Scout’s Own Service - T50BSAt50bsa.org/DOCS/ScoutsOwnServiceResource.pdf · 2014-07-29 · Bringing In the Sheaves .....99 . Bibliography ... Poems Verses and Prayers for Scout’s

Poems Verses and Prayers for Scout’s Own Service

Scout’s Own Service

A compilation of Poems, Verses, Prayers, and Hymns to serve as a

resource for preparing Scout’s Own Services

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Introduction Rather than collecting a series of individual Scout’s Own services, I have searched the literature and copied several inspirational pieces that the Scouts may use to create their own service. Any combination of readings, prayers and hymns may be selected for an individual service. Some pieces did not have titles. For reference, I have added titles based on the theme of the piece. Follow the outline of Groupings and titles to make your custom Scout’s Own Service. A few of the passages have been marked “For Christian Only.” Do not use these in a Scout’s Own service that may contain non-Christians. Topic Page Inspirational Sayings Love, Creativity, Gifts, Devotion ...................................................... 5 Trust, Humility ................................................................................. 6 Compassion, Acceptance, Grace.................................................... 7 Respect, Truthfulness, Trustworthiness, Courtesy.......................... 8 Forgiveness, Humility, Justice, Faith............................................... 9 Faith, Prayerfulness, Gentleness, Wisdom, A Leader................... 10 Perseverance, Persistence, Beauty .............................................. 11 Commitment, Unity........................................................................ 12 Patience, Diligence, Righteousness.............................................. 13 Righteousness, Flexibility, Kindness, Loyalty, Law of Life ............ 14 Purposefulness, Why Not?,Self-discipline..................................... 15 Contentment, Footprints................................................................ 16 Care, Appointments ...................................................................... 17 Blessed ......................................................................................... 18 Faith Sharing,Renewal, ................................................................. 19 Happiness, Weep ......................................................................... 20 Trials, First Thing .......................................................................... 21 Assurance, Goodness, Action, In the Moment, ............................. 22 Road-making, Security, Possibilities, ............................................ 24 Possibilities, Thinking, Illusions, Reality ........................................ 25 Reality, Feelings, Life’s Stages, Lessons...................................... 26 Internal Revolts, Finding Home..................................................... 27 Environment, Good Land, Renewal .............................................. 28 Real Cowboy................................................................................. 29 Bridge Builder................................................................................ 30 Scout Litanies................................................................................ 31 Slow Me Down .............................................................................. 32 Piece of Clay, Scout Oath, God Grant Us ..................................... 33 Devil’s Sale ................................................................................... 34


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Scout is Reverent, Knight’s Code.................................................. 35 Don’t Quit, Children Learn, Irish Blessing...................................... 36 Beatitudes, Promise, God’s Promise............................................. 37 Scout Compass, Love, Every Day Commitment ........................... 38 The Talent of Humor, God Provides.............................................. 39 My 23rd Psalm, Minute on God’s World, ........................................ 40 Paying Attention ............................................................................ 41 Believing is Not Seeing. Believe,................................................... 41 No Shrines, Yield –Not Break, Nature Does Not Insist.................. 42 American Indian Services Respect for Environment, Beauty of Land..................................... 43 Chief Seattle’s Speech about the Land ......................................... 44 Care for Earth, Respect for the Land ............................................ 46 God’s Creation, Wonders of the Lord, You Are There................... 47 Teach Us to Care, Our Land ......................................................... 48 Remember Animals,...................................................................... 49 Grandfather, Grace of World, Unity............................................... 50 Show us the Way .......................................................................... 51 Tiny Drop of Water, Bless Me ....................................................... 52 Animal’s song, Forgive us ............................................................. 53 Thanks for the Day, Sunset........................................................... 54 Earth Prayer .................................................................................. 55 Symbolism of Eagle Feather, Blessing.......................................... 56 Earth Prayers ................................................................................ 57 Big Thunder................................................................................... 58 Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding ...................................... 59 Great Spirit, Soil ............................................................................ 62 Indian Prayer................................................................................. 63 Chief Seattle’s Speech, Thank you mother Earth.......................... 64 Several other Indian sayings ......................................................... 65 Big Thunder, God in All things, Good and Evil, Lone Man ............ 66 Protect Forest, Native American Commandments ........................ 67 Prayers Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, Walk with Me ................................ 68 I Said a Prayer, The Difference .................................................... 69 A Parent’s Prayer, Serenity Prayer, .............................................. 70 Shepherd, God of All ..................................................................... 71 Scout’s Prayer,, Scout Leader’s Prayer ........................................ 72 Short Prayers ......................................................................................... 73 Hymns

Morning has Broken ........................................................................... 81 Day is Done........................................................................................ 81 Let There Be Peace on Earth ............................................................. 82 This Land is Your Land....................................................................... 82 Michael row the Boat Ashore.............................................................. 83


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Amazing Grace................................................................................... 83 This is my Father’s world.................................................................... 84 For the Beauty of the Earth ................................................................ 84 Faith of our Fathers ............................................................................ 84 Kum ba yah ........................................................................................ 85 God Bless America............................................................................. 85 America, the Beautiful ........................................................................ 86 He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands............................................. 87 This Little Light of Mine....................................................................... 87 Praise Him, Praise Him ...................................................................... 88 Standin’ in the Need of Prayer............................................................ 88 Early in the Morning............................................................................ 89 Blowin’ in the Wind ............................................................................. 89 Go Tell It on the Mountain .................................................................. 90 Very Last Day ..................................................................................... 91 Farther Along...................................................................................... 92 America .............................................................................................. 93 Father, We Thank Thee for the Night ................................................. 93 Tell Me Why........................................................................................ 94 He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands............................................. 94 Taps ................................................................................................... 95 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.................................................................. 95 Church in the Wildwood...................................................................... 96 Now the Day is Over........................................................................... 96 Come, Thou Almighty King................................................................. 96 Stand By Me....................................................................................... 97 Whispering Hope ................................................................................ 98 Bringing In the Sheaves ..................................................................... 99

Bibliography......................................................................................... 100 Please refer to these and other sources for guidance and additional information. If no author or source is given, it is unknown. None of the following are original with me but have been quoted from one of the above sources. Respectfully submitted, Alice J. Corrigan, Antelope NEIV93 as part of my Wood Badge Ticket, 1998.


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Inspirational sayings

Love Love is an act of faith,

And whoever is of little faith is also of little love. Erich Fromm Love If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…. Love is patient, love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13 Love Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get-only what you are expecting to give-which is everything. What you receive in turns varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving. If you are lucky, you may be loved back. That is delicious, but it does not necessarily happen. Katherine Hepburn

Creativity God creates out of nothing.

Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing of him.

Martin Luther Gifts Let us use the different gifts allotted to each of us by God’s grace; the gift of inspired utterance, for example, let us use in proportion to our faith; the gift of administration to administer, the gift of teaching to teach, the gift of counseling to counsel. Romans 12

Devotion Lord, enfold me in the depths of your heart;

and there, hold me, refine, purge, and set me on fire, raise me aloft, until my own self knows utter annihilation.

Pierre Teiland de Cherdin


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Trust Trust in the Lord and He will guide you aright. One who has this trust need fear nothing. He can be at perfect peace and happiness, for he will be guided aright. The Mahavagga 8 Trust O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious. Ask whatsoever thou wishest of Him alone; seek whatsoever thou seekest from Him alone. With a look He granteth a hundred thousand hopes, with a glance He healeth a hundred thousand incurable ills, with a nod He layeth balm on every wound, with a glimpse He freeth the hearts from the shackles of grief. He doeth as He doeth, and what recourse have we? He carrieth out His will, He ordaineth what He pleaseth. Then better for thee to bow down thy head in submission, and put thy trust in the All-Merciful Lord. ‘Abdu’l-Baha Humility With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?… He has told you, O mortal, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6

Humility

I lift up my eyes to the hills- From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121

The Practice of Humility I recognize my simple gifts.

I walk humbly with my God, seeking ways to be just and kind. I am willing to keep improving. I ask for help when I need it.

I serve others. I am aware of my pride.

I am humbled by my powers. Linda Kavelin Popov

Humility

No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helps you.

Althea Gibson


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Compassion Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing. Peter 3 Acceptance In Buddhism, the word “suchness” is used to mean “the essence or particular characteristics of a thing or person. Its true nature.” Each person has his or her suchness. If we want to live in peace and happiness with a person, we have to see the suchness of that person. Once we see it, we understand him or her, and there will be no trouble. We can live peacefully and happily together. Thich Nhat Hanh

Acceptance If children live with criticism, They learn to condemn…

If children live with tolerance, They learn to be patient.

If children live with encouragement, They learn to be confident. If children live with praise, They learn to appreciate.

If children live with approval, They learn to like themselves.

Excerpt from Children Learn what they Live by Dorothy Nolte Acceptance God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhart Niebuhr

Grace The will of God will never take you

where the grace of God cannot sustain you. Anonymous

Grace

Have no desires in the world. Let God’s Grace suffice…

It is a mistake to believe that human desire and prayer will bring God to your side.

There must be a rising in consciousness until His presence is attained-and there rest.

Here truly is a perennial rest from care, concern, doubt and fear. Joel S. Goldsmith


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Respect O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds

And whose breath gives life to all the world, Hear me.

I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty And let my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears grow sharp to hear your voice…

Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades as the fading sunset My spirit may come to you without shame.

Native American Tradition

Truthfulness This above all-to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man. William Shakespeare

Trustworthiness

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For He has no pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill. It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill.

Ecclesiastes 6

The Practice of Trustworthiness I can be trusted to truly listen.

I only make promises I can keep. I attract prosperity by being worthy of trust.

My love is committed and constant, I keep my word.

I treat my gifts as a sacred trust. Linda Kavelin Popov

Courtesy

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Courtesty

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


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Forgiveness Do not resist an evil doer.

But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also…

and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

Matthew 5

Forgiveness The Practice of Forgiveness

I make amends for my mistakes. I accept Divine forgiveness.

I have the humility to forgive others. I allow forgiveness to dissolve my anger.

I am generous with forgiveness. I bless my woundedness.

Linda Kavelin Popov

Humility Humility puts an end to a bad reputation,

Self-effort destroys misfortune, Forgiveness destroys anger,

And good conduct wears away undesirable qualities. The Mahabharata

Justice

A man who knows he has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.

Confucius

Faith Hope cometh of faith, making an anchor for the souls of men,

which would make them sure and steadfast. f there be no faith among the children of men,

God can do no miracle among them… Book of Mormon, Ether 12

Faith

I do dimly perceive that while everything around me is ever changing, ever dying, there is underlying all that change

a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves, and re-creates. T

hat informing spirit or power is God. Mahatma Ghandi


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Faith Faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11

Prayerfulness

Life is fragile-Handle with prayer. E.C. McKenzie

Gentleness

A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15

Gentleness Do not speak harshly to anybody;

those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech breeds trouble,

thou wilt receive blows for blows. The Dhammapada

Wisdom

If you accept my words And treasure my commandments;

If you make your ears attentive to wisdom And your minds open to discernment;

If you call to understanding And cry aloud to discernment,

If you seek it as you do for silver And search for it as for treasures,

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord And attain knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2

A Leader A leader is best

When people barely know that he exists, Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,

Worst when they despise him. ‘Fail to honor people,

They fail to honor you;’ But of a good leader, who talks little,

When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, They will all say, ‘We did this ourselves.’

The Way of Life according to Lao Tzu


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Perseverance I have heard that an eagle misses seventy percent of its strikes.

Why should I expect to do better? And when he misses, does he scold himself,

I wonder, for failing at the task? …the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence - and over whelming determination to succeed…

They will not be thrust aside!

Sophy Burnham

Persistence Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Anonymous

Beauty

Spirit who comes out of the East, Come to me with the power of the rising sun.

Let there be light in my word. Let there be light on the path that I walk.

Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day. Never let me be burdened with sorrow by not starting over.

Excerpt from “Let Me Walk in Beauty” a Native American Tradition

Beauty A thing of beauty is a joy forever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness: but will still keep

A bower of quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

John Keats

Beauty One thing I ask of the Lord,

That I will seek after: to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord…

Psalm 27


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Commitment Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to one that would never otherwise have occurred… whatever you can do, or dream you can …begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Unity Have we not all one father?

Hath not one God created us? Malachi 2

Unity

We are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.

Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship…

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.

Bahaullah

Unity And if a house be divided against itself,

that house cannot stand. Mark 3

Unity

Love is healing, healing is love… When we learn to come together we are whole….

Anne Cameron

Unity He who experiences the unity of life,

sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self,

and looks on everything with an impartial eye. The Bhagavad Gita

Unity When you are weak enough, you let go, and that is when you find the rose, that is when you know it is not you living your life, it’s the Divine. It is not you who are doing anything. You do not exist in the way you think you do. You are a wave on the great ocean of energy and that ocean is carrying you at every moment. But you are also that ocean because being a wave, what else could you be but the sea? You ARE the rose you find, and the rose is blooming in everything, always. Andrew Harvey


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Patience We glory in tribulations also:

knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope…

Romans 5

Patience Be humble always and gentle,

and patient too, putting up with one another’s failings in a spirit of love.

Ephesians 4

Patience Be patient under all conditions,

and place your whole trust and confidence in God. Bahaullah

Diligence In the story of the Ugly Duckling when did the Ugly Duckling stop feeling Ugly? When he realized that he was a swan. Each of us has something Special, a Swan of some sort, hidden inside somewhere. But until we recognize that it’s there, what can we do but splash around, treading water? The wise are Who They Are. They work with what they’ve got and do what they can do. Benjamin Hoff Righteousness And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?…Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying “What will we eat? Or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”…indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6

Righteousness He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23


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Righteousness So let us not grow weary in doing what is right,

for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity,

let us work for the good of all… Galatians 6

Flexibility

I find creative ways to resolve problems. I discern when to be still and when to act.

My strength is rooted in flexibility. I go with the flow.

I have the resilience to learn from my losses. I am gracious with others.

Linda Kavelin Popov

Kindness Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house.

Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.

Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.

Mother Teresa

Loyalty The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,

His mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning;

Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3

The Law of Life

The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light, That stood out in the open plain And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king, But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil Who never had to win his share Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man, But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow in ease. The stronger wind, the tougher trees, The farther sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength, By sun and cold, by rain and snows, In tree or man, good timber grows.


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There is a Season

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun;

A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that whish is planted;

a time to kill and a time to heal… a time to weep and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn and a time to dance… a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to lose and a time to seek… a time to rend and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiatstes 3:1-8

Purposefulness

So long as thoughts of an individual are scattered, he will achieve no results,

but if his thinking be concentrated on a single point, wonderful will be the fruits thereof…

Thus is it necessary to focus one’s thinking on a single point so that it will become an effective force.

‘Abdul-Baha

Why Not? You see things; and you say, ”Why?’

But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?” George Bernard Shaw

Self-Discipline

Discipline, to be sure is never pleasant; at times it seems painful,

but afterwards those who have been trained by it reap the harvest of a peaceful and upright life.

Hebrews 12

Self-Discipline The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5

Self-Discipline

Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.

Goethe


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Contentment The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

Contentment I have learned to be content with whatever I have.

Philippians 4

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he Was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each Scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:

One belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, He looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of his life There was only one set of footprints. He also noticed

That it happened at the very lowest and saddest times In his life. This really bothered him and he

Questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed That during the most troublesome times in my life,

There is only one set of footprints. I don't understand Why when I needed You most, You would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My son, My precious child,

I love you and would never leave you. During your Times of trial and suffering, when you see only one

Set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."


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God Keep You in His Care There are many things in life

We cannot understand, But we must trust God’s judgement

And be guided by His hand And all who have God’s blessing

Can rest safely in His care, For He promises safe passage

On the wings of faith and prayer. by Helen Steiner Rice

In God’s Care

O save thy people and bless thy heritage; be thou their shepherd, and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:9

God’s Sweetest Appointments Out of life’s misery born of man’s sins

A richer, fuller life begins, For when we are helpless with no place to go

And our hearts are heavy and our spirits are low, If we place our lives in God’s hands

And surrender completely to His will and demands, The darkness lifts and the sun shines through,

And by His touch we are born anew. So praise God for trouble that cuts like a knife

And disappointments that shatter your life, For with patience to wait and faith to endure,

Your life will be blessed and your future secure, For God is but testing your faith and your love

Before he appoints you to rise far above All the small things that so sorely distress you,

For God’s only intention is to strengthen and bless you. by Helen Steiner Rice

Blessed

Blessed are the people who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Psalm 89:15

Blessed

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Psalm 84:12


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Blessed Blessed by God,

because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

Psalm 66:20

No Room for Blessings Refuse to be discouraged – refuse to be distressed,

For when we are despondent, our lives cannot be blessed. Doubt and fear and worry close the door to faith and prayer,

And there’s no room for blessings when we’re lost in deep despair. So remember when you’re troubled with uncertainty and doubt,

It is best to tell our Father what our fear is all about. For unless we seek His guidance when troubled times arise,

We are bound to make decisions that are twisted and unwise. But when we view our problems though the eyes of God above,

Misfortunes turn to blessings and hatred turns to love. by Helen Steiner Rice

Open the Door to Blessings Father, make us kind and wise So we may always recognize

The blessings that are ours to take, If we but open our heart’s door wide,

To let the sunshine of love inside. by Helen Steiner Rice

Blessed

Blessed are they who maintain justice,

who constantly do what is right. Psalm 106:3

Blessed

Blessed are they who are blameless,

who walk according to the law of the Lord Psalm 119:1

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind always be at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rain fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.


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Note Christian Only Blessings Devised by God

God speaks to us in many ways Altering our lives, our plans and days,

And his blessings come in many guises That He alone devises,

And sorrow, which we dread so much, Can bring a very healing touch…

For when we fail to heed His voice We leave the Lord to other choice Except to use a firm, stern hand

To make us know He’s in command… For on the wings of loss and pain, The peace we often sought in vain

Will come to us with sweet surprise, For God is merciful and wise…

And through dark hours of tribulation God gives us time for meditation, And nothing can be counted loss

Which teaches us to bear our cross. by Helen Steiner Rice

Blessed

Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 145:2

Blessed Yet God turned the curse into a blessing.

Nehemiah 13:2

Blessed May God be gracious to us

and make his face to shine upon us. Psalm 67:1

Blessed

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefit.

Psalm 103:2

Faith A faithful man will be richly blessed.

Proverbs 28:20


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Live by Faith and Not by Feeling When everything is pleasant and bright, And the things we do turn out just right,

We feel without question that God is real, But when we are happy, how good we feel, But when tides turn and gone is the song,

And misfortune comes and our plans go wrong, Doubts creeps in and we start to wonder

And our thoughts about God are torn asunder – For we feel deserted in times of deep stress

Without God’s presence to assure us and bless, And it is when our senses are reeling

We realize clearly it’s faith and not feeling, For it takes great faith to patiently wait,

Believing God comes not too soon or too late. by Helen Steiner Rice

The Blessing of Sharing Only what we give away

Enriches us from day to day, For not in getting but in giving

Is found the lasting joy of living, For no one ever had a part

In sharing treasures of the heart Who did not feel the impact of

The magic mystery of God’s love. Love alone can make us kind

And give us joy and peace of mind, So live with joy unselfishly

And you’ll be blessed abundantly. by Helen Steiner Rice

A Time of Renewal

No one likes to be sick and yet we know It takes sunshine and rain to make flowers grow And if we never were sick and we never felt pain,

We’d be like a desert without any rain And who wants a life that is barren and dry,

With never a cloud to darken the sky? For continuous sun goes unrecognized

Like the blessings God sends, which are often disguised, For sometimes in sickness that seems so distressing

Is a time of renewal and spiritual blessing. by Helen Steiner Rice


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How to find Happiness Happiness is something you create in your mind,

Not something you search for but can’t seem to find, Not something that’s purchased with silver or gold,

Not something that force can capture or hold. It’s just waking up and beginning each day

By counting your blessings and kneeling to pray. It’s giving up thoughts that breed discontent

And accepting what comes as a gift heaven-sent. It’s giving up wishing for things you have not And making the best of whatever you’ve got.

Its knowing that life is determined and planned And God holds the world in the palm of His hand. And it’s by completing what God gives you to do That you find contentment and happiness, too.

by Helen Steiner Rice

You Too Must Weep Let me not live a life that’s free

From the things that draw me close to Thee, For how can I ever hope to heal

The wounds of others I do not feel? If my eyes are dry and I never weep,

How do I know when the hurt is deep? If my heart is cold and it never bleeds, How can I tell what my brother needs?

For when ears are deaf to the beggar’s plea

And we close our eyes and refuse to see And we steel our hearts and harden our minds

And we count it a weakness whenever we’re kind, We are no longer following the Father’s way Or seeking His guidance from day to day.

For, without crosses to carry and burdens to bear,

We dance through life that is frothy and fair, And, chasing the rainbow, we have no desire

For roads that are rough and realms that are higher.

So spare me no heartache or sorrow, dear Lord, For the heart that hurts reaps the richest reward,

And God blesses the heart that is broken with sorrow As he opens the door to a brighter tomorrow.

For only though tears can we recognize The suffering that lies in another’s eyes.



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Meet Life’s Trials with Smiles There are times when life overwhelms us And our trials seem too many to bear – It is then we should stop to remember

God is standing by ready to share The uncertain hours that confront us

and fill us with fear and despair, For God in His goodness has promised That the cross that He gives us to wear

Will never exceed our endurance Or be more than our strength can bear. And secure in that blessed assurance,

We can smile as we face the future, And no sorrow or care we need borrow.


The First Thing Every Morning and the Last Thing Every Night Were you too busy this morning to quietly stop and pray? Did you hurry and drink your coffee then frantically rush away, Consoling yourself by saying – God will always be there Waiting to hear my petitions, ready to answer each prayer? It’s true that the great, generous Protector forgives our transgressions each day And patiently waits for lost souls who constantly seem to stray, But moments of prayer once omitted in the busy rush of the day Can never again be recaptured, for they silently slip away. Strength is gained in the morning to endure the trials of the day When we visit with God in person in a quiet and unhurried way, For only through prayer that’s unhurried can the needs of the day be met, And only in prayers said at evening can we sleep without fears or regret. For all of our errors and failures that we made in the course of the day Are freely forgiven at nighttime when we kneel down and earnestly pray, So seek the Lord in the morning and never forget Him at night, For a prayer is an unfailing blessing that makes every burden seem light. Adapted form Helen Steiner Rice

At Night

Make a habit of reading something inspiring and cheerful just before going to sleep.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


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God’s Assurance gives us Endurance My blessings are so many, my troubles are so few – How can I be discouraged when I know that I have You? And I have the sweet assurance that there’s nothing I need fear If I but keep remembering I am Yours and You are near, Help me to endure the storms that keep raging deep inside me, And make me more aware each day that no evil can betide me. If I remain undaunted though the billows sweep and roll, Knowing I have Your assurance, there’s a haven for my soul. For anything and everything can somehow be endured If Your presence is beside me and lovingly assured. by Helen Steiner Rice

Goodness We don’t hear a lot about goodness these days. Often goodness is as simple as a neighbor I hadn’t yet met sending over a loaf of freshly baked bread after I had an accident. Goodness doesn’t get much press. There’s no adrenaline, no conflict, no excitement - none of the urges we have learned to feed upon that tell us we are alive. Goodness is everyday. It is noticing- - noticing a new dress, noticing pain, noticing when someone is not being honest. Goodness is the gentleness that makes loving others a process and not an event. Goodness is never out of style. And we often have to slow down to see and experience it in ourselves and in others. by Anne Wilson Schaef Action When we think of worry not as an activity but as a “filler,” we have a totally different perspective on it. We can use it to avoid and fill. How convenient! It is interesting to think about worry keeping us from what we have to do and feeding our addictions. I have often heard it said that one of the major reasons the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics anonymous works is that it is a program of action. How much safer it is to think about things than it is to do them. Perhaps the first step is to forgive ourselves for inactivity, and then get up and do something – for someone else. What might be robs us of what is! . by Anne Wilson Schaef

Staying in the Moment

Be completely where you are at the time you are there, not thinking of where you are going or what you are doing next.

Our past is gone. Our future isn’t here yet. Now is all we have. Charles Bensinger


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Road-Making We often have the illusion that life would be so easy if we had well-made modern roads, good road signs, and a carefully drawn map. Well, that’s not the way it is. Life is a journey, and no one has ever walked our particular path before. We are, indeed, pilgrims. We only know where the road is going as we walk it and often then only as we look back to see there we have been. Though sometimes frightening, this mystery is the joy and the excitement of life. No one else can take our journey for us or make our road. Sometimes we get so terrified that we just want to stand still, stay put, and not risk the road-making. Yet that’s what life’s really about, isn’t it?…road-making Spiritual highways are made by pilgrims walking their individual roads arm in arm. by Anne Wilson Schaef Security Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, (by Jerry Logan) Tomorrow will be the same thing. I guess there is a certain comfort in sameness. We go to great lengths to give ourselves the illusion of security. I we just had enough…money, property, things, love, happiness, insurance policies, financial plans, power, organizational plans…whatever. If we just had enough we would be all right. Where did we get this illusion of security? How much of our lives is focussed upon this illusion? Can we really delude ourselves into believing that we can make static a moving universe, a universe in process? Instead of trying to achieve such highly developed skills in making our lives static, we could, instead, learn to live with a life and a world in process. When we are in process with our universe, there’s not much to worry about. And even if there is, it can be done tomorrow. by Anne Wilson Schaef Possibilities We want to know exactly what’s possible and what’s impossible and then go from there. We would much rather know something is impossible before we attempt it than attempt it and thus prove it is impossible. This is even worse if we are not really proving that it is impossible…we are only proving that it is impossible for us at that time in that way. How can we get a firm grasp on anything? And, if we can’t get a firm grasp on anything. We’d better worry about it. How much of life really is making the impossible possible? When I am worrying about something, I am probably not trying to do it. When I am trying to do it, I probably don’t have time to worry about it. Funny. That! . by Anne Wilson Schaef


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Possibilities All things are possible

until they are proved impossible – even the impossible may

only be so, as of now. Pearl S. Buck

Thinking You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. James Allen Rarely do we realize that our thoughts are just that…our thoughts. Because we think them, we often fail to see that they are not necessarily reality. They are our view of reality at that moment…nothing less… nothing more. Then, if we take the original thought and embellish it, elaborate on it, and build on it, we begin to construct a house of cards which we can move into and start decorating. Often, our minds are our worst enemies. Or, we let them be. With little effort at all we can think ourselves into a complete tizzy. We cannot actually live in the future…but…our minds can and do. It’s important to remember that our thoughts aren’t real. They are processes that we can observe, find interesting, and then, let go of if we wish. by Anne Wilson Schaef

Illusions This day is all I have to work with, and it is all I need. If I am tempted to worry about tomorrow’s concerns, I will gently bring my mind back to the present.

The Courage To Change

Illusions It is difficult sometimes to realize that this moment is all we have. We hear of friends being hit by a car or other young healthy people being struck down in the prime of their life, and somewhere deep in our brains we know that there is no certainty. Yet, we try to live our lives as if there is. Rarely do we stop and realize that living our lives based upon something we know is not true is living an illusion. It’s very hard to keep an illusion alive. We can spend a great deal of time and effort on this illusion-maintenance project and, in the end we are standing on very shaky ground. Maybe, when we realize that we’re involved in building and maintaining illusions that rest on shaky ground, we’ll discover that we have other options. by Anne Wilson Schaef

Letting Go/Reality What others think about me is none of my business. Worrying about things over which we have no control

is like spitting into the wind. It only comes back in our faces.

by Anne Wilson Schaef


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Reality We can think ourselves in or out of anything.

It’s the living that’s important. by Anne Wilson Schaef

Feelings Worry is one of the best techniques I have to avoid my feelings. Few of us have had really good skill-training in dealing with our feelings. We learn reading, math, business, and cooking, but no one seems interested in or capable of teaching us about feelings. Often, we learn that feelings are dangerous and, given an inch, they will completely run amuck and get us in terrible trouble. Feelings, after all, all not rational and logical. And, safety is in logic and rationality. What a sad state of affairs! Would the Creator have given us feelings if they were all that bad? I doubt it! Feelings let us know where we are and who we are. Feelings warn us of danger and let us know when someone is lying to us. Feelings let us experience happiness and love, and loneliness and fear. Feelings let us know when we are doing just fine and when we need to pay attention and make some changes. When we avoid our feelings, we avoid ourselves. by Anne Wilson Schaef Life’s Stages Remember that as a teenager you are in the last stage of your life when you will be happy to hear the phone is for you. Fran Lebowitz How comforting to remember that life is a process and that there are stages to it. What we rejoice in at one stage –like playing in the mud, for example –would be miserable at another time. Life’s stages give us an opportunity to play with our lives. Take the telephone, for example. Almost all teenagers truly believe that the telephone is a necessary extension of themselves. Nothing is so horrible as being without one. Yet, as we grow older we come to dread it. Life itself is one of the best teachers we have to challenge our illusion of absolutes. Try as we might, we find it impossible to force stagnation upon ourselves. How sad it is when we stubbornly refuse to move through life’s stages and try to hold on to these that are no longer relevant for us. Life stages challenge our need for absolutes. by Anne Wilson Schaef

Hard Lessons If you can’t be a good example,

then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning. Catherine Aird

Lessons

It’s important to remember that no matter what we do, there’s always the possibility

that we can be an important teacher for someone. by Anne Wilson Schaef


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Internal revolts Personalized Serenity Prayer - God grant me the serenity to accept the ones I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can and the wisdom to know it’s me. The only person I can change is myself. Most of us receive this wisdom with a knowing nod of the head. We glaze our eyes and display a wise, knowing smile. Of course, everyone knows that it is really not possible to change anyone else. Then, something strange begins to happen.. a voice within our heads begins to scream – I don’t believe that garbage for a minute. Our guts begin to twist and lurch and the very fibers of our being move into violent revolt! This battle is one of those interesting situations where our wisdom and our behavior collides. Our rational minds know the wisdom in the knowledge that the only person we can change is ourselves, and our inner beings scream out, “We’ll see!” When we go into internal revolts, it’s good to wait until the screaming stops before we try to act. by Anne Wilson Schaef

Finding Our Way Home Yes, I have doubted.

I have wandered off the path. I have been lost.

But I always returned. It is beyond the logic I seek.

It is intuitive – an intrinsic, built-in sense of direction. I seem to find my way home.

My faith has wavered but has saved me. Helen Hayes

Finding Our Way Home

Wandering off our path can take many forms. So many opportunities arise to challenge our integrity. Friends need help and so we do their work for them

and they claim the credit as their own. This doesn’t hurt us.

After all, they were the ones who compromised their honesty… or were they?

We get angry and upset with someone who acts like an idiot toward us,

and we allow ourselves to believe that we are justified I n acting the same way.

It is so easy to slip off the path, isn’t it? Yet, it’s comforting to know the path is always there.

by Anne Wilson Schaef


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Respect for Our Environment Blessed is the spot, and the house,

and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain,

and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island,

and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.

Bahai Prayer by Baha U Llah

Good Land You shall eat your fill

and bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

Deuteronomy 8:7-11

Renewal Everywhere is the green of new growth,

The amazing sight of the renewal of the earth. We watch the grass once again emerging from the ground. We notice the bright green atop the dark green on the pine,

the fir, the hemlock, the spruce, the cedar. The alder is already in leaf.

The old plum trees still blossom, leaf and give forth fruit. The locust is late as always.

Everywhere and always he songs of birds… bees raiding the orchard,

raccoon prowling at nightfall, the earthworm tunneling the garden,

chickens and rabbits pecking and nibbling, the goats tugging to reach new delights…

all are the ubiquitous energies of life.

Renewal Create in me a clean heart,

O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalms 51:10-12


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A Real Cowboy By Jim John

They say I ain’t much of a cowboy And I reckon they’re probably right,

Cause I’m really not much of a horseman I don’t like camping out at night.

I can’t rope a cow or wrestle a steer.

I’ve never drank redeye. I hate warm beer.

But a soft bed at night, now that I hold dear.

I’ve never been bit by a rattlesnake And I don’t like to gnaw on a bloody, red steak.

Beans flavored with dust and soot from some fire Just can’t make my spirit soar higher.

Yeah, they say I ain’t a real cowboy

And I reckon they’re pretty near right. Cause my boots aren’t always comfortable

And I can’t wear my Levi’s real tight.

I don’t hang out with dance hall girls. Stud poker was never my game

I can’t pay the guitar or yodel And Slim certainly ain’t my nickname.

Herding cattle in blizzards don’t sound like much fun

And I’spect I’d just hurt myself with a gun. I’m clearly not the tall, silent type

That made sure the West was won.

But—But my friend – I went to the Saturday movies When I was just a boy.

And I learned all the stuff that really counts From Hoppy and Gene and Roy!

Ya gotta stand up

For the things that are right. Cowboys don’t let bad guys

Win without a fight.

You take care of widows and orphans Help out the weak and the old.

A man never cheats in his dealin’s And his word must be good as gold.


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You see it ain’t ropin’ or ridin’ That makes a cowboy a man.

It’s the things that he knows are right And bein’ the best that he can.

So – they’re wrong --- I am a real cowboy.

I know that deep inside, And you can be a cowboy too

Although you don’t rope or ride.

Just help out folks that need it. Take trouble in your stride.

Bow your head in prayer to your maker. Don’t ever swell up with pride.

Live every day to it’s fullest.

Don’t pretend that bad is good And even though you don’t sing or shoot,

You’ll live like a cowboy should! Unpublished Work. Copyright 1997, James John

The Bridge Builder An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, vast and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream held no fears for him’ But he turned when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. “Old Man,” said a fellow pilgrim near, “You are wasting strength with building here; Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again must pass this way; You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide --- Why build you the bridge at eventide?” The builder lifted his old gray head: “Good friend, in the path I have come, he said, “There follows after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been naught to me, To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.” (Will Allen Dromoole) .


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A Scout Litany

Leader: A true and worthy person recognizes his obligations and does them without being compelled.

Response: A Scout is Trustworthy Leader: We owe so much to so many; to home, schools, community, nation,

and to God. Response: A Scout is Loyal Leader: We should always be ready to do a good turn. Response: A Scout is Helpful. Leader: A real friend is one who remains loyal in victory and in defeat. Response: A Scout is Friendly. Leader: Courtesy is the mark of a gentleman. It is shown in thoughtful acts

and kindly respect for everyone. Response: Scout is Courteous. Leader: Kindliness is the way people show respect for others. Response: A Scout is Kind. Leader: Life is filled with things that we must do whether we like them or

not. One of the marks of growing up is our readiness to accept responsibilities willingly.

Response: A Scout is Obedient. Leader: Our moods make our days. If we are grouchy, our day is gloomy. If

we are happy, the day is always happier. Response: A Scout is Cheerful. Leader: The world offers many gifts. A wise mans uses them with care. Response: A Scout is Thrifty. Leader To each of us come some danger, difficult tasks, and temptations.

In choices of courage or cowardice, we must be brave. Response: A Scout is Brave. Leader: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. To have a clean body, a clean

mind, and a clean record is a rewarding achievement. Response: A Scout is Clean Leader: Character is determined by the things we worship. If we respect

ourselves and our fellow man, and see them as gifts of God, we live on a higher plain.

Response: A Scout is Reverent. From a Boy Scout Service

A Scout Litany

Leader: Our God, Source of all blessing, show Your kindness to all peoples of the world. Bless us in our own land, where we are privileged to worship You in freedom.

Response: And bless, O God, our community and all its members. May we find success in our work and strengthen us in time of need. Help us to find in the life of our community a sense of Your nearness which we can take back to our homes. Bless all who have served our community, who teach its children organized activities, and help in so many different ways. Be with all who


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care for the needs of others and may they help to bring greater happiness to our world.

Leader: Everything in the world is God’s Response: The earth and all that live in it. Leader: God has raised it above the seas, Response: And over the floods. Leader: Who may climb God’s mountain? Response: And stand in God’s holy place? Leader: Those with clean hands and pure hearts, Response: Who are not spiteful or dishonest. Leader: They will receive blessing and justice from God. Response: You do this for those who want You and who try to find You. Leader: God’s Holy Word is pure. God’s teachings are right, making us

happy. God’s commandment is pure, brightening our eyes. For a good teaching has been given to us.

Response: May we never forget it. It is a tree of life to those who hold onto it, making them happy. It’s ways are pleasing and all lead towards peace.

From a Boy Scout Service Slow Me Down, Lord Slow me down, Lord: Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the music of the singing streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magic restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations… of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines of a good book. Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise that I may know the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and to know it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well. Slow me down Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep in the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow towards the stars of my greater destiny. Amen

From a Boy Scout Service


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A Piece of Clay I took a piece of clay and idly fashioned it one day. And as my fingers pressed it still, it moved and yielded to my will. I came again when days were past, the bit of clay was hard at last. The form I gave it still it bore, and I could fashion it no more! I took a piece of living clay, and gently pressed it day by day, And molded with my power and art, A young child’s soft and yielding heart. I came again when years had gone. It was a man I looked upon. He still that early impress bore, and I could fashion it no more.

From a Boy Scout Service The Scout Oath Leader: Our honor is a quality we possess because of our dignity as

human beings and children of God. Our best means to give all we have. It means to keep striving to do what we know is right, and in the Oath it means we will try to be good Scouts by fulfilling our Scout duties as expressed in the Scout Law.

Response: On my honor I will do my best. Leader: Our duty to God and country means chiefly two things: obedience

and loyalty. The duties we owe to the House of God, to our country, to parents, to one another, and to ourselves come from some command of God. The Scout Law sums up all the qualities a Scout should have and without which he cannot be a good Scout.

Response: To do my duty to God and my country and obey the Scout Law.

Leader: Our Lord told us that love of our neighbor was like the first low of love of God. The first Children of God were known by the love they had for one another. Real human charity or love prompts us to want to help others at all times. Our Scout training will give us skills and knowledge that will put us in a better position to do this.

Response: To help other people at all times. Leader: Scouting offers us many opportunities to grow strong physically.

To be alert and ready requires us to give special care to those gifts of soul – intellect and will – that make us unto God. ‘Morally straight’ means we must try to know what is right and true, and to love what is good and choose it.

Response: To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

From a Boy Scout Service God Grant Us Leader: Happy the man who discovers wisdom, the man who gains

discernment; gaining her is more rewarding than silver, more profitable than gold…her paths all lead to contentment…those who cling to her live happy lives. (Proverbs3: 13-24,17-18)

Response: God grant us Wisdom – knowledge, and the right and proper use of that knowledge.


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Leader Happy is the man who is never without fear, he who hardens his heart will fall into distress. To be afraid of men is a snare; he who puts his trust in God is secure. (Proverbs 28: 24;29:25)

Response: God Grant us Courage - that quality of character to do what is right inspite of what others may say or do.

Leader: Apply your heart to discipline, and your ears to words that are wise. On open ground, plan what you have to do, make your preparation in the field; then you may go and build your house. (Proverbs 23: 12,24-27)

Response: God grant us Self-control - the ability to discipline ourselves in all that we do, and to do what we should when we should.

Leader: Malice must be banished from your tongue, deceitful conversation from your lips; never yield to evil, practice good seek peace, pursue it. (Psalms 34:13-14)

Response: God grant we may always love Justice - and do unto others that which we would have them do unto us.

Leader: Praise God, all nations; extol Him, For His love is strong,. His faithfulness eternal (Psalms 117:1-2)

Response: God grant us Faith - that we may be faithful to you in our fellow man.

Leader: Happy is the man who has God to help him whose hope is fixed on God, his God, maker of heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that these hold (Psalms 146:5-6)

Response: God Grant us Hope that we may face the future with confidence and the knowledge that You are with us.

Leader: You will love God your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your strength. Let the words I urge on you today be written on your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)

Response: God grant us Love - that we may have a full and fruitful life. From a WEBELOS SCOUT Service The Devil’s Sale There is a story that the devil once announced he was going out of business and offered to sell his tools to anyone who would pay the price. On the night of the sale, the tools were all attractively displayed. They were a nasty looking lot – malice, hatred, envy, jealousy, and deceit - each marked with a price tag. A little of from the rest lay a harmless looking wedge-shaped tool, much worn, and priced higher than any of the others. “What is it?” someone asked the devil. “That’s discouragement,” he replied. “Why is it priced so high?” the prospective customer asked. “Because,” said the devil, “Its more useful to me than any of the others. I can pry open and get inside a person with it when I could never get near him with any of the others. Once inside, I can use the person in whatever way it suits me best. That’s why it is so worn, you see. I use it with nearly everybody, because few people yet know that it belongs to me. It is probably not necessary to add that the devil’s price for this tool was so high that there were no bidders. And he is still using it. (told by Colin McKay in Scouting (UK) magazine)


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A Scout is Reverent A person’s beliefs are a tree of life that he holds fast to himself. Because a Scout is reverent, he strives to be true to God, to study the law, and to live according to its commands. Seek the peace of the city and pray unto the Lord for it. For in peace thereof shall you have peace. Because a Scout is reverent, he is loyal to the United States and its ideals of religious liberty to all. All Scouts are mindful of the well-being of one another. Because a Scout is reverent, he is loyal to his people and is ready to help his fellow man everywhere. Honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the land. Because a Scout is reverent, he is a devoted and a loyal son to his parents Oh, how good it is and how pleasant for brothers to dwell together in unity. Because a Scout is reverent, he strives to be a good Scout and a goo d citizen at all times. Character is determined by he things we worship. If we respect ourselves and our fellow man, and see them as gifts of the goodness of God, we live on a high plain. A Scout is reverent.

From a Boy Scout Service The Knight’s Code Be always ready with your armor on, except when you are taking your rest at night. Defend the poor, and help them that cannot defend themselves. Do nothing to hurt or offend anyone else. Be prepared to fight in the defense of your country. At whatever you are working, try to win honor and a name for honesty. Never break your promise. Maintain the honor of your country with your life. Rather die honest than live shamelessly. Chivalry requires that youth should be trained to perform the most laborious and humble offices with cheerfulness and grace; and to do good unto other.



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Don't Quit When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow-

You may succeed with another blow, Success is failure turned inside out- The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit- It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.


Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient, If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance, and friendship, He learns to find love in the world.

Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

Irish Blessing May there always be work for your hands to do –

May your purse always holds a coin or two – May the sun always shine on your window pane –

May a rainbow be certain to follow the rain- - May the hand of a friend always be near you –

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.


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Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn,

For they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek,

For they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger And thirst for rightousness, For they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful,

For they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart,

For they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted

For the sake of righteousness, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 3-10

Promise Lord, help me to remember that nothing

is going to happen to me today that You and I together can't handle.


What God Has Promised God has not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives though; God has not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, peace without pain,

He has not told us we shall not bear Many a burden, many a care.

But God has promised strength for the day, Rest for the laborer, light for the way. Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love From a Boy Scout Service

The Scout Compass Direct your course through life by the scout compass. The point north on the Scout compass is: Duty to God. The point east on the Scout compass is: Duty to Country. The point south on the Scout compass is: Duty to Others. The point west on the Scout compass is: Duty to Self. The beginnings and the end of the Scout obligation is Duty to God. This is the North Pole by which each Scout will find his way over life’s sea.



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Love Thou shalt love the Lord God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart. Thou shalt speak of them when thou sitest in thy house, when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up. Thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates. That ye may remember all my Commandments and be holy unto your God. Deuteronomy 6:5-7, 9, 25

Love Owe no man any thing,

but to love one another: f or he that loveth another

hath fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

Love

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31: 3

Love Beloved, let us love one another:

for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God.

And knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God;

for God is love. I John 5: 7-8

Everyday Commitment I have never done anything spectacular to make a difference. I’m just a normal kid. I go to school, do my homework, play sports, and read the Bible. The Bible helps me to make a difference. I think about how God would want me to live, and I try to live that way. Every morning, I pray and ask God to use me that day. God may use me to set an example. I don’t swear or smoke or drink. Trust me, I’m not a perfect angel either. I fight with my brothers and sisters, I get mad at people, and I don’t always do what God would want me to do. But I try. Someday by remembering to try, I will make a difference in somebody’s life. God, please use me today for your purposes so that maybe I can make a difference in another person’s life. Amen. Lindsay Shepherd, age 15


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The Talent of Humor One day my girlfriend, Mary, asked me, “do you know what first attracted me to you?” “My good looks?” I said. “Sorry, no,” she said, laughing. “Guess again.” “My superior knowledge and academic genius?” She laughed again. “Well, I know it wasn’t my money. I give up.” “It was your sense of humor, silly. You make me laugh.” Her comment made me feel good. I thought about it later. I do joke with everybody. I guess a sense of humor is part of who I am. Mom says it’s my personality. When introducing me to her friends, she always says, “This is Tim, my son, the comedian.” I confess that I never thought my personality was special until Mary mentioned it. Until then, I thought of talents as musical or artistic abilities. I have a talent for humor. I don’t have to work at being funny. I don’t practice jokes. Sometimes people try to be funny and come across as fake or just plain silly. But for me, humor comes naturally. Where did I get my personality? Was it spelled out in my DNA? Did it develop because of my environment? The real question isn’t “Where?” but “From whom?” And I know the answer: from God. God, show me how to use my sense of humor to your glory. Amen. Debbie W. Parvin God Provides The first eighteen years of my life, I lived in a small town. I knew most of the people in my church, school, and neighborhood. Then I graduated from high school and ventured off into the world of college. For the first time, I was away from my family and the friends I had grown up with. I knew I had to learn an unfamiliar skill - making new friends. But being a naturally shy person, this was not easy for me. Finally, I did the only thing I knew to do: I turned to God for help. God gave me strength to talk to others and to make new friendships. Since then, God has blessed me with some of the best fiends I could ever hope for. Even in my fear and loneliness, I learned that with God, anything is possible. God is always with us and will provide what we need, if only we ask. Lord, help me to remember that You have much to teach me if I am willing to learn. Amen. Robin Grace, age 19


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My 23rd Psalm The Lord is my teacher. I shall never cease to learn. He makes me lay down my preconceived ideas. He leads me to the truth. He restores my conscience. He guides me in the way of wisdom for His name’s sake. Even though I walk on the path of uncertainty, I will not fear my own confines, for you are my mentor. Your presence and your words, they are my safety. You prepare me to face the challenges of a strange world. You anoint me with your message; I cannot keep quiet. Surely wisdom and righteousness will cover me and I will live with a quiet heart in God’s presence all the days of my life and after. Stephanie Harris, age 23 A Minute in God’s World Once last summer, my friends and I were in the swimming pool until after midnight. After they left, I had to clean up the mess of soda cans, cups, chips, and dip. It had been a long day, and I was tired. I made several trips to and from the house to get everything inside. As I stepped outside for the last time, I realized how peaceful the night was. The moon and the stars were shining, and the only sounds were the beautiful songs of God’s nocturnal creatures. The earth had cooled; the unbearable heat of a summer day had given way to a peaceful night. Even though I was exhausted, I sat down for a minute to be quiet and to enjoy God’s wonderful creation. I realized that if I had not been left to clean up, I would have missed the beauty of a summer night. I know that we are called to take care of God’s world, even if we are exhausted. And yet, if in the midst of our work we can relax and pay attention, we discover the beauty of God’s creation. It takes just a minute, and it’s worth it. Take a minute to pay attention to God’s world. Look at the moon and the stars: Listen to the songs of God’s creatures. Jessica L. Anschultz, age 18


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Are You Paying Attention? One day while I was teaching a journal keeping workshop for third graders, I told them “Whenever you write, It’s good to use all your senses.” Looking around at thirty blank faces, I asked, “Do you know what the five senses are?” Hesitantly, one hand went up. “Sense of humor?” one boy asked. “Well yes,” I said “ I guess that’s a sense you could use in writing. Anyone else?” Another hand: “Sense of direction?” “Um, yes but…” “Sense of balance?” Of Course that’s important,” I said. “but…” “Sense of intuition?” I gave up. They were too good for me. Consider this - Using the senses causes you to pay attention to your surroundings. To consider literally means “to sit with”. Pay attention to the signs of God’s presence today. Where do you see the face of God? How do you hear God’s voice? What tastes and smells remind you of God’s goodness? How do you feel God’s presence? Use all of your senses to capture in your journal this memorable experience. Margaret D. Smith Believing is Not Seeing While traveling down the highway in the backseat of my father’s car, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen. The delicate clouds shimmered brightly in the red and orange sunlight. I couldn’t help but stare. Quietly, I gazed in awe for several minutes. Suddenly, a row of large, thick trees blocked my view. I couldn’t see even one flicker of light. Yet minutes later I found myself still staring west toward the mystifying sunset. Later, I realized that my staring, even when I could not see the light, was symbolic of my faith in God. God is like the sunset in wonder and brilliance. But sometimes the “tree” of doubt and disbelief block our ability to see God. Only those who live by faith keep looking toward God – even when they cannot see clearly – because they know in their hearts that God is there. Dear God, we have learned that “seeing is believing.” Teach us to believe in your constant love and presence, even when we cannot see you. Amen. Summer Maddux, age 15 Christian Only Believe What Kind of God do you believe in? I believe in a God who loves me even when I don’t deserve it. I believe in a God who cares about me even when no one else seems to care. I believe in a God who gives me strength when I feel my weakest, who holds me when I’m falling, who can handle anything I need to say – even when I am angry. I believe in a big God. At times, it’s hard to believe in a God who redeems our past and gives us a fresh start. But the Bible tells us that when God comes into our lives – the first time and every time – we are made into new creature. That’s hard for our minds to comprehend, but God’s love is big enough to do BIG things! Jim Ellison


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No Shrines The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, as though he needed anything, since He himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. Acts 17: 24-25

The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labour for.

Saint Thomas More

Yield and Not Break ‘Yield and you need not break:’

Bent you can straighten, Emptied you can hold, Torn you can mend;

And as want can reward you So wealth can bewilder.

Aware of this, a wise man has the simple return Which other men seek:

Without inflaming himself; he is kindled, Without explaining himself; is explained,

Without taking credit; is accredited, Laying no claim; is acclaimed

And, because he does not compete, Finds peaceful competence. How true is the old saying,

‘Yield and you need not break’! How completely it comes home!

The Way of Life according to Lao Tzu

Nature Does Not Insist Nature does not have to insist

Can blow for only half a morning, Rain for only half a day,

And what are these winds and these rains but natural? If nature does not have to insist,

Why should man? It is natural too

That whoever follows the way of life feels alive, That whoever uses it properly feels well used, Wheras he who loses the way of life feels lost,

That whoever keeps to the way of life Feels at home,

Whoever uses it properly Feels welcome,

Whereas he who uses it improperly Feels improperly used: ‘Fail to honor people,

They fail to honor you.’ The Way of Life according to Lao Tzu


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American Indian Services

Respect for Our Environment Teach your children what you have been taught.

The earth is our mother. What befalls the earth

befalls all the sons and daughters of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, They spit upon themselves.

This we know:

The Earth does not belong to us: We belong to the earth.

This we know.

All things are connected like the blood that unites one family.

All things are connected. What befalls the earth

befalls all the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life,

We are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web,

we do to ourselves. Chief Seattle

Beauty of the Land

The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass, speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea,

speaks to me. The faintness of the stars,

the freshness of the morning, the dewdrops on the flower,

speaks to me. The strength of fire, the taste of salmon, the trail of the sun,

and the life that never goes away, they speak to me,

And my heart soars. Chief Dan George.


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Chief Seattle’s Speech about the Land from Bother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers In a time so long ago that nearly all traces of it are lost in the prairie dust, and ancient people were part of the land that we love and call America. Living here for thousands of years, their children became the great Indian civilizations of the Choctaw and Cherokee, Navaho, Iroquois and Sioux, among many others, Then white settlers from Europe began a bloody war against the Indians, and in the span of a single lifetime claimed all the Indians’ land for themselves, allowing them only small tracts of land to live on. When the last of the Indian wars were drawing to a close, one of the bravest and most respected chiefs of the Northwest Nations, Chief Seattle, sat at a white man’s table to sign a paper presented by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the Territory. The government in Washington, DC., wished to buy the lands of Chief Seattle’s people. With a commanding presence and eyes that mirrored the great soul that lived within, the Chief rose to speak to the gathering in a resounding voice. His native words were originally transcribed by Dr. Henry A. Smith in the 1850s and here adapted by Susan Jeffers. How can you buy the sky? Chief Seattle began. How can you own the rain and the wind? My Mother told me, Every part of this earth is sacred to our people. Every pine needle. Every sandy shore. Every mist in the dark woods. Every meadow and humming insect. All are holy in the memory of our people. My Father said to me, I know the sap that courses through the trees as I know the blood that flows in my veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the meadows, The ponies—all belong to the same family. The voice of my Ancestors said to me, The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not simply water, but the blood of your grandfather’s grandfather. Each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of memories in the life of our people. The water’s murmur is the voice of your great-great-grandmother. The rivers are our brother. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. You must give to the rivers the kindness you would give to any brother.


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The voice of my Grandfather said to me, The air is precious. It shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave me my first breath also received my last sigh. You must keep the land and air apart and sacred, As a place where one can go to taste the wind that Is sweetened by the meadow flowers. When the last Red Man and woman have vanished with their wilderness, And their memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, Will the shores and forest still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left? My ancestors said to me, This we know: The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth. The voice of my Grandmother said to me, Teach your children what you have been taught. The earth is our mother. What befalls the earth befall all the sons and daughters of the earth. Here my voice and the voice of my ancestors, Chief Seattle said. The destiny of your people is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men? When the view of the ripe hills is blotted by talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what will happen when we say good-bye to the swift pony and the hunt? It will be the end of living, and the beginning of survival. This we know: All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We did not weave the web of life, We are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother’s heartbeat. If we sell you our land, care for it as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land and the air and the rivers for you children’s children and love it as we have loved it. To all of the Native American people, every creature and part of the earth was sacred; it was their belief that to waste or destroy nature and its wonders is to destroy life itself. Their words were not understood in their time. Now they haunt us. Now they have come true, and before it is too late we must listen.


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Let us Care for The Earth Great Spirit,

give us hearts to understand; never to take from creation’s beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;

never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth’s beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use.

Give us hearts to understand that to destroy earth’s music is to create confusion;

that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; that to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench

that as we care for her she will care for us. Amen U. N. environmental Sabbath Program.

Respect for the Land For the Lord your God

is bringing you into a land, a land of flowing streams, with springs and underground waters

welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley,

of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey,

a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing,

a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.

There is religion in everything around us, A calm and holy religion

In the unbreathing things in Nature. It is a meek and blessed influence,

Stealing in as it were unaware upon the heart; It comes quickly, and without excitement;

It has no terror, no gloom; It does not rouse up the passions;

It is untrammeled by creeds… It is written on the arched sky;

It looks out from every star; It is on the sailing cloud and in the invisible wind;

It is among the hills and valleys of the earth Where the shrubless mountain-top pierces the thin atmosphere of eternal winter,

Or where the mighty forest fluctuates before the strong winds, With its dark waves of green foliage;

It is spread out like a legible language upon the broad face of an unsleeping ocean;

It is the poetry of Nature; It is that which uplifts the spirit within us…

And which opens to our imagination a world of spiritual beauty and holiness. John Ruskin


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God’s Creation And God saw everything that He had made and found it good.

And he said: This is a beautiful world that I have given you. Take good care of it; do not ruin it.

It is said; Before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them. Finally He created this one,

and was satisfied. He said to Adam: This is the last world I shall make. I place it in your hands: hold it in trust.

A Jewish Prayer

Wonders of the Lord How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of Your hands!

The heavens declare Your glory, The arch of sky displays Your handiwork. In your love You have given us the power

to behold the beauty of Your world robed in all its splendor.

The sun and stars, the valleys and hills The rivers and lakes all disclose Your presence.

The roaring breakers of the sea tell of Your awesome might; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air

bespeak Your wondrous will. In Your goodness You have made us able to hear the music of the world. The voices of loved ones

reveal to us that You are in our midst. A divine voice sings through all creation.

A Jewish Payer

You Are There O Lord, thou art on the sandbanks

As well as in the mist of the current; I bow to thee.

Thou art in the little pebbles As well as in the calm expanse of the sea;

I bow to Thee O all pervading Lord,

Thou art in the barren soil And in crowed places;

I bow to Thee. Sukla Yajur, Veda XVI


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Teach Us to Care Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden,

Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood Teach us to care and not to care

Teach us to sit still Even among these rocks.

Our peace in his will And even among these rocks

Sister, mother And he spirit of the river, spirit of the sea.

Suffer me not to be separated And let my cry come unto Thee.

T. S Elliot

Our Land Long ago the ancients say this land was free

and we shared it all with the mountains and the sea

the birds and the trees.

We lived in peace long ago before those others came and built fences by cutting the trees

dug mines by cutting the earth removed her blood the oil that lies within

formed long ago like us.

Who lived in peace? The birds sang less without the trees.

The land became dry without the birds to plant the flowers. And we too became quiet watching our mountains die,

listening for the birds that no longer flew – But still we lived in peace.

What sustained us through all those years?

the nights of silence and the songs of the frogs

For we know as the ancients said this land will again be free

and we will again share it all with the mountains and the sea

the birds and the trees. For we still live in peace

and we wish you the same for we are all one

Harriet Kofalk, inspired by the Bribri Indigenous Costa Ricans


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Remember the Animals Infinite Spirit, when I pray each day

for shelter for the homeless, let me not ignore the pet without a home;

As I ask protection for those in areas

of turmoil and unrest, let me not forget endangered species of life;

When I pray that the hungry be fed,

let me be mindful that all God’s creatures have need of sustenance;

As I ask divine assistance for those afflicted by fire, flood, earthquake, storm or drought,

let me remember that this includes every living thing;

In seeking miracle cures for human disease, may I also speak for the well-being of the planet itself.

Let the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart

and the actions of my life be as one, that I may live each day in harmony

with Mother Earth. Amen Jennie Frost Butler


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Grandfather, Grandfather, look at our brokenness.

We know that in all creation Only the human family

Has strayed from the Sacred Way.

We know that we are the ones who are divided

And we are the ones Who must come back together

To walk in the Sacred Way

Grandfather, Sacred One Teach us love, compassion, and honor

That we may heal the earth And heal each other.

Ojibway Prayer

The Grace of the World When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.

I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry

Unity Almighty God, who are mother and father to us all,

Look upon your planet Earth divided: Help us to know that we are all your children; That all nations belong to one great family,

And all of our religions lead to you.

Multiply our prayers in every land Until the whole

Earth becomes your congregation, united in your love. Sustain our vision of a peaceful future

And give us strength to work unceasingly To make that vision real. Amen

Helen Weaver


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Show Us the Way We call upon the earth, our planet home, with its beautiful depths and soaring heights, its vitality and abundance of life, and together we ask it: Teach us, and show us the way. We call upon the mountains, the Cascades and the Olympics, the high green valleys and meadows filled with wild flowers, the snow that never melt, the summits of intense silence, and we ask that they: Teach us, and show us the way. We call upon the land which grows our food, the nurturing soil, the fertile fields, the abundant gardens, and orchards and we ask that they: Teach us,and show us the way. We call upon the forests, the great trees reaching strongly to the sky with earth in their roots and in the heavens in their branches, the fir and the pine and the cedar, and we ask them to Teach, and show us the way. We call upon the creatures of the fields and forests and the seas, our brothers and sisters the wolves and deer, the eagle and dove, the great whales and the dolphin, the beautiful Orca and salmon who share our Northwest home and we ask them to: Teach us and show us the way. We call upon all those who have lived on this earth, our ancestors and our friends, who dreamed the best for future generations and upon whose lives our lives are built, and with thanksgiving, we call upon them to: Teach us, and show us the way. And lastly, we call upon all that we hold most sacred, the presence and power of the Great Spirit of love and truth which flows through all the universe … to be with us to: Teach us, and show us the way. Chinook Blessing Litany


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A Tiny Drop of Water O Lord,

One tiny bit of water rests on the palm of my hand. I bring it to you and with it I bring the whole ocean.

This tiny drop has the power to ease the burning thirst of men, when spread on the earth, to give life to the seed and the future harvest;

when poured on the fire to quench the blaze. A tiny drop of water can cleanse the whole of my impurity

when blessed by your forgiveness.

But O, Lord, more than all this, this tiny drop of water passed over my head is the symbol of my birth in You.

Ishpriya R. S. C. J.

Bless Me O great Spirit

Whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world,

Hear me!

I am small and weak, I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made

and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every

leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy – myself.

Make me always ready to come to you with clean

hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame

Traditional Native American Prayer


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The Animal’s Song Out of the earth, I sing for them. A horse nation, I sing for them. Out of the earth, I sing for them.

The animals, I sing for them. Teton Sioux Chant

Forgive Us Grey Wolf

We are sending you to that Great God. Tell him

That we, who invented forgiveness do not forgive;

That we, who speak of trust cannot trust;

That we, who invoke faith would not believe.

I write as though you could read. But I know you understand.

When you have left the forests and tundras and no longer leave your sinewy trails within the snows,

tell Him that you were made on a different day.

Your howls of bewilderment will echo with the mountain winds. And your songs will join those of the whales.

Tell him for me, “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”

O. Fred Donaldson.


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Thanks for the Day

I reverently speak in the presence of the Great Parent God;

I give thee grateful thanks

that Thou has enabled me to live this day, the whole day,

in obedience to the excellent spirit of Thy ways. Shinto Evening Prayer

The Sunset Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy... But anywhere is the center of the world. Black Elk's Story


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Earth Prayer "Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you -- the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, and all green things that live. "You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things." Hey! Lean to hear my feeble voice. At the center of the sacred hoop You have said that I should make the tree to bloom. With tears running, O Great Spirit, my Grandfather, With running eyes I must say The tree has never bloomed. Here I stand, and the tree is withered. Again, I recall the great vision you gave me. It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives. Nourish it then That it may leaf And bloom And fill with singing birds! Hear me, that the people may once again Find the good road And the shielding tree. Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux


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SYMBOLISM OF THE EAGLE FEATHER (A Lumbee Story) In the beginning, the Great Spirit above gave to the animals and birds wisdom and knowledge and the power to talk to men. He sent these creatures to tell man that he showed himself through them. They would teach a chosen man sacred songs and dance, as well as, much ritual and lore. The creature most loved by the Great Spirit was the eagle, for he tells the story of life. The Eagle, as you know, has only two eggs, and all living things in the world are divided into two. Here is man and woman, male and female and this is true with animals, birds, trees, flowers and so on. All things have children of two kinds so that life may continue. Man has two eyes, two hands, two feet and he has a body and soul, substance and shadow. Through his eyes, he sees pleasant and unpleasant scenes, through his nostrils he smells good and bad odors, with his ears he hears joyful news and words that make him sad. His mind is divided between good and evil. His right hand he may often use for evil, such as war or striking a person in anger. But his left hand, which is near his heart, is always full of kindness. His right foot may lead him in the wrong path, but his left foot always leads him the right way, and so it goes; he has daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. In order to remember this lesson of life, look to the great eagle, the favorite bird of the Great Spirit. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, part light, and part dark. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. So that you may remember what I have told you, look well on the eagle, for his feathers, too, tell the story of life. Look at the feathers I wear upon my hand, the one on the right is large and perfect and is decorated; this represents man. The one on my left is small and plain; this represents woman. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, dark and white. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter. For the white tells of summer, when all is bright and the dark represents the dark days of winter. My children, remember what I tell you. For it is YOU who will choose the path in life you will follow -- the good way, or the wrong way.

Sharon Locklear publisher of Metrolina Pow Wow

Blessing "May you always walk in Beauty."

Ancient Prayer


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Earth Prayers for The Great Spirit "Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, Whose breath gives life to all the world. Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf & rock. Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others. Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

Attributed to Martin J. Shutt [email protected] Wae Wae Non Ne Mot, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin "The Creator above is the Great Spirit and the Great Mystery, His gifts are plentiful therefore you want not. He holds out a branch of love and protection and He draws you to where the ground is undisturbed, where the air is pure and the water is clear and clean enough to give life. You walk, you breathe, you feed, for you are pleasured. The times when your heart is weak, your circle is out of balance, He lifts you up again and draws you to the good Menominee road, for He is strength and wisdom."

(part of The Menominee Version of the 23rd Psalm)


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Big Thunder (Bedagi), "The Great Spirit is in all things, it is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother.

She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground, She returns to us...." Give us hearts to understand;

Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;

Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use.

Give us hearts to understand That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion;

that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench;

that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are.

We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends.

We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power.

Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, Help us to find the way to refresh your lands.

Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters.

Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork.

Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them.

Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption, help us to find the way to restore our humanity. Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to the world, hear me;

I need your strength and wisdom. May I walk in Beauty. late 19th century Algonquin

Sources: Earth Prayers Glenn Welker


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Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding Great Spirit Grandfather,

I send these words to you, Hear my prayer.

For these are my words, To Father Sun,

To Grandmother Moon, To Mother Earth

To all my relations, That have been Created as I.

To the Four Winds, That bring us the Seasons of Life.

To the East

Where Father Sun rises Bringing to us a new day A new meaning of life, A light in which to see The path before us.

To the South

Where the warm air comes to us Bringing heat and warmth,

The seasons of spring And summer. To the West

Where Father Sun goes To bring to us darkness,

So as we may see the universe And search for the questions

Of our life.

To the North Where the cold winds come from

Bringing to us the seasons Of fall and winter.

Oh Great Spirit Hear my words

For to you I offer My heart and soul

You made me What I am

And I am Indian America's Prisoners of War

I pray for my people of the past Whose blood covers this our Mother Earth

I pray now as an Indian


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Blood of my Ancestors. Great Spirit Grandfather,

Look down upon Your people,

For we are humble Before you.

We seek your guidance, So that we your people

May walk forever In a proud manner

Before you.

Great Spirit Grandfather, You gave your people

The breath of life, So that we may live

With dignity and pride, To always know And understand

That life was meant for us Your most humble Traditional people,

And all that Was Created

And given The breath of life.

Great Spirit Grandfather,

Let my heart Soul and mind

Be always strong with Wisdom, knowledge And Understanding.

Great Spirit Grandfather

Hear my words For wisdom

So that I may open My eyes and See all that

Is good around me.

Great Spirit Grandfather Hear my words

For wisdom So that I may open my ears

And hear all that is good Around me.

For I am humble


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Before you. I seek the strength

To continue on this path That I travel on before you In a most Sacred manner.


Hear my words For they are words That come from the

Heart, soul and mind, And are filled with

Wisdom, knowledge and Understanding.


My words are for you To know and understand

That in a most Sacred manner I honor and respect

The life you have put before me, I seek the strength To forever continue

Upon this Sacred path.

Great Spirit Grandfather Upon the four winds

Are my words for strength For they come from the Heart, soul and mind Words I send to you In a Sacred manner.


Let all The wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Be my strength To continue on this path

That I travel on before you As a Traditional Native American Indian,

Now and forever. The Circle Of Life by Larry Kibby [email protected]


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Great Spirit

Oh Great Spirit Of the Indian People

Hear my words For they are words that come

From the heart, soul and mind.

Oh Great Spirit Be my mind, Be my eyes, Be my ears, Be my heart, Be my soul,

So that I may walk With dignity and pride.

Oh Great Spirit

Of the Indian People Know of me.

For I am of your people. I am Indian,

An Indian of the Circle of Life A prisoner of War In my own Land!

Oh Great Spirit,

Of the Indian people, Hear my words

For they are for you. They are of you.

You are my way of life In the Circle of Life.

by Larry Kibby [email protected]

The Soil

Every part of this soil is sacred – Squamish.


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An Indian Prayer My grandfather is the fire

My grandmother is the wind The Earth is my mother

The Great Spirit is my father The World stopped at my birth and laid itself at my feet

And I shall swallow the Earth whole when I die and the Earth and I will be one Hail The Great Spirit, my father without him no one could exist because there

would be no will to live Hail The Earth, my mother without which no food could be grown and so cause

the will to live to starve Hail the wind, my grandmother for she brings loving, lifegiving rain nourishing us

Hail the fire, my grandfather for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings without which we be animals, not men

Hail my parent and grandparents without which not I nor you nor anyone else could have existed

Life gives life which gives unto itself a promise of new life Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire praise my parents loudly for

they are your parents, too Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life please accept this humble offering of prayer this

offering of praise this honest reverence of my love for you. Return to Indigenous Peoples' Literature by H. Kent Craig

Glenn Welker [email protected]


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This is part of Chief Seattle's original speech of 1854, as reported by Henry Smith in 1887]. To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground . . . Our dead never forget this beautiful world that gave them being. They still love its verdant valleys, its murmuring rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and verdant lined lakes and bays . . . Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many . . . Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance . . . A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man . . . cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.

Sealth, chief of the Squamish, 1854, as reported by Henry Smith in the Seattle Sunday Star, 1887.

We thank you mother, the Earth - Delaware. We are thankful to the East because everyone feels good in the morning when they awake, and sees the bright light coming from the East; and when the Sun goes down in the West we feel good and glad we are well; then we are thankful to the West. And we are thankful to the North, because when the cold winds come we are glad to have lived to see the leaves fall again; and to the South, for when the south wind blows and everything is coming up in the spring, we are glad to live to see the grass growing and everything green again. We thank the Thunders, for they are the manitous that bring the rain, which the Creator has given them power to rule over. And we thank our mother, the Earth, whom we claim as mother because the Earth carries us and everything we need.

Charley Elkhair, quoted in M. R. Harrington, Religion and Ceremonies of the Lenape,

Indian Notes and Monographs, Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, vol 19 (1921).


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Speech at the Powder River Council, 1877. Look at me, and look at the earth. Which is the oldest, do you think? The earth, and I was born on it . . . It does not belong to us alone: it was our fathers', and should be our children's after us. All days are God's - Santee Dakota. Whenever, in the course of the daily hunt the red hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful or sublime – a black thundercloud with the rainbow's glowing arch about the mountains, a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge; a vast prairie tinged with the blood-red of sunset - he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship. He sees no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, since to him all days are God's.

Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa), The Soul of the Indian Houghton Mifflin, Boston & New York, 1911.

Spirits are all about us - Wintu. God is called the Great Spirit.. . . Spirits are all about us - in a gust of wind, or a light wind whirling around our door, that is a family spirit of our loved ones, wanting to know that we are safe.

Grant Towendolly in Helen Hogue, Wintu Trail, Shasta Historical Society, The Earth "Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

Ancient Indian Proverb A Purpose to Everything ...... everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.

Mourning Dove Salish 1888-1936


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Big Thunder The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us....

(Bedagi) Wabanaki Algonquin God is Within All Things - Oglala Sioux. We should know that all things are the works of the Great Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and all the four-legged animals, and the winged peoples; and even more important, we should understand that He is also above these things and peoples. The holy white buffalo woman explains the use of the sacred pipe: "With this sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth, for the Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon her should be as a prayer . . . All these peoples, and all the things of the universe, are joined to you who smoke the pipe - all send their voices to the Great Spirit. When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything . . . Every dawn as it comes is a holy event, and every day is holy, for the light comes from your Father Wakan-Tanka; and also you must remember that the two-leggeds and all the other peoples who stand upon the earth are sacred and should be treated as such. All the fruits of the wingeds, the two-leggeds and the four-leggeds are sacred and should be treated as such. Black Elk, The Sacred Pipe, ed. Joseph Brown, Penguin Books, Baltimore, 1972. Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn … all things tell of Tirawa. All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly.... We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two. Lone Man (Isna-la-wica) Teton Sioux ... I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.


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Protect the Forests Qwatsinas (Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation "We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees." Riches would do us no good. We could not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches. We want peace and love. Native American Commandments Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect. Remain close to the Great Spirit. Show great respect for your fellow beings. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed. Do what you know to be right. Look after the well being of mind and body. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good. Be truthful and honest at all times. Take full responsibility for your actions.


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Prayers

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive, it is pardoning that we are pardoned,

it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Walk With Me O Great Spirit, my Friend,

Walk with me today. Hand in hand, guide me to learn

And to know what is good. Arm in arm, help me to grow

In my faith and in love for others. Side by side, stay by me to protect me

And show me Your ways. Heart to heart, help me to pray...and

To be all that you want me to be. Thank You, Great Spirit,

for the Special love You have for me. Amen.


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I Said A Prayer For You Today I said a prayer for you today

And know God must have heard, I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke not a word. I didn't ask for wealth or fame

(I knew you wouldn't mind) I asked Him to send treasures

Of a far more lasting kind. I prayed that He'd be near you At the start of each new day,

To grant you health and blessings And friends to share your way. I asked for happiness for you In all things great and small But it was for His loving care

I prayed for most of all.

The Difference I got up early one morning

And rushed right into the day; I had so much to accomplish

That I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me, And heavier came each task,

"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered. He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,

But the day toiled on, gray and bleak; I wondered why God didn't show me,

He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence; I used all my keys at the lock.

God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning, and Paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish That I had to take time to pray.


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A Parent's Prayer Lord, I need your help today.

I want to care for those you've sent into my life, To help them grow in body, mind, and spirit,

To help them develop the special gifts you've given them.

But I also want to free them To follow their own paths

And bring their loving wisdom To the world.

Help me to embrace them without clutching,

To support them without suffocating, To correct them without crushing.

And help me to live joyfully and playfully Myself so they can see your life in me

And find their way to you.

The Serenity Prayer God grant me the Serenity

To accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world; As it is, not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things

Right if I surrender to His will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Reinhold Niebugr


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The Lord is my Shepherd The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

God of All God of the mountains and hills, make me tall and strong; Tall enough and strong enough to right some wrong. God of the stars, make me steadfast and sure; God of every lake and stream, flow through my life and make it clean; Let me do nothing base or mean, God of the trees and woods, keep me fresh and pure; God of the rain, wash from my life all dirt and stain; Pure and strong let me remain. God of the seed and soil, plant in my heart Thy love; God of the darkness and day, through shadows or light, be my stay. Guide Thou my way. God of the radiant sun, light Thou my life; God of the glorious dawn, make each day a fresh start. God of the evening peace and quiet, keep me from fear and strife. God of the happy, free birds, sing in my heart. God of the surging waves and sea, wide horizons give to me; Help me to see the world as Thou woudst have it be; God of the lovely rose, make me lovely, too; God of the morning dew, each day my faith renew. God of all growing things, keep me growing, too.

George Earl Ower


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A Scout’s Prayer We have hiked along life’s pathways, Our packs upon our backs, We have pitched our tents and rested Here and there along the tracks. We have used our compass wisely To guide us on our way And hope to reach the campsite Of our Great Chief Scout someday. We have tried to be Trustworthy – Kept our honor high and clean, We have been loyal as any to our country and our Troop. We have done our best at all times Kept our promise - been prepared. And hope our good deeds please Him When at last our souls are bared. We have lightened other’s burdens, With our smiles along the way, We have kept pure and in God’s hand, Walked beside Him day by day. And when our span of life runs out, We’ll make this gentle plea – May we sit around His Campfire At the final Jamboree (from Scouting in New South Wales)

Scout Leader’s Prayer Our Father in heaven – Above us we ask Thee

For guidance in our daily task. May virtue and manhood Strong stand among us.

To thee we give all of our thanks The Scout Oath, the Scout Law

Their lessons unfolding To our youth in numbers untold.

Our Motto, Our Good Turn, May we live it and teach it

Great Spirit of Scouting we pray.


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Short Prayers Give us clean hands, clean words and clean thoughts, O Great Spirit. Teach us to work hard and play fairly. Forgive us when we are unkind and help us forgive those who are unkind to us. Keep us always ready to help others. Send us to do a good turn each day. Amen. Ever living God, we raise our voices in thanksgiving for the blessings we enjoy. We are thankful for the consideration, kindness, and love of our parents. Help us, O God, to be worthy of the opportunities we are given. May we always show appreciation for all the sacrifices made for our sake. Teach us to play fairly and to learn and practice the ways to advance the cause of the oppressed and to lift the hands of the weak. Help us to express our thanksgiving, not only in words, but also with deeds of goodness and truth. Amen. Teach me, dear God that the soul which you have given me is pure and good. You have created it to You. Help me, dear God, to keep my soul clean and true. May no act of mine ever mar its beauty. While your spirit lives in me, I will worship You, master of all the living, and Lord of all the souls. Amen. Let your voice whisper righteousness in our ear though the west wind in the late of the day. Let us be comforted with love for our brothers and sisters with no war. Let us hold good heath mentally and physically to solve our problems and accomplish something for future generations of life. Let us be sincere to ourselves and make the world a better place to live. Amen Come, O, Lord, be with us, as we depart Fill us with Your joy and thanksgiving. May our hearts flow with peace. Come with Your love and surround us. Friendship and peace, May they bloom and grow forever. Bless us now, bless our friends, Bless all mankind forever. Amen. Thank you God for little things that often come our way. The things we take for granted, but don’t mention when we pray. The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful kindly deed, A hand reaching out to help us in the time of sudden need. Oh, make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces That come to us with “sweet surprise” From never dreamed of places. Helen Steiner Rice O Great Spirit! Watch over us as we begin this day. Protect us as we live in your care. Give us bounty and hold us from harm. We are your children and wish only to please you. We hold our Mother Earth close to our hearts and wish her goodness. We thank You for your love.


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American Indian O Lord, we thank you for the work of Sir Robert Baden-Powell, who in his dedication and wisdom founded the World Scouting Movement. We thank you for the efforts of those thousands of men and women who have brought Scouting to millions of boys the world over. We rededicate ourselves to the principles of our movement – To do our best -- to do our duty to God – and to our County. We ask you, O Lord, to give us the strength and courage- each of us—to live up to the Scout Oath – the Scout Law – and the high ideals of the World Brotherhood of Scouting. Amen O Great Spirit, we thank you for this day, for morning sun and evening star; for flowering of trees and flowing of streams, for life-giving rains and cooling breeze; for the cycle of growth and decay, of life and death. When our eyes behold the beauty and grandeur of Your world, we see the wisdom, power and goodness of its Creator. We awake and behold! It’s a great day. Dear Lord, we thank you for this new day and all the opportunities that will come our way. We pray that you will give us new strength and insight, wisdom to enjoy each moment, and the courage to push ourselves farther than we ever have before. Bless us as we begin our journey of the new day. Amen The Lord is in his holy temple; Let all the earth keep silence before him. Amen Dear Lord, why do we always yearn for MORE? Maybe it’s a sign, Lord, of my yearning for YOU. In always searching, maybe it is you I am searching for. My need to change things about me may be a symbol of my inner need to change my self. My need to add to my possessions may be a result of my need to possess YOU more. Help me sort out my priorities, Lord. Help me empty my life a bit—so I will have more time for prayer and more room to be filled by thoughts of you. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, help me to remember that others do not always share my feeling or my traumas. Forgive me for expecting everyone else’s world to revolve around mine. Help me to listen unto others as I would have them listen unto me. Thank you, God, for letting my emergencies be small – and please help all others who have real problems and sorrows in their lives. Let my work and worries be offered up today for them, and in thanksgiving for my blessings. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, help me to shut my mouth and open my heart. Help me to get quiet enough for just a few minutes and think only of you. Speak to me of the beauty of your world … of My world. Help me to clear the cobwebs from my thoughts so I can LISTEN to you. I am always so busy talking to you, Lord. Let me be silent so you can speak to me. Speak to me, Lord. Amen


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by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord, when I was little, my favorite teachers were always pasting gold stars all over everything I did well. My mother was always so proud of those gold stars. What happened, Lord? Why don’t I ever get any gold stars anymore? Oh, I know my family and friends appreciate me- but not when I WANT THEM TO. I guess you know how that feels, Lord. On Sabbath morning, everybody’s there at your house, singing songs and telling you how wonderful you are. But on Wednesday afternoon at two o’clock – who’s bringing you gold stars then? Forgive me, Lord, for not praising you ALL the time. Praise and thanks to you, Lord, for sending that gentle shower to water my geraniums when I forgot to … for making the birds in all sizes, shapes, and colors so I can watch them … for having the imagination to give US imagination so we can think silly thoughts and dream extravagant dreams … for loving us even when we are so fumbling and forgetful. Please accept my gold star, Lord, for the first purple crocus and the last ripe tomato on the vine … for the smell of grass that has just been cut and cookies that have just been baked … for sunsets and dawns and rainbows and the awesomeness of thunderclouds ... and for the gift of laughter. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord. Help me to remember that you can see around the bends in the road and I can’t. Help me to trust. Forgive my anxiety about the “maybe” and the “what ifs”. Thank you for the friends who raise my spirits. Help me to see the joy and exuberance of your creation in them and through them. Remind me to return the favor of your love. Give me the fortitude to wait, the innocence to believe in small miracles, the courage to stop straining to see around the corner when I should just leave the looking and the driving to you. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, thank you for making me learn first-hand that I can love and be loved by someone who does not think or act or LIKE as I do. Help me to remember this when I deal with the world - when I encounter someone at church or on a committee or a work or at a party who does not look at the world the same way I do. Before I condemn them because of our differences. Let me see tham as you do. I’m, not asking you to let me be a marshmallow with no opinions, I couldn’e stand that and neither could you. Just help me to bend enough to TRY to comprehend others’ ideas and preferences. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord, help me to be slower to judge, more willing to look below the surface before I decide something off the top of my head. Please, Lord, give me understanding, sympathy, and most of all tolerance. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder


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Dear God, help me survive in spite of all the missed opportunities. So often life seems to happen one day too late. Help me to not cry over spilled milk or double-dip chocolate ice cream sodas that I should have spilled instead of devoured. Help me to do the best I can with all I’ve got - which is today. Help me to learn to leave the problems of yesterday in the hands of the historians and out the possible problems of tomorrow into your loving hands, Lord thank you NOW. Help me cherish it, savor it, LIVE it, and give it to you. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord. It isn’t easy to understand YOUR gifts. I always seem to get something I didn’t know I needed! Yes, Lord, you always know what I need better than I do. I pray desperately for something and you say No. a few weeks of months or years later I find out how awful it would have been if I had gotten what I was praying for. Thank you, Lord, for so many wonderful unasked-for surprise gifts. Thank you, Lord, for saying no when I need it. Thank you for saying yes even when I don’t deserve it. Thank you for knowing me so well and gifting me so generously. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, if this is my life, I guess I have to be a little self-centered but don’t let me so easily forget OTHERS with problems larger than mine. Help me do what little I can to change what I can. Give me the perseverance to participate, to protest, to protect what I believe in. Help me do small things since I can’t do large ones. Help me reach from my small world and learn a little more each day about YOUR wide world, And thank you, Lord, for letting me be part of it. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, thank you for my ordinary life. Thank you for enough sameness to feel secure, enough possessions to enjoy but not so many to be a burden. Forgive me for expecting steak instead of meatloaf when so many others are hungry. Forgive me for expecting so much when others have none. Forgive my envy and give me the awareness to see my MANY blessings. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear God, will I ever get caught up? Will my search for tomorrow always take until a day after tomorrow? Dear Lord, help me to slow down and catch up. Help me take myself apart so I can put myself together a little better. Help me to see the nonessentials that I could cut out or down. Help me to organize so I can find more time for my family and for you - and a little for myself too. Remind me to take time to smell the flowers, read between the line, reach out and touch someone, and bloom where I am planted, Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder


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Dear Lord, thank you for blessing me with family and friends who are such good company. Help me to remember to be kind to those whose are less blessed. Remind me to take time to talk to people who seem to be lonely or alone. Help me reach out to those who might not seem like good company but might just need a little friendship to get them going. As I exult and delight in my friends, Lord, help me remember there is only ONE friend I truly need. Thank you, Lord, for the pleasure of YOUR company. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord, Help me to realize, Lord, that life must change if it is to develop productively and I must continue to change if I am to grow in my love of you. Help me remember the sunset that is always the same but never the same two nights in a row- its brilliant colors and soft shadows always shifting and changing. Help me remember the rose may be pink but never the same pink-every petal is subtly different with endless variations in color and shape. Remind me of the ever-present clouds- white and fluffy and fleeting or gray and brooding and mysterious – constantly making new patterns and designs, never the same from one moment to the next. You are the same. Lord – always loving me – but the ways you manifest yourself are infinite. Thank you, Lord, for the challenge of change, the new horizons, the opportunity to discover new insights into the myriad workings of your plan for the world and the Church. And for me. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder Dear Lord, you must feel the same way about me sometimes. When I was younger and asked you “Why, Lord, Why?” your answers always satisfied me. I was secure. God was good. God knew everything and answered all my questions and needs. I basked in my Father’s omniscience. Then I began to grow in my “faith experience.” My questions got harder and it seemed your answers were more vague. I asked “Why is life unfair? Why do we have war? Why do people have to suffer? Why do some seem to have more problems than others? Why, Lord, why?” You must be getting awfully tired of the questions of your descendents, Lord. You have all the answers – even to the questions I will never be smart enough to ask. You even give the answers to me sometimes. But I don’t always understand them or I don’t LIKE them, so I keep asking over again, hoping that I will hear and answer that suits me better next time. Forgive my arrogance, Lord. I know the growing pains are necessary. I know I have to keep wondering and searching and asking if I am to grow toward a mature faith. Forgive my yearning for the old security. Help me enjoy the journey and the never-ending discovery of your dimensions and delights. Thank you for giving me the ability to question - and please give me the patience to wait for an answer. Only you, Lord, are powerful enough to do that. Amen by Bernadette McCarver Snyder


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My Prayer

Bless me, heavenly Father – forgive my erring ways. Grant me the strength to serve Thee, put purpose in my days.

Give me understanding enough to make me kind, So I may judge all people with my heart and not my mind,

Teach me to be patient in everything I do, Content to trust Your wisdom and to follow after You.

Help me when I falter and hear me when I pray, And receive me in Thy kingdom to dwell with Thee someday. Amen


O Lord, May we today be touch by grace, fascinated and moved by this your creation, energized by the power of the new growth at work in your world. May we move beyond viewing his life only through a frame, but touch it and be touched by it. know and be known by it. love and be loved by it. Amen May our bodies, our mind, our spirits, learn a new rhythm paced by the rhythmic pulse of the whole created order. May spring come to us, be in us, and recreate life in us. May we forge a new friendship with the natural world and discover a new affinity with beauty, with life, and with the Cosmic Lord in whom all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities… for all things were created through him and for him. In his name. Amen Chinook Psalter


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Lord of the springtime, Farther of flower, field and fruit, smile on us in these earnest days when the work is heavy and the toil wearisome; lift up our hearts, O God, to the things worthwhile – sunshine and night, the dripping rain, the song of birds, books and music, and the voices of our friends. Lift up our hearts to these this night and grant us Thy peace. Amen

W. E. B. Du Bois

From all that dwells below the skies, Let faith and hope with joy arise;

Let beauty, truth, and good be sun Through every land, by every tongue.

Unitarian Prayer

Beloved Lord, almighty God! Through the rays of the sun, Through the waves of the air,

Through the All-pervading Life in space, Purify and revivify me and, I pray

Heal my body, heart, and soul. Amen Hazrat Inayat Khan

As we are together, praying for peace, let us be truly with each other. Let us pay attention to our breathing. Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds. Let us be at peace in our bodies and our minds. Let us return to ourselves and become whole ourselves. Let us maintain a half-smile on our faces. Let us be aware of the source of being common to us all and to all living things. Evoking the presence of the Great Compassion, let us fill our heats with our own compassion – towards ourselves and towards all living beings. Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all brothers and sisters, all nourished from the same source of life. Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of suffering to each other. Let us plead with ourselves to live in a way which will not deprive other beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live. With humility, with awareness of the existence of life, and of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth. Amen

Thich Nhat HJanh Lord, Guide my every step as I go into the world to try to make sense of the madness. For I am called to do this-to be a peacemaker. Then I see a small sweet face that looks up to me in awe, trusting me to protect and keep safe precious lives, a gift from you. Lord, keep us from judging others. Teach us to love and accept one another as you love and accept us. Amen.


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Great Spirit of my Fathers O Great Spirit of my fathers, this is my prayer. Help me to feel Thine urge and Thy message. Help me to be just even to those who hate me; and at all times help me to be kind. If mine enemy is weak and faltering, help me to the good thought that I forgive him. If he surrender, move me to help him as a weak and needy brother. O Great Spirit of my fathers, help me to wholly void my heart of fear. And above all things, O God of my people and of my soul, help me be a man. O God, show me the way of wisdom, and give me strength to follow it without fear. O Great Spirit, this is my prayer! Grant that fear may never enter into my heart to be the guide of my feet. O Great Spirit, make me sufficient to mine own occasions. Give to me to mind my own business at all times, and to loathe no good opportunity for holding my tongue. When it is appointed for me to suffer, let me take example from the dear well-bred beasts and go away in solitude to bear my suffering by myself, not troubling others with my complaints. Help me to win, if I may, but – and this especially, O Great Spirit – if it be not ordained that I may win, make me at least a good loser. Amen God, I pray that you’ll fill my heart with so much love that when people look at me they will see how wonderful I think you are. Amen

Sarah Wainscott, 17 Scout Leader’s Prayer Our Father in Heaven above us, We ask Thee for guidance in our daily task. May virtue and manhood stand strongly amongst us. To Thee we give all of our thanks. The Scout Oath, the Scout Law, Their lessons unfolding to our youth, in numbers untold, Our Motto, our Good turn, May we live it and teach it, Great Spirit of Scouting we pray.


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Hymns Morning has Broken Morning has broken like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them springing fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain’s new fall. Sunlit from heaven, Like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where His feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning! Born of one light, Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day.

Eleanor Farjean

Day is Done Tell me why you’re crying my son? I know you are frightened like everyone. Is it the thunder in the distance you hear? Will it help if I stay very near? I am here. Chorus And if you take my hand my son. All will be well when the day is done. And if you take my hand my son, All will be well when the day is done.

Day is done. Day is done. Day is done. Day is done.

Do you ask why I’m sighing my son? You shall inherit what mankind has done In a world filled with sorrow and woe If you ask me why this is so… I really don’t know. (Chorus) Tell me why you’re smiling my son? Is there a secret you can tell everyone? Do you know more than men that are wise? Can you see that we all must disguise Through your loving eyes. (Chorus)


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Let There Be Peace on Earth Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be With God as our Father, children all are we Let me walk with all other, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment, and live each moment, in peace eternally, Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. With God as our Father, children all are we Let me walk with all other, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment, and live each moment, in peace eternally, Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. This Land is Your Land This land is your land, this land is my land, From California to the New York Island From the redwood forest, to the Gulf Stream waters, This land was made for you and me. As I was walking that ribbon of highway, I saw above me, that endless skyway, I saw below me, that golden valley, This land was made for you and me. I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps, To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts, All around me a voice was sounding, This land was made for you and me. When the sun came shining, then I was strolling, And the wheat fields waving, and the dust clouds rolling, A voice was chanting as the fog was lifting, This land was made for you and me.


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Michael row the Boat Ashore Michael row the boat ashore, Alleluia, Michael row the boat ashore, Alleluia. Gabriel, blow the trumpet horn, Alleluia, Gabriel, blow the trumpet horn, Alleluia. Brother, lend a helping hand, Alleluia, Brother, lend a helping hand, Alleluia, Michael row the boat ashore, Alleluia, Michael row the boat ashore, Alleluia. Amazing Grace Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; Was blind, but now I see. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fear relieved. How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares We have already come. ‘Twas grace that brought us safe this far, And grace will bring us home. When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; Was blind, but now I see. Wm. Walker


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This is my Father’s world This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, All nature sings, and round me rings, The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hands the wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker’s praise. This is my Father’s world He shines in all that’s fair: In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. For the Beauty of the Earth For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth, over sand around us lies, Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. For the wonder of each hour, of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light. Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of human love; brother sister, parent child, Friends of earth and friends above; for all gentle thoughts and mild. Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. Faith of our Fathers Faith of our fathers, living still In spite of dungeon fire, and sword! Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy When’ere we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, we will love Both friend and foe in all our strife: And preach thee, too, as love knows how, By kindly words and virtuous life: Faith of our fathers, holy faith, We will be true to thee till death!


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Kum ba yah Kum Ba Yah, My Lord, Kum Ba Yah, Kum Ba Yah, My Lord, Kum Ba Yah, Kum Ba Yah, My Lord, Kum Ba Yah, Kum Ba Yah, My Lord, Kum Ba Yah, 1. Someone’s camping, Lord, Kum Ba Yah

Someone’s camping, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s camping, Lord, Kum Ba Yah O Lord, Kum Ba Yah

2. Someone’s laughing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s laughing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s laughing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah O Lord, Kum Ba Yah

3.Someone’s praying, Lord, Kum Ba Yah

Someone’s praying, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s praying, Lord, Kum Ba Yah O Lord, Kum Ba Yah

4. Someone’s singing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s singing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah Someone’s singing, Lord, Kum Ba Yah O Lord, Kum Ba Yah

God Bless America God Bless America Land that I love Stand beside her and guide her Through the night with a light from above. From the, mountains, To the prairies, To the oceans white with foam. God bless America, My home sweet home. God bless America, My home sweet home.


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America, the Beautiful O, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain, America! America God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea. O, beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat, Across the wilderness! America, America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O, beautiful for heroes proved, In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every grain divine! O, beautiful for patriot dream, That sees, beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.


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He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands He’s got the whole world in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands, He’s got the sun and the moon in his hands, He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands, He’s got you and me brother in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got everybody here in his hands, He’s got everybody here in his hands, He’s got everybody here in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands. This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine, Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine, Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Don’t Let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine, Don’t Let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine, Don’t Let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.


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Praise Him, Praise Him Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love. Love Him, love Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Love Him, love Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love. Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love. Serve Him, serve Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Serve Him, serve Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love. Praise Him, praise him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Praise Him, praise him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love Standin’ in the Need of Prayer Chorus It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r, Halleluia, It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r. Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r, Halleluia, Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r. Chorus Not the preacher, not the deacon, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r, Halleluia, Not the preacher, not the deacon, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r. Chorus Not my neighbor, not a stranger, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r, Halleluia, Not my neighbor, not a stranger, but it’s me, oh Lord, stand’n in the need of pray’r. Chorus


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Early in the Morning Well early in the mornin’ ‘bout the break of day, I asked the Lord help me find the way, Help me find the way to the promised land. This lonely body needs a helping hand, I asked the Lord to help me please, find the way. When the new day is a dawning bow my head in pray’r I pray to the Lord won’t you lead me there? Won’t you guide me safely to the golden stair? Won’t you let this body your burden share? I pray to the Lord won’t you lead me please, Lead me there. When the judgement comes to find the world in shame, When the trumpet blows won’t you call my name? When the thunder rolls and the heavens rain, When the sun turns black, - never shine again, When the trumpet blows won’t you call me please Call my name? Paul Stookey Blowin’ in the Wind How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man? Yes,’n, How many seas must a white dove sail before she can sleep in the sand? Yes,’n,’ How many times must the cannon balls fly before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind. How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? Yes,’n, How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? Yes,’n, How many deaths will it take ‘till he knows that too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind. How many years can a mountain exist before it’s washed to the sea? Yes,’n, How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free? Yes,’n, How many times can a man turn his head pretending he just doesn’t see? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind. Bob Dylan


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Go Tell It on the Mountain Refrain Go tell It on the mountain Over the hill and ev’ry where, Go tell It on the mountain to let my people go. Who’s that yonder dressed in red? Let my people go, Must be the children that Moses lead Let my people go, (Repeat) Go tell it on the mountain to let my people go Refrain Who’s that yonder dressed in white? Let my people go, Must be the children of the Israelite. Let my people go, (Repeat) Go tell it on the mountain to let my people go Refrain Who’s that yonder dressed in black? Let my people go, Must be the hypocrites turning back Let my people go, (Repeat) Go tell it on the mountain to let my people go Refrain Adapted by Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, Mary Travers, and Milton Okun


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Very Last Day Refrain Ev’ry body gonna pray on the very last day, Oh when they hear the bell a-ring the world away. Ev’rybody gonna pray to the heavens on the judgement day. Well you can sing about the great King David, and you can preach about the wisdom of Saul, But the judgement falls on all mankind when the trumpet sounds the call, All equal and the same When the Lord – He calls your name, Get ready, brother, for that day. Refrain Well one day soon all men will stand, His word will be heeded in all the land, Men shall know and men shall seek, We all are brothers and we all are free Mankind was made of clay, Each of us in the very same way, Get ready, brother, for that day. Refrain Oh well the law is given and the law is known, A tale is told and the seed is sown, From dust we came and to dust will go, You know the Lord once told us so. Each brother takes His hand, Heed the meaning of the Lord’s command Get ready, brother, for that day. By Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow


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Farther Along Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder Why it should be thus all the day long, While there are others living about us, Never molested though in the wrong. Chorus Farther along we’ll know all about it. Farther along we’ll understand why: Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine, We’ll understand it all by and by. When death has come and taken our loved ones, It leaves our home so lonely and drear: Then do we wonder why others prosper, Living so wicked year after year. Chorus Faithful till death said our loving Master, A few more days to labor and Wait: Toils of the road will then seem as nothing, As we sweep through the beautiful gate. Chorus When we see our God coming in glory, When He comes from His home in the sky: Then we shall meet Him in that bright mansion, We’ll understand it all by and by. Chorus Rev W. B. Stevens


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America My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims’ pride, From ev’ry mountainside, Let freedom ring. My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills, My heart with rapture thrills Like that above Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees, Sweet freedom’s song; Let mortal tongues awake, Let all that breathe partake, Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong. Our fathers’ God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom’s holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King. Father, We Thank Thee for the Night Father, we thank Thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light; For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the day so fair. Help us to do the things we should, To be to others kind and good; In all that wee do, in work or play, To grow more loving ev’ry day.


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Tell Me Why Tell me why the stars do shine, Tell me why the ivy twines. Tell me why the sky’s so blue. Tell me friend just why I love you. Because God made the stars to shine, Because God made the ivy twines. Because God made the skies so blue. Dear old friend that’s why I love you. He’s got the Whole World in His hands He’s got the Whole World in His hands; He’s got he big, roun’ World in his hands; He’s got the Wide World in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands. He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands; He’s got he sun and the moon in his hands; He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands. He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands; He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands; He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands. He’s got you and me brother in His hands; He’s got you and me brother in His hands; He’s got you and me brother in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands. He’s got everybody here in His hands; He’s got everybody here in His hands; He’s got everybody here in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands. He’s got the Whole World in His hands; He’s got he big, whole wide World in his hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands; He’s got the Whole World in His hands.


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Taps Day is done, gone the sun; From the lake, from the hills, From the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Fading light dims the sight; And a star gems the sky, Gleaming bright; From a far, drawing night, Fall the night. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Chorus Swing low, sweet Chariot, coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot coming for to carry me home. I looked over Jordan and what did I see, Coming for to carry me home, A band of Angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home. Chorus If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home, Just tell my friends I’m coming in too, Coming for to carry me home. Chorus De happiest day I ever saw Coming for to carry me home, Dem Angel police of God’s Law, Coming for to carry me home. Chorus I’m sometime up and sometime down, Coming for to carry me home, But still my soul seems homeward bound, Coming for to carry me home. Chorus


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Church in the Wildwood There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood, No lovelier place in the dale, No spot is so dear to my childhood, As the little brown church in the vale. Chorus O, come, come, come, Come o the church in the wildwood, O, come to the church in the dale, No spot is so dear to my childhood, As the little brown church in the vale. How sweet on a bright Sabbath morning, To list to the clear ringing bell, Its tones so sweetly are calling, O, come to the church in the vale. Repeat chorus. Dr. Wm. S. Pitts Now the Day is Over Now the day is over, Night is drawing nigh, Shadows of the evening Steal across the sky. Now the darkness gathers, Stars begin to peep; Birds and beasts and flowers Soon will be a sleep. Come, Thou Almighty King Come, Thou Almighty King Help us Thy name to sing, Help us to praise! Father all glorious, O’er all victorious, Come and reign over us, Ancient of Days! Come, holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear, In this glad hour! Thou, who almighty art, Now rule in ev’ry heart, And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of pow’r!


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Stand By Me When the storms of life are raging, Stand by me. Stand by me. When the storms of life are raging, Stand by me. Stand by me. When the world is tossing me, Like a ship upon the sea: Thou who rulest wind and water, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of tribulations, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of tribulations, Stand by Me When the hosts of hell assail, And my strength begins to fail, Thou who never lost a battle, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of faults and failures, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of faults and failures, Stand by me. Stand by me. When I do the best I can, And my friends misunderstand, Thou who knowest all about me, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of persecution, Stand by me. Stand by me. In the midst of persecution, Stand by me. Stand by me. When my foes in battle array Under take to stop my way: Thou who saved all the others, Stand by me. Stand by me. When I’m growing old and feeble, Stand by me. Stand by me. When I’m growing old and feeble, Stand by me. Stand by me. When my life becomes a burden, And I’m nearing chilly Jordan: O Thou “Lily of the Valley” Stand by me. Stand by me. C. A. Tindley


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Whispering Hope Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion, whispers her comforting word. Wit till the darkness is over, Wait till life’s tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the sunshine is gone. Chorus Whispering hope, O how welcome Thy voice, Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice. Whispering hope, whispering hope, Welcome Thy voice, O how welcome thy voice. Making my heart, making my heart in its sorrow rejoice. If in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region a far, Will not the deepening darkness, Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. Chorus Hope as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal. Come, then, O come, glad fruition, Come to my sad, weary heart, Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, O never depart. Chorus Alice Hawthorne


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Bringing In the Sheaves Sowing in the morning, Sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noon-tide and the dewy eve, Waiting for the harvest, And the time of reaping, Chorus We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the shaves. Sowing in the sunshine, Sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds, Nor winter’s chilling breeze: By and by the harvest, And the labor ended, Chorus Going forth with weeping, Sowing for the Master, Though the loss sustained Our spirit often grieves: When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome, Chorus.


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Titles were added to some quotations for ease of referral. Titles are in bold and authors in italics. Bibliography

Earth Prayers Edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, HarperSanFrancisco, 1991. Meditations for People Who (May) Worry Too Much by Anne Wilson Schaef, Ballantine Books,` 1996. Sacred Moments by Linda Kavelin Popov, A Plume Book, 1996. A Book Of Blessings by Helen Steiner Rice, Flemin H. Revell, 1995. Graham Crackers, Galoshes, and God, by Bernadette McCarver Snyder, Liguori Publications, 1982. The Gospel of the Redman by Ernest Thompson Seton and Julia Seton, Seton Village, 1966. We Sing Bible Songs, by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp, A Price Stern Sloan Classic, 1986 The Peter Paul and Mary Song Book, Pepamar Music Corp, Warner Bros, Publications, Inc. Boy Scout Songbook, Boy Scouts of America, New Brunswick, NJ, 1964. Devo’Zine, edited by Robin Pippin, The Upper Room, 1997 The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu translated by Witter Bynner, Capricorn Books, 1962. Internet. Olde Time Camp Meeting Songs, by Albert E. Brumley, Albert E. Brumley & Sons, 1971. Life’s Little Treasure Book on Success, H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Rutledge Hill Press, 1994.

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Scout’s Own Service - T50BSAt50bsa.org/DOCS/ScoutsOwnServiceResource.pdf · 2014-07-29 · Bringing In the Sheaves .....99 . Bibliography ... Poems Verses and Prayers for Scout’s