tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72964724514326863522024-03-14T02:03:34.941-04:00Lee-osophyCommentary about and Opinion from my everyday life.Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-62614339961685031692023-11-08T22:37:00.002-05:002023-11-08T22:37:49.514-05:00Words of Wisdom for Today ~ November 8, 2023 <p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">A New Feature From Leeosophy: Words of Wisdom from a variety of sources.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UKrKM-_J9QUYgNkl55XZVXm2JWJVIFPIOgKoaZtlFhLa3xK9t2mKpLQHprSbriSsyfrakHldEKjpvy2YF7nMufxWNmLnZqLGIML4ixxRXmp0cpUJ3xTndzyvs_angHXR5iXgeKep4HXN283kHE6C6XiHYYjGvaNKMYr2TEI2u2nFakHdUixQrA7N1dw/s600/speak%20kindly%20to%20yourself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="600" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UKrKM-_J9QUYgNkl55XZVXm2JWJVIFPIOgKoaZtlFhLa3xK9t2mKpLQHprSbriSsyfrakHldEKjpvy2YF7nMufxWNmLnZqLGIML4ixxRXmp0cpUJ3xTndzyvs_angHXR5iXgeKep4HXN283kHE6C6XiHYYjGvaNKMYr2TEI2u2nFakHdUixQrA7N1dw/w399-h377/speak%20kindly%20to%20yourself.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #274e13; font-family: "Crimson Text";"><i>All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact:</i> Leeosophy@gmail.com</b></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-64354803252439244312014-10-09T10:37:00.000-04:002014-10-09T10:37:10.539-04:00The Gratitude Challenge, Day Five<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Life is full of shadow moments and darkness beyond the mere change in time. The clouds that pass across the sun </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">bring a chill to the air and sometimes to the soul. We must be vigilant against shrouding ourselves in drear and foreboding. Let us keep seeking the light while managing the inevitable </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">ebbs and flows of all that life brings. </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">The light is always there, </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">if only in the twinkling of stars. </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">When you see it, you'll feel it; </span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">when you feel it, remember to offer even just a brief second of thanksgiving.</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Day Five may be the "end" of this Five-Day Gratitude Challenge, </b></span><b style="color: #38761d;">but it is only the beginning of me remembering to find any slight reason every day </b><b style="color: #38761d;">to be grateful, even in those times when all seems lost.</b></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First, I'm thoroughly grateful for friends from long ago (can't say "old" friends anymore, in some cases, and speaking for myself as well, we've known each other so long it's redundant!). There are a few precious people, women and men, who have traveled this life with me for a very long time and have been always nearby even if we've lived across the country or across the ocean from one another. You know who you are! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Secondly, I'm ve<span class="text_exposed_show">ry grateful for new friends in my life and those who are both new and from the past who I have found or who have found me again (thank you, Facebook!). </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Thirdly, finally, but neither least nor last, I'm grateful for all in my life who have taught me to love and be loved and also for those who have made me crazy angry or merely upset for I have learned from you and everyone, in some ways better than others. </b></span></div>
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<b style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I may spare you my list from this point on, but I will continue to look for and make a list in my heart of what it means to believe in and share gratitude. Thank you, my Friend, for nominating me for this challenge, it has been a gift and it will keep on giving as I consciously engage in this exercise every day. I encourage everyone to take up this challenge and share in the light.</b></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-12847597473294467742014-10-08T09:50:00.002-04:002014-10-08T09:50:40.304-04:00The Gratitude Challenge, Day Four<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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seems like only yesterday was Day Three. </div>
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First, to say that I am grateful for the presence of CGL in my life is to make an immeasurably colossal understatement. Despite our short lifetime together, he opened my heart in ways no one ever had or ever could and that gift will never leave me. I have not the skills to articulate how profoundly blessed I am because he crossed the ocean nor how very much I miss him. Far from resting in peace, he has become part of the enormous driving energy of this and every universe. </div>
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Second, I'm continually gratef<span class="text_exposed_show">ul for Helen and Sam, Favorite Oldest and Favorite Youngest Stepdaughters, who, in not actually needing a stepmother, have always treated me lovingly and well as have their wonderful partners. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"> And Third, I'm eternally grateful for Clive and Kaye, and Auntie Bettie, and for the legacy of friends in and around St. T's who let me know in their various and sundry ways that there's still a light on for me. Mai Celi Bendithia a Cadw 'ch</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-19277008115246827532014-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:002014-10-07T10:00:28.618-04:00The Gratitude Challenge, Day Three<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Before I even get to Day Three of the Five Day gratitude challenge, I am SO GRATEFUL for hopeful news that came today. I'll say no more other than to ask for continuing prayers for a good outcome for someone near and dear to me. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> As to the regular everyday gratitude stuff - First I am grateful for Susan, my much younger Favorite Only Sibling (so much younger people still think she's my daughter for which she is grateful and I'm not always so!) - her love, resilience, and ener<span class="text_exposed_show">gy as the mother of 9 1/2 yr old triplet boys are a source of wonder, admiration, and appreciation as is her never-failing support of me. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span class="text_exposed_show"> Secondly, I'm grateful for 3 amazing spouses of my daughters and sister who love their wives and their children beyond what anyone could choose or hope for those they love. And they even cope with me, too, though probably with something other than gratitude at times; perhaps fortitude is a polite word choice there. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span class="text_exposed_show"> Thirdly, I am grateful for my extended family - cousins and their spouses at various blood extensions of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific - who have remained in close if not frequent relationship with me in the way of knowing that if I need them, they'll show up as I would for them. </span></b></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-68500026227172689042014-10-06T18:30:00.000-04:002014-10-06T18:30:04.516-04:00The Gratitude Challenge, Day Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Day Two of the 5 Day Gratitude Challenge. Today I am grateful for two glamorous divas and a tiny charmer in my life. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> First for Erin, Favorite Oldest Granddaughter. Her almost 10 year old eyes sparkle with enthusiasm, curiosity, and fashionista declarations of what's in and not. She fills her text messages to me with a thousand hearts and x's and o's as a challenge for me to do more! </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Second is Rebecca, Favorite Youngest Granddaughter who, at nearly 4, masquerades most days a<span class="text_exposed_show">s Elsa, or Merida, or just Princess Rebecca wearing her best sparkly gowns, and who always wants to talk to Grammy when she's in trouble! Even though Grammy doesn't try and save her she knows I will always listen. </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> And Third, I'm grateful for Patrick, Favorite Only Grandson. Sweet faced and learning all about everything at nearly 6 months - full of beautiful smiles and is always wide-eyed and filled with giggles and squeaks when he hears my voice on Skype! <i>Children bring the best of life alive!</i></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-61735578784802701602014-10-05T21:16:00.000-04:002014-10-05T21:34:38.502-04:00The Gratitude Challenge - Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been much longer than I had expected it to be</span> </span></b></span></i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>since writing in this space. </b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I have another blog <a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com</a> and that has kept me quite busy. That began when I was asked by the rector of my Episcopal parish to try writing the formal intercessory prayers used in the Sunday service for the first two Sundays of the season of Advent in 2013. Some of those and other prayers are posted on this blog in that December's and January writings. But when two weeks turned into 4 and it became clear that I was not stopping anytime soon, a friend opened a new blog shell for me to post them as I was reticent to do so on my own. I'm not particularly comfortable with self-promotion. But after serious goading and an open blog shell with something to put in it, I discovered, to my great surprise, that I not only enjoyed doing it, the prayers were being well received and even used by other churches in and out of the country. I also began to post the blog on my Facebook page and then beginning in Lent, I was writing additional meditations every day and have developed a small following. I have taken a bit of a break from the daily writing but continue to write the weekly prayers and a bit of commentary on the readings from that week's liturgy that inspire the prayers and post on the blog. </b><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> SO what has that to do with anything related to gratitude? Well, that blog has kept me from doing anything in this space, which really has never had a particular focus. This spot has also been the brainchild of a good friend who has given me much encouragement to get more serious about writing. But given the self-promotion thing and the non-focus thing, I've not done appreciably much here. Perhaps I will figure out a direction for this blog one day but, in the meantime, I'd like to breathe a little air into it and keep it alive, if slightly comatose. To that end I have decided to post what I have written on my Facebook page for the <i>5 Day Gratitude Challenge.</i> <i> </i>Essentially, people nominate other people to write 3 things for which they are grateful each day for 5 days I was nominated by a Facebook Friend and, voluntarily, accepted. Here is my Day One, I hope you'll check in for the next 4 Days, too:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Having been nominated by my friend, Linda, I will take up the 5 Day Gratitude Challenge to name 3 reasons each day for 5 days for which I am grateful. For Day One, First, I am grateful for Michael, beloved First-Born, who in his short life, taught me so much about how hearts can be so filled with love and still have room for more. Second, I am grateful for Kerry, who has grown into an accomplished, intelligent woman, whose beauty is reflected in her roles of great mom<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">, loving wife, well-respected colleague, and Favorite Oldest Daughter. Third, I am grateful for Shannon, Favorite Youngest Daughter, whose love of country determined her very successful career, whose maternal instincts and love for her children surprised her more than the rest of us, and her strength of character and ability to care for family and friends is a model for us all.</span></b></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-73795217003920773252014-07-20T23:32:00.002-04:002014-07-20T23:32:19.449-04:00Are You There?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been so pre-occupied on the other blog that I haven't had time to work here! I hope that you will check out http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com - it's not as stuffy as it sounds, most of the time! I'll get back here sooner or later but meanwhile, hope to "see" you over "there."<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-91855778437467106942014-03-14T22:00:00.000-04:002014-03-14T22:00:13.255-04:00It's been a busy time on the other blog...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...And while I have plans for things to say in this space, I have been busy in this season of Lent writing daily thoughts and meditations on <a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com</a> I hope you'll check in there from time to time. I'll be back here after Easter - I still have things to say! Thanks for being "here"!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-73771285754152540172014-01-20T15:25:00.004-05:002014-01-20T15:25:55.229-05:00Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Prayers of the People <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> As of the first Sunday in December of 2013, I have been writing and posting the liturgical Prayers of the People (PoTP) being used in several churches. As this day, as I post, is the US federal commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, I am including them here as well. To see other PoTPs I have written, you can scroll back below this post and for those and other less formal, shorter <em>everyday</em> prayers and meditations please go to </span><a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> And PLEASE, share with everyone you know!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: medium;">Holiday for Holy Purpose?</span></span><span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> In this country we have converted many federally recognized commemorative dates into "Monday holidays" on which schools, federal, and state offices are closed. For example, we used to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12th and George Washington's birthday on February 22nd. Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day to remember the dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves) was May 30th. Now they and others all fall on a Monday close to the original date - with the exception that Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays were combined for a single day known now as "Presidents' Day."</span></span><br /><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /> When a holiday/date was selected, and Congressionally approved, to honor Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr., his birthday of January 15 was so designated. It, too, has become a "Monday holiday" however, there has been a considerable amount of effort by his family, those who literally walked with him, and newer generations to make this more than a "day-<i>off</i>" from work and school but rather that it be a "Day <i>On</i>" of community service in Dr. King's name. But for many it's still a day off to play. The purpose is especially lost among those who despise his memory and what that must require of us as equal human beings. <br /><br /> It is critical that we carry Dr. King's message forward to uphold people of all colors, creeds, national origin, sexual orientation, and for any reason that any one is targeted for oppression, brutality, bullying, and discrimination. We are all equal in the Eyes and Heart of God. And, as Dr. King said, <b>"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." </b>What service will you do in holy purpose for God's People?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the Second Sunday after Epiphany and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;">Let us, God's People, Pray:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Readings:</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">Is 49:1-7, 1 Cor 1:1-9, John 1:29-42, Ps 40:1-12, MLK “I Have A Dream”</span><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Leader:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, You called us before we were born and named us in the womb. We have spent our strength for nothing and vanity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now must turn toward You and answer. Our cause is with the LORD,</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Response: Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, You gave us a new song and often we sing it out of tune and use our own words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to learn Your words, love doing Your Will, and keep Your Law in our hearts. Our cause is with the LORD,</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, You have given us all the gifts we need to proclaim Christ’s glory to the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your Servant Martin used his gifts to show the way to freedom for all of Your people - those who are still terribly oppressed and brutalized in our own day and even those who mistakenly believe that freedom is achieved through power and greed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to compel our governments to demand equality for all, to put an end to the evil acts of those who inflict intolerance, oppression, and terror to Your People. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us be Your light to the nations. We pray especially for<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>add your own petitions.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Our cause is with the LORD,</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, let Your Holy Spirit descend upon and give hope to all who are sick, troubled, and weary of life, and also upon those who care for and about them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pray especially for:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>add your own petitions. </em>Our cause is with the LORD,</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, lift those who are desolate from the loss of loved ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fill their hearts with peace and comfort as they feel the Lamb of God in their midst and know those they love have indeed found the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pray especially for:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">add your own petitions.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Our cause is with the LORD,</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Compassion and Righteousness, inspire the leaders of Your Church to know, feel, and share the dream of Martin Luther King. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exhort them to bring Christ among us, to walk with us to restore the dignity of every human being, and to seek and serve Christ in all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us all work together to see to it that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“…<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…” inside and outside of our temples of worship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pray especially for: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>add your own petitions. </em>Our cause is with the LORD,</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reward is with our God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Celebrant adds: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Almighty God, we see and hear again the example of Your Servant, Martin Luther King, Jr, in his powerful vision and compelling certainty that together we can all live in freedom from fear, oppression, intolerance and hatred. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i> to carry this vision, to stop our own thoughts and acts that disrespect and bring harm, and to make certain that Your People will know the peace and freedom of Your Salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ask Your grace to do Your Will through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who with the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, today and always.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;"><b>An Excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s <i>I have a Dream</i> speech</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;"><b>from August 28, 1963, Washington, D.C.</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have a dream today.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Full text:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/i-have-a-dream-speech-text_n_809993.html</span></b></div>
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<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution<br />as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-80519566028980906462013-12-30T23:42:00.000-05:002013-12-30T23:42:02.384-05:00New Year's Resolution? Is there a point to making a New Year's Resolution? I like to think so - a new beginning, an opportunity to try again, a reason to look forward. For me it's better than celebrating a birthday! Here's another thought:<br />
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<a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayer-for-new-years-resolution.html">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayer-for-new-years-resolution.html</a><br />
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What do YOU think?<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-85670314635480778752013-12-28T07:52:00.001-05:002013-12-28T07:52:07.601-05:00Can't Pray today?<span style="color: blue;">Take a look at:</span> <br />
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<a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayer-for-not-praying.html">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayer-for-not-praying.html</a> <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">and come back soon!</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-23359373148337945152013-12-24T09:20:00.000-05:002013-12-24T09:20:36.163-05:00Prayers of the People ~ Christmas<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> The Prayers of the People for Christmas are posted on the blog <em>People's Prayers, the link is below. </em>I hope you will visit and join us is these prayers. May you feel the Blessings and Joy of this Glorious Birth and find a New Life in yourself!</span><br />
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<a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayers-of-and-for-all-people-christmas.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2013/12/prayers-of-and-for-all-people-christmas.html</span></a><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-13432484942696094332013-12-22T09:02:00.000-05:002013-12-22T09:02:23.764-05:00Prayer for Grieving at Christmas<div style="text-align: center;">
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For<strong> All</strong> Who Worry, Mourn, or Feel Lost at Christmas<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><strong>Dedicated especially to the Giving Our Grief a Voice group<br />Delaware women who have lost loved ones to homicide</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Silent Morn, Holy Morn</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Sometimes I wonder</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Why I was born.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">I wake in the darkness and </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">can't see the light.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">All I want is the end of the night.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Take this grief from me, Lord</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please take this grief from me, Lord.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">Silent Noon, Holy Noon</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">All songs I sing, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">are out of tune.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">I’ve been looking for right words to pray </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">Nothing I’ve found yet, has shown me the way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">Help me find my voice, Lord</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%;">Please, help me find my voice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Silent Day, Holy Day, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">All's not calm, on my way. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">In my life, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">so much does not seem, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">to be close to what I once dreamed.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Help me trust in Your Peace, Lord. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="CharAttribute0"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Please, help me trust in Your Peace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Silent Night, Holy Night</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally calm, finally bright</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Your love so vast and yet mild</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now I can rest as I’m also Your child</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I found some peace in this night, Lord,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heaven-sent Peace in this night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Graphite Std Narrow"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 130%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feel Free to share with attribution</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Graphite Std Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">© 2013 Christina Brennan Lee</span></span><br />
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<br /><em>This and other prayers by request and inspiration are posted </em></div>
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<em>at People's Prayers </em><a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com</a> </div>
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Please visit often and feel free to share.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-6467396264135533512013-12-21T21:03:00.001-05:002013-12-21T23:17:32.666-05:00Advent 4 ~ Signs A-Wastin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://mlvf.org/Meditation/Advent/week4/advent_wreath_sm_wk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://mlvf.org/Meditation/Advent/week4/advent_wreath_sm_wk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"></span> </a></div>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"> <br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> For the last three weeks I have posted the Prayers of the People (PoTP) for the Season of Advent along with brief commentaries about the message of this Season and each week. These Intercessory Prayers are being used in several Churches as part of the Sunday Service and are posted on several Facebook pages. I hope that you will find them useful for personal prayer or small group meditation or in your congregation. See more information at the end of this post.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://mydailymusing.com/uploads/4advent.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mydailymusing.com/uploads/4advent.gif" width="196" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">We're STILL Waiting?<span style="font-size: small;"> YES! But, are we <em>looking</em>? Do we know what to look for? A momentous occasion feels imminent but how will we know? We are told the signs are all there, all we have to do is ask God for them. But the ever-Kingly Ahaz says "Oh-No-I-don't-want-to-test-God" with the false humility of a leader who is really saying, "I can't be bothered." Isaiah's frustration is palpable when he says, in effect, "OH PLEASE! The Lord Himself is telling you that there's a young woman with child from the House of David, and you'll be out of here before he's old enough to know good from evil." And Joseph has a lot of strange dreams but he believes in signs and so acts upon what he's told. Our Messiah is coming, soon, to a stable near you! Are you ready? </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">PAY ATTENTION to the signs. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">There's an old bumper sticker that says, "Jesus is Coming, Look Busy." I think it should say, "Jesus <strong>IS</strong> Coming, <strong>LOOK</strong>!" </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">THE PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE – Advent 4<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Readings:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah 7:10-16; Ps 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans
1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Leader: ~ Emmanuel,
Emmanuel, Your Holy Name means “God is with us.” Your Holy Birth is only hours
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us breathe into the present
moment, savor the anticipation, and look for the embrace of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only true</i> GIFT of the season, YOU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Response: DEAR GOD of NOW, let us find a
stillpoint to wait in and let go of the frantic activity that distracts us from
You.</span></span></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b> </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel,
Emmanuel, we are called, as Mary, to be a vessel that carries You into the
world and yet we resist the changes we need to make in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give us the courage to open ourselves to Your
Glory and allow You to shine through us for all to see and understand. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">DEAR GOD of NOW, in these
remaining moments before we celebrate Your birth, let us feel the fullness of
Your Presence in our bodies, minds, and souls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel,
Emmanuel, we beg for Your Grace and Peace to infuse the sensibilities of those
who govern in this world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The homeless,
hungry, frightened, lonely, and brutalized need the Compassion, Empathy, and
Mercy that are the hallmarks of this season of Your birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Push the rest of us to be determined,
intentional, and proactive in our pursuit of Justice, Tolerance, and Humanity
for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every
</i></b>person on this Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i> to be the Reflection of Your Love in
every thought and action of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear GOD of NOW, help us to
remember that we are as responsible for the well-being of Your people as every
individual in every government position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep us aware and involved.</span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
may the impending joy of Your birth bring healing mercies to those who are ill
and for those who give them care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free
all who suffer from pain, sadness, loneliness, and fear and release us all from
single-mindedness and self-pity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restore
and renew our faith and hope in You. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your own specific petitions)</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear GOD of NOW, it is said
that if You are with us, who can be against us? Help us remember You walking
with us through all sorts and conditions of woman and man.</span></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel,
Emmanuel, please dry our tears as we mourn our loss of those whose souls now <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">live</i> in Your eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us feel the warmth of Your tender care
in our grief and the promise of our own new birth in You. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your own specific petitions)</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">GOD of us all, we wait in
prayerful patience as You walk with us in our sorrow toward the time when
suffering and grief are no more.</span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel,
Emmanuel, we rely on those who lead us in Your Church to show us the pathway to
You.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Endow and imbue them with Your
Spirit that they may feel the depth of You in themselves and impart the mystery
of Your breadth to us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your parish/congregation/Diocese,
Province, etc. name here)</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Prepare us, Dear GOD of NOW, to
revel and live into the Joy of the Birth so close at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
our souls deeply know the astonishing You. Please help us connect our hearts
and minds with our soul knowledge and live each day as a new creation in Christ.</span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, Dear GOD of NOW, to
revel and live into the Joy of the Birth so close at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Celebrant adds:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear God of Now, in these hours before our Holy Child is born, we are
called again by You to willingly and knowingly belong to Christ Jesus our Lord.
Give us the fortitude to hear the call, to follow Him, and share the Good News as
easily as we breathe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Amen.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><em>These Prayers and those for the four weeks of Advent are available for personal or congregational use as long as they are not sold or charged for in anyway. I ask only for attribution and a copy of how they are used. <u>All other content and photos on this blog are proprietary</u>. </em></span><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Please contact me at </span></em></span></span><a href="mailto:leeosophy@gmail.com"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #bf277e;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;">leeosophy@gmail.com</span></span></strong></span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;"> for further information.</span></span></em></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></em></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Beginning with Christmas Eve, 2013, Prayers of the People and other prayers will be posted on </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #741b47;">"People's Prayers"</span> at <a href="http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/">http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com</a> Please visit often!</strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-13826843856822838222013-12-13T22:17:00.000-05:002013-12-13T23:24:38.185-05:00Advent 3 ~ All is Rosy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Third Week of Advent<br />
The Rose Candle is Lighted<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"> For the last two weeks I have posted the Prayers of the People (PoTP) for the Season of Advent along with brief commentaries about the message of this Season and each week. These Intercessory Prayers are being used in several Churches as part of the Sunday Service and are posted on several Facebook pages. I hope that you will find them useful for personal prayer or small group meditation or in your congregation. See more information at the end of this post</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: large;">We’re still waiting
for the birth</span> </span><span style="font-size: small;">of the Christ Child as we light the 3<sup>rd</sup> candle in the
Advent Wreath. But, there's a notable change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Traditions use a
Rose colored (or pink) candle and perhaps even vestments and hangings this
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why change color in the
middle?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Advent, from its
inception, has traditionally been a penitential season like Lent, with somber
readings and admonishments to fast and pray for worthiness to await the coming
of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the Revised Common
Lectionary and newer scholarship, there has been more of an emphasis in the Joy
that is to come – which isn’t to say we should not be prayerful or penitent as
we wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the penitential aspect,
all the colors were Lenten purple and the rose color was a symbol of a rest
break – let’s stop, breathe, and feel JOY at the coming Nativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, as was noted in an earlier blog post,
many churches use blue to represent Hope instead of the penitential </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">purple and
the Rose candle is still a symbol of Joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Historically, the Latin name for this Sunday is Gaudete (gow-day-tay),
Latin for “REJOICE!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes from an
Introit (opening) of the Liturgy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
hear the Joy, the Rejoicing, the Hope and the excitement in the readings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll be ransomed from sorrow and sadness,
lifted up, beloved, and blessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
still have to be patient, there’s still some time before THE DAY, but we can
smile as we wait – our future in Christ is Rosy, indeed!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">THE PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE – Advent 3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Readings:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah 35:1-10, Ps 146:5-10, Luke 1:46b-55,
James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope as we seek Your Holy Way. Help
us to be strong and without fear as we wait for the desert moments in our lives
to blossom and the dry land of our hearts to be glad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GOD of us all, we wait in prayerful patience for You to ransom us with
Your Goodness and Mercy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope as we now realize that the Voice
crying in the wilderness is our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Open our ears to hear your Good News and our eyes to see each other with
Your sight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GOD of us all, we wait in
prayerful patience for You to look with favor on our sense of lowliness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope that those holding power over us
in government, employment, and other areas of our lives, wield empathy,
compassion, moderation, and equity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
pray especially for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the marginalized and
oppressed peoples in our own streets and on Your whole Earth to know justice,
mercy, and relief from suffering. Help us all to delight in Your love, our God,
and to stay faithful as we wait expectantly for our Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOD of us all, we wait in
prayerful patience for You to show us Your way of Justice and Peace.</span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope as we remember in prayer all
those who are sick in body, mind, or spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ask special grace for them and for those who care for them that pain
and anxiety are calmed through the abundance of Your healing and comfort. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your own petitions silently or aloud)<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOD of us all, we wait in
prayerful patience for awareness of Your healing mercies.</span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope as our lonely hearts mourn the
loss of those we love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to know
and feel Your Peace that passes all understanding so that our memories are
sweet and comforting in our laughter as well as our tears. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your own petitions silently or aloud)</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GOD of us all, we wait in
prayerful patience as You walk with us in our sadness toward the time when
suffering and grief are no more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, we turn to You in hope as we ask for special blessings
upon those who lead Your Church in lean times and times of plenty especially
here in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add your parish/congregation/Diocese,
Province, etc. name here)</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us
all to remember and renew our faith in You and the One who is coming as we
pledge to share the Light of Christ in our Sanctuaries, in our homes, and on
the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> live in You is what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i>
give to Your world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, O God of us all,
for the One who is coming.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O God of Jacob,
Mary, and the Baptizer, let us feel the strength of Your Grace so that our
souls may also magnify Your love and our spirits will rejoice as we await the Precious
Coming of Jesus the Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, O God of us all,
for the One who is coming.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Celebrant adds:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">O God of Grace and Peace, You call us again to renewal and conversion
and to rightly prepare ourselves for the Way of Truth, Harmony, and Love that
will abide in and shine through us with the coming of Jesus Christ, our
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Amen.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: xx-small;"><em>These Prayers and those for the four weeks of Advent are available for personal or congregational use as long as they are not sold or charged for in anyway. I ask only for attribution and a copy of how they are used. <u>All other content and photos on this blog are proprietary</u>. </em></span><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;">Please contact me at </span></em><a href="mailto:leeosophy@gmail.com"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong><span style="color: #bf277e;">leeosophy@gmail.com</span></strong></span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"> for further information.</span></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></em><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-37146081078295267392013-12-07T19:40:00.000-05:002013-12-07T23:58:54.306-05:00Advent 2 - Who's Your Daddy?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advent 2<br />
The Second Candle is Lighted</td></tr>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Calibri; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"> Last week I posted the Prayers of the People (PoTP) for the first week of Advent along with a brief introduction to the concept of the Season of Advent. These Intercessory Prayers are being used in several Churches as part of the Sunday Service and are posted on several Facebook pages. I hope that you will find them useful for personal prayer or small group meditation or in your congregation. See the information at the end of this post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="font-size: large;"> It is time to light the second candle</span> on the Advent wreath
and think about those who have gone before as we wait expectantly for the
coming One.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This second week is an
excellent time to increase our attention and intention to preparing ourselves
in a different way for the birth of the Messiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Begin again by really listening to the
readings and think about the voices the words represent, even though that’s not
always easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, Isaiah starts the
week off with “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch
shall grow out of his roots.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does </em>that<em> mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stump of Jesse? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the family tree of Jesus is an
interesting one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us know that
King David is part of His lineage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesse
was the grandson of Ruth (of “whither thou goest, I will go” fame) and her
husband, Boaz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We first hear of Jesse in
the First Book of Samuel as a farmer with eight sons, the youngest of which is
David who becomes King of the Israelites. It is through Jesse’s family tree
that this root, this Branch will flower into Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jesus is indeed the reason for the
season; the reason for our Christ-mas - our act of worship of the One we call
Messiah, the Anointed Son of God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> The secular spectacle that Christmas has become has many
caught up in increasingly frantic activities of decorating, shopping,
gift-wrapping, and rounds of parties all without a sense of impending Joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Personally, a display of fuschia, turquoise,
and orange LED lights draped badly over shrubbery doesn’t speak to me of either
Advent or Christmas, and spare me the huge blow-up Snoopy, Santa, or Grinch
balloons with circulating “snow”! An even stranger sight in the daylight as
they all lie unplugged on the ground as a stark image of Christmas gone flat.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
into this environment that the
Psalmist calls His name blessed and asks that His glory fill the whole
earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Apostle Paul wants us to abound in hope
and the Gospel of Matthew brings us the very direct and not shy voice of John the
Baptist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> New Testament scholar, theologian, and author Marcus Borg tells us that Advent “…is a season of
anticipation, yearning and longing for a different kind of life and a different
kind of world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em>What kind of life, what
kind of world are you longing for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where
do you put God in your family tree?<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">THE PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE – Advent 2<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Readings:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans
15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LEADER: ~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, it is a new year in Your Church, a chance to begin yet again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help us to heed the words of Your messengers
as we prepare ourselves for another flowering of the Branch of Jesse’s Root.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">RESPONSE: LORD of all, grant us hope, patience, and joyful expectation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, the Child that is coming will lead the wolf with the lamb, the calf
with the lion, the cow with the bear. Let <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i>
be as children and, as we follow Him along Your path of righteousness, let us walk
hand–in-hand – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and welcome as He will
welcome us, those who are like us and especially those who are not like us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LORD of all, grant us hope,
tolerance, and joyful expectation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, we pray especially for those who govern on Your Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grant them wisdom and understanding, good
counsel and knowledge so that we all may live in harmony and peace through the
power of the Holy Spirit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LORD of all, grant us hope,
peace, and joyful expectation.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, we send you our prayers for those who are ill and for those who help
them, so that fear and pain may be relieved and replaced with healing in
spirit, mind, and body. (add your own petitions silently or aloud)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LORD of all, grant us hope,
healing, and joyful expectation.</span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, teach us to give the gift of listening and comfort without platitudes
to those who are in mourning; and to remember in prayer those who have gone
ahead to prepare the way for us.<em> (add your own petitions silently or aloud)<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LORD of all, grant us hope,
comfort, and joyful expectation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, give us the courage to recognize and repent of our sins against You,
against each other, and against ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let us truly love ourselves <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as</i>
we are to love one another. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, LORD, for the coming
of Your Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, help us to prepare the way for Your Child by moving us to prepare Holy
Space in our lives, sweeping our hearts and souls of the debris of hatred,
despair, judgment, greed, and destruction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, LORD, for the
coming of Your Glory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">~ O Timeless God of
Wonder, enfold and guide those who lead Your Church as they walk us forward
into ever-changing tides and times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help
us, Your People and Leader(s) of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(add
your parish/congregation/diocese/province name here),</i> walk together through the thinning fog towards the
coming Light.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prepare us, LORD, for the
coming of Your Glory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Celebrant adds:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">O God of Grace and Peace, You call us again to repentance and
conversion so that we may rightly prepare ourselves for the Way of Truth,
Harmony, and Love that will abide in us through the coming of Jesus Christ, our
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Amen.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong> </strong><em><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">These Prayers and those for the four weeks of Advent are available for personal or congregational use as long as they are not sold or charged for in anyway. I ask only for attribution and a copy of how they are used. <u>All other content and photos on this blog are proprietary</u>. </span></em><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Please contact me at </span></em><a href="mailto:leeosophy@gmail.com"><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">leeosophy@gmail.com</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"> for further information.</span></em></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-77462913322070837112013-12-03T20:53:00.002-05:002016-11-21T17:10:43.981-05:00ADVENT? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">What is Advent?</span> <strong> </strong></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the serious
nudge (or even shove would be a good word) of encouragement of a good friend, I am going to post some intercessory prayers
that I have been writing to be used in the Sunday Service for my local
Episcopal Church for the Season of Advent. But, perhaps YOU don’t know or have
forgotten what Advent is really about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>SO, a brief description is in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the prayers for the first week of Advent will follow and I will
post the prayers for the following three weeks in their time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Christian calendar</span>, Advent is a season
of hopeful waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spend the four
weeks before Christmas preparing for the birth of Jesus, our Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also the beginning of the Church’s
Liturgical Year. Liturgy is, simply, the public worship, the Mass, or the Service
(most often on Sunday) of the Church as parish or congregation. The Liturgical
Year, in some denominations, consists of various seasons of the Church such as
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different colors are used for the various
seasons – the colors for Advent are usually Purple and Pink although some
Churches will use Blue and Rose. The colors are used in hangings on the
lectern, the pulpit, the vestments and the altar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> We mark the beginning of each week by the
lighting of a candle in the Advent Wreath and some </span></span></i><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR1Z_D9Sjv6VSQKFqhLkk-Rkug8V3GLxzFcNKmGi8e2Pf1TPAoZP8tAD-1DwJWkYsnfM25jtztBkimWM9ElOYu_T32wwmlnPfb3VVmSqqMEgoZnBYFMrupI0P6EhJ9GaskI0iUoOFvYA/s1600/AdventCalendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR1Z_D9Sjv6VSQKFqhLkk-Rkug8V3GLxzFcNKmGi8e2Pf1TPAoZP8tAD-1DwJWkYsnfM25jtztBkimWM9ElOYu_T32wwmlnPfb3VVmSqqMEgoZnBYFMrupI0P6EhJ9GaskI0iUoOFvYA/s200/AdventCalendar.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">people will also use an
Advent Calendar to mark each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
children, there may be a gift of candy or tiny toy to increase the excitement
for the coming Christmas in each of the doors or envelopes of the Advent
Calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ideally, adult Christians will
use the Advent Calendar and the Candles at the Service as a way to make a
special effort to pray, meditate, and look at what the meaning of Christ’s
coming is for everyday life. Just as a New Year's resolution starts well and
means well, Advent is the opportunity to be intentional about preparing for and
renewing our commitment to Jesus as our Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The seasons of the Liturgical Year that follow are designed to help us
remember and continuously renew and re-commit.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> In several denominations, notably
Episcopal/Anglican, United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, United Church of
Christ, some branches of Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic, we follow a
Lectionary – that basically means we all use the same Scripture readings for the
same Sunday/Week/Day. There are always exceptions here and there but mostly we
can be fairly sure of what is being used widely which helps our own individual
prayer planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Also in several denominational Liturgies, we
use Intercessory Prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of
the Episcopal Church, they are also known as The Prayers of the People.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are led by a lay reader and the
congregation has a response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Book of
Common Prayer has six different forms of the Prayers of the People but there is
also the allowance for the Prayers to be written by a congregation, an
individual, or even be extemporaneous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To that end, the Rector of my local parish asked me to pen the Prayers
of the People for Advent weeks 1 and 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then I was asked by another group to write the other two weeks as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For each set I will give the
references for the Scripture from the current Revised Common Lectionary which inspired my thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader reads each one with the response
being in the boldface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use them
in a Service, a small group, or on your own as a meditation. They are available to everyone who
wants them and all I ask is attribution, a copy of how you use them, and they may not be sold or charged for in anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope they will inspire you to commit
yourself to preparing for the coming of God in Jesus, to the renewal of your
life, and to the Hope that will fill us with Joy upon His arrival!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #a64d79;">THE PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE – Advent, Week 1</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Readings: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah 2:1-5, Ps 122, Romans 3:11-14, Matthew
24:36-44 <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope, as
the approaching winter brings us into ever shorter and darkening days, help us
to prepare ourselves for the radiant light that will announce the birth of our
Savior.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope, the
nations, states, and cities of Your Earth continue to battle one another and
their own peoples, even in our home streets and neighborhoods. Give us Your
strength to work together to melt guns into cooking pots and drones into tractors;
let us want and learn to turn warring into peacemaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope, we
pray especially for the peace of Jerusalem, the ancestral and spiritual home of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> of us who are the children of
Abraham so that peace in that City will spread among her children everywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.</span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope, as the weather turns bitter, cajole us to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seek and serve</i> Christ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in all</i> and especially to provide
necessities for those among us without shelter, food, or loved ones in this
season of Waiting, Joy, and Excess.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope, we
send you our prayers for those who are ill and for those who help them so that
fear and pain may be relieved and replaced with healing in spirit, mind, and
body. (add your own petitions silently or aloud)</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope,
teach us to give the gift of listening and comfort without platitudes to those
who are in mourning; and to remember in prayer those who have gone ahead to
prepare the way for us. (add your own petitions silently or aloud)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">May all who love You, prosper
in Your Peace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope,
give us the fortitude to turn away from all that glitters falsely and turn
toward the coming light of the Son of Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let us charge our spirits with Your love and shop for the light of
Christ ‘til we drop into the arms of Jesus and everlasting life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prepare us, Lord, for the coming
of Your Reign<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">~ O God of Hope,
wake us from the sleep of complacence and keep us alert and active in Your
service, awaiting the unknown hour of the coming of Christ Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prepare us, Lord, for the
coming of Your Reign<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Celebrant adds:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">O God of the Present and of the Future, keep us ever watchful for the
signs of Your works and wonders as we prepare ourselves and each other for the
renewal of the face of Your Earth as the New Jerusalem, through the coming of
Jesus Christ, our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Amen.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">These Prayers and those for the next three weeks are available for use as long as they are not sold or charged for in anyway. <u>All other content and photos on this blog are proprietary</u>. </span></em><em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Please contact me at </span></em><a href="mailto:leeosophy@gmail.com"><em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">leeosophy@gmail.com</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> for further information.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: x-small;">I beg a pardon from my friends in the Southern Hemisphere as I am well aware that your </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: x-small;">approaching summer is giving you more light, rather than less as my first prayer indicates!</span></em></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-87418371961078202552013-09-21T10:09:00.000-04:002013-09-21T10:09:04.419-04:00Watch This Space!It's been a crazy year. LOTS of travel - visiting generous friends for a month in NZ, then hither and yon up and down the East Coast and as far west (not THAT far) to Ohio to visit family. July was a catch-up and then away again in August for a cruise to the Baltics. Now pushing 2 weeks into an almost 3 week visit with Favorite Youngest Granddaughter (nearly aged 3) as she recovers from a tonsillectomy. <br />
<br />
My head is full of "stuff" that needs to get written down and some of it will end up here in the not-too-distant future. So please stay tuned and I will post on Facebook and Twitter when a new blog piece is up and running. For example, what's been tweaking me for years is the sense that The Golden Rule is still just all about ME!<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-27573752899679254312013-04-19T15:10:00.000-04:002013-04-19T17:31:28.617-04:00BREAKING NEWS IS BROKEN! <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Freedom of the Press</i></span> is a fundamental right of the US Constitution revered, celebrated, and a source of pride for thinking Americans. That said, there have had to be some regulation to curb some of the "yellow journalism" that tabloids still seem to conjure. And I believe more is needed. <br />
<br />
But in these days instant communication becomes the curse of "news-tainment", alleged news stories that are promoted by teaser trailers on tv which amount to nothing more than thinly disguised product or business advertising and self-promotion of the broadcasters who call themselves "journalists." Any incident becomes the trigger for an all-day marathon of constant updates, interrupting all other programming to keep us all informed of a minimal change of the situation. The 24 hours of "news" available on television, radio, and the internet, and of course, the social media sites that post instant photos and personal commentary, flood the ears, eyes, and minds of us all with often<i> irresponsible</i> mis-information that becomes imbedded as "reality".<br />
<br />
I write as I - as millions of others no doubt - have the tv on with the continuous coverage of the situation in Boston and Watertown because of the Boston Marathon bombing. But this concept has been emerging in my consciousness for a very long time. The local stations in my area of Greater Philadelphia are supposed to be part of a major broadcast market such as New York, Chicago, LA, Washington and therefore the reportage and reporters are considered to be of a higher caliber than somewhere in the middle of a rural area. They are affiliates of national networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS, and others. <br />
<br />
Many of the people I know well as friends and family have for years complained of the nonsensical and laughable 14 hours of coverage for a 2 foot snowfall - a huge "team" of reporters all over the city with yardsticks measuring snowfall, sinking into snowdrifts, interviewing people coming out of convenience stores or stuck on an icy road. WHO CARES? No one I know. Why does anyone need the live broadcast of a press conference when a local professional athlete changes his shoes or a lottery winner receives a payment? A car accident occurs on a city street? Those moments seem to be improving as complaints to the stations apparently have gotten the attention of the program directors who no longer stop programming but give hourly updates and/or show a concurrent silent video with information crawling underneath - however, other incidents, such as this day about Boston, purport to be critical information for the public, and this is the crux of my concern and frustration.<br />
<br />
Recently, there was a shooting at the Courthouse in my hometown. I, as many of my friends, was riveted to the television for information regarding casualties and other pertinent information for people in the immediate vicinity. I was appalled at how quickly the reporters lept into ridiculous assumptions, false information, and all with constant and absurd chatter asking each other inane questions and then repeating it all for hours. All three local channels made much drama of a situation that needed no embellishment and then later promoted themselves as being "on the spot". One of the stations posted a photograph of "the shooter" supposedly obtained from the attorney for the individual. REALLY? Guess what, the photograph turned out hours later to be of the son of the shooter. 6ABC later promoted itself as being "on the scene and it was chaos." Yes, it was chaos and most of it had to do with the jockeying of reporters and people walking down the street wanting to be on camera. Street interviews were broadcast with a man who was driving by and heard at least 20 shots fired. Another man's sister was in the Courthouse for jury duty but had called immediately to say she was fine. Comments about police cars driving up and officers getting out of cars. And on and on. MOST of the initial information given over several hours of constant coverage turned out to have very little relationship with the truth. Reporting on who and how many were shot, killed, or injured in what part of the building and by whom was all wrong in the final analysis. It came on the heels of the horrendous day in Newtown, Connecticut with equally and continuously dreadful reporting of wrong information.<br />
<br />
TODAY, a Russian-speaking broadcaster has spoken to the suspect's father in Russia who gave her his son's phone number. She has been calling the suspect's phone number but it has been busy - so, she's going to say what to him if he answers? Another reporter discovered the suspect's sister and was interviewing her before the FBI did. There have been interviews with people who know the suspects, and with residents of the town giving information on what it's like to be in lock-down in the city, a press conference with an uncle who had no communication with his suspect-nephews in several years. The rampant speculations of reporters CNN, FOX and other "news" outlets in recent days since the bombing have been shown to be nothing more than rumor-propellant designed to be "exclusive" and "first". How does all of this serve the immediate need to keep people safe and accomplish the arrest of the suspect?<br />
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Answers - anyone? I am torn between wanting transparency in the information that is available and <b>responsible</b> reporting that perhaps requires curtailing of instant information. What public need is served by bouncing around multiple reporters pointing down streets repeating the same "information" and "perhaps"-type speculations over and over. How is it useful - and reasonable - that media personalities self-promote themselves into interviews before law-enforcement personnel? Why not just regular updates when there is credible and useful information from those who are coordinating the investigations and the search for the suspect?<br />
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Yes, we all want to be sure that law-enforcement is appropriate and we all want to be sure that we have all the "facts" of any given situation. But what I'm seeing are talking heads giving miscellaneous details about the immediate moment that is not factually relevant to current and future safety. "Look, there's a resident taking trash out", "Look, a police car is leaving, a police car is driving in, a resident is shooting video from the roof of his house" doesn't seem to me to be nail-bitingly helpful to anyone except those who are happy to have their own faces projected into my living room. OH, at 3 pm they are signing off - for now - having been reporting non-stop since probably 6 or 7 am. OH, wait, the local station now has a "special edition" of the local news about the situation in Massachusetts because why - because, of course, it's their turn to show me their faces. OK, time to turn it all off. Within the coming weeks, there will be several documentaries, special investigative news shows, and next year the Lifetime Channel will air a docu-drama movie with the script highlighting mostly the rumors supplemented by terrible acting.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'll get an update later, on Facebook no doubt.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-59276083475978823032013-03-30T00:01:00.001-04:002013-03-30T00:01:12.196-04:00Antipodean AdventuresDear Readers,<br />
<br />
Much has been bubbling through my brain and fabulous images have been flowing through my camera lenses over the last days and I look forward to gathering all the threads together here when I get home. I am currently graced with the sublime views and experiences of the stunning geography that is New Zealand. Many blessings and much gratitude must be bestowed upon my amazing Kiwi friends for their hospitality and more than gracious generosity in allowing me to wander with them through the sites and sounds they know and love.<br />
<br />
I will share all soon so please watch this space!<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-7238189319945567742013-01-19T18:43:00.001-05:002013-01-19T18:43:56.169-05:00Of Mice and Me<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best laid schemes of mice and men<br />Go often awry</span>...</span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(from Robert Burns' <em>To a Mouse)</em></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> N</span><span style="font-size: large;">either</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Robert Burns nor John Steinbeck </span><span style="font-size: small;">be I, but I do converse with mice; well, ok, I just yell at them in language that is perhaps, not so poetic or prose-like.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Following on from my previous post <em>"Falderal and Fa La La",</em> I am happy to report that the meeces have departed my humble abode. However, they left far many more gifts than I had first realized. I have spent many recent days relocating the contents of two rooms from upstairs (not finished with that yet) to downstairs in preparation for some internal demolition in the coming weeks (Favorite Oldest Daughter is coming to tear down the wall that separates the two rooms, yikes). I have also tried to make space upstairs and down for estimators to come in to measure for some new windows and electrical work. </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> The downstairs work was more painstaking in some ways because of keeping areas clear to walk around in and of having to vacuum and scrub down areas where the little beasties left evidence of their habitation. Thankfully, I had gotten it all done - except for some more relocating of stuff - and today was the day I was going to put extra blankets and pillows into those plastic bags that the air is vacuumed from for more compact storage, rearrange some things in my sewing area and get started on birthday gifts for my soon-to-be 8 year old triplet nephews. Surprise, surprise surprise...</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I put several blankets in one large plastic vacuum cube and then remembered some quilts and blankets I have in a high-boy dresser downstairs. I decided to put them all together and free up the drawer space. I can pile the storage bags and cubes on the closet floor downstairs. When I pulled a quilt out of one of the upper drawers, I was shocked to see leftover lentil bits and other unmistakeable leavings. Guess who had come to dinner? Of course you realize that I had to go through all drawers, remove all contents (carefully cleaned and folded summer clothes, et al), take the drawers upstairs and outside to shake out, wipe out, disinfect, and load up the laundry room floor. Then I went through the closet and after thinking many angry thoughts<strong> </strong>in<span style="color: blue;"> <strong>blue</strong></span>, I started to empty hanging shelving (inexpensive cloth and flimsy bowed cardboard) most of which I have just thrown in the trash. It's time to rethink storage! </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I did have a moment to laugh. The exterminator distributed lots of material in the attic and in sealed containers on the main floor and in the basement. It consisted of green bricks of bait designed to drive them out of the house by a fierce thirst. I found a very seriously gnawed green crayon in one of the drawers. Fascinating - can mice see in color? SO, a breath, and then forward momentum. </span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> OH WELL! There is good news. In the midst of relocating the contents of two rooms I have also been culling and clearing. Certainly this was not the day I had planned to do more of that but it has been a liberation of sorts. Much more is going out for trash or recycle than I had planned (say thank you to mother, children o' mine), much more will follow. No sewing today but far less stuff in the house. Ah, there's the dryer buzzer...next load. Stay tuned, one charming friend suggests my meeces will return some day. OH YEAH? Well, I have the exterminator on speed dial....</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Anyone want a high-boy dresser?</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-50896274155704354092013-01-04T12:19:00.000-05:002013-01-04T12:34:43.356-05:00Falderal and Fa La La <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> 'Twas the 8th Night of Christmas</strong> and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except that damned mouse...and its happy little companions. I had discovered very slight evidence of its presence when I returned in October from my two months' stay in Virginia. I went online to figure out the best course of immediate action knowing full well that an exterminator was the likely conclusion. But in the midst of returning home to all sorts of errands and busy-ness, making an appointment to hurry up and wait for an estimate and later treatment was not appealing and besides, there was only the tiniest bit of, um, indication of possibly maybe perhaps a small problem<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (I can hear you whispering "denial" at me).</span> I was also getting ready to be away again for several weeks over Thanksgiving and Favorite Oldest Granddaughter's 8th birthday. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20070929/Christmas-Mouse-468355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20070929/Christmas-Mouse-468355.jpg" width="167" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I scrubbed everything down with an ammonia solution in some places and a solution of oil of peppermint in others (per internet instructions). Then I went to the hardware store and bought some sort of pouch thingies that were supposed to repel and drive the little hummers away. I distributed them around in the place where I had seen the wee little gift it left on the kitchen counter and in several places downstairs in the finished basement. In so doing I discovered a long forgotten plastic bag of foil wrapped chocolates that I had used to decorate a Christmas cake two years ago. There had been maybe half a dozen pieces left in the package on the metal shelving unit. That had been shredded to nearly powder so I cleaned that up as well and made certain (I thought) that everything else was bagged, cannistered, and otherwise protected. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Off to New York went I.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Home again and all was well, mostly. No gifts on the kitchen counter and all else seemed normal. I have been in this house for four years and other than the cricket army that arrived two years ago (a new door fixed that), I have had no serious issues with any other critters. On with the the march toward Christmas! Did I imagine that noise in the attic?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After unpacking and taking the luggage to its place in a closet downstairs I happened to notice one of the packets designed to chase the meeces away had been nibbled. So much for repellant! Upon further investigation, there was a smattering of little gifts around the sink in the laundry room. I checked the shelving where I keep canned goods (and the previously mentioned but now gone chocolate) and nothing <em>seemed</em> amiss. ("SEEMED" - might that be a clue of continuing denial?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> OF COURSE the little creatures have been plotting in the attic! More gifts on the counter upstairs in the morning, more scrubbing and a call to the exterminator - which was actually me leaving a message for a return call. Christmas was approaching - family arriving at my sister's for the weekend before Christmas kept me running and busy for days ahead and during. It occurred to me on the Saturday before Christmas that I hadn't heard back from the vermin-ridder. But, no more counter gifts appeared after the again thorough cleaning and the faint creaking in the attic of course was just the wind. More busy-ness - films to see, dinners out to enjoy, the New Year was approaching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> On the 8th Day of Christmas the New Year brought to me, a new way of watching my tv! I had purchased several streaming devices and began to install them. The cost of cable service (mine is actually fiber optic) was growing in inverse proportion to my interest in and relevance of real time programming. With advice and demonstration from Favorite Oldest Son-in-Law in New York who has NO cable, only internet tv with an impressive but intimidating array of program options, I decided to follow suit - partially. It was also helpful of 8 year old granddaughter to explain and demonstrate how it all worked! I successfully installed said devices, though far from the breadth and depth of Favorite Oldest Daughter's house, and removed two of three cable boxes for return (and therefore reducing monthly costs). I am keeping one for those rare moments I want to watch broadcast tv. Except for completely cutting off all my internet service in the house for about two hours and scrambling to try different wire plug in configurations until I restored it, I managed to hook up all the devices with only a small cloud of <strong><span style="color: #134f5c;"> #$%&@!!*</span></strong> for which, thankfully, no younger ears were available to experience. Ah, to settle in for a quiet evening of old UK tv episodes, a glass of wine, and the faintly discernible windy creaking in the attic which became significantly louder into the night. Hmmm, I think I have to now call it<em> scurrying</em>! THEN camest the morning...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> LOTS of gifts in the kitchen and downstairs - oh, those two bags I meant to move off the shelving, one with adzuki beans and one with lentils - but then, they'd been there all this time and not bothered - it's quite fascinating to discover how far those beans can travel. OH NO - it appears that my little housemates were doing lines of coffee having discovered how to get at the coffee pods in the dispenser and nibble holes in the bottom. It is well past time to make another call! Found another company who answered the call quickly and </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> eviction proceedings commence early on the morrow. Color my housemates soon to be GONE. And by then, an Epiphany!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-72527034390211815062012-11-22T08:58:00.000-05:002012-11-24T00:06:59.171-05:00Angst-Giving and Norman Rockwell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB_7CUt_oBBwx1KXiXCOnx4HoqNtBj-ksOKsfhyXh3kDVX9O4-mEl43NyCZxsZ6BkWhDTnU8v-ntOh4V1GNE5C_sO9vbsCTwmlIjj4LxCvJybaJ_lFGWAFyIsh6Do_sw8DaSiNKK4F_M/s1600/rockwell_thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB_7CUt_oBBwx1KXiXCOnx4HoqNtBj-ksOKsfhyXh3kDVX9O4-mEl43NyCZxsZ6BkWhDTnU8v-ntOh4V1GNE5C_sO9vbsCTwmlIjj4LxCvJybaJ_lFGWAFyIsh6Do_sw8DaSiNKK4F_M/s320/rockwell_thanksgiving.jpg" width="250" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Those of us in the American "Baby Boomer" generation and older can probably remember the lovely and nostalgic Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving cover for the Saturday Evening Post magazine. It is a classic depiction of a happy and <em>very white</em> family sitting down to a family feast designed to inspire Thanksgiving for all of God's graces and the highest form of family love and togetherness. And I can honestly say that it represents Thanksgiving gatherings of my childhood - well, that is, it represents a lovely moment-in-time and those lovely moments usually lasted as long as it takes to look at the painting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Seriously, did any one really have a whole day like that? In my family, in whichever configuration of the year that included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was a huge amount of required "traditional" food (turkey, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, creamed pearl onions, green beans (just plain, the casserole dish came later), jellied cranberry sauce (why do they call it a <em>sauce</em>?), fresh baked rolls with butter, and pumpkin pie. Dinner was always late (sometimes very late) getting to the table as there was always so much to prepare, people arrived early or late, the kids' table impeded movement, and we were hungry and boisterous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> The combining aromas of roasted fowl, cinnamon and brown sugar, pumpkin and gravy were as an aphrodisiac of sorts. FINALLY we said our prayer of Thanksgiving - Grace - and oohed and ahhhed as the huge browned bird was processed in and placed on the table to be carved. Passing of bowls from one direction, the chinking sound of serving spoons and cutlery on china, ice and water pouring into crystal (or lesser glass depending on one's age and table status) were the background music as everyone settled in and began to devour - politely more or less - the banquet set before us. And then...something triggered a response from one of us kids or a tolerated relative would make a comment that more than triggered a response from another more entitled relative that would then provoke a louder discussion.....and the ensuing "discussion" continued while the food was consumed, the pie and coffee or milk served, clean up begun, coats put on and cars driven away. Then there was the endless dissection of the event by the "adults" until Christmas, when we all began again. I do remember one near fist fight at my grandmother's dinner table...and we laugh about it, now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> And then there are the precious origins of this feast of "Thanksgiving" for the hosts of those who had traveled far to settle in this wild land. I know that my First Nation friends bear in their bones the memories of all the later </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"-ations" they and peoples of color who followed suffered at the hands of those who themselves were said to have been escaping persecution. Intimid-ation, discrimin-ation, annihil-ation, recrimin-ation, subjug-ation, degrad-ation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> In this age, overloading on football and 'way too much food are the prevailing hallmarks of this holiday. Followed immediately or simultaneously by retailoholism by shopping online and in those chain stores who will be open today. Our culture exacerbates the expectation of over-eating, over-drinking, and over-spending. Seasonal decorations that begin creeping in before Labor Day and TV ads determine our needs and greeds. When juxtaposed against the reality of so many homeless, hungry, un- and under-employed as well as those who are grieving, depressed, alone, and/or seriously ill, Norman Rockwell's idyllic scene becomes a caricature of the time that never was. <strong>BUT WAIT....there is still hope in that lovely image...</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Whatever your life circumstance, this mark on the calendar offers a chance to remember a moment-in-time that gives you pleasure, soothes your soul, makes you laugh, warms your heart. Find a moment to give thanks in whatever way lightens your burden - through prayer, a phone call or text, an email, a donation to the ringing Santas at the grocery store. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> For myself, I am grateful that I feel wanted by those I love and for having more than I need even if not all that I want. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> I am thankful for the friends who are like family and even more so for family who are my friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> MOST OF ALL, I am thankful for the gift of happy memories, even of Thanksgivings-gone-wrong, and most especially for those who have been with me in the most difficult moments of life. I can set aside grief of the past for today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Everyone has a story with a beginning, a middle, an end. We have good days and bad, ordinary and outstanding. Today is just a day, but it is in what we make of it that will tell the tale in days to come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Thank you, Norman Rockwell, your painting is food for thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-76056200516773254972012-10-30T12:13:00.000-04:002013-01-12T13:03:08.422-05:00Sandy 2012<span class="userContent"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><strong>Sandy 2012</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The storm has gone, the rivers rized, </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #073763;">the ocean blew away the prize</span></strong><strong><span style="color: #073763;"> </span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>of Atlantic City and the beaches </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>in a way I hope will teach us<br />not to mess with Mother Nature and, </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>believe it </strong></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>when they say </strong></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Escape Her!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Now to clean up and assess it, </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>and give thanks </strong></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>for all who met it </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>and helped the rest of us carry on </strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>through the night and into Dawn.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana;"><strong> </strong><span style="color: #4c1130;">It was the proverbial "dark and stormy night" with much anxiety all around. What would we find in the morning? Thankfully, I and my family and friends are all ok. No damage of siginificance, not even power lost for most of us. Very many others have had significant, life-altering damage, injury, and even death. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Verdana;"> It is far too early to know what the long-term effects will be but as in all such disastrous times, there will be tragedy, comedy, and triumph to be seen. For now, gratitude for what didn't happen is foremost in my heart and mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">All personal content and photos are the property of Leeosophy and ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7296472451432686352.post-63617993203426042272012-10-28T11:40:00.000-04:002012-10-28T11:40:14.811-04:00The Storm Before the Calm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> All the feverish activity of preparation</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is nearly over. The rain has started</span><span style="font-size: small;">, the winds will steadily increase as the day progresses and remain at hurricane force for several days if the storm stalls as predicted. Hurricane Sandy along the east coast with a nor'easter nested inside combined with a winter storm on our western edge portends disaster heading directly our way. A storm of unprecedented, historical, and "monster" proportions, nicknamed "Frankenstorm" by the media is moving in. With a projected range of nearly 1000 miles in breadth, the forecasters have already decided that the damages will be in the billions and power outages could last "weeks". </span><br />
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SO, the table, chairs, and flower pots in the yard have been secured. The car is filled with gas (in case I have to leave and IF the garage door battery backup works!), extra water, lantern and radio batteries, and non-perishable food have been obtained. The bottom row of books on several bookcases and a variety of other things such as the doll cradle and other toys always awaiting the visits of my granddaughters have been placed up off the floor in the fnished basement. My important papers are stored securely and the really important papers and other stuff are in the computer bag I'll grab if I have to leave. <br />
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Today I am just doing more normal things around the house. Exchanging summer clothes for winter, setting aside things to give to the eventual charity pick-up, and continuing the never-ending attempt to organize my various needlework projects will occupy some of my time over the next few days. I have books to read, those (many) projects to work on, and even some writing to do - none of which will require electricity. I also have a gas stove and a blessed French press so I won't even have to go without my coffee! I am well aware that I am luckier than many who will be in the path of this storm along with me. <br />
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I'm not a fan of or believer in an "interventionist" God who sits by a chess board moving human pieces around and decides who gets slammed and who doesn't, but no doubt as the winds howl and the roof rattles, habits of a lifetime will find me in intercessory prayer. At least I'll have someone to talk to in the midst of it all. And therein lies the Calm.... Peace, safety, and Calm to all of you who will share this time with me, one way or another. Stay tuned. I expect to be back soon. I may even tweet, if I'm certain of enough battery power for the phone. That would be, of course, <span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>@leeosophy</strong></span>.<br />
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<span class="text Mark-4-39" id="en-NIV-24363"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup class="versenum">39 </sup>He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, <span class="woj">“Quiet! Be still!”</span> Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span class="text Mark-4-40" id="en-NIV-24364"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="woj"></span></span></span> </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">For ALL personal narratives and personal photos: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quotes and reprints available by author's written permission.</div>Christina Brennan Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08010750265041698257noreply@blogger.com0