimes I forget I am part of the big tapestry that includes everything
and all life and all the generations of my bloodline, and more importantly,
that I live not just for myself, but also for my ancestors who struggled with more difficult challenges
and paved the way for my narrow behind to experience the joy of life.
And there is a duty to pay back to all those who gave of their sacred essence, their spirit, their bodies
and their blood, their time and attention, and all the ways people give of themselves to others
to share the burdens of life, for the fount of Your Spirit is infinite in us, and it is our choice to draw
from this reservoir and help our brothers and sisters in their path, for all of us are pilgrims on the path
and no one has all the answers and everyone falters, and it swells my heart and gives peace to my soul
when I can turn my mistakes into something positive.
So help me, Lord of Life, to carry my burdens, both great and small, remind me to keep the Big
Picture in my mind, and my duty to myself, to others, and to You in my heart.
Prayer of a 63 year old boy who is still learning what it means to live life
written this day, Sunday, 28th day of October, in the year of our Lord 2012