God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
*****
When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.
*****
1. Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
2. Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
3. Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.
*****
Happiness in 850 words or less:
* What you make of your life is up to you. God has given you all the tools and resources you need; what you do with them is up to you. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. The choice is yours. The grass is NOT greener anywhere else. Life is what you make it. Avoid the 'if only...' syndrome at all costs. A certain amount of opposition is of great help: kites rise against, not with, the wind. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour
* Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye. Give away smiles, and watch them come back to you a hundred times over. Be the first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds. Be loving to those who do not love you, and they may change. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut): this single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. Love is the greatest of all gifts so share it even if you receive nothing in return
* A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own action and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own personalities, which is ultimately all we possess. The only true possession is self-possession
* Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special
* Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape
* Free your heart from hatred,
Free your mind from worries
Live Simply
Give More
Expect Less
* Count your blessings. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. Appreciate, appreciate, appreciate others around you
* Spend some time alone
* Today. . . I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration. This capable individual looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better
* Get organized so everything has its place
* Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle -- it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck
* Trust in God but lock your car
* 40% of anxiety is about things that will never happen; 30% relates to things about the past that can't be changed; 12% is about criticism by others, mostly untrue; 10% of anxiety concerns our health, which gets worse with the stress; and 8% is about real problems that we will actually face
* I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do (Helen Keller)
* Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything. Be foolish enough to believe in miracles
* Be gentle with the earth. Every day be amazed at something in God's creation
* He who dies with the most toys is still dead. Simplify and unclutter your life
* For the body - assume you've had a heart attack; now live accordingly. For the heart - assume everything you say about another, they can overhear; now speak accordingly (Steven Covey)
* The journey to happiness involves finding the courage to go down into ourselves and take responsibility for what's there: all of it (Richard Rohr)
* The idea that there are shortcuts to happiness which bypass personal strengths and virtues 'lead to legions of [wealthy] people [who are] starving spiritually'. Some key ingredients in happiness include - in addition to optimism - qualities like altruism, the ability to postpone gratification, future-mindedness, and humor (Martin Seligman)
* Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life!
* Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
* Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching
* God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them. (Stanley Lindquist)
* Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you don't have (Neil Anderson).
*****
Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today.
Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.
Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.
Lord, for our world where men disown and doubt you,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.
Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us-
self on the cross, and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.
*****
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
*****
Lord, I believe in the sun even if it isn’t shining. I believe in love even when I am alone. I believe in you even when you are silent.
*****
Lord, set me free from a past that I cannot change;
open to me a future in which I can be changed;
and grant me your grace
to grow more and more in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
Amen.
*****
Almighty and merciful God
from whom comes all that is good,
I praise you for your mercies,
for your goodness that has created me,
your grace that has sustained me,
your discipline that has corrected me,
your patience that has borne with me,
and your love that has redeemed me.
Help me to love you,
and to be thankful for all your gifts
by serving you and delighting to do your will
through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.
I arise today through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me ...
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength the invocation of the Trinity.
Amen
*****
Notes: Ephesians 3:20-21; When You Walk Through the Storm (Mahalia Jackson); Day by Day words and music - this hymn has become well-known around the world especially where evangelical American missionaries have been ministering. The happiness quotes have been selected from the John Mark Ministries website. Try the keyword happiness. The tune for Lord for the years is here. The Serenity Prayer is variously attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, or before him Friedrich Oetinger? Boethius? 'I Arise Today' - the famous prayer of St. Patrick.
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