Dear Family of Love!
I hope everyone had a good day and that you remembered that today is the first Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly Without Fretting after Good Friday! This week we have had the built in highs and lows associated with Holy Week and Easter. Not an easy task to live through but one that reminds us of who we are and whose we are. This week we seem to be continually bombarded by bad news stories that featured and feature hate, discrimination, a need to separate from family members who differ from us when in actuality they don't . Once we shed our mortal bodies all we are left with is a spirit and those my dear family members all look the same and shine brightly.Many of our family members are going through tough times having to do with all the LGBTQ hate and efforts of many people to make them feel unaccepted and invisible and not come to the table and realize that YES, GOD MADE THEM AND LOVES THEM TOO! GOD STILL MAKES THEM IN GOD'S IMAGE AND LOVES THEM TOO! WITHOUT EXCEPTION AND EXCLUSION! The very same thing can be said of MUSLIMS, AFRICAN-AMERICANS, REFUGEES BOTH DOCUMENTED AND UNDOCUMENTED, LATINOS, WOMEN, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO IS ON THE MARGINS OR PERCEIVED MARGINS! GOD LOVES ALL OF US AND NOT SOME OF US I was using all caps to make a point because my heart has been hurting all week about these hateful and hate-filled events. I hope everyone knows that righteous anger is acceptable. Okay enough of my venting and on to tonight's topic.
Today I opted not to take a prayer walk and give my feet a rest and had to have baked tilapia and shrimp for dinner at the Olive Garden. Having fish for dinner reminded me of today's Gospel reading for Friday in Easter Week. When we read the Gospel reading we see that even after rising from the dead, Jesus still managed to eat healthy! Let's take a look!
John 21:1-14
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three* of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Tonight let us meditate on the word and concept of Abundance. Take time to do this and give your fears, anxieties and anything else that is troubling you. God gives us abundantly more than we can ask or even deserve. God's love is abundant. God's mercy is abundant. Jesus' forgiveness is abundant, God's grace is abundant! What do we do with all of this abundance? Pray and meditate on these things!
The Promise of Living
Hymn 661 They Cast their Nets
God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who have little and who have more than enough that we may share from our abundance lovingly with great mercy and kindness.
God of Love and Abundance, we pray this night for our family members who have not learned your message of Love and inclusion.
God of Love and Abundance ,we pray this night for our family members who are feeling lost and alone without any support. May we rise up and go to them and show and give them love abundantly to the brim and overflowing.
God of Love and Abundance, we pray for peace in this your fragile world that love and peace may encircle those places where violence, war, hate, and division pervade the lives of our family members who find themselves defenseless.
God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who are in need of healing and grace. May we with you lovingly help them with love and from our heart-home's abundance.
God of Love and Abundance, we pray for all of our family members who mourn and those who have entered into the Thin Places.
God of Love and Abundance, we add our prayers and thanksgivings with love from the depths of our heart homes and pray on behalf of all those who have asked us for our prayers remembering _____________
God of Love and Abundance, we lift these our prayers in the Name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Have a blessed night. You bless me abundantly with your presence in my life. I give God Thanks for you always! Tomorrow is Self-Care Saturday! Time to care for our bodies, minds, and spirits.
With love to the brim and overflowing!
Sara
* The meaning of numbers in the Bible - 153
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