Contemplative Haven

Nov 07 2009

Simply Saturday: Things Gotta Change

Published by gabrielle at 11:06 am under Canadian, Prayer, Simply Saturday

Every morning when I turn on my computer, my homepage says:

Sympatico.ca - Where Canadians start their day

Catchy, I suppose. Sad, really.

Let’s start our day with prayer, my fellow Canadians. I promise it will give you a whole different perspective on those headlines you’re confronted with every morning.

Artwork: “Dawn”, by Tom Thomson (Group of Seven)

5 responses so far

5 Responses to “Simply Saturday: Things Gotta Change”

# kristinon 09 Nov 2009 at 1:22 pm

This is such profound advice, Gabrielle….
From my own experience (tho I am not a Canadian), I couldn’t agree w/you more…(we Americans need to do this too…)
Starting the day in prayer gives you an entirely different perspective. It opens your heart & mind to His Voice, and affects how you respond to all that is going on around you, all thru the day. I am more centered, less fearful, more receptive and responsive, more patient and less rattled…if I have prayed before leaving for work. In 1st Thessalonians 5:17, Paul advised us to “pray without ceasing”…I am still “a work in progress”, where this is concerned. But, praying in the morning is a vital step in this life-long process of “abiding in Him”…

Thank you for reminding us of such a straight-forward truth.

(((hugs)))
# gabrielleon 11 Nov 2009 at 1:47 am

Hi Kristin! Well, I’m sure the majority of the people who read my blog start their day with prayer, but everytime I see that on my homepage I think the thought I wrote, so I decided to write it (so maybe I could stop thinking it). I know you’ll understand every word I just said. I agree entirely with “I am more centered, less fearful, more receptive and responsive, more patient and less rattled…if I have prayed before leaving for work.” And even though I start the day with prayer, I can get off-track, so imagine if I hadn’t prayed, how much worse it would be? One of the prayers I say every morning is the one you sent me by St. Philaret of Moscow – I posted it here on my site several months ago – it’s a wonderful prayer. Thank you!
# Carolon 11 Nov 2009 at 9:08 am

If only the press would put that much effort daily — hourly! — into providing good news. We all marvel that we’re also surrounded by the good stuff of life, but folks rarely speak of it around the water cooler. Why do we listen to the *news* if not to have something to talk about? We have forgotten how to talk about God and family and Nature and sweet things. Sometimes if I’m stupid enough to listen to the news in the morning, I will hear that which rattles my faith in my fellow men, and it colours the day. Enough discoloured days will ruin the week.. you see where this is going (and I threw those “u”s into “colour” expressly for you and your fellow Canadians). The sense of foreboding if not also the sense of all-is-lost is the global pandemic we ought to worry about far more than any other.

After I turn off the car radio immediately, I have taken to patting my passenger seat and saying, “Sit right here, Lord. You talk, I’ll listen.. but until You get started, what am I to think about ______?” And then of course I smack my forehead over my audacity and apologize for thinking Him that accessible, that Hands-on, that Brotherly.. and then, I listen to The News.
# Piaon 11 Nov 2009 at 4:35 pm

And why wouldn’t He be so hands on, so brotherly? I like your audacity, it’s a sign that you talk to Him a lot.
# gabrielleon 12 Nov 2009 at 12:10 am

He is that accessible, and loves it when we know that. Carry on, oh head-slapper.