STARTING AFRESH

Starting Afresh

Around this time, most of us follow the age old tradition of making New Year resolutions to bring significant changes into our lives. Although different people make different new year resolutions, the following seem to top most peoples lists: Eating and drinking healthily, exercising daily, giving up addictions, nurturing relationships, supporting a particular charity, caring for the environment, helping others and connecting with God through prayer and increasing spiritual growth. At the start of the new year people have great enthusiasm to create or achieve these new resolutions but after some time they fail or forget about them. So as we begin our journey into the New Year let us try with all our might to continue to keep our new year resolutions and one of my New Year resolutions every year is that I like to pray as often as I can for a good new year for everyone especially for my family and friends. I like to apply the following phrase to the process of prayer. A prayer takes just a matter of seconds to utter, but its influence on our lives can be permanent. ‘A moment on our lips is a lifetime on our souls.’ A simple prayer can change us; can lead us on the path to healing ourselves and our world. So pray. Pray for peace, pray for healing, pray for love, pray for mercy, pray for forgiveness, pray for advances in science, pray for the strength to eradicate poverty and disease, pray to overcome injustice and racism, pray for resolve, pray for others, pray for acceptance, pray for our poor, abandoned and homeless, pray for yourself. Pray to God with all your heart and soul, and then gather up your might to meet the challenges that lie ahead as we go further into this new year and we all know at this present time in our wonderful county and country that we need that help and strength to make the lives of our children brighter, so let's get doing it for our beautiful children. Let's help one another out always for the good of all. We are all in this life together. So I really want to pray afresh at this beginning of another new year that - Those who are homeless to find shelter. Those who are depressed to discover joy. Those who are addicted to find release. Those who are lonely to find friend. Those who are excluded to be fully included. Those who are confused or lost to find a path. Those who are heartbroken to know that it will pass. Those who are sick, especially those who asked me to pray for them to find strength and healing. Those who live in darkness to be covered in light. Those who are dying to know that they have lived. I pray for peace where there is any unrest anywhere, and for real love and compassion, especially for those most in need in our town, city, country and world to prevail over all. The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome and forgive and be forgiven. The essence of life is to care and to love and to show real compassion The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give and to help and support especially those on the edges of our societies. The joy of life is to love, to care, be compassionate and be of genuine help to those most in need. May we learn from our sorrows, worries, aniexties and demons. May our hearts open in greater love, compassion and forgiveness. May we find deeper peace, prayer, acceptance, joy and happiness in our present life. May we let go of fear and come to see the gifts of wisdom and compassion that can be found in all life's difficulties. May all hearts and minds eventually awaken, allowing love to guide us home. I pray as this new year starts evolving that we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts to cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, justice, care, love, mercy and compassion. We are all in this life together so let's help each other out as much as we can for the good of all.

May your prayer be a blessing to and for others 

All people of faith struggle at times to maintain a meaningful prayer life, a loss felt all the more keenly in times like ours of confusion, political turbulence, injustices of all sorts and global calamity. Prayer is not a passive activity. Prayer awakens us. Our eyes begin to notice beauty where we never noticed it before. Our hearts begin to feel compassion, forgiveness and mercy we never knew we had. Our priorities shift. As we talk to God, we receive the encouragement to live up to the potential inside us. Soon we start to see beyond ourselves into the world that is waiting for our help. I believe God is listening. And I believe God answers us. God’s answer to our prayers may be very different from the answer we were searching for. God’s reply might come as the strength to fight on. It may come as the courage to face what we have feared. God’s answer may be the ability to accept what we have been denying. Or it may appear as hope in the face of despair. We are not alone. God is present in our lives. When we stop bargaining with God and start opening up our souls to God, our prayers suddenly start working. We can pray for strength and receive strength. Prayer is ultimately an experience, not a request. It is a sense of being connected, of being part of something larger than ourselves. It is an attempt to be in the presence of God. As I now fold my hands in prayer, my prayer for you is that you may always rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray with many. Pray often. God will listen, if you only speak. Be actively supportive of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance. Search for yourself, be yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best beds and treat them with respect and honour. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. If it was not earned or given, it’s not yours. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it’s person, animal or plant. Honour other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or bully or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the world will multiply when it returns to you. All people make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven. Practise optimism. Nature is not for us, it is a part of us. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow. Avoid hurting the hearts of others, especially those of children. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of one's will within this world. Keep yourself balanced. Your mental self, spiritual self, emotional self, and physical self - all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ailments. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first. Respect others beliefs. Do not force your beliefs on others. Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity. Fold your hands in prayer as often as you can during this New Year for yourself, your family and friends and especially for those most in need in our world.

Hands That Pray

Speaking of folding your hands in prayer, I remember a few years ago while out on one of my daily walking escapades seeing an old man, probably some eighty plus years, sitting feebly on a park bench along the prom. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat, I wondered if he was okay. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was ok. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking", he said in a clear strong voice. "I didn't mean to disturb you, sir, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were okay", I explained to him. "Have you ever looked at your hands", he asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?" I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making. Then he smiled and related this story to me: "Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler, I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band, they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plough off of my best friend's foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day, when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And He won't care about where these hands have been or what they have done. What He will care about is to whom these hands belong and how much He loves these hands. And with these hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ." - No doubt about it I never looked at my hands the same way again after that story. I never saw the old man again after I finished my walk that day but I will never forget him and the words he spoke. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I caress the face of my children Mia and Sophie and my beautiful wife Jacqui, I think of the man along the prom. I have a feeling he is now been caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel his hands upon my face. Thank you, Father God, for hands that pray for me and for us all everyday.

As a final thought, may I offer up this comfort blessing of mine for a good New Year for you the reader on your life's journey that you may see the light in the darkness during these challenging times! May you feel the loving presence of those who hold you in their thoughts and prayers! May your spirit find what it needs to sustain you on this journey of life! May you discover your inner strength and face all difficulties with dignity and grace. May you be filled with comfort, love, acceptance, strength, grace and a lasting sense of peace! May the light of your soul guide you. May the light of your soul bless the work that you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart. May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul. May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work. May your work never weary you. May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement. May you be present in what you do. May you never become lost in bland absences. May the day never burden. May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises. May evening find you gracious and fulfilled. May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected. May your soul calm, console and renew you. May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you, Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul. With the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming. May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you, Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean. Sparkling after in the sunlight. May the blessing of God's earth be on you, And as you walk the roads, May you always have a kind word for those you meet. May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore! May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love now and always. I also pray for us all to have the power to be gentle, loving, kind and caring to one another and to ourselves; the strength to be forgiving and be forgiven; the patience to be understanding and compassionate and merciful; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to what we believe to be right and good and peaceful. May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power of love to overcome hatred. Pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence, hatred and war, a new world where fear shall no longer lead men and women to commit injustice, nor selfishness and unkindness to make them bring suffering to others. Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace and a better life for people and children in need in our world and country, praying always for the inspiration and the power to fulfill the destiny for which we and all people were created and that we will always look after the needy in our county, our country and in our world, especially so many vulnerable and needy people in our country and world who are in serious need at this time. Remember change starts within yourself and that you can't change others you can only change yourself so be a change for goodness and genuineness in your own life and always remember for evil to exist it takes good people to remain quiet. Much peace and love to everyone. Also Some friends and family asked me to light a candle for them during the first month of our new year and some friends and family are in need of prayer and candle at this moment especially any of you that are unwell or ill or in hospital or suffered an accident or a loss or some who are having worrying times with family and financial problems and for some who are lacking peace and mercy in their lives. For them and for all of us I offer up my prayers and candles through this thought for the week and especially for peace in all our lives and in our families and in our world. Amen.