Verse of the day
And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
– John 8:32
Voice of the day
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it emotionally.
– Flannery O’Connor, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor (1979)
Prayer of the day Help us to live wholeheartedly, committed to reflecting your holy truth in all our encounters. Let us do your works with boldness and creativity.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a day, that’s for sure
Once again we walk through the Valley of the Shadows
Betty, who is a dear friend and grandmother to Denise’s sons, transitioned today
After a long struggle she is now whole and at peace
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
Comfort Betty’s family as they mourn
We are thankful for the outpouring of love and prayers from so many
We are thankful for the gracious and loving support that Carrollton Presbyterian Church continue to offer us as we walk with our Dads
We are also thankful for a wonderful lunch visit with a very dear friend
We shared laughter, tears, and stories
That time was such a blessing
As our travels continue, Lord we ask for your guidance and protection
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“Let us now move from the political how to the theoretical why: Why should we love our enemies? The first reason is fairly obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. . . . Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies—or else?”—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Verse of the day
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
– Psalms 96:11-12
Voice of the day
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
– Mother Teresa
Prayer of the day Increase our reverence before the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in making provision for its future in accordance with your will.
– The Book of Common Prayer
Verse of the day
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.
– Ephesians 4:25
Voice of the day
We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.
– Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness (1952)
Prayer of the day God, help us to see ourselves in others. May our communities overflow with empathy and restoration. May we bear the fruit of your love.
Eight years ago Denise and I exchanged our vows at Beckwith Chapel surrounded by the love and the prayers of so many friends and our family. Today we find ourselves in the midst of caring for our Dads as they walk the long road towards healing.
Did we know that on this day eight years ago we would move from Florida to Colorado to Georgia as we answered God’s call to serve? Did we know that we would walk through the Valley of the Shadows with so many people, including our parents?
Did we know on that day what was in store for us? In a word, no. We exchanged our vows with hope, love, and faith, promising to live each day fully as the day that the Lord has made.
Thomas Merton offers this beautiful reflection on love in his book, Love and Living: Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.
I have found this destiny with Denise who is as we promised in our vows to be my partner, my friend, my lover, my wife. Happy Anniversary, my love ❤️❤️
Our Vows:
Michael/Denise, remembering that you are a gift from God, I promise to be your partner, your friend, your lover, your wife/husband.
I promise to be an attentive listener, a partner in God’s call on our lives, and your companion on this journey of faith and life.
I promise to pray with you and for you, to be compassionate and truthful, to weep with you and to laugh with you, to support and encourage you, to appreciate you, and to nurture your gifts.
I promise to faithfully walk with you, hand in hand, wherever life leads us, and no matter what, to celebrate each day as the day which the Lord has made.
Verse of the day
For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
– Isaiah 55:12
Voice of the day
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
– Julian of Norwich
Prayer of the day Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
– The Book of Common Prayer
“We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we do about peace, more about killing than we do about living.”—Omar Bradley
“I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another.”—Mohandas K. Gandhi
As we drove from Florence back to Austin today, a song came on as we listened to iTunes. The song Dona Nobis Pacem came on. It was a lovely rendition by Velma Frye from her album, “Seven Sacred Pauses.” Here is a link to the song: Dona Nobis Pacem
I am so very thankful to my friend Julie Prescott Burgess who introduced me to this phrase from the Requiem Mass. It is translated as: Grant Us Peace.
As the journey with our Dads continues, that is my prayer for them and for us. Dona Nobis Pacem, Grant Us Peace.
