Love your neighbor week continues! Being Thoughtful and Thankful for our neighbors!

Good Evening Family of Love!

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! This is the time of week where we begin our weekly wind down towards our weekend retreat into Sabbath Rest and Self-Care. Before we lay down our worries etc into the Worry/Sabbath box let us dedicate time to being thoughtful and thankful for our neighbors. Yes this is the time and this is the place where we need to be intentional towards being grateful for all of our neighbors past, present, and future. We need to ask ourselves these questions : Where would we be without neighbors? What neighborly thing did we do for our neighbors today? Are we our neighbor's keeper?  Take time to write down 10 things that make us thankful for our neighbors  Remember when we brainstorm we do it quickly without dwelling upon things 

Here is my top 10 !

You don't have to go far to get help!
An instant neighborhood watch
For their willingness to pick up the mail when you are gone and feed your pets.
Their friendliness.
A built in group to watch 4th of July fireworks. 
A shared history if you have lived in the neighborhood long enough.
A group of kids to play with when you are young.
A friend or friends to share conversation with.
Someone who can help you with repairs.
An extended family member.


This is what my neighborhood looked like when I was a baby! Can you remember the neighborhood of your youth and where you live now? What are the differences and what memories do you have ?

Let's take time for our "Be Stills" before our Virtual Candlelight Prayer Vigils.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be Still and Know.
Be Still. 
Be.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be Still and Know.
Be Still. 
Be.

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be Still and Know.
Be Still. 
Be.

Tonight let us light our candles and be at prayer. Let us take time to be thoughtful and thankful for the day past and offer our prayers for our neighbors who may be in the role of caregivers. We pray for all who are grieving yet another loss of life due violence of any kind. We pray for our family members who are struggling. We pray that we may accept our estranged family members back into our fold like the Prodigal Son's father did. Let us celebrate and give thanks for families, friends, and neighbors and remember that they are not three separate categories but one family of God and Love. 
We pray as we place our written thanksgivings into our Gratitude Box or Journal. We pray this night for peace, joy, hope, and love and that we may ever seek to be CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful). 

Tonight let us pray for  caregivers who are our special neighbors:


 Here are a few prayer songs to listen to. I hope they speak to you, as they speak to me: 

The Summons

The Servant Song


Jesu Jesu

God and caregiver of us all, help us we pray and remember that you have called us to be caregivers to each other and all of our family members nearby and far away.

God and caregiver of us all, give all caregivers the courage to say "No" and find respite when they become tired.

God and caregiver of us all, help us to help all caregivers and be ready to step up and care for them as they care for us.

God and caregiver of us all, help us we pray to become nurturers  to all of Your children. 

God and caregiver of us all, we pray for all of your children who are the least of these that they may find shelter from the cold, storms, and places where they will feel safe this night .

God and caregiver of us all, hep us to remember that when we speak for the voiceless we are standing in the caregiver role.

God and caregiver of us all help us to be sensitive and empathetic to each others needs and situations.

God and caregiver of us all help us to listen for cues about how we can lovingly respond to the needs of those whom we do not know.

God and caregiver of us all, help us to keep our faith, humor, and our bodies, minds, and spirits healthy as we give care.
God and caregiver of us all, help us to comfort and be compassionate to those who mourn

God and caregiver of us all, we pray for all who work in the mortuary and funeral ministries that they may know that caring for the dead is as important than caring for the living.

God and caregiver of us all, we pray and give thanks for all caregivers in our lives remembering especially_______________

God and caregiver of us all, we offer prayers for ourselves and on behalf of our family members remembering____________

God and caregiver of us all, we pray for all Good Samaritans as we lay these prayers at the feet of  and in the Holy Name of  Your Son Jesus, who taught us many things about being caregivers. Amen.

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Good Night Dear Family of Love! I love you and give thanks to God for you this night. 


Love, joy, hope, peace, and God's blessings!

Sara