For anyone who has ever driven through Atlanta

Tired Of Traffic? A New DOT Report Urges Drivers: 'Honk'

Wednesday Morning

Holy God,

  Prepare my heart to love freely this day.  Open my mind to learn about you, to look for you, to seek after you.  You have promised that we will find you if we seek after you with all our hearts, and I pray that I might be transformed by finding your love surrounding me on this very morning.  Open my life, that you might flow through me, that others might see you through me.

Amen

Tuesday Morning 5/18/2010

God every moment of my life,

  Thank you for the abundant grace that surrounds me, the Holy Spirit that ensnares me, the love of Christ that envelops me.  Thank you for the hope I have in you, the life I have before me, the love I have around me.  Thank you for a beautiful day, the peacefulness of sleep, the anticipation of the morning.  You have given so freely, so generously, so bountifully.  Thank you.

Amen

The Iron Giant

  I first heard about The Iron Giant long ago, but never got around to watching it.  Something jarred it in my memory recently, so I added it to the queue, and last night we finally watched it.  This is a great movie--it reminds me why I love movies.  At the end of it, I got that feeling of amazement, one that reminded me of the magic that is possible with movies. 

  In the movie, a giant metal robot crashes down from space one dark and stormy night.  Hogarth, the young hero, goes out in search of the mythical robot, and soon the two are inseparable friends.  What young boy doesn't want a giant talking robot?

  Needing a place to hide the giant, as well as worries about supplying enough metal to meet the giant's appetite, Hogarth hides him in the local junkyard, run by Dean.  Throughout the movie there is a government agent hot on Hogarth's trail, desperate to find (and destroy) this elusive giant.

  In this movie, the giant is a beast we do not understand.  Only towards the end do we have a view of what he is truly capable of, and yet we also see how powerful a lesson human compassion can be.  Through Hogarth and the giant we learn about death and the soul, about guns and violence, about love and friendship.  We watch the giant grow in his understanding of humanity, and it is heartbreaking as he sees the best and the worst of us.

  One thing that sticks with me about this movie is how deep our fear is of those things that we don't understand.  The government agent is desperate to kill this giant out of fear of the unknown.  Others shy away because they don't understand him.  Hogarth isn't afraid to engage the giant, and because he does so, he changes the giant.  They each learn from each other, and the deep love that develops between them is because they don't fear each other.  How the world might change if, rather than fear those things we don't understand, we made genuine efforts to engage them and serve one another in love!

Laughter is a Blessing

It's Magic!

Amazing Indeed

Tuesday Morning

Gracious and Loving God,

  You transcend all that is.  You are an arc, with no beginning or no end, reigning over every moment of creation.  You are Lord of heaven and earth, of every created thing, of humans and plants and animals and everything in between.  You are Lord, all powerful, mighty and righteous.

  And yet you came to serve us.  In Jesus Christ, you became human so that we might know you better, so that we might love you more, so that we might serve one another.  You came to teach, to love, to serve, to redeem, to save.  In Christ the fullness of your love is shown when he hung upon the cross, and your power was on display when the tomb was not enough to hold you.  We kneel before the cross, before the tomb, before your throne, in awe of who you are and in shame of who we are not.  We are humble sinners before you, Lord, yet you cover us with your grace, shower us in your mercy, and send us back into the world, to try once more.

  Thank you seems so inadequate.  May my life proclaim my heart's anthem of joy.

Amen

Mothers' Day

Found while searching for an image of God as the Mother Hen (Luke 13) to use during the Time with Children. 

Monday Morning 5/10/2010

Dear Lord,

Sustain me on this day. May gratitude wash over me like rain, and in the glory of your light may I remember my baptism and be thankful. You have reached down from the heavens, parted the waters, that I may be drawn through by your Holy Spirit. I am so thankful for your love, Lord, that my words and life cannot contain my love. Thank you, Lord. I love you.

Amen

Happy Mother's Day

Bedtime Prayers

Hmmm....Do we think about what we say when we pray?

Thursday Morning, 5/6/2010

Dear God,

I have slept secure in your arms all night long. Now that I am awake, I am convinced that I can go out and live on my own, without your help. Remind me that I cannot even sleep without you. You sustain my life, and I am helpless without you, my Rock and my Strength. Grant me the heart to understand that your wisdom is above my own, and that this day, as is every other day, is yours.

Amen

I do love ice cream!

Wednesday Morning, 5/5/2010

Dear God,

  You have loved me with an unbreakable love.  Your hand has reached down from the heavens and claimed me as your own, covered me in grace and mercy, forgiven sins I could not bear on my own, and granted me hope for all of time.

  Teach me to respond with gratitude.  Break down the habits I have, the assumptions I make, and convert my heart anew, that I might swim in your love and wallow in your grace, and that thankfulness will drive me to tell one and all about how the radical love of God changed my life, now and forever.

  I love you

  Amen