Faith
I grew up in Bloomfield Hills. My parents attended church in Pontiac for many years. Somehow, they found out about an Episcopal church getting started in West Bloomfield. He was a charter member of what was Episcopal Church of the Advent. He was the first Junior Warden when it formed in 1955 and was a Vestry member. At first, the church met in Pine Lake Elementary School, then they moved to a one room schoolhouse at Middlebelt and Long Lake Rd. Then they built the church on Middlebelt Rd. So that’s where I attended Sunday school, confirmation, and altar boy. I later served as an usher and youth group adviser there and that’s where my Dad’s funeral was. Both of my boys were baptized there. I attended Milford Presbyterian Church when I lived in Milford and helped out with the youth group by chaperoning trips to see Adam in Princeton, NJ and a trip to Spring Hill. My faith is important to me and I pray every day and read the Bible for good news. I don’t attend a church right now but I have watched sermons online. I talk with my Jesus action figure, though I do all the talking and Jesus just listens. I try to be the best Christian I can be and I do believe in the power of prayer. Attached to this blog are some prayers and songs I like.
My Jesus action figure…doesn’t everybody have one?
*8 Second Prayer: Lord, I love you and I need you. Come into my heart and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus’ name.
*God Bless your day and keep you safe from harm and more, and may you have a better one than the day before! Amen
*Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and confess that I have not loved you with my whole heart. I am sorry and ask you to forgive me. I accept your sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I welcome you into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Jesus I want to serve you, to be yoked with you and have your power in my life. Pour out the abundance of your Holy Spirit upon me. Anoint me with your Holy Spirit and refine the gifts you have given me, and give me other gifts that I might serve you and others. Amen
*Grace (used by my Mom): Thank you for the world so sweet, Thank your for the food we eat, Thank you for the birds that sing, Thank you Lord for EVERYTHING!
*Matthew 28:9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings!” She said they came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
*Dear GOD, thank you for not allowing me to become who I would’ve been if it were left up to me (Nicole Notare in Guideposts)
*A Teacher’s Prayer: Dear God, help me to see each of my children as uncut diamonds; needing only enough pressure to knock off the rough edges so that the brilliance You have placed in each of their hearts will always shine through.
*Romans 8:28 All things work together for good to those who love the Lord.
*Sometimes God will put a Goliath in your life for you to find a David within you.
*The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; it’s declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray (Ronald Reagan)
*Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us everyday, unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear.
*I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it (Mark Twain)
*Life is just one damn thing after another (Mark Twain)
*The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you found out why. (Mark Twain)
*May the work I have done speak for me.
*The idea is to die young…as late as possible.
*When asked why he chose to eat a strictly plant-based diet, Dr. Kim Williams (President of the American College of Cardiology) said “I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want it to be my fault”.
*The best way to find happiness is by searching for ways to make others happy.
*Old Indian saying: When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced! Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.
*What Matters: One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child (Author Unknown)
*May you always remember…God is in control. When things happen that are out of our control…It’s easy to become frustrated, feel afraid, and question what the future holds. Putting our faith in God’s plan allows us to trust that the events in our lives are meant to be. I want to remind you that God is in control and encourage you to trust Him. I love you…but God loves you even more.
A Prayer: Dear God, so far today, I’ve done alright. I haven’t gossiped. I haven’t lost my temper. I haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But in a few minutes,God, I’m going to get out of bed; And from then on I’m probably going to need a lot more help. Amen
Christian music I like in no particular order:
Shine, Jesus, Shine by Graham Kendrick
I Choose Christ by Karen Peck and New River
How Great Thou Art (Christian hymn)
Great is Thy Faithfulness (Christian hymn)
Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat soundtrack
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman
Let it Be Christmas by Alan Jackson
It is Well with My Soul
The Savior I Sing of Today
Jesus and Me
Prayer written by my cousin Jim Walters when Claudia was having major surgery to remove a 4 inch tumor in her kidney: Dear Lord, we pray that Claudia’s healing be complete through this surgery and any further treatment. May you give her rest and comfort. We praise you for a successful surgery. Amen!
Comedian George Carlin was being interviewed and talked about his definition of happiness and success. He said he felt very lucky. He then said that his definition was in three parts: Find what you love; do what you love and be good at it; and then you will be recognized for what you love.
God is great!
My favorite apostle was, of course, Peter…a name I was given by my parents. Peter was among the first of the disciples called during Jesus' ministry. Peter became the first listed apostle ordained by Jesus in the early church. Peter is often depicted in the gospels as spokesman of all the Apostles and is always listed first among the Twelve Apostles in the gospels and in the Book of Acts. It was cool how he walked on water for a short time. This painting shows Peter preaching to a crowd on his way to the temple…love it!
This Bible was given to me in high school by the leader of a local Christian group. You can see I’ve read it a lot.
This is the Book of Common Prayer used by the Episcopal Church. I was given this book at my confirmation. Some great prayers in there and I do believe in the power of prayer!
“The universe is astonishingly grand. Right now the moon is spinning around us at nearly 2,300 miles an hour. Our Earth is spinning around the sun at 66,000 miles an hour. Our sun is one of 200 billion other stars and trillions more planets in our galaxy, and that galaxy is just one of 100 billion others hurtling through space. In comparison to this vast cosmos, our little Earth is no bigger than a pebble, and our individual lives no greater than a grain of sand. Yet according to Scripture, the God of the galaxies attends to each microscopic one of us in intimate detail. He saw us before we existed; He watches us as we go about our days and listens for our every thought. The One who keeps the galaxies spinning knows us intimately. That can help us get through the worst of times”. Puts everything in perspective, don’t you think?