The crises of commitments!

 Needs are what we require for living an essentially human life. Desires are what we require for living a pleasurable life. 

4 things we all need in order to be a functioning human being:

1. Survival needs: what we need to keep our body and spirit together. 

2. Moral needs: what we need to keep a sense of our personal integrity. 

3. Power needs: what we need to take responsibility for our own lives.

4. Spiritual needs: what we need to relate to God in gratitude and love. 

As for desires, the field is wide open. We can want what is good for us. We can want what is bad for us. We might want what other people think anyone would be crazy for having. We might want what almost everybody else wants. Wanting things is a terrific energy; it makes for exciting relationships. 

But if we confuse our desires with needs, and if our desires get in the way of the other person's needs, we have a conflict on our hands. 

Basic rules for settling conflicts between needs and desires: 

1. Desires give way to needs: If getting what I want prevents you from getting what you need, I give up what I want so that you can meet your needs. 

2. Needs do not give way to desires: If getting what I needs prevents you from getting what you want, I do not give in to your desires. 

3. Desires are negotiable: If getting what I want prevents you from getting what you want, we negotiate; neither of us surrender, both of us compromise. 

4. Needs are negotiable. If getting what I need prevents you from getting what you need, we negotiate as equals, from strength to strength; we compromise our less basic needs so that both of us can meet our more basic need. 

Short vacation update!

 As it is already very late at night, and I am a bit tired, I will just touch upon the wonderful Greek vacation I had this year! 

Back to Paralia Dionisou, I have enjoyed 10 days of relaxation, and pictures can speak more than words :) 

Thankful for a great time!

Ready....steady ....GO

 Less than 12 hours till our official vacation starts!!! Yeii....a bit excited, a bit worried, I hope things will calm down while we are on the road to Greece. 

Long trip ahead, great company, and a need to be protected and to walk with God!

Vitamin sea! Here we come! :) 

Prayer 124

 O Thou in whose boundless being are laid up all treasures of wisdom and truth and holiness, grant that though constant fellowship with Thee the true graces of Christian character may more and more take shape within my soul:

The grace of a thankful and uncomplaining heart

The grace to await Thy leisure patiently and to answer Thy call promptly

The grace of courage, whether in suffering or in danger

The grace to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

The grace of boldness in standing for what s right

The grace of prepardness, lest I enter into temptation

The grace of bodily discipline

The grace of strict truthfulness 

The grace to treat others as I would have others treat me

The grace of charity, that I may refrain from hasty speech

The grace of forgiveness towards all who have wronged me

The grace of tenderness towards all who are weaker than myself

The grace of steadfastness in continuing to desire that Thou wilt do as now I pray 

And now, O God, give me a quiet mind, as I lie down to rest. Dwell in my thoughts until sleep overtakes me. 

Let me rejoice in the knowledge that, whether awake or asleep, I am still with Thee. Let me not be fretted by any anxiety over the lesser interests of life. Let no troubled dreams disturb me, so that I may awake refreshed and ready for the tasks of another day. And to Thy Name be all the glory. Amen. 

Prayer 123

 O Eternal God, though Thou art not such as I can see with my eyes or touch with my hands, yet grant me this day a clear conviction of Thy reality and power. Let me not go forth to my work believing only in the world of sense and time, but give me grace to understand that the world I cannot see or touch is the most real world at all. My life to-day will be lived in time, but eternal issues will be concerned in it. The needs of my body will be clamant, but it is for the needs of my soul that I must care most. 

My business will be with things material, but behind them let me be aware of things spiritual. Let me keep steadily in mind that the things that matter are not money or possessions, not houses or lands, not bodily comfort or bodily pleasure, but truth and honour and meekness and helpfulness and a pure love of Thyself. 

For the power Thou has given me to lay hold of things unseen: 

For the strong sense I have that this is not my home

For my restless heart which nothing finite can satisfy

I give thanks to Thee, O God. 

For the invasion of my soul by Thy Holy Spirit

For all human love and goodness that speak to me of Thee

For the fullness of Thy glory outpoured in Jesus Chris 

I give Thee thanks, O God. 

I, a pilgrim of eternity, stand before Thee, O eternal One. Let me not seek to deaden or destroy the desire for Thee that disturbs my heart. Let me rather yield myself to its constraint and go where it leads me. Make me wise to see all things to-day under the form of eternity, and make me brave to face all changes in my life which such a vision may entail: through the grace of Christ my Saviour. Amen. 

Prayer 122

 O Merciful heart of God, in true penitence and contrition, I would now open heart to Thee. Let me keep nothing hidden from Thee, while I pray. Humbling as the truth about myself may be, let me yet take courage to speak it in Thy presence. What I did not think shame to commit, that let me not think shame to confess. And in Thy wisdom use this pain of confession as a means to make me hate the sins confessed. 

I confess to the sin of laziness in this unhelping and this ignoring my household needs. 

I confess to the sin of vanity in this higher impression about myself and arrogance towards others. 

I confess to this abnormal eating and this not keeping food boundaries indulgence of the flesh

I confess to the habit of falsehood in this interaction with friends and sometimes family.

I confess to this opportunities where I am guilty of dishonesty

I confess this bad words and this not helping uncharitable words that I use with people

I confess to having harboured this unhealthy and this very evil thoughts about different people 

I confess that because of the priorities in my life I am worried and sorry about the wrong direction my life has been taking. 

I confess to this lack of Bible reading lapse from faithful religious practice. 

O Thou whose love can be in the heart of man as a fire to burn up all that is shameful and evil, let me now lay hold upon Thy perfect righteousness and make it mine own. Blot out all my transgressions and let my sins be covered. Make me to feel Thine hand upon my life, cleansing me from the stain of past misdeeds loosing me from the grip of evil habits, strengthening me in new habits of pure-heartedness, and guiding my footsteps in the way of eternal life. Lead me in battle, O God, against my secret sins. Fence round my life with a rampart of pure aspiration. And let Christ be formed in my heart through faith. All this I ask for His holy name's sake. Amen. 

Prayer 121

 Omnipresent One, beneath whose all-seeing eye our mortal lives are passed, grant that in all my deeds and purposes to-day I may behave with true courtesy and honour. Let me be just and true in all my dealings. Let no mean or low thought have a moment's place in my mind. Let my motives be transparent to all. Let my word be my bond. Let me generous in my judgement of others. Let me be disinterested in my opinions. Let me be loyal to my friends and magnanimous to my opponents. Let me face adversity with courage. Let me not ask or expect too much for myself. 

Yet, O Lord God, let me not rest content with such an ideal of manhood as men have known apart from Christ. Rather let such a mind be in me as was in Him. Let me not rest till I come to the stature of His own fulness. Let me listen to Christ's question: What do ye more than others? And so may the threefold Christian graces of faith, hope and love be more and more formed within me, until all my walk and conversation be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. 

O Thou whose love to man was proven in the passion and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord, let the power of His Cross be with me to-day. Let me love as He loved. Let my obedience be unto death. In leaning upon His Cross, let me not refuse my own; yet bearing mine, let me bear it by the strength of His. 

O Thou who has set the solitary in families, I crave Thy heavenly blessing also for all the members of this household, all my neighbors, and all my fellow citizens. Let Christ rule in every heart and His law be honoured in every home. Let every knee be bent before Him and every tongue confess that He is the Lord. Amen. 

Prayer 120

 Almighty and ever-blessed God, I thank Thee for the love wherewith Thou dost follow me all the days of my life. I thank Thee that Thou dost inform my mind with Thy divine truth and undergird my will with Thy divine grace. I thank Thee for every evidence of Thy Spirit's leading, and for all those little happenings which, though seeming at the time no more than chance, yet afterwards appear to me as part of Thy gracious plan for the education of my soul. 

O let me not refuse Thy leading or quench this light which Thou has kindled within me, but rather let me daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord and Master. 

Yet, I would not think only of myself or pray only for myself, as now I seek Thy presence, I would remember before Thee all my human brothers and sisters who need Thy help. Especially to-night I think:

Of those who are faced by great temptaions

Of those who are faced by tasks too great for their powers

Of those who stand in any valley of decision

Of those who are suffering the consequences of misdeeds long ago repented of

Of those who, by reason of early surroundings, have never had a fair chance in life 

Of all family circles broken by death

Of all missionaries of the Kingdom of Heaven in faraway corners of the earth

Of those who lift high the lamp of truth in lonely places

Dear Father of mankind, make me the human channel, so far as in me lies through which Thy divine love and pity may reach the hearts and lives of a few those who are nearest to me. Amen. 

Prayer 119

 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 

Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgements. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 

Show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day. 

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 

Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that blackbiteth not with is tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt , and changed not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemeer. Amen. 

Surprise of the day

 Yesterday, I had another surprise. As I was just getting trough my day, trying to complete all my task at work, I received a phone call around a request of help. 

Of course I have honored it immediately, the best I could, but it also brought up again many feelings and question. 

When people come to ask for help? Do they do this with their close friends only? they do this with people that they do not know so well? Is it a trust matter etc?

I just would like to know all of that. 

Anyway enjoyed the surprise. 

Prayer 118

 O Merciful Father, who dost look down upon the weaknesses of Thy human children more in pity than in anger, and more in love than in pity, let me now in Thy holy presence inquire into the secrets of my heart. 

Have I to-day done anything to fulfil the purposes for which Thou didst cause me to be born? 

Have I accepted such opportunities of service as Thou in Thy wisdom hast set before my feet? 

Have I performed without omission the plan duties of the day? 

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God. 

Have I to-day done anything to tarnish my Christian ideal of manhood?

Have I been a lazy in body or languid in spirit? 

Have I wrongfully indulged in my bodily appetites? 

Have I kept my imagination pure and healthy?

Have I been scrupulously honorable in all my business dealings? 

Have I been transparently sincere in all I have professed to be, to feel or to do? 

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.

Have I tried to-day to see myself as others see me? 

Have I made more excuses for myself than I have been willing to make for others? 

Have I, in my own home, been a peace -maker or have I stirred up strife? 

Have I, while professing noble sentiments for great causes and distant objects, failed even in common charity and courtesy towards those nearest to me? 

Give me grace to answer honestly, O God. 

O Thou whose infinity love, made manifest in Jesus Christ, alone has power to destroy the empire of evil in my soul, grant that with each day that passes I may more and more be delivered from my besetting sins. Amen. 

Prayer 117

 Here I am, O God, of little power and of mean estate, yet lifting up heart and voice to Thee before whom all created things are as dust and a vapour. Thou art hidden behind the curtain of sense, incomprehensible in Thy greatness, mysterious in Thine almighty power; yet here I speak with Thee familiarly as child to parent, as friend to friend. If I could not thus speak to Thee, then were I indeed without hope in the world. 

For it is little that I have power to do or to ordain. Not of my own will am I here, not of my own will shall I soon pass hence. Of all that shall come to me this day, very little will be such as I have chosen for myself. If is Thou, O hidden One, who dost appoint my lot and determine the bounds of my habitation. It is Thou who hast put power in my hand to do one work and hast withheld the skill to do another. It is Thou who dost keep in Thy grasp the threads of this day's life and who alone knowest what lies before me to do or to suffer. But because Thou art my Father, I am not afraid. Because it is Thine own Spirit that stirs within my spirit's inmost room. I know that all is well. What I desire for myself I cannot attain, but what Thou desirest in me Thou canst attain for me. The good that I would I do not, but the good that Thou willest in me, that Thou canst give me power to do. 

Dear Father, take this day's life into Thine own keeping. Control all my thoughts and feelings. Direct all my energies. Instruct my mind. Sustain my will. Take my hands and make them skilful to serve Thee. Take my hands and make them swift to do Thy bidding. Take my eyes and keep them fixed upon Thine everlasting beauty. Take my mouth and make it eloquent in testimony to Thy love. Make this day a day of obedience, a day of spiritual joy and peace. Make this day's work a little part of the work of the Kingdom of my Lord Christ, in whose name these my prayers are said. Amen. 

Prayer 116

 O God, the Father of all mankind, I would bring before Thee to-night the burden of the world's life. I would join myself to the great scattered company of those who, in every corner of every land, are now crying out to Thee in their need. Hear us, O God, and look in pity upon our manifold necessities, since Thou alone art able to satisfy all our desire. 

Especially do I commend to Thy holy keeping: 

All who to-night are far from home and friends

All who to-night must lie down hungry or cold

All who suffer pain

All who are kept awake by anxiety or suspense

All who are facing danger

All who must toil or keep watch while others sleep

Give to them all, I pray, such a sense of Thy presence with them as may turn their loneliness into comfort and their trouble into peace. 

O most loving God, who in the Person of Thy Son Jesus Christ didst manifest Thy love to man by relieving all manner of suffering and healing all manner of disease, grant Thy blessing, I pray, to all who in any corner of the world are serving in Christ's name:

All ministers of the gospel of Christ

All social workers

All missionary workers abroad

All doctors and nurses who faithfully tend the sick

Accomplish through them Thy great purpose of goodwill to men, and grant them in their own hearts the joy of Christ's most real presence. 

And to me also, as I lie down, grant, O gracious Father, the joy of a life surrendered to Christ's service and the peace of sin forgiven through the power of His Cross. Amen. 

Prayer 115

 O God, who of Thy love and pity didst send us Jesus Christ for the illumination of our darkness, give me wisdom to profit by the words He spoke and grace to follow in the steps He trod. 

Jesus Christ said, When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any. 

O God, give me grace now so to do

Jesus Christ said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

O God, give me grace to-day to think, not of what I can get, but of what I can give. 

Jesus Christ said, When thou does alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. 

O God, give me grace this day to keep to the narrow path of duty and honorable dealing Jesus Christ said, Judge not.

O God, give me grace this day first to cast out the beam out of my own eye, before I regard the mote that is in my brother's eye. 

Jesus Christ said, What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 

O God, give me grace so to live this day that, whatever else I lose, I may not lose my soul. 

Jesus Christ said, After this manner therefore pray ye (and so, O Lord I pray). Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Prayer 114

 O Eternal Being, Thou livest in everlasting light; now, as the world's light fails, I seek the brightness of Thy presence. 

Thou knowest no weariness; now, as my limbs grow heavy and my spirit begins to flag, I commit my soul to Thee. 

Thou slumberest never; now, as I lie down to sleep, I cast myself upon Thy care. 

Thou keepest watch eternally; now, when I lie helpless, I rely upon Thy love. 

Before I sleep, O God, I would review this day's doings in the light of Thine eternity. 

I remember with bitterness the duties I have shirked

I remember with sorrow the hard words I have spoken

I remember with shame the unworthy thoughts I have harboured 

Use these memories, O God, to save me and then for ever blot them out 

I remember with gladness the beauties of the world today: 

I remember with sweetness the deeds of kindness I have to-day seen done by others

I remember with thankfulness the work Thou hast to-day enabled me to do and the truth Thou hast enabled me to learn. 

Use these memories, O God, to humble me, and let them live for ever in my soul. 

Before I sleep, I would for a moment rejoice in the loves and friendships, wherewith Thou hast blessed my life. I rejoice in the dear memory of my family, Andi and Anna and of all the others; knowing that, though they have passed into mystery, they have not passed beyond Thy love and care. I rejoice in my continued fellowship with all my friends; whom now, with my own soul, I entrust to Thy keeping through the hours of darkness. And for all who this night have not where to lay their heads or who, though lying down, cannot sleep for pain or for anxiety, I crave Thy pity in the name of our Lord Christ. Amen. 

Prayer 113

O Lord and Maker of all things, from whose creative power the first light came forth, who didst look upon the world's first morning and see that it was good, I praise Thee for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day. 

I praise Thee for the life that stirs within me

I praise Thee for the bright and beautiful world into which I go 

I praise Thee for the earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird

I praise Thee for the work Thou hast given me to do 

I praise Thee for all that Thou hast given me to fill my leisure hours: 

I praise Thee for my friends

I praise Thee for music and books and good company and all pure pleasures 

O Thou who Thyself art everlasting Mercy, give me a tender heart to-day towards all those to whom the morning light brings less joy than it brings to me: 

Those in whom the pulse of life grows weak

Those who must lie abed through the sunny hours

The blind, who are shut off from the light of day

The overworked, who have no joy of leisure

The unemployed, who have no joy of labour

The bereaved, whose hearts and homes are desolate:

And grant Thy mercy on them all. 

O Light that never fades, as the light of day now streams through these windows and floods to this room, so let me open to Thee the windows of my heart, that all my life may be filled by the radiance of Thy presence. Let no corner of my being be unilluminated by the light of Thy countenance. Let there be nothing within me to darken the brightness of the day. Let the Spirit of Him whose life was the light of men rule within my heart till eventide. Amen. 

Prayer 112

 O Thou who art the only origin of all that is good and fair and true, unto Thee I lift up my soul. 

O God, let Thy Spirit now enter my heart, 

Now as I pray this prayer, let not any room within me be furtively closed to keep Thee out. 

O God, give me power to follow after that which is good. Now as I pray this prayer, let there be no secret purpose of evil formed in my mind, that waits for an opportunity of fulfilment. 

O God, bless all my undertakings and cause them to prosper. 

Now as I pray this prayer, let me not be still holding to some undertaking on which I dare not ask Thy blessing. 

O God, give me chastity. 

Now as I pray this prayer, let me not say to myself secretly, But not yet, or But not overmuch. 

O God, bless every member of this household. 

Now as I pray this prayer, let me not still harbour in my heart a wrongful feeling of jealousy or bitterness or anger towards any of them. 

O God, bless my enemies and those who have done me wrong. 

Now as I pray this prayer, let me not still cherish in my heart the resolve to requite them when occasion offers. 

O God, let Thy Kingdom come on earth. 

Now as I pray this prayer, let me not be still intending to devote my own best hours and years to the service of lesser ends. 

O Holy Spirit of God, as I rise from these acts of devotion, let me not return to evil thoughts and worldly ways, but let that mind be in me which was also in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Prayer 111 - Grace family

 God, who hast proven Thy love for mankind by sending us Jesus Christ our Lord, and hast illumined our human life by the radiance of His presence, I give Thee thanks for Thy greatest gift. 

For my Lord's days upon earth,

For the record of His deeds of love, 

For the words He spoke for my guidance and help

For His obedience unto death

For his triumph over death

For the presence of His Spirit with me now:

I thank thee, O God. 

Grant that the remembrance of the blessed Life that once was lived out on this common earth under these ordinary skies may remain with me in all the tasks and duties of this day. Let me remember -

His eagerness, not to be ministered unto, but to minister

His sympathy with suffering of every kind:

His bravery in face of His own suffering

His meekness of bearing, so when reviled He reviled not again, 

His steadiness of purpose in keeping to His appointed task:

His simplicity:

His self-discipline

His serenity of spirit:

His complete reliance upon Thee, His Father in Heaven

And in each of theses ways give me grace to follow in His footsteps. 

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I commit all my ways unto Thee. I make over my soul to Thy keeping. I pledge my life to Thy service. May this day be for me a day of obedience and of charity, a day of happiness and of peace. May all my walk and conversation be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. Amen. 

Prayer 110

 Almighty God, in this hour of quiet I seek communion with Thee. From the fret and forever of the day's business, from the world's discordant noises, from the praise and blame of men, from the confused thoughts and vain imaginations of my own heart, I would now turn aside and seek the quietness of Thy presence. All day long have I toiled and striven; but now, in stillness of heart and in the clear light of Thine eternity, I would ponder the pattern my life has been weaving. 

May there fall upon me now, O God, a great sense of earthly things in their true measure. 

Let me not be ignorant of this great thing, that one day is with Thee as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 

Give me now such a vision of Thine uncreated beauty as will make me dissatisfied with all lesser beauties. 

Though earth, and man were gone, 

And suns and universe cease to be, 

And Thou wert left alone,

Every existence would exist in Thee

I am content, O Father, to leave my life in Thy hands, believing that the very hairs upon my head are numbered by Thee. I am content to give over my will to Thy control, believing that I can find in Thee a righteousness that I could never have won for myself. If I am content to leave all my dear ones to Thy care, believing that Thy love for them is greater than my own. 

I am content to leave in Thy hands the causes of truth and of justice, and the coming of Thy Kingdom in the hearts of men, believing that my ardour for them is but a feeble shadow of Thy purpose to Thee, O God, be glory for ever. Amen. 

Prayer 109

God of my forefathers I cry unto Thee, Thou hast been the refuge of good and wise men in every generation. When history began, Thou wert the first enlightener of men's minds, and Thine was the Spirit that first led them out of their brutish estate and made them men. Through all the ages Thou hast been the Lord and giver of life, the source of all knowledge, the fountain of all goodness. 

The patriarchs trusted Thee and where not put to shame:

The prophets sought Thee and Thou didst commit Thy word to their lips: 

The psalmists rejoiced in Thee and Thou wert present in their song:

The apostles waited upon Thee and they were filled with Thy Holy Spirit:

The martyrs called upon Thee and Thou wert with them in the midst of the flame:

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him , and saved him out of all his troubles. 

O Thou who wast, and art, and art to come, I thank Thee that this Christian way whereon I walk is no untried or uncharted road, but a road beaten hard by the footsteps of saints, apostles, prophets and martyrs. I thank Thee for the finger-posts and danger-signals with which it is marked at every turning and which may be known to me through the study of the Bible, and of all history, and of all the great literature of the world. Beyond all I give Thee devout and humble thanks for the great gift of Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our faith. I praise Thee that Thou hast caused me to be born in an age and in a land which have known His name, and that I am not called upon to face any temptation or trial which He did not first endure. 

Forbid it, Holy Lord, that I should fail to profit by thee great memories of the ages that are gone by, or to enter into the glorious inheritance which Thou hast prepared for me; through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen. 

Restored and renewed

 Perfect picture! 

Celebration continued for a longer while this year, and I am grateful. 

I am grateful for close friends, they say you need to count your blessings, and my blessings are mainly the people around me, family and friends. 

I find it amazing how people are close by, and even when I am feeling down they can easily pick me up. 

After some time, in which I was feeling down, and I was not able to pick myself up, the Holy Spirit finally found me, or better let's say that I found Him once again. 
And with His help and patience, here I am again, back on my feet. 

I can feel the energy and the desire of life running through my body, or maybe these are the supplements I am taking. Nevertheless, I am happy, and I choose to be happy today. 

This is my 38th year of life, and it is going to be one to REMEMBER....

Prayer 108

 O Thou before whose eyes all human hearts lie bare and open, forbid that I should seek to hide from  Thee anything that I have this day done or thought or imagined. What must for ever be hidden from the knowledge of others, that let me now openly acknowledge in Thy presence. What no proper shame kept me from  committing, that let no false shame keep me now from confessing. 

O Thou whose tender mercies are over all Thy works, humbly and sorrowfully I crave Thy forgiveness for the sin of this day: 

For every wakening and defiling thought to which my mind has given harbour:

For every word spoken in hastiness or passion

For every failure of self-control 

For every stumbling-block which by deed or example I have set in another's way:

For every opportunity lost

For every blessing, thanklessly received

For loitering feet and a procrastinating will 

For this way of dealing with my colleagues without respecting their work 

And this lack of love for my family and friends

And this not living fully in Thy presence

And grant that, as the days go by, Thy Spirit may more and more rule in my heart, giving me victory over these and all other sinful ways. 

To Thy loving guardianship, O holy Father, I commend all those who are dear to me, especially my mum and sister, Ligia and her family, and all my friends and family. Bless all those among whom my lot is cast, and grant them a satisfying sense of Thy reality and power. Be with all those who to-night are in any peril or distress. Be in every sore heart, in every stricken home, beside every bed of pain, giving to all the blessing of Thy peace. 

Amen. 

Prayer 107

 Almighty and eternal God, 

Thou art hidden from my sight:

Thou art beyond the understanding of my mind; 

Thy thoughts are not as my thoughts:

Thy ways are past finding out. 

Yet hast Thou breathed The Spirit into my life

Yet hast Thou formed my mind to seek Thee

Yet hast Thou inclined my heart to love Thee

Yet hast Thou made me restless for the rest that is in Thee

Yet hast Thou planted within me a hunger and thirst that make me dissatisfied with all the joys of earth. 

O Lord God, I praise and magnify Thy name that thus Thou hast set Thy seal upon my inmost being, not leaving me to my own poor and petty selfhood or to the sole empire of animal passion and desire, but calling me to be an heir of Thine eternal Kingdom. I bless Thee Thy waiting presence. I bless Thee for Thy hand upon my life, and for the sure knowledge that, however I may falter and fail, yet underneath are Thine everlasting arms. 

O Thou who alone knowest what lies before me this day, grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to Thee. Let me be in the world, yet not of it. Let me use this world without abusing it. If I buy, let me be as though I possessed not. If I have nothing, let me be as though possessing all things. Let me to-day embark on no undertaking that is not in line with Thy will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice which Thy will may demand. Suggest, direct, every moment of my mind. For my Lord Christ's sake. Amen. 

Prayer 106

 O Thou most wise, most great, most holy, in wisdom and power and tender mercy Thou didst create me in Thine own image. Thou hast given me this life to love, Thou hast appointed my lot and determined the bounds of my habitation, Thou hast surrounded me with gracious and beneficent influences, Thou has written Thy law within my heart. 

And in my heart's most secret chamber Thou art now waiting to meet and speak with me, freely offering me Thy fellowship in spite all of my sinning. Let me now avail myself of this open road to peace of mind. Let me approach Thy presence humbly and reverently. Let me carry with me the spirit of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Let me have behind me all fretfulness, all unworthy desires, all thoughts of malice towards my fellow men, all hesitancy in surrendering my will to Thine. 

In Thy will, O Lord is my peace. 

In Thy love is my rest. 

In Thy service is my joy. 

Thou art my heart's desire.

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee.

In Thy presence, O God, I think not only of myself but of others, my fellow men: 

Of my friends, especially of Sticea's, Guranda's, Zene's, Fejer's, Zimmermann's, Raducan's etc and of my mum and sister, brother and sister in law. 

Of those who to-day have worked or played with me:

Of those who are in sorrow:

Of those who are bearing the burdens of others:

Of those who are manning difficult stations or lonely outposts of Thy Kingdom:

O Thou who art the one God and Father of us all, be near to us all to-night and graciously keep watch over our souls. Hear my prayer for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 

Prayer 105

 Lord of my life, whose law I fain would keep, whose fellowship I fain would enjoy, and to whose service I would fain be loyal, I kneel before Thee as Thou sendest me forth to the work of another day. 

For this new day I give Thee humble thanks: for its gladness and its brightness: for its long hours waiting to be filled with joyous and helpful labor: for its open doors of possibility: for its hope of new beginnings. Quicken in my heart, I beseech Thee, the desire to avail myself richly of this day's opportunity. Let me not break faith with any of yesterday's promises, nor leave unrepaired any of yesterday's wrongs. Let me see no fellow traveler in distress and pass by on to the other side. Let me leave no height of duty behind me unattempted, nor any evil habit unassaulted. Where deed of mine can help to make this world a better place for men to live in, where word of mine can cheer a despondent heart or brace a weak will, where prayer of mine can serve the extension of Christ's Kingdom, there let me do and speak and pray. 

This day, O Lord-

give me courtesy:

give me meekness of bearing, with decisions of character: 

give me longsuffering :

give me charity:

give me chastity:

give me sincerity of speech:

give me diligence in my allotted task. 

O Thou who in the fullness of time didst raise up our Lord and Saviour Jesus CHrist to enlighten our hearts with the knowledge of Thy love, grant me the grace to be worthy of His name. 

Amen. 

Prayer 104

 O Father in heaven, who didst fashion my limbs to serve Thee and my soul to follow hard after Thee, with sorrow and contrition of heart I acknowledge before Thee the faults and failures of the day that is now past. Too long, O Father, have I tried thy patience; too often have I betrayed the sacred trust Thou hast given me to keep; yet Thou art still willing that I should come to Thee in lowliness of heart, as now I do, beseeching Thee to drown my transgressions in the sea of Thine own infinite love. 

My failure to be true even to my own accepted standards:

My self-deception in face of temptatio:

My choosing of the worse when I know the better: 

O Lord, forgive.

My failure to apply to myself the standards of conduct I demand of others:

My blindness to the suffering of others and my slowness to be taught by my own. 

My complacence towards wrongs that do not touch my own case and my over-sensitiveness to those that do : 

My slowness to see the good in my fellows and to see the evil in myself;

My hardness of heart towards my neighbor's faults and my readiness to make allowance for my own. 

My unwillingness to believe that Thou hast called me to a small work and my brother to a great one: 

O Lord forgive.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and give me the strength of a willing spirit. Amen. 

Prayer 103

 O God my Creator and Redeemer, I may not go forth to-day except Thou dost accompany me with Thy blessing. Let not the vigor and freshness of the morning, or the glow of good health, or the present prosperity of my undertakings, deceive me into a false reliance upon my own strength. All these good gifts have come to me from Thee. They were Thine to give and they are Thine also to curtail. They are not mine to keep; I do but hold them in trust; and only in continued dependence upon Thee, the Giver, can they be worthily enjoyed. 

Let me then put back into Thine hand all that Thou hast given me, rededicating to Thy service all the powers of my mind and body, all my worldly goods, all my influence with other men. All these, O Father, are Thine to use as Thou wilt. All these are Thine, O Christ. All these are Thine, O Holy Spirit. Speak Thou in my words to-day, think in my thoughts, and work in all my deeds. And seeing that it is Thy gracious will to make use even of such weak human instruments in the fulfilment of Thy mighty purpose for the world, let my life to-day be the channel through which some little portion of Thy divine love and pity may reach the lives that are nearest to my own. 

In Thy solemn presence, O God, I remember all my friends and neighbors, my fellow townsfolk, my dog, and especially the poor within our gates, beseeching Thee that Thou wouldst give me grace, so far as in me lies, to serve them in Thy name. 

O blessed Jesus, who didst use Thine own most precious life for the redemption of Thy human brethren giving no thought to ease or pleasure or wordily enrichment, but filling up all Thine  hours and days with deeds of self-denying love, give me grace to-day to follow the road Thou didst first tread; and to Thy name be all the glory and the praise, even unto the end. Amen. 

Prayer 102

 O Thou who art from everlasting to everlasting. I would turn my thoughts to Thee as the hours of darkness and of sleep begin. O Sun of my soul, I rejoice to know that all night I shall be under the unsleeping eye of One who dwells in eternal light. 

To thy care, O Father, I would now commend my body and my soul. All day Thou hast watched over me and Thy companionship has filled my heart with peace. Let me not go through any part of this night unaccompanied by Thee. 

Give me sound and refreshing sleep. 

Give me safety from all perils:

Give me in my sleep freedom from restless dreams:

Give me control of my thoughts, if I should lie awake: 

Give me wisdom to remember that the night was made for sleeping, and not for the harboring of anxious or fretful or shameful thoughts. 

Give me grace, if as I lie abed I think at all, to think upon Thee. 

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 

To Thy care also, O Father, I would commend my friends, beseeching Thee to keep them safe in soul and body, and to be present in their hearts to-night as a Spirit of power and of joy and of restfulness. I pray for my mum, and my sister, and for all my friends, I pray also for the wider circle of all my associates, my fellow workers, my fellow townsmen and all strangers within our gates; and the great world of men without, to me foreign and unknown, but dear to Thee, through Jesus Christ our common Lord. Amen. 

My future in 3 questions

 1. How do you want to be seen in 10 years from now ? 

In 10 years from now, I will be almost 50. I would like to be seen as a successful woman, in my family life, spiritual life and professional one. I would like to be seen as an open person, with an open door for those in needs. I want to be seen as a Christian who struggles but that is in the battle, fighting with every breath. I would like to be surrounded by people, my family, my husband my kids and my friends.  

2. What do you want to be good at? For what do you want to be known?

I want to be good at my work and at my family life. I want to be known as the woman who's door and heart is always opened for others. I want to be known as the informal counselor in life matters. I want to be known as the loving and humorous one. 

3. What type of person you want to be?

I want to be a loving person. A patient person, and a person ready to serve others, in the various forms they need to be served. I also want to be a trustworthy person, one that people can depend on. 

4. How would you like your family to be ?

I would like to have a bigger family. For sure I want to keep my mum , sis, brother and others for as long as it is possible, but I would like to be married someday to a man who loves others and loves me. And together to adopt some children and make a home for those in need. 

Prayer 101

Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought today be of Thee, let my first impulse be to worship Thee, let my first speech be Thy name, let my first action be to kneel before Thee in prayer. 

For Thy perfect wisdom and perfect goodness;

For the love wherewith Thou loves mankind:

For the love wherewith Thou lovest me:

For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life:

For the indwelling of Thy Spirit in my heart:

For the sevenfold gifts of Thy Spirit:

I praise and worship Thee, O Lord. 

Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship ended, and spend the day in forgetfulness of Thee. Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day;

Keeping me chaste in thought

Keeping me temperate and truthful in speech:

Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work:

Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself:

Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others:

Keeping me loyal to every hallowed memory of the past:

Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as a child of Thine. 

O God, who has been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge to-day in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Guard through all that threatens my spirit's welfare. Be my Strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Thy peace, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.