Pages

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday Meditation #042610: Three Prayers

Prayers are being answered left and right...no need to stop now!  Here are three short and sweet prayers from Chief John Yellow Lark and Ludwig Van Beethoven.

I Come Before You
By Chief John Yellow Lark
Oh Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the wind, Whose breath gives life to the world, Hear me! I come to you as one of your many children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. May I walk in beauty. Make my eyes behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things that you have made, And my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may know the things That you have taught your children-- The lessons that you have hidden in every leaf and rock. Make me strong, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy: myself. Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes, so that When life fades as the faded sunset My spirit will come to you without shame.






GIVE ME STRENGTH By: Ludwig Van Beethoven

O God, give me strength to be victorious over myself. Guide my spirit; raise me from these dark depths that my soul, trans ported through Your wisdom, may fearlessly struggle in fiery flight; for You alone understand and You alone can inspire me.


ONE THING MORE


We praise Your goodness that You have left nothing undone to draw us to Yourself; but one thing we ask of You, O God; that You not cease Your work in our improvement. Let us tend toward You, no matter by what means, and be fruitful in good works.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday Sermon #042510: Music, muse & inspiration

Started this week off with more than a song to sing. But, I won't even try to put my bliss into words. Gonna need my camera or a canvas for that. I will just continue with this song and quote that got me out the door this Sunday. Thank you Navasha, Maimouna Yousseff and Mama Nataska Hummingbird.
~Enjoy.

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”
- Napoleon Hill
Cherokee Morning Song perfoationz" at Amma's event for love and world Peace

Monday, April 19, 2010

Monday Meditation #041910: The Practice of Prayer

I LOVE to pray. I feel an illuminated sense of peace and well being when I open my heart to speak inside of spirit through prayer. Most times, it only takes me a few moments of quiet meditation and deep breathing to get me to a place of powerful prayer. However, when I'm at a loss for words, I look to the prayer traditions of people from around the world. I am comforted by the fact that no matter what our differences are, an overwhelming majority of the world prays.

Recently, I have enjoyed the utter beauty in Sufi prayers. Led to Sufism by RUMI, one of my favorite poets, I have found prayers that offer some of the most beautiful descriptions of God that I have ever seen. I also find the prayers to be inclusive of all aspects of the Divine without limiting "God" to a masculine model. The prayers are full of sweet surrender. Of late, I have started my day with the following prayer. Enjoy.

Invocation
Toward the One,the Perfection of Love, Harmony, and Beauty,the Only Being,United with all the Illuminated Souls, Who form the Embodiment of the Master,the Spirit of Guidance.

Morning Prayers
I. Saum
Praise be to Thee, Most Supreme God,Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-pervading, the Only Being.
Take us in Thy Parental Arms, raise us from the denseness of the earth,
Thy Beauty do we worship, to Thee do we give willing surrender.
Most Merciful and Compassionate God, the Idealized Lord of the whole humanity,
Thee only do we worship, and towards Thee Alone we aspire.
Open our hearts towards Thy Beauty, illuminate our souls with Divine Light,
O Thou, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, All-powerful Creator, Sustainer,
Judge and Forgiver of our shortcomings, Lord God of the East and of the West,
of the worlds above and below,and of the seen and unseen beings:
Pour upon us Thy Love and thy Light, give sustenance to our bodies, hearts and souls, use us for the purpose that Thy Wisdom chooseth, and guide us on the path of Thine Own Goodness.
Draw us closer to Thee every moment of our life,
until in us be reflected Thy Grace, Thy Glory,Thy Wisdom, Thy Joy and Thy Peace.
Amen.

II. May the Message of God reach far and wide.
(Repeat eleven times.)

III. Pir
Inspirer of my mind, consoler of my heart, healer of my spirit,
Thy presence lifteth me from earth to heaven, Thy words flow as the sacred river,
Thy thought riseth as a divine spring,Thy tender feelings waken sympathy in my heart.
Beloved Teacher, Thy very being is forgiveness.
The clouds of doubt and fear are scattered by Thy piercing glance.
All ignorance vanishes in Thy illuminating presence.
A new hope is born in my heart by breathing Thy peaceful atmosphere.
O inspiring Guide through life's puzzling ways, in Thee I feel abundance of blessing.
Amen.

V. Prayer for Peace
Send Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting, that our souls may radiate peace.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act, and speak harmoniously.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife we may enjoy thy bliss.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all in the thought of thy grace and mercy.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that our lives may become a divine vision, and in Thy light all darkness may vanish. Send Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we Thy children on earth may all unite in one family.

Amen.

The art was found at the following site: http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/index_gallery.html I may have to look into this cookbook!!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday Sermon #041810: Music, muse & inspiration

Starting the week with a quote & a theme song is my set up for a good week. This week, something short and sweet from Anais Nin and Don't Look Back by Bliss from their album quiet letters. I love the original and the Fug Mix so, I included them both. Lucinda Drayton's voice is enchanting. Now, this is the song I want playing again and again in my head this week.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~ anais nin
Don't Look Back by Bliss
Don´t have to question
Everything you feel
It´s in your heart
In your mind
In your soul

Not everything you want
Is what you need
Look inside look inside
And you´ll see

Don´t look back
Take it easy on yourself
Don´t look back
Don´t have to worry
Don´t look back
Take it easy on yourself
this time

as we rise we fall
fall to the ground
but get up get up on your feet
if you look around
there is always someone there
just look up look up to the skies

Don´t look back
Take it easy on your self
Don´t look back
Don´t have to worry
Don´t look back
Take it easy on yourself
This time