The Words we use

We are accustomed to our daily use of words and language. We don't think about the  grammar, spelling, pronunciation  or how fast or slow we speak. And yet, the mother  tongue is at the heart of everything we think or say. It even shapes the way we grow. Some scientists have said that learning to crawl teaches a child to move the eyes from left to right as she places one hand in front of the other. (However, I must confess, if that's true, I am clueless how Chinese babies learn to read.) Still others have suggested that language is genetic and that one of the differences between humans and other species is that we have this innate ability to create and use words.

We do it so well and so often, we take them for granted. Even the words we use about God. Perhaps it would be wise to occasionally think about how we speak about God, and how maybe the language used in the 16th century might need a little changing.

Let us Pray...

O God, you spoke in words of Hebrew, Greek and Latin to saints of old. You spoke to the disciple struggling to be faithful in a world of change. You spoke in the high mass of the Roman catholic church and you spoke to the first reformers in Geneva. You spoke in the great words of the King James Bible to our parents and grandparents. With all the words spoken in the past help us rediscover the Word you speak to us today.  Amen.

Its Your Birthday

One thing we all have in common is a birthday. There are lots of different traditions we have to celebrate a birthday including a birthday cake with candles, singing Happy Birthday, buying that special present he wants or, if your like me, make a last minute run to the bookstore to get a present for the party.
Today is my sister's birthday. My wife baked a cake, I am going to make a run to the store before the party, and I  imagine we will embarrass her by getting the restaurant staff to sing her a birthday song.
So here is a birthday prayer for her and all the birthday boys and girls. For what can be a greater gift than God's gift of new birth.

Let us Pray

O God who made the oceans swell and the mountains rise, you bring each of us into this world to live, love and laugh. We give thanks for our birthday girl (boy) and rejoice in all the good gifts we see in her. We ask your blessings upon her as she ages with hope and joy. Bless her with health, prosperity and love, especially from us, the ones who love her the most. May her days be filled with joy and her nights find peace and rest. May your Spirit bring wisdom as she ages, and may her years be marked by the ability to overcome the obstacles and challenges that life brings her.

We pray these things as her friends and family. Amen.

A prayer for saying "Good Night"

My wife and I have been talking about how difficult it is to get children to go to sleep. Children, and lots of adults, don't have the knack of turning off all the problems, excitements and memories of the day. A nighttime bath, reading a book and saying a prayer are rituals that help us get ready for sleep.

A prayer is a ritual that a child can experience with the ones she loves.This ritual can include movement by making up body gestures for each line; it can include posture such as a traditional one like kneeling and folded hands; or it can include a sign of love, such as holding the child, or touching the child's forehead while you pray for her. If you choose to end the prayer with a traditional "amen" add something of your own to it that you will repeat every night.

Most important of all, praying for a child in the evening is an intimate time between you and her. Make this time your own by creating your own movements, postures, words and gestures.

Remember, if you want to teach your children to pray, the best way is to show them that your prayer time is important to you. After all, "Monkey see, Monkey do." They will imitate what they see you do.

Replace the words in brackets with the best description of your own child: babe, boy, girl, child, etc.

Now I lay my [babe] to sleep,

Give rest to [her] that's good and deep.

Chase the fears of dark away

And bless [her] now, O Lord I pray.

Till morning brings a brand new day,

Let angels watch [her] where [she] lay.

Love and peace shield you,

Now and forever, my love.

This prayer appeared in my first book, Prayers 2 Pray.

A prayer for Peace in Politics

It's nearly a year and a half until the next election, yet the passion, the name-calling, the accusations and campaigning for the November 2012 elections has already begun. Every election there seems to be a higher level of vitriol that should be reached in order to beat the incumbent, and this year seems to top them all. Perhaps there is something about the American psyche that thrives on superlatives and name calling.
What's even more disturbing is that many of Jesus' followers are involved in this orgy of hate on television. Why is it that people, and even more importantly, disciples of the Prince of Peace are so anxious to sling words that are filled with anger? Are there limits to what can or should be said by politicians?
Maybe that should be the litmus test we Christians should apply to our political leaders. Let us judge them not by whether we agree or disagree with them, or whether they voted up or down on a particular bill, but on the violence in their words.
James 3 says, "the tongue is a fire... It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of her life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
Is this what we want in our leaders?


Let us pray.
O God of peace, our words can bring healing waters or they can start a fire to burn the world. Give us ears to know the difference and how to speak with peace. Teach us ways to calm our passions that they may be guided with love and hope. Help us to listen to the news and find peace and hope. Lead us away from those who would tempt us into violence or anger. The freedoms we enjoy can not be built on accusations, lies or deceit but on peace and hope. Give wisdom to see behind motives of greed, power and ego so that all your children will find peace and hope. Amen.

When God Disappoints

Instead of answering many of life's questions, I'm afraid that Mr. Camping's end of the world scenario raises one very large question: What do you do when God disappoints? We are all too aware that disappointments frequently happen in any relationship. We chalk it up to forgetfulness, apathy, sin or just a bad day. But what do you do when the offensive one is the Almighty? Church dogma teaches that God doesn't make mistakes, never forgets, has our best interest at heart and is perfect. But there are times, particularly when things just don't go right and there is no one else to blame but God. Can we blame God? Does God ever disappoint?


Theologians have been wrestling with this issue for centuries. There is even a special word for it: Theodicy, or to borrow Rabbi Kushner's great title, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I'm sure we have all come up with theories about why God allows war, why the Tsunami devastated Japan or why there is cancer. We have been taught to accept that there is a mystery in life, and that God's ways are above us, we can't understand them, or perhaps in time, or after the world ends, we will see the whole picture and understand. But when the illness is in my family, when the death happens in my house, when a car accident takes the life of my child, then I know that there is something wrong. God has disappointed me. The tragic thing about the Christian faith is that to share this incredibly important feeling can be interpreted as a sign of weakness or a flaw.


It may seem obvious to most that the failure for God to bring the end of the world this Saturday will not be a fault of God, but of one man's poor theology. And when one man's misguided theology fails to deliver the goods, what will these people who have sold their homes, left their jobs, forsaken mortgages and families do? I fear for them. These are the ones we must pray for.


Oh God of truth, the Gospel of Matthew reminds us not to believe any who says, "There is the Messiah...." Yet, many are deluded and shamed by their folly. We pray that they would be embraced by hope and love. Like every other son or daughter of Adam, we all face trials, failures, deceit or shame. Help those who find disappointment to discover that even though things do not make sense, even when there is doubt, love and goodness still prevail. Let your Spirit of wisdom move around the world reclaiming those who have put their faith in a false hope so they might return and discover that the Kingdom of God is already here in the precious gift we have received in Jesus the Christ and our Lord. Amen.

Praying for the end of the world

With all the media hype circling around the end of the world this weekend, I can't think of any scripture that says Jesus' return and the end of the world are causes for rejoicing. Certainly there is rejoicing for those who suffered in martyrdom, death or oppression and  find relief in the coming Kingdom of God, but Jesus doesn't give us any real reason to look forward to the end of time. Sure, everyone gets to go to heaven, but I get that anyway after I die. No, Jesus doesn't tell his brothers and sisters to pray for the end, he tells them to pray that they might be saved through the horrible time that is coming.

That's what confuses me about believers who seem to want the world to end. They are spinning the Bible in a different way than Jesus, Paul or the Gospel writers ever imagined. The Bible speaks of the apocalypse in terms of blood, violence, despair: all the things that make up a good Showtime television season. It's almost like these end-time believers want the end of time because they get to watch all those scoffers suffer from the clouds.

Hmmmm, instead of watching a violent, bloody, gory show from the comfort of my couch, I could be a believer and watch it from a cloudy throne. Now there's a reality show for you.

I think the prayer of the day should be for those who will be disappointed on Sunday. I wonder if they will go to church the morning after the Messiah doesn't come. After all, the Apostle Paul said that Jesus would return. in his life time. Apparently, believers kept going back to church even though, Jesus didn't come the way they expected. Maybe Paul's church wasn't disappointed because they knew there was something more important than the end of time.

Let us Pray
O God, you say you will come as a thief in the night. We do not know when you will approach or how you will enter our lives. We always expect you, yet your Spirit appears in the most simple and mundane things. Help us to not get excited by a newsflash or rumours flashing across the internet. Help us open the doors that allow your Spirit to come into the lives of people who truly need you. Make us aware of those who are in despair or know grief and sadness too intimately. Use our hands and our words to enter into this world again and again and again every day. Amen.

A Prayer for our Words

I remember watching the Muppet Show with my children in the 70's. One of our favorite characters was the Swedish Chef. His dancing about with lobsters, banditos and singing broccoli was accentuated by his mish-mash of the English language combined it with some strange form of Swedish. I laughed myself silly over his mis-spoken cooking instructions as he tried to boil escaping lobsters.
Maybe the Swedish Chef is a comic mirror of how you and I are misunderstood. Our words may have good intentions, yet they can easily be taken the wrong way. It seems ironic that Christians who speak of the Lord Jesus who is "the Word become flesh," use words that that are divisive and hurtful. In a world where diversity or disagreement are the starting point, perhaps we should be more thoughtful of the words we use.
Take care when you speak, especially when you are speaking to someone whose culture is not your own or may hold a different perspective than you. Don't let your words be a mish-mash of English and Swedish that brandishes authority the way the Swedish Chef brandished his cleaver! Instead, let your words be filled with compassion and understanding. Seek to understand others and let them understand you, in their own time.
The Epistle of James tells us that the tongue is a raging fire; to tame it requires care and thought. Do not take your words for granted.
Let us pray...
Lord Jesus, Word of God, you sent the sign of Pentecost to the church so long ago, burning tongues of fire that rested on the disciples heads. You gave the precious gift of the Holy Spirit to your disciples as they awaited in that upper room. Filled with power, wisdom and compassion, the disciples went out and changed the world with the word of the Gospel. By the power of the holy Spirit, their words brought healing, courage and hope to those in need.
Let that fire of the Spirit replace the fire that creates anger and spite, Lord. Let your Spirit teach us how to control our tongues so we do not take them for granted. Teach us to use them in ways that bring your Kingdom to this world filled with words of war and despair. Remind us, O Holy Spirit, that the Word that became flesh, even Jesus Christ, is the Word that we bring every time we open our mouth.

A video Prayer Blog

I have begun blogging with video at Youtube. To catch these prayers, click here for the link:
Thanks, and God Bless!

Take off your hat, for this place is holy

Of course, we all remember Charlton Heston playing Moses in the movie, The Ten Commandments, and we remember the voice of God, also played by Charlton Heston, telling Moses, er... or himself (sorry it gets confusing) to take off his shoes for the place that he is standing is a holy place.That small spot on the side of the mountain was a holy place, and Moses' shoes were a sign that he was common and ordinary.It was holy because God was present. Moses response to the divine was to show respect.

We have lost the idea that there are places and situations where respect can and should be shown. In western society, taking off your hat is an appropriate gesture to show respect. And yet, the ever present ball cap seems to be exempt from this custom. Maybe we just want to be comfortable, or perhaps the hat is a fashion statement.

Are there places where respect should be shown, or have we outgrown this middle-aged custom and can relax and be ourselves? Yes, there are many times and situations where the ball cap should be taken off, even if the regrettable hat-hair is visible to all in attendance. Church, funerals, weddings, formal events, places where public prayers are offered, and of course, the singing of the national anthem. While I am not certain that many of my gentle readers are ball cap wearers, we still should be an example for our children and those who might not care to remember the good manners they were taught.

Let us pray,

Lord, keep us humble and willing to lift up one another in praise and respect. Let us show a heart of love and peace to the stranger we meet on the street, the old friend we have not met for a long time, or the elder whose wisdom and patience has been taught at great price. Teach us ways to show respect and attend to the dignity of all persons, even in places where there might be confrontation or disagreement. Even as you showed love and hope to poorest and smallest, let us constantly not be impressed because of wealth, fame or fashion. Remind us that every son or daughter of Eve is your child and no better or no worse. Amen.

A prayer for my Church

To be a Christian means to be a member of a church. Belief in Christ doesn't just come by confessing sins, or praying to God on the golf course. It means saying I will be a part of the body of Christ. Even hermits who practice their faith in solitude realize that they must have a supporting group of brothers and sisters around them. Perhaps a mistake of American Christianity is that all we need to get through the tough places in life is just God.
I think not. While it is true that Moses did encounter God alone on the mountaintop, he came down from the mountain to meet, to talk and to live with all the other children of God assembled there.
As we follow Christ, we must do it together as Christ's body, or as Paul tells us, the Bride of Christ. Together, we are God's Kingdom.
Let us pray...
Lord Jesus, you are the head of the church, and we give thanks for the blessings you have brought into our lives through brothers and sisters in the church. I ask a blessing on our own church, (name of church) and pray for my brothers and sisters I have come to love there. I pray for the children that I see every Sunday, who laugh, joke and run under my legs. I pray for the elders who complain about their pain or tell me about stories from their youth. I pray for the leaders who bless me every day with care, their prayers and their words of goodness and hope. I pray for my pastor. Give her (him) the wisdom to preach the word and lead the church through its time of crisis and guide us into joy and the garden of peace.
Bless all of us as we worship and do the mission together of your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus, the Christ who is our Lord and Savior, I pray, Amen.

Praying for our Youth

Is there really such a thing as a generation gap? Do kids think, or approach problems differently than their parents? Yes to both. Perhaps it has always been this way but the speed of changing technology and the capability of communicating worldwide has brought new challenges to kids that their parents or grand-parents never faced. This is complicated by the ammount of cash a modern youth has in her pocket, not to mention credit cards.
Our children grow up so much faster than we did, and face dilemmas that we never thought about. Most of us do not have the answers to the questions our kids ask, nor do we have the solutions to the problems and temptations they face. We can easily say, "Just say No", but that answer from Nancy Reagan in her 1986 War On Drugs campaign is not enough for the youth of 2011. As Christians, parents, friends, and brothers and sisters to the youth, we must be a greater presence. Our task is to listen, love, and support the ones to whom we are passing our legacy.
Let us pray...
Lord, the young people of today face harder choices and greater temptations than we ever imagined. Give us the words of comfort and hope that will guide and inspire them to greatness that we could never imagine. Strengthen them with the power to overcome the obstacles that greed, hate and injustice throw in front of them. Help us to model dignity, justice and truthfulness and be there when they stumble. Show us how we can take part in their lives instead of being too tied up with work or watching reality shows as the reality of their lives disappears.
We brought our young up with hope and promise to be the doctors, teachers, contractors or technicians, and to have a proud future. But instead of inheriting "The American Dream" they will face a nightmare of unimaginable problems. We pray for the journey before them. We ask your Spirit to give hope and strength when they face their own hour of trial. Equip them with the whole armor of God that they may be prepared to stand against the evil of their day. Amen.

A prayer for liberty

As I listen to the news this morning, I am amazed at the courage of protesters in Libya. The long throttle Qaddafi has held on freedom in Libya seems to be at an end, but at what price? Taking freedom and liberty for granted is second nature to Americans. Oppression became the status-quo in Egypt and Libya until now. The Egyptians and Libyans have reminded us that freedom is costly and worth the risks it takes to achieve it.
As we pray for those seeking liberty and freedom from oppression, let us hold our values of liberty high, and pray that we will not be seduced by opportunists or marketeers who would try to change our freedoms into cliches or simple slogans.
Let us pray...
O God of liberty, your call to hope is heard around the globe. Tyrants cannot stand when freedom enters into the hearts of your people. No matter where your children are, no matter how they speak to or about you, you desire them to be free. We pray for those who are held prisoner, who live in fear for their lives, who are not able to choose their government or who do not have the simple freedoms we cherish. We ask for the Spirit of peace and justice to move in these lands and bring hope to the places of darkness.
May our leaders hold the tyrants accountable. May old alliances that were built upon the sands of convenience, money and greed crumble, and may the Kingdom of God be the shining example of hope throughout the world. We pray these things in the name of the one who is truly powerful and gives liberty and hope to all, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer for our pets

If you like to watch people in fancy evening dress prance around a small arena with a mutt on a leash behind them then the Westminster Dog Show is your kind of television. While I'm not so enamored with the owners and handlers of the dogs, I do admire the poise, beauty, strength and intelligence of these incredible canines. This year's winner was Hickory, a magnificent Scottish Deerhound.
We have two dogs in our household, and while they do not always have poise, they are beautiful animals full of strength and intelligence. I am thankful for the blessings my canine friends bring.

Let us pray...
Oh God of all creation, our world is a garden of beauty and grace that we share with all the creatures of this world. We give thanks for the joy and goodness our pets bring to us. They remind us of love with no conditions and teach us that loyalty is a gift for the common good. Remind us, again and again, that life is to be shared with all who live on this planet. All creatures, from the largest of the whales to the tiniest mouse have a place to fill. Give us wisdom to recognize your hand in the myriad forms of life in our world, and protect the creatures you have put here.
We especially give thanks for our best friends; the dogs, the cats, the birds and other animals in our lives. Bless them too. Amen.

A Prayer for Presidents

President's Day is next Monday, February 21st. It is the holiday when we celebrate two great presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It would seem appropriate to lift a prayer in thankfulness for those who have led our nation, and even more so, to pray for our current president, Barak Obama.
Let us pray....
O God who steers the course of the mighty winds and lays the depths of the oceans, you have lifted up nations across the seas of time. Many civilizations have come and gone like the grass growing in the summer sun. Our nation has filled its place in time with greatness as well as with shame. It has affected the lives of millions who seek their own goodness and freedom.
We pray for our president, Lord, that you will bless him with wisdom and his time of office might be used for the ways of peace and justice. We ask that his policies and decisions impact our work, our play, our jobs and our freedoms with prosperity and hope. Bless the choices of the president and the congress so the blessings of justice be multiplied for all the citizens of the world. Let our nation be free of the injustices that create poverty, disease and crime. May President Obama be sheltered in safety as he leads us. We pray in the name of the one who reigns now, and forever, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Papers that cut

How many times do you have to shuffle through papers? Probably every day, even if you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't have to file a 1040A form. We rifle through bank statements, junk mail, bills, health forms and ballots on a regular basis without blinking an eye. There is so much information that we have to check, fill out, record, file and shred that we often don't even think about the amount of paperwork that we go through on a daily basis. This prayer is for those who live with paper cuts and dried-out ball-point pens.

O Lord of the setting sun, it seems that our world is piled high with papers and file cabinets that have little to do with the beauty that you have created, and yet our lives is quite often corralled by red tape. Help me cut through the red tape and provide for my family and those I love. Give me wisdom and clarity as I fill out the forms and get to the bottom of all of the stack of papers in front of me. But even more importantly, help me to focus on what is important; namely, the loves of my life, the beauty of creation, the goodness of my friends and the joys that I too often shove aside as I reach fo that stack of bills. Lift me, O Spirit of God, above these trivial things and teach me to let them go. Amen.

Praying with a bat

My grandson tried out for little league last week, and of course, he got on the team. I have no doubt that his father's coaching ability and enthusiasm for the game had no small part in him making the team. I asked him what position he was going to play, and after a long silence with some "mmmm"'s and "uhhhh"'s, he said that he was going to be the guy who stood in the middle of the field, but couldn't remember what they called him. But even so, he will tell his dad takes a video of the game, so I can watch him.
We need to pray for our children as they pick up the bat and try something new, even when they haven't a clue what they are doing.
Let us pray....
O God of play and sport, you have blessed us with games and fun. Our lives are too busy with papers, meetings, calendars and agendas. Give us the wisdom to play, and even more importantly, to teach our children to play. Give us fresh creativity every day. Show us how to sit on the floor and build legos with our children. Lead our hearts so that we spend more time playing baseball, reading books or trying out our children's favorite video game.
Lord, you invited all children to come to you. Let our lives be an invitation as well so they may think of us as good playmates to be trusted and loved. Keep our hearts pure so our children can learn by example. Remind us to focus on the gifts of joy, hope and play, and how we are often led into the Kingdom of God by children.

Another possible prayer for little league is:
Dear Lord Jesus, bless Suzy (or Johnny) as she plays today. Let her have fun, and enjoy laughing and playing with new friends. Let her know that no matter what happens, I am very proud of her and know she is a wonderful and incredible girl. Bless all the kids who are playing and keep them safe. As she holds that bat, we know that whether she hits the ball or does not, she will have done her best. Bless us all, in Jesus name!

a pray for work

Ecclesiastes says, "(You) can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in (your) work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.
Let us pray...
O God who worked in creation, still works in the green fields and toils in the seas and harvests the rain of the air, we give thanks for your work and continued love to us. You call us to work for the good of our brothers and sisters and food our own daily bread. We find the fruits of our labor satisfying and are glad to share it with those we love and those in need.
We must confess, O God that there are days we dread going to work. When the task is hard, those we work with are difficult to bear, or other needs weigh on our heart. Help us, O God to be mindful of our work. Bring work to those who search for it, and give prosperity through the toil and labors of our nation. Bless us with good honest work O God, so we might look at the tasks we have accomplished and say, "It is good!"

6 months after

Today is February 11th, exactly six months after September 11th, the day many we remember as a day of violence and terror. September 11th will always be a painful day when we gather together to pray for those who were lost in 2001. But, February 11th, 2011, ten years and six months after the falling of the twin towers, we watched as the Egyptians peacefully changed their nation for the sake of freedom. We as Americans can learn something from the Egyptians. For in their quest for peace, they stopped their protests no matter what they were doing to pray. Was there ever a peaceful Christian revolution brought about by peace and prayer? Perhaps Martin Luther King was right. Non-violence, prayer and protest can go together. It is time for us to pray for peace, and demand that those who would keep power illegitimately, listen to our prayers.


Let us pray....
O God of peace, we give thanks for new found freedom and liberty in the world. The quest for dignity and freedom has not been quelled by guns and power. Teach us O God, the lessons that Moses learned when he depended upon your strong hand. Just as he did not tolerate the despotic rule of Pharaoh, so, we too will no longer live where brothers and sisters do not have peace. Let us rejoice, Lord God and celebrate with those finding peace, but even more, let us work and struggle with those who have yet to drink of the sweet joy of liberty. Amen.

A prayer for shopping

I've always wondered what Jesus would say about the need we have to go shopping. I can certainly find hints about his thoughts in a few Gospel passages, such as the rich young man and the eye of a needle, or the parable of Lazurus and Dives, or even the coin with Ceasar's face imprinted on it. But even so, shopping is a necessity of life. We have to shop for groceries or clothes, or other daily needs. 
Religious folk tell us that God and prayer should be a part of that "daily grind". But how many of us take the time to pray as we get out of the car, grab the grocery shopping cart and begin tooling our way around the aisles of the grocery store? Why not get in the habit of make a regular chore into an opportunity for regular prayer?"

Let us pray....
O Lord who provides for our every need, I ask your blessing, strength and endurance as I wander around this store, seeking the best buys and best quality of food (clothing, auto, toys, etc.) for me and mine. Keep the smile in my heart, so that I might greet strangers and friends and be a blessing. Remind me with every purchase that I do not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from you. Make me a good steward of the gifts you have given me, so that I (or my family and I) might use your abundance for blessing others. With every purchase, teach us to rejoice in the good gifts that we have and lead me away from the temptation of greed. I pray this in the name of my Lord Jesus who holds all things in his hands. Amen.

A New Holiday

As I did the weekly grocery shopping yesterday, I found enormous displays of chips, salsa, beer, chicken wings, pizza,  hoagies and bags of nuts all screaming out for shoppers to take them home for today's Superbowl extravaganza. One maker of pepperoni reported that if all the sausage they had made for this event were stacked end to end, it would go all the way through the earth. That's a lot of meat!
Americans are great at partying, whether it is from the trunk of a car in a football parking lot, to a Halloween party where we dress in costumes we wouldn't be caught dead in. The Superbowl is an unofficial national holiday celebrating good times, the incredible joy of heated competition and the great American invention of commercials. In other words, It's Party Time!
Prayer is a good thing, even at parties. So, if you can find a time between commercials and preferably before you make the chart for the football pool, here's a prayer for the food:
Let us pray....
God of all good gifts, we give thanks for the blessings we find today. We've come together to shout, laugh and have fun. Let our hearts be joined in laughter and friendship as we are amazed at the great sports in the game.  Let our  mouths be delighted with the incredible food that has been prepared by our loved ones and friends. This is a a holiday to rejoice in the blessings of friendship and the gifts of good and fun food. We are thankful for your blessings, O God. Amen.

The First Prayer

What is the first thing you eat, drink or even do in the morning. After stumbling out of bed, do you find your way into the kitchen to make that first cup of coffee? Do you head to the bathroom and do your daily necessities? Maybe that is too much information (TMI, as my daughter calls it.) Or do you just sit for a minute, wait for the morning aches to fade and the haze from sleep clear from your mind? I am usually awakened by the dogs who want me to tell them one more time that I love them and lick my face or whatever is exposed outside the covers. Whether it is the coffee or the dogs that wake me up, God is usually not one of the very first things I think of, and I think God is OK with that, but when I smell the coffee, have a little breakfast or kiss my wife, then I become much more thankful. Maybe that first prayer is delayed until I am warming up in the shower, or maybe its as I am reading the paper, or maybe its just a momentary sigh about a trouble of the day, knowing that I will need help. Whenever that first prayer happens, I know that it will be heard.

Let us pray....
Oh God of the dawning beauty, the earth has reached another morning, and another chance for a fresh start. Bless me and mine today as we face the tasks, the joys and challenges that will face us. There may be trouble that is unexpected; there may be joys greater than I could have imagined; or there could be just another day to walk with you, Lord and find the blessings in the ordinary events of the day. May your Spirit bring me to choices that will bless and share goodness with everyone who walks beside me onto today's path.

The gift of my best friend.

Last night, we discovered that our service dog might be closer to a pure-breed than a mutt. He might just be a Leon Berger, a relatively new breed to the American Dog scene. This may give him a little more prestige than he had when we just thought of him as a mutt. The down side of this is that Leon Bergers have a relatively short life, which makes me very sad. It seems an odd quirk that such wonderfully intelligent and beautiful animals that can bring joy and function as a wonderful working dog have such short lives. I think that this will be one of my questions for God. Why is such beauty so short lived.


Let us pray...
O God of beauty and grace, we give thanks that we have known and loved such beautiful creatures in our life times. We often think your goodness comes through a smile, a sunset, the right word or a star spangled night sky. But there is just as much love and goodness in a wagging tail or sand-papery lick. Let us rejoice every day for the goodness in your creation no matter how it comes to us. Teach us how to respect all of the beauty we walk with, especially when we are out walking with our best friend. Amen.

Published today

Today was the First official day of publication for Prayers 2 Pray, a book of prayers for many situations.

In the television program, “MASH”, Father Mulcahey was the chaplain of the MASH 4077 unit. The Father seemed to have a prayer book that had prayers for everything from calming a nursing mother to blessing a jeep. It is my hope to provide prayers for all situations, so with your help and feedback, we can create an online prayer book that would rival Father Mulcahey’s.

The book can be found at Prayers 2 Pray. Please go take a look at it and let me know what you think.