Speaking Truth to Power while Loving our Neighbors! A Rant has been unleashed.

Dear Family of Love,

Happy Keeping the Faith Friday Fearlessly Without Fretting !  Do you know how to determine if you are doing God's will and God is speaking through you? Your words, posts, and tweets may rub someone the wrong way. That's okay! As you know I am not a supporter of Donald Trump and am not averse to telling anyone so. I also am now making it a habit of telling our family members why and encouraging them and us to wake up before we walk over the cliff. Speaking truth to power is necessary at all times. We are called to do this and mightily without reservation  and fear. Some people, Donald Trump included aren't suited to lead our country let alone a community Bible study. My faith teaches me that when God calls me to speak, I must speak, When I'm called to act, I must act, when I'm to lay down my life for my family members, I must lay down my life for my family members. Without question! The words, deeds, and actions of people who aren't walking the walk and talking the talk in preparation for leadership are not the people we as children of God need in leadership in all places of our lives. We need people who are going to represent the best in us not the worst and who will show the world what true inclusion, equality, and human rights for all people look like. We need to have leaders who will not be afraid of skin color, country of origin, religious persuasion, or body type. As I looked at some of the things Donald Trump has said this past year and this week I have become painfully aware that he is not leadership material and isn't a good role model for our children and yes even our brothers and sisters who live in countries beyond our borders. I look to and for leaders who know what it means to serve the least of these, who can love the people we serve and care for who come to our window for lunches, who are able to sit down and talk to their brother and sister who may be your friendly neighborhood neighbor who is a mixture of many characteristics whom they fear or hate. I look for our leaders to be followers of the CALM principle who are (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful). So when I say that we need to speak truth to power while loving our neighbors that means setting people straight as God calls us to do and that means setting your chosen candidate straight about unacceptable behavior, speech, and divisive tones and actions that are harmful. Here ends today's rant ! Now onto the business of God. 

Our Meditation: Comes from last year's blog if you'd like to read it in it's entirety:

Loving our neighbor and being inclusive just got a little more complicated!

How do I love my neighbors when they are unlovable?

Let's spend some time in prayer and meditation and light a candle in love and unity with each other.

How do I love my neighbors when they are unlovable?

I have found a way to love the baddies and those who wish us harm and it is simply this, we must love them as the little children they were before they put on the mantle of unsavoriness. That is the only way I can wrap my head and heart around it.  How do you do this?  Being in a loving and inclusive relationship with all of our brothers and sisters both the good, bad, the ugly, and those who rub us the wrong way is complicated and complex and requires work of the most delicate and time consuming kind. Anything worthwhile requires our Love Energy and heart homes to be thoroughly engaged with the support of our Loving God, Brother Christ, and the Empowering and Enlivening Spirit. How are we going to love our family members who rub us the wrong way?  Let's start from the very beginning and  think about this list I'm about to give you:

They are made in the image and likeness of God!
They are children of God.
They are someone's child, friend, spouse, family member, and co-worker.
They are loved by their family members.
They are accepted by their church families Their faith communities may be different from yours and mine and that doesn't make it bad. It just is.  We pray for them anyway. 
They are human beings just as we are.
They are sinners and remember they may rub us the wrong way and have received salvation from Jesus too. I have a feeling that our family members who rub us the wrong way may be our welcoming committee when we make our journey into Heaven. So we better work on the love, inclusion, and acceptance part while we are here on earth.

To them we may rub them the wrong way too. What are your thoughts?

Take time to meditate on the above and write down if  you'd like the names of who our family members are. Afterwards you may enter into the Mindfulness 5+  and breathing exercises.  If you do not wish to add those then move straight into prayer time. 

Mindfulness 5+ is a period of timed meditation for 5 minutes and if you so desire want to add additional time. 

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God of unity help us to break down the walls that separate  us . May we be united as one family under you O God.

God of peace, we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, spirits, and especially in our cities, and in the war torn places in this your fragile and broken world.

God of justice, we pray that everyone may be granted the right  to peaceably assemble and protest injustices anywhere. 

God of mercy, help us to show mercy to all those who are the least of these and see you in each of their faces. May we reflect love, kindness, mercy, and shine the light of  Christ to them.

God  of kindness, help us to be kind and not hateful and replace hate for kindness, love, justice, and mercy.

God of all creation, we pray that we may become united with all creation and practice Godly conservation that will please You and heal your planet for the good of all living things. We pray for rain that it will heal all the drought stricken areas of the world and in our state.

God of Healing, Heal all of our family members who are in need of healing of body, mind, and spirit.
May we reach out to them when they cry and ask for help.

God of Comfort,  We pray for all those who pre-grieving and sitting vigil at bedside while they wait for their loved ones to transition into the Thin Places. May we offer solace and comfort when needed.

God we pray for all those who are dying and who have died today that they may have or have had a joyful and peaceful journey into the Thin Places.

God of all Gentleness, we pray for the health and safety for all of the little ones your children. We pray that they may be treated as precious treasures and may be cared for tenderly.

God of Forgiveness and mercy we ask forgiveness of all the wrongs that we have done either by omission and commission.

God of Love, may we always be loving and thankful. 

God we add our prayers for ourselves and on behalf of others  now_____________________

God we lift up these our prayers in the name of your Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.


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Here are prayers and meditations dedicated to peace:

Tonight let us enter into silence with our Mindfulness +5 for 10 minutes; Stop and don't do anything.
Following with our breathing exercises;

Inhale
Exhale
Let there be peace.
Inhale
Exhale

Inhale
Exhale
Peace be still
Inhale
Exhale

Inhale
Exhale
Let there be peace on Earth.
Inhale
Exhale

Inhale 
Exhale
Blessed are the peacemakers
Inhale
Exhale

Inhale
Exhale
May peace prevail upon earth
Inhale
Exhale

Inhale
Exhale
Be Still and Know that I am God
Inhale
Exhale

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God of Peace, we pray this night for an end to violence in its many forms and that peace may prevail upon earth.

God of Peace we speak the names of the people who have died by gun violence remembering Jacob Hall,  Carnell Snell Jr and those who are on your hearts and minds today.

God of Peace, we pray for our family members who were injured and lost their lives in the various acts of gun violence that have occurred last week and for our family members who are mourning their loss . We pray for the shooter's family that they may be comforted 

God of Peace, we pray for inner peace whenever these acts of violence occur. We pray that we may seek to go deeper in relationship with God so that we might be able to be peacemakers.

God of Peace, we pray for courage to speak up and speak out about any violence and hatred. We  pray this night that all lawmakers may enact sensible gun safety laws. We pray that we will never give up trying to mour nation a safe and peaceful place in which to live.

God of Peace,we pray especially for ______________________________

God of Peace, we pray for all who are dying and those who have died today that they may have entered eternal life with joy and comfort. We pray especially for all lives lost in the acts of terror and violence.

God of Peace, we give. thanks this day for___________________________ We pray that we may always be thoughtful and thankful and never forget  the abundance you provide for us.

God of Peace, help us each and every day to be engaged in spreading the Good News to all of our family members with love, compassion, and grace. 

God of Peace, help us we pray to be more loving, more kind, more merciful, more vocal in standing up for the least of these, more, more, more. Amen.


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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! Take time to tell all of our family members "I love you!" and give them hugs everyday. I give thanks to God for you this day and always.

With love, hugs, and  baskets full of blessings!

Sara