Good Evening Dearly Loved Ones!
Happy #WisdomWednesday! Yesterday was the Feast day of St. Francis of Assisi and also the day that I handed out around 25 shelf stable lunches to our homeless family members and I kept looking at their eyes and faces. Eyes and faces of quite a few of our family members were sad, tired, and emotionally spent. Words didn't have to be exchanged to know what they were conveying. It is true that the eyes are the mirrors to the soul. Even the faces of our family members who had smiles even looked like they were struggling to make it through another day. Yes another day or maybe another nano-second. I'm proposing that as we meet another weekend and tremendous storms that are approaching on the East Coast of the country we take this time to seek to serve the homeless, the hungry, the ill clad, the lost, and the lonely. Don't turn your faces away from them. Look at them with compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy. Make up your own bags of blessing or shelf stable lunches and don't forget to add socks if you can.
For your shelf-stable lunches you will need:
Brown paper lunch bags
Granola bars
Cheese and crackers
Peanut butter crackers
Bottled water or V8 juice
Ring top cans of tuna, Vienna Sausages etc
Small packages of nuts.
Wash and dries.
Napkin, plastic utensils.
The items are endless.
Here are a list of other suggestions that aren't checkbook related.
This is a good time to donate blood
Become a Bone marrow donor and be on one of their registries.
Donate clothing to homeless shelters, Goodwill (R) , the Salvation Army, or any thrift shops.
Don't forget about shoes in good condition.
Donate household items too- make sure everything is in good condition.
See if there are coat drives and unload old but wearable coats.
Donate food to food banks.
Give of your time to many of the organizations that need your help.
Gather books and magazines and take them to hospital or any place where waiting rooms need reading materials.
Make up Bags of Blessings!
BLESSING BAGS
INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
hotel size shampoos
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins or predetermined dollar amount, say 5.00 (could be used to make a phone
call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes
you could also put in a warm pair of socks
a packet rain poncho
tampons (for women)
The ideas could be endless!
Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of
encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car and when you see anyone in
need give them out.
++ Pairs of socks, scarves, mittens anything warm.
Flashlights, umbrellas.
Tarps and rain ponchos.
Note pads and paper and pens and pencils.
For those of you seeking to make donations to help those in the path of Matthew and any other natural disasters here is a list with links;
Episcopal Relief and Development - http://www.episcopalrelief.org/
Habitat for Humanity- http://www.habitat.org/
American Red Cross- http://www.redcross.org/
Direct Relief International- https://www.directrelief.org/
Doctors Without Borders- http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Feeding America - http://www.feedingamerica.org/
Habitat for Humanity- http://www.habitat.org/
American Red Cross- http://www.redcross.org/
Direct Relief International- https://www.directrelief.org/
Doctors Without Borders- http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Feeding America - http://www.feedingamerica.org/
The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army
Childhelp: Child Help
Episcopal Migration Ministries. The Episcopal Migration Ministries
Also Here are the two Charity Fact Check Groups who see which charities are the best and how your donation dollars are spent-
Charity Watch - https://www.charitywatch.org/home
Charity Navigator- https://www.charitynavigator.org/
Charity Watch - https://www.charitywatch.org/home
Charity Navigator- https://www.charitynavigator.org/
+++ Prayers of Hope
Let us pray!
God of Hope, as we enter fully into the Fall and Winter Months may we be given lenses that show us many things and where you would have us go, and what we are to become. Help us to lay down our worries and fears so that we may wait, watch, pray, and listen to you with open ears, hearts, and spirits.
God of Hope we pray for all of our family members who are in need of hope when they feel hopeless. Help us to bring hope to Your fragile and broken world.
God of Hope we pray for all our family members who are forced to live on the streets and out of doors during the cold weather. We pray that they may find sheltered areas from the winds, cold, rain, and snow. We pray that there may be homeless shelters and warming centers that will meet their needs as we know that one shelter type doesn't fit all.
God of Hope, we pray for our littlest family members who are in children's hospitals and PICU that they may be healed and be able to enjoy the holidays with their families.
God of Hope, we pray for all those who are dying and have died today that they may feel your loving presence and give them hope as they enter the Thin Places.
Let us pray!
God of Hope, as we enter fully into the Fall and Winter Months may we be given lenses that show us many things and where you would have us go, and what we are to become. Help us to lay down our worries and fears so that we may wait, watch, pray, and listen to you with open ears, hearts, and spirits.
God of Hope we pray for all of our family members who are in need of hope when they feel hopeless. Help us to bring hope to Your fragile and broken world.
God of Hope we pray for all our family members who are forced to live on the streets and out of doors during the cold weather. We pray that they may find sheltered areas from the winds, cold, rain, and snow. We pray that there may be homeless shelters and warming centers that will meet their needs as we know that one shelter type doesn't fit all.
God of Hope, we pray for our littlest family members who are in children's hospitals and PICU that they may be healed and be able to enjoy the holidays with their families.
God of Hope, we pray for all those who are dying and have died today that they may feel your loving presence and give them hope as they enter the Thin Places.
God of Hope, show us how to help creatively without having to write a check.
God of Hope, we pray for peace in your fragile and broken world. May we truly be blessed as peacemakers and find ourselves as your children.
God of Hope, we pray for all caregivers that they my find rest and respite.
God of Hope, we thank you for the gift of rain. May we continue to have more rain to refresh, replenish, and renew your drought parched earth.
God of Hope, help us to see You in all of our Family of Love's faces and that we may act accordingly and love, honor, and respect each other.
God of Hope, help us to love more fully, care more deeply, comfort with more compassion, and be more accepting and inclusive of all our family members.
God of Hope help us to console and comfort all who mourn at any stage of grief. Give us courage not to let any of our family members fall through the cracks.
God of Hope, we pray this night for all refugees, captives, political prisoners, victims of violence and abuse of any kind, victims of human trafficking and slavery.
God of Hope, we pray for ourselves and on behalf of others remembering especially______________
God of Hope, we offer our thanksgivings remembering especially______________________
God of Hope, we offer these our prayers and thanksgivings in the name of your only begotten son Jesus. Amen.
Or these prayers!
Now let us take time to pray to the loving and merciful God who made us and speaks to us gently and lovingly to our hearts,minds, and spirits every minute that we live, move, and just be!
God speak to our troubled minds and spirits as we prepare for our night's rest. We pray that we may take time to rest and pray more fully and in the knowledge that you are holding us and our family members in your arms that are loving and merciful.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits, and this world that you have created. We pray especially for unity where there is deep division. We pray that we may become truly peacemakers and learn what it is to make peace at all levels of our being.
God we pray for all of our family members who are ill in body, mind, and spirit that they may be healed. We remember this day_____________________
God we pray for all of our family members who have died and are transitioning into new lives in the Thin Places and Eternal Life and Joy.
God we pray for all who are struggling to find meaning and new life paths by life's wrinkly twists and turns.
God we pray for all who are being affected by severe weather remembering especially the people in the path of Matthew and all other places in our nation and throughout the world.
God we pray for all refugees, captives, victims of violence and abuse, and terror.
God we pray that we may love, include, and never treat anyone as invisible and give everyone a sense of belonging.
God of all Goodness we lift up these our prayers in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
+++++++
Good Night Family of Love! Do you know why I call you Family of Love? I call you this because God is Love! So we are the Family of Love (God). May our heart, spirits, and souls join together in love, peace, hope, joy, and harmony. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always.
Love, blessings, hope, peace, and joy be always yours!
Sara
God speak to our troubled minds and spirits as we prepare for our night's rest. We pray that we may take time to rest and pray more fully and in the knowledge that you are holding us and our family members in your arms that are loving and merciful.
God we pray for peace in our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits, and this world that you have created. We pray especially for unity where there is deep division. We pray that we may become truly peacemakers and learn what it is to make peace at all levels of our being.
God we pray for all of our family members who are ill in body, mind, and spirit that they may be healed. We remember this day_____________________
God we pray for all of our family members who have died and are transitioning into new lives in the Thin Places and Eternal Life and Joy.
God we pray for all who are struggling to find meaning and new life paths by life's wrinkly twists and turns.
God we pray for all who are being affected by severe weather remembering especially the people in the path of Matthew and all other places in our nation and throughout the world.
God we pray for all refugees, captives, victims of violence and abuse, and terror.
God we pray that we may love, include, and never treat anyone as invisible and give everyone a sense of belonging.
God of all Goodness we lift up these our prayers in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
+++++++
Good Night Family of Love! Do you know why I call you Family of Love? I call you this because God is Love! So we are the Family of Love (God). May our heart, spirits, and souls join together in love, peace, hope, joy, and harmony. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always.
Love, blessings, hope, peace, and joy be always yours!
Sara
No comments:
Post a Comment