March Twenty-Eighteen
If ever there were a spring day so
perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent
breeze
that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house
and unlatch the door to the canary's
cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its
jamb,
a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies
seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking
a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,
releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage
so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting
into this larger dome of blue and
white,
well, today is just that kind of day.
-Billy Collins
For this day
of possibilities;
the roads
that we have walked,
glances and
greetings exchanged,
conversations
and silences,
decisions
made or deferred,
successes
and failures,
prayers
whispered or left unsaid,
blessings
given or received,
for this day
of possibilities,
and the one
that is to come
we give you
our thanks.
-John Birch, A Fragrant Offering
Now may the God of love surround us,
the God of love protect us,
the God of love bring us safe
through this night and all nights,
the God of love bring us awake
once more to dawn’s fresh light.
-John Birch, A Fragrant Offering
Parenting is
about swallowing hard and staying soft — and mastering the art of letting go
and holding on and letting come what comes. –Ann Voskamp
Life is short and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so be quick to love and make haste to be kind.- Henri Frederic Ariel
Lord! Give me courage and love to open the
door and
Constrain you to enter, whatever the disguise
You come in,
Even before I full recognize my guest.
Come enter my small life!
Lay your sacred hands on all the common things
and
Small interests of that life and bless and
change them.
Transfigure my small resources, make them
sacred,
And in them give me Your very Self.
Amen.
-Evelyn Underhill
May this be
a day of hope,
of
expectation,
relishing
each moment
as a gift
from you.
May this be
a day of freedom,
of breaking
free,
loosening
the chains that
still
surround us.
-John Birch, A Fragrant Offering
May this be
a day of peace,
of
wholeness,
knowing that
our lives
are in your
hands.
-John Birch, A Fragrant Offering
May this be
a day of joy,
of blessing
living in
your kingdom
as a child
of God.
-John Birch, A Fragrant Offering
“God,” I asked, “What
brings you joy?”
“Oh, my child,” God
said, “The list is so long.
Hearing you say my
name and seeing you soak in this beautiful creation bring me joy. When you
stand with family, neighbors, and strangers, and sing or work together, my
heart risks overflowing with joy. When you remember the children, and the
quite, and the hurting- I swear my heart could take flight.”
“And when your heart
takes flight,” I asked, leaning forward with curiosity, “then what happens?”
And God leaned back
and laughed the most musical, heart-filled, soul-reaching laugh I’d ever heard,
and that’s what I remembered- joy is contagious, and it is a gift. And then I
started singing.
-Sarah Are
Today
I will choose love.
Tomorrow
I will choose love.
The
day after that, I will choose love.
If
I mistakenly choose distraction, perfection, or negativity over love, I will
not wallow in regret. I will choose love next.
I
will choose love until it becomes my first response, my gut instinct, my
natural reaction.
I
will choose love until it becomes who I am.
-Rachel
Macy Stafford Only Love Today
Happy Easter from our family to yours....
