Good Evening Dearly Loved Ones!
I'm finally feeling loads better! I give thanks to God and you for your love and prayers. Remember I had promised you the answers to the following questions and here they are:
Let us ask ourselves what being thoughtful and being thankful means to us?
Being Thoughtful and Thankful means to me that we never take anything God gives us or others who do as well, for granted and we always wear an attitude of gratitude. We as people of faith and as family members aren't let off the hook about this . I'm reminded of this portion of scripture that rings in my heart home: Luke 12: 48 "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. " I see gratitude, being thoughtful, and thankful as all part of giving and receiving. It is an endless cycle of Thanksgiving/Eucharist.
Does this change us with our our family members?
I hope so ! We need to remember to be thoughtful and thankful for them as much as they need to be of us and for us. Thankfulness and Thoughtfulness are two components of being intentionally mindful of the needs of our family members. Sometimes we forget that when we give we shouldn't expect anything in return But when we do receive a gift or the gift of presence we should remember the words in this beautiful picture: Saying "Thank you " is a prayer. Our lives are prayers sent into our family's lives by God as gifts. We should always wear an attitude of Thanksgiving and Thoughtfulness.
Can we change the world by doing this?
A resounding YES! We have got to get out of the gimme world that we live in and face the music that all this acquisition of things, land by terror and extremism come down to one thing! Being selfish not selfless. I see many of our family members heading down the road to destructive behavior because they have forgotten to be thoughtful and thankful and wear that attitude of gratitude. Instead of gimme let us change that to let us give to you and to us. Remember it's WE NOT ME! Not YOUS but US, and that by changing our attitude from all of this selfishness to being selfless we will come to truly know what being intentionally thoughtful and thankful is and we will become mindful of the needs of others and the least of these who are our family members. After all isn't that what God is calling us to do?
Now for tonight's meditation! Have you forgotten that it is Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly Without fretting? If you are curious about where this comes from I will let you in on a little secret, it comes from Luke 12 as sited in this blog before. As we keep everyday holy and today is Friday and that hearkens to Good Friday I decided that or God had me write a series of days of the week to keep holy. Today is Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly without Fretting and that keeps us from being afraid of what happened on Good Friday and points us towards God's redeeming love and this portions of Luke 12 that we will meditate on tonight. Before we meditate on this let us put our worries, anxieties, fears, and what ever causes our hearts homes to be unsettled let us place them in our Worry/ Sabbath Box. Now here is the portion of Luke and tonight's meditation and listening music. The Mission Sound Track - Ennio Morricone or Out of Africa -Soundtrack - John Barry
Do Not Worry
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?[d] 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;[e] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, strive for his[f] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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God we give you thanks for this day past and the day yet to be born. Give our hearts and heart homes an attitude of gratitude that we may wear with humble and kind hearts.
God we pray for all who are still nonviolently protesting in Ferguson and we give thanks for their continued witness as we remember the mighty works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This weekend and always.
God we pray for all who are ill and in the hospital we remember all our family members who have asked prayers for their friends and family who are our family too. We pray that your healing balm may course through their veins this night.
God we add our thanksgivings and additional prayers that we pray for ourselves and those of our family members________________________
God we pray for peace in this world of yours and that we may become holy beacons of light and peacemakers.
God we pray for all who are living on the margins and especially for our family members who are homeless, hungry, and without warm clothing and proper shelter.
God we pray for the city and towns in which we live and all who are called to protect and care for us. We pray for all our military personnel and their families.
God we give thanks for artists who create beauty in our lives as a reflection of you.
God we pray for an end to all violence and terror and that a spirit of love and selfless giving of ourselves one to another may unite us and that we may be truly able to be your Family of Love.
God we give thanks for the Gift of you, Your son Jesus, and The Holy Comforter and we lift up these our prayers and thanksgivings in Jesus Most Holy and Life Giving Name. Amen.
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Good Night Dear Ones! I give thanks to God for you this night and always! I love you! Don't forget tomorrow is Self-Care Saturday. Take time to make this a weekly gift to yourself and the caregivers in your midst.
With love, joy, thankfulness, and thoughtfulness to the brim and overflowing,
Sara
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