We must come together as a family and be united as the Family of God. Let God be etched into our hearts!

Dear Family of Love!

It is time to come together as a family and be united. Hatred and division must cease and we must continue to build bridges and tear down the walls that keep us from God and each other. Yes dear family every time we seek to divide and hate we are doing it to God too. Everything we do in the plus or minus category we do it to God and each other. Remember we were and are made in the image and likeness of God. We aren't let off the hook. I know this seems repetitive but we all need reminders such as these and times like these to see what we are doing wrong and right. Yes, family members do struggle to understand and to love one another but that is a normal part of growth. We all must be like the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years. We must keep on keeping on until we get it right. It's easy to go back to our old ways that tear down and are settled like a pair of shoes that don't provide much support. Let's start tonight by making that change and begin to make things right with God and each other and yest even ourselves. To do this we must pray and keep that mirror, and pictures of  our family members handy. 

Here are a few to remind us everyday that we should be united in Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy.

Holy God and Creator of us all, we light our candles this night in prayer as we seek to find a way through the wilderness of hate, division, and fear. Give us strength to put on the mantle of  Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy. Give us the courage to speak truth to power when necessary not only with our words but in our deeds of loving kindness and in service to the least of these our family members. Give us  new skill sets in order to become your peacemakers so that we may work towards unity and not division. Grant us wisdom to know when we should speak and how to act in the best interest of all. Kindle in our hearts a new spirit of trust, friendship, and family hood. Take away any thing that is causing us to be led to bitterness, fear, and hate. Give us the courage to educate ourselves and others in order to help make this fragile and broken world a place where history won't keep repeating itself. We pray for all who are in danger throughout the world and that we may be the light and love to this world not only to our friends but our enemies.  We remember this night the prayer of St. Francis:

The Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

 Let God be etched into our hearts and all of our family members as we pray!

God we thank you for etching us in you and you in us. 

God etch in us love that will last eternally and love that will uplift and sustain us all our earthly lives long.

God etch in our hearts the willingness to help the least of these our family members.

God etch in our minds the knowledge that we don't have anything to fear but to meet with courage that will make us the resilient children you made us to be.

God etch in those who govern the knowledge that their responsibility is to govern with a holy blindfold  on see everyone on an equal and just footing. 

God etch in the lives and hearts of our family members in their inner beings that they matter and aren't invisible.

God etch in the lives of our family members who are grieving losses of any kind that they may feel your loving arms and compassionate strength around them and that we may with you become their soft places to fall. 

God etch in the world peace that will prevail and that violence and war may be no more.

God we pray these our prayers that and concern that are etched in our hearts in our hearts daily as we lay them at the feet of Jesus to take care of them. May we never be afraid to ask and pray and lay our burdens on God who is loving and compassionate.  Amen.

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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! You are etched and live in my heart and heart home this night and always. I give thanks to God for you this night and always as well.


Etched in my heart with love,

Sara