Prayer before meals

Thank you for the world so sweet.

Thank you for the food we eat.

Thank you for the birds that sing.

Thank you God for everything.

Living Self-Mastery (Verse 33, Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu)

One who understands others has knowledge;
one who understands himself has wisdom.
Mastering others requires force;
mastering the self needs strength.

If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.

One who gives himself to his position
surely lives long.
One who gives himself to the Tao
surely lives forever.

Dave Bilbrough, Abba Father...

Abba Father, let me be
Yours and Yours alone.
May my will forever be
Evermore Your own.
Never let my heart grow cold,
Never let me go.
Abba Father, let me be
Yours and Yours alone.

Living Your Own Utopia (Verse 80, Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu)

Imagine a small country with few people.
They have weapons and do not employ them;
they enjoy the labor of their hands
and do not waste time inventing laborsaving machines.

They take death seriously and do not travel far.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they are not interested in travel.
Although they have boats and carriages,
no one uses them.

They are content with healthy food,
pleased with useful clothing,
satisfied in snug homes,
and protective of their way of life.

Although they live within sight of their neighbours,
and crowing cocks and barking dogs can be
heard across the way,
they leave each other in peace
while they grow old and die.

Living Softly (Verse 43, Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu)

The softest of all things
overrides the hardest of all things.
That without substance enters where there is no space.
Hence I know the value of nonaction.

Teaching without words,
performing without actions-
few in the world can grasp it-
that is the master's way.
Rare indeed are those
who obtain the bounty of this world.

Living by Knowing When to Stop (Verse 44, Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu, Top 3)

Which means more to you,
you or your renown?
Which brings more to you,
you or what you own?
I say what you gain
is more trouble than what you lose.

Love is the fruit of sacrifice.
Wealth is the fruit of generosity.

A contented man is never disappointed.
He who knows when to stop is preserved from peril,
only thus can you endure long.

Morning Prayer

There are so many things I take for granted. May I not ignore them today.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember that my life is a gift, that my health is a blessing, that this new day is filled with awesome potential, that I have the capacity to bring something wholly new and unique and good into this world.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember to be kind and patient to the people who love me, and to those who work with me too. Teach me to see all the beauty that I so often ignore, and to listen to the silent longing of my own soul.

Just for today, help me, God, to remember You.

Let this be a good day, God, full of joy and love.

Amen.