A Wish and a Prayer for the New Year and this evening

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on our Journey.

I honored what my body was telling me and decided to do a half a loop walk tonight and because I wanted to get home before the Wacky Jacks were out in force. I'm writing this a tad bit earlier than  usual. This evening I decided not to listen to the music but instead soak up the silence of the last day of the calendar year. Remember our New Year together will be in July so we don't have to get nostalgic and long for blogs past and everything else that comes with the completion of an orbit around the Sun or calendar page. I look to tomorrow as yet another day with lots of possibilities and new beginnings and lots of wonder as seen through the eyes of a child. This is how we all should be every second, minute, hour, of each and every day that we live!


A Wish for the New Year

I wish for you love filled to the brim to overflowing.
I wish for you Joy that will warm your heart so much that the person next to you will will be able to feel it.
I wish for you peace so that you can be an example of how to be a peacemaker.
I wish for you hope that you never lose faith and have a spirit of optimism and resilience.
I wish for you a big family like ours to enfold you with love, shoulders to cry and lean on and backs to shelter you from the storms of life.
I wish for you a time of daily unplugging and exercise.
I wish for you time with God in God's Cathedral of life.
I wish for you that every time you see a family member, remember a family member is anyone! I hope you remember this phrase "The Light of Christ in Me Recognizes the Light of Christ in You!"
I wish for you time to begin your walking program:

Here are the first steps and prayers:

We  prepare  ourselves by hydrating with the image of Living Water coursing through our veins, tying our laces securely, wrapping our bodies with God's Warm prayer coat.

We invite God on our walk using these words or your own. God we invite you as you invite us to walk with you on our journey. Enliven our spirits, quicken our steps and open our hearts as we pray and walk.Amen.

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A Prayer for the New Year!

Dear God, as we look towards the new year that is upon us help us to remember that you are walking with us on our journey and that we are never alone. Give us nudges from time to time to recognize this  and that you have knit us together as family by prayers and that this circle is ever widening and that is because of your love for us and each other. Help us to remember tonight those who are lonely and those who are in new life situations that love is the key. We thank you for the many blessings of the year past and as we look to the year ahead may we remember we walk with you and you walk with us on our journey. Amen.

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Knit a prayer circle around us Lord

Knit a prayer circle made of love.
Knit a prayer circle around us that is peaceful
Knit a prayer circle that is made of healing balm
Knit a prayer circle of life and hope and joy.
Knit a prayer circle around all the broken world that they may feel the pieces being put back together and made strong with your loving and gentle hands.
Knit us together as your family of love, peace, joy, hope, and those who show your light to the world by their words, deeds and love.

All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.


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Dear Ones, Have happy and safe evening tonight and know that you are loved and have a Happy New Year tomorrow.

I love you! May we continue to walk, pray, talk, give hope, make peace, bring  joy,  and give love all in the Key of Jesus!

Sara

Auld Lang Syne -Bagpipes

Happy New Year -ABBA

Walking , praying, and thinking in the Key of Jesus!

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on our Journey,


When I was chatting with a family member of ours today I used the phrase "Walking, praying, and thinking in the Key of Jesus!" to describe what we should  be or are doing. I'm into music on our walks and when we pray as well. I decided to try doing a kind of centering prayer walk with words similar to those above using other words along the way! I asked God to help me/us to walk, pray, think in the Key of Jesus. As I went along the rout I added your prayer requests and returned to the above phrase adding hope, peace, love, joy, shining God's light, serving, ministering, etc. After I did this an amazing feeling of calm and inner joy took up residence in my heart and soul. I took photos along the way. You may not think they have ethereal and mystical qualities but, I do because I have taken pix on this route before and very few of them came out like these.It must be the mystical quality of walking the King's Highway or El Camino Real! I'm still tingling all over with joy! Not bad for an evening's work and walking in God's Cathedral of Life at "The time of the evening breeze"

Let us pray!

Dear God we sometimes cannot explain the unexplainable but that is when we must and need to have faith in you.  As we continue to walk with you on our journey may we have faith to put our feet on your holy ground and walk with love and purpose and  be your hands, feet, love, voice, arms and bodies in your world. Amen.
                                                      
                   In Perfect Harmony a Prayer in the Key of Jesus

Help us to walk, pray, think and love in the key of Jesus.
Help us to bring hope, make peace, give joy, and show love in the key of Jesus. 
Lord help us to shine the light of Christ's love to the world in the key of Jesus.
Help us to be your grace and spirit filled  ministers and  tender and loving caregivers in the key of Jesus.
Help us to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you and in the key Jesus.
Help us to have compassion, be a comfort to those who are lonely, ill, hungry, and homeless in the key of Jesus. 
Thank you Lord for your Son Jesus and your Cathedral of Life in which we live. Amen!



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Well that is all for tonight my dear family! I love you, remember this is You Matter Monday ! You are precious each of you matter to God and to me. Have a blessed rest tonight. God continues to hold you gently in His arms.

Love and peace of mind and I continue to give God thanks for you this day and always!

Sara

Music Sampler

Thy Word - Amy Grant

Precious Lord Take my hand

I Want Jesus to Walk With Me

We are Marching in The Light of God

Walking with the Lord God at the time of the Evening Breeze ( based on a Verse from Genesis)

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey!

I hope you all have had a pleasant and wonderful Sunday. I also hope you had the opportunity to take time for rest,reflection, and renewal. In short a Sabbath observance of some kind.  I had a busy day at the Faith Factory (church). At our 11:00 a.m. service we had The Festival of Lessons and Carols. Our Daughters of the King Chapter were the readers of the lessons. The first lesson was from Genesis and the verse from which our prayer walking blog theme is based is this "They (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze" I was struck by this verse because it is the time I or maybe God has set for us to prayer walk. No, I think that God is definitely in the midst of this and there is no coincidence just God working in us and through us. When I heard this verse, I got extra special tingles and wanted to be like Moses and take off my shoes in front of the Burning Bush. Hearing this contemplative verse made me think of a way for us to do our prayer walking for the week. We are going to go back to an old formula that we first used when we started this and mix up the music and types of praying that we do so here we go! It will work if you are at home as well.

We always start out with these same steps!
 We  prepare  ourselves by hydrating with the image of Living Water coursing through our veins, tying our laces securely, wrapping our bodies with God's Warm prayer coat. Select your music One contemplative set and one uplifting!
You will know what works for you!

We invite God on our walk using these words or your own. God we invite you as you invite us to walk with you on our journey. Enliven our spirits, quicken our steps and open our hearts as we pray and walk.

Take an intentional look around God's Cathedral of Life and the neighborhood and pay attention. Do you know "Who Are The People in your Neighborhood?" as the song on "Sesame Street " says. Pray for everyone who is a neighbor remember they are next door, stranger, and yes even an enemy.

Now begin to ask God to release the stresses from your body, mind, and spirit and for the rest of the contemplative music playlist pray for all of our family members as they bubble up and come to mind. Don't force! Rest and relax into God and the Spirit. God will give you what you need when you need it. I hope all the tensions begin to unwind and make you aware of God's Cathedral of life. I would say use 1/3  Contemplative music. Too much will make you sleepy and unfocused and may not keep you safe. (The could be considered warm up) Don't forget to breathe in God's Spirit and be aware of the smells along the way.

Now begin to play the uplifting musical play list (make this 1/3 time as well) and this is a time for a little more spring your step and this is a time for praise and thanksgiving. We often do not take time for this part. I feel that we all need to find a special blend of balance when we take time to be in conversation with God. (This could be your aerobic and speed walking time)

Finally take time for introspection and ask God to show you what you have learned, seen, and felt on this walk. Offer to God all those whom you prayed for. You might want to add more petitions and thanksgivings. This is now what they call in fitness cool down. Return to calming and joyous music. 

This ebb and flow will make it easier and less formal and may work better for some of you. What ever works and as long as it is to the Glory of God it is good!

Use this final prayer if you'd like:  We thank you Lord for letting us carry our prayers and those who have asked us for prayers in our hearts, minds, and spirits. We thank you for making our Feet Swift and Beautiful for you and guiding our steps as we walk with the Magi and follow the bright star in the East to the manger of Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Amen.

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This week's prayer cycle:

We pray for the following family members, situations, and offer our thanksgivings!

We pray for the lonely, lost, and outcast. 

We pray for those who are homeless and hungry and malnourished. (Remember Buena Vista Vince and all those who live outside)

We pray for all those who have chronic illness, pain, and those who have orphan diseases.

We pray for the men and women in the armed forces and also our local and state police forces.

We pray for our Government.

We pray for all Faith Communities and leaders and those in discernment of any kind.

We pray to be good stewards of God's Cathedral of Life.

We pray for_________________________

We pray for Syria, Ukraine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan.

We pray for those who are affected by violence and terror and the end to hate that leads to these acts.

We pray for all who are affected by weird weather and for those who are without heat, electricity and water.

We pray for all those who have lost their unemployment benefits.

We pray for caregivers and medical professionals.

We pray for the elderly and those who are in assisted living. We especially remember those who have dementia and Alzheimer's

We pray for all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones and who may feel grief afresh.

We remember those who have entered into joy_________________________

We give thanks to you O God  for all our many blessings__________________________

Lord, may we walk with you in the garden at the time  of the evening breeze and may we pray as you did in all the gardens of your world.

We offer these petitions and thanksgiving to you  this day and always. Amen.

May we always be hope bearers, peace makers, joy givers, and those who shine your light and love to a broken world.  Amen.

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Dear Ones, lots of things in one volume but it will make things easy to find. 

I love you and you matter! I can't believe how calm and peaceful I'm feeling as I pray and write.

Love and peace of mind and I give thanks to God for you this day and always!

Sara

The People In Your Neighborhood- Sesame Street

Diane Arkenstone -The Secret Garden

Diane Arkenstone -River of Creation

Diane Arkenstone -Sanctuary

Paul Winter -Cave of the Winds

The Bells of El Camino Real- ringing out Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey,

I took about the same path tonight. Our downtown does have some amazing vistas and buildings. I spent a little bit of time at City Hall Plaza exploring all the plaques,statuary, and all the beautiful flowers and tile and the beautiful Moorish type doors. If anyone needs a place to spend in reflection try it there. Churches often aren't open like they used to be so this place will do. Today I looked at the Bells of El Camino Real outside the Santa Maria Inn and thought what if they actually could be rung? What would these bells say when rung and I came up with this:

The Bells of El Camino Real must ring out!
They Must ring with the sound of hope !
They Must toll for peace!
They Must ring out in Joy!
They must ring with love for all humanity.
They must Remind us of justice, mercy, and freedom!
The Bells of El Camino Real must be rung to usher in a new world where love and compassion are the order of the day. They must ring to all of our family members who are lost, lonely, and afraid that they are welcome here in our city and in the world. 

Dear ones we must be like the bells of El Camino Real and use our voices to speak truth to power to a broken and unjust world. We must ring out with our voices against hate and injustice. We must shine like brass bells and shine the light of God  to all who are on our paths even if it isn't always on the King's Highway (El Camino Real). Take time to sing, ring, and shine just like the Angel's did so long ago in Bethlehem!

Well dear family I love you, you matter, and I give God thanks for you this day and always!

Ring out the joy! Peal the message of Hope! Ring out with peace and shimmer and shine the  light of God within you to the world with love!

Love and peace of Mind, and let us ring strong and ring true!

Sara


P. S. A new prayer cycle will be in your hands tomorrow lovies, along with a prayer walk too!

Sound the Bells - John Williams

Jubilee 350 Fanfare - John Williams

Fanfare for the Common Man - Copland