7/2/12

Monday Morning Offering - 198

Image: George Mendoza

Today's the fourth anniversary of Monday Morning Offerings!

When I wrote the first MMO, I had no intention of it being a series but the response to that post was very positive and... so it began.

This MMO is numbered 198 but over four years I've occasionally re-posted previous offerings  - though never without at least a little tweaking, editing and redacting of the first posting.  In light of that, the number of unique Monday morning prayers is probably around 170. 

To celebrate the fourth anniversary I'm re-posting the first Monday Morning Offering and the illustration (below) that accompanied it.  After just a few weeks of MMO's, I adopted the illustration you've become familiar with (above) and I'm grateful to George Mendoza for his gracious permission to use his artwork (Coffee in the Morning) over these four years. If you haven't yet checked out George's site, please do that today.

You'll find an archive of MMO's here.

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Monday Morning Offering - 1

O God,
it's Monday!

A new week stretches before me:
will you walk with me this week, Lord?

Slow me down before I go too fast
and give me strength to do well
the things I really need to accomplish...

Give me the wisdom to lay aside
the things I do not need,
the cares I need not carry,
the burdens I need not bear...

Amid the worries of this week, Lord,
calm my fears,
lift my spirits,
give me rest
- and keep me in today...

Open my eyes to any way
I might lighten the burdens of others
and give me the grace and courage to offer:
my hand, my arm, my shoulder;
my heart, my support, my comfort;
my smile, my story, my love...

Show me yourself this week, Lord:
open my ears to your voice,
my eyes to your beauty,
my heart to your mercy,
my mind to your counsel,
my weary limbs to your strength,
my mouth to give you praise...

A new week stretches before me, Lord:
help me to live it
a day at a time,
in your time,
in peace...

Amen.

(Click here for an archive of Monday Morning Offerings)




   
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4 comments:

  1. Happy anniversary...
    And thank you for these MMO's- they have helped given me the strength and the push and pull I need to keep me going, to keep me believing (or trying)...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Um... Sorry about the bad grammar in my comment this morning ("have helped given me" ? I don't know what I was thinking- I wrote it while I was on the bus on my way to work -I guess there's no way I could edit that after it was published?

      Delete
  2. The graphic you now use for your Monday Morning Offering is great but I LOVE your original graphic too!! Perhaps it's because I don't drink coffee -lol!! Bravo! Happy Anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not to worry - and you're correct, once published, a comment can't be called back. Not bad for typing on the bus!

    ReplyDelete

Please THINK before you write
and PRAY before you think!