Chasing Rainbows

A Prayer for Children Going back to School

A new school year, a new beginning. Whether our children are just starting kindergarten, entering high school, or leaving the nest for college, our hearts and hopes go with them. I invite you to bless your child with this beautiful prayer as he or she goes out to face the world.  It is a scary world out there and the safety of our children is of the utmost importance. We want our children to absorb and learn all that they can so that their education elevates them to new and higher levels of achievement.  For those of you who believe in the power of prayer, the following is a wonderful prayer for them.

Dear God.....Bless all children this day, O God.  Instruct them...Give them inquiring minds and discerning hearts.  Strenghthen them...Give them courage to persevere in all they undertake. Delight them...Give them the gift of joy and wonder in all things.  Befriend them...Give them laughter and love to share with all.  Guard them...Give them protection and safety as they move out of our embrace.  Love them...And give them sure and certain knowledge of your unfailing love.  Amen.

Resource:  Adapted from "Prayers of Our Hearts," by Vienna Cobb Anderson.

On Joy.....

Joy is in release, so thankfully received, Joy is in sorry, so sweetly mourned and grieved, Joy is to be found, you find it through yearning, Joy is in coming and going, waiting and watching, living and learning.

Joy is a very glad, happy feeling. It's a radiant human emotion you get as a result of receiving pleasure, satisfaction, and comfort. Joy is a blissful experience that happens when everything in your life is fine and you are all right no matter what comes your way.

Joy is also a spiritual condition. Joy happens when you are feeling blessed. It comes when you feel the presence of your Creator, assuring you that you belong and that you're not alone. Joy is when you know you are valued and important to this great universe.

I'm sure you've experienced joy, at least a little. But you deserve a whole lot of joy, on a regular basis..... Find and accept it now.....But first, be aware that you may be holding yourself back.

Each of us has a million different joys inside. It's simply a matter of tapping into them when you need them and creating new, positive habits of letting joy exist.

Starting now, make a constant effort to find joy in everything you do. When you work, see the positive and fruitful aspects of the job-such as the money you are paid, the help you are giving, the importance of your position. When you're taking care of personal business, find joy in getting it done as best you can. When it's time for a meal, take joy in only eating one portion. Feel the power and joy of having just enough. Enjoy the good feeling of eating healthy, fresh, nutritious food that's good for your body and mind. When you are active today, enjoy moving your body and freeing your muscles and joints. Breathe deeply the fresh air and let the rays of sunshine enter your entire being. Look at beautiful nature all around you: trees, flowers, grass, birds, and bugs-they're all gifts from God for us to enjoy.

T aken directly from "The Joy of Weight Loss: A Spiritual Guide to Easy Fitness" by Norris Chumley:

Beliefnet.com

A Life Lesson

A dear friend of mine sent this email to me and I am using it as my post today because I felt it was worth sharing with all of you.

                                     God's Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into
complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned
with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic,
glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling
them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If
you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving
behind the plain and cheap ones.  While it is normal for you  to want only
the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases
it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.  What
all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went
for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in
society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the
type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups........Enjoy your coffee!