01.01.07 Tuesdays Reflection

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=220 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="13eb8750.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="117" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>"We, who have received the love of Christ through the Spirit must not contain it..."</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMMUSA)"><U>Home Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tuesdays Reflection"><U>Tuesdays Reflection</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mission Statement"><U>Mission Statement</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vision Statement"><U>Vision Statement</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ways You Can Help Us"><U>Ways You Can Help Us</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All About VMM"><U>All About VMM</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Application Qualifications"><U>Application Qualifications</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discernment Process"><U>Discernment Process</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="application.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Application Form"><U>Application Form</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U>Related Links</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bridges Newsletter"><U>Bridges Newsletter</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters from the Missions"><U>Letters from the Missions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adobe Printing Instructions"><U>Adobe Printing Instructions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=36-3153581" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networ"><U><IMG SRC="1887e300.gif" border=0 width="126" height="48" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div>  <form method="get" action="http://search.atomz.com/search/"> <input size=15 name="sp-q"><br> <input type=submit value="Search"> <input type=hidden name="sp-a" value="sp10020180"> <input type=hidden name="sp-f" value="iso-8859-1"> </form></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM-USA)</B></I></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMMUSA)"><U>home</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tuesdays Reflection"><U>Tuesdays Reflection</U></A></div> <div> 01 01, 07  New Year's Day</div> <div>                     </div> <div> One of the French Canadian New Year's Day customs I remember well is the blessing given by the father to the family. Today both father and mother give the blessing in families where the custom still exists. Let us bless each other with the following blessing:</div> <bR> <div> <I>”May God bless you with a discontent</I></div> <div> <I>at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships</I></div> <div> <I>so that you will live from deep within your heart.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>May God bless you with anger</I></div> <div> <I>at injustice, oppression, abuse and exploitation of people</I></div> <div> <I>so that you will work for justice, equality and peace.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer</I></div> <div> <I>from pain, rejection, starvation and war</I></div> <div> <I>so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change</I></div> <div> <I>their path to one of joy.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>May God bless you with the foolishness</I></div> <div> <I>to think you can make a difference</I></div> <div> <I>so that you will do the things which others tell you</I></div> <div> <I>cannot be done.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Remember, you are only one, but you are one.</I></div> <div> <I>You cannot do everything but you can do something.</I></div> <div> <I>Amen!”</I></div> <bR> <div> Will Prior</div> <div> <U>Witness for Peace</U> volunteer in Nicaragua in the 80s and early 90s, </div> <div> long-time pacifist, <U>Veteran for Peace</U>. The prayer was composed on </div> <div> the U.S. Capitol steps, while protesting the SOA in 1993.</div> <bR> <div> Early in 2006, Nancy Kunkel forwarded an article by Glen Anderson </div> <div> entitled: <U>Iraq, International Law and the Port of Olympia.</U> At home </div> <div> today with the flu, I found it while sorting out papers and magazines </div> <div> - and selected this quote:</div> <bR> <div> <I>"To build an effective peace movement and reach our goals we'll need </I></div> <div> <I>better grounding in nonviolence and better strategies for reaching </I></div> <div> <I>out to the general public. We need political analysis, vision and </I></div> <div> <I>courage, certainly, and we also need empathy for the human beings who </I></div> <div> <I>are caught in other roles as well as for ordinary folks who are just </I></div> <div> <I>trying to figure out our confusing world... explore how you could </I></div> <div> <I>help move our local community toward mutual understanding and peace. </I></div> <div> <I>Governments create wars, but grassroots people can create peace."</I></div> <bR> <div> Finally a prayer composed by Linda - also from Washington State!</div> <bR> <div> <I><U>God is love - Love is God</U></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Pray for ALL. Period. Amen</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those in need far away</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those in need right here</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those in the world who are threatened</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those who threaten</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those who love Jesus</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those who love Buddha</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those who love Mohammed</I></div> <div> <I>Pray for those who love Thunderbird of the Great Spirit</I></div> <div> <I>One all-knowing, loving God with many messengers</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>There are many rooms in the mansion, but only one kitchen!</I></div> <div> <I>All will gather there in laughter, love and overwhelming peace”.</I></div> <bR> <div> Pray for ALL. Period. Let it be so.</div> <bR> <div> Cecily</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>