Category Archives: Blessings

Aunties

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Aunties

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for my aunts,
who believe the best of me.
I still find it odd
that anyone thinks I’m smart
or capable, or decent,
but my aunts do
and for some reason
I trust them.

Blessed are you, aunties,
for unwavering kindness,
generous gift-giving,
craft supplies and gourmet meals,
giggles and connection,
honesty and creativity.
I never felt you had to invest in me
because I’m your niece.
I knew you wanted to.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for the believing and belonging,
the handwritten cards and letters,
funny family stories,
warm welcomes, and celebrations.
You knew it would be hard for me to learn
that the best thing I can be is me,
so You created aunties.
Brave, they are, to be themselves,
and in so doing, to invite me to be myself.

Here and There I Am

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Here and There I Am

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for anticipation—
groom in shiny, toe-pinching shoes,
watching the sanctuary doorway.
Bread in the oven,
first crocus about to bloom,
waiting for grandma’s visit.

Blessed are You for memories—
wreaths on the necks of brown cows in Switzerland,
playing an evening game of soccer in Belize,
lighting bugs in Oklahoma,
backpacking through snow to natural hot springs,
holding purple shore crabs by Oregon tide pools.

Blessed are You for creating me to enjoy—
memories of the past,
scenery and scent of the present,
and the possibility of my future.
Your eternal nature allows me the pleasure
of what is already done,
what is now,
and what is yet to be,
for You are not contained in one reality,
and as Your child, neither am I.

White Gift

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White Gift

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for snow, brides,
egrets, rice.
White is bright,
reflecting light—
clouds,
the insides of radishes and potatoes,
coconut shreds,
vanilla ice cream.

Blessed are You for rabbits
who keep a white coat
without bleach or washing machine,
despite no hands to hold their juicy vegetables.
Me, I can’t keep a blouse white,
but kittens wear white boots
and gulls wear white all down their front,
and they make it look easy.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe—
though my stains are scarlet
they will be white as snow.
Though my wrongs are crimson
they’ll resemble finest wool.
White is not for me to toil over
but for You to give.

Potential

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Potential

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for potential—
a door ajar,
a hint of what I can’t see.
What is there?

Blessed are You
for potential
to give and receive,
comfort and be comforted,
see and be seen—
relational miracles.

Blessed are You
for creative energy
to birth poems and essays,
make spring rolls and peanut sauce,
weave laughter through dinner and bedtime.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe, for this—
Potential means I don’t know.
Not knowing means I’m not in control.
Not controlling means I’m free to love.
And love makes even the impossible possible.
Potential.

Green fruit has potential to become ripe.
Ripe fruit is potent with flavor and satisfaction.
Empty things have potential to be filled with anything—even dust and spiders.
Full things contain possibilities for all kinds of creation.
Best of all, potential is NOT something I can DO.

At Home in the Dark

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At Home in the Dark

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for making it clear
that life is not about improving
myself
or anyone else.

Blessed are You
for not bettering me
so much as standing with me,
proving by Your presence
that nothing is needed
except love.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for Your love unflinching,
beyond logic and practicality,
beyond physical and emotional limits.
You leaned lovingly into death
and took up Your life again in love,
demonstrating that love
is at home in the dark
and in the light—
improbable,
unstoppable,
enough.

Winter Luck

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Winter Luck

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for kids on our couch—
friends, cousins, classmates—
a dozen charming faces,
watching a movie.

Blessed are You
for blankets and giggles,
snacks and wiggles,
here in my living room.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for school vacation,
winter sunshine,
gingerbread cookies,
and the ability
not only to know I’m lucky
but to feel it—joy!

Rich Notes

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Rich Notes

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
Queen of the Universe,
for music—
the sound of feelings;
the sound of deep knowledge
too meaty, or mystical,
for words.

Blessed are You
for my favorite song,
captivating me still,
aural delight,
richer even than I remembered.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
Queen of the Universe,
for music—
a pile of invitations,
to laugh, weep, dance,
sing in the kitchen,
turn up the radio,
raise our hands, as if reaching
to toast Heaven with a glass
of our best and richest creation,
notes and words,
instruments and voices,
breaking us wide open,
intimacy with You,
our divine Mother.

Evolution of Joy

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Evolution of Joy

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for happiness, unexpected.
I feel buoyant, excited even.
How did this happen?

For more than twenty-five years
I thought my life
was a job well done.
For ten more years
I served my life
as a sentence.
Today? Life is
an invitation.
Blessed are You, Lord,
for this evolution.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for inviting me
to a preexisting fullness
and a predetermined wealth,
the pleasure of being me.

Imagine it—joy,
not because I earned it,
but rather,
here it is in front of me—
the sky at dawn,
fleece leggings and slippers,
London fog to warm my hands and belly,
Phiona-cat’s antics,
pomegranates divided into bumpy wedges,
JJ Heller Christmas songs,
the smell of gingerbread in the oven.
Blessed are You, Lord,
for this revolution.

Twilight

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Twilight

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for evening.
Trees slip into black pajamas
as color drains from the sky,
pooling at the edges,
vivid feather boas draping the sun.

Blessed are You
for slowness of twilight,
a dissolving that escapes notice
until I get distracted,
and looking back to the sky,
find it changed.

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for those things that spark alive
even as I dim.
Owls and mice open their eyes,
stars twinkle, dew forms,
and streams gurgle night music.
My ears attune as my eyes rest,
kissed to sleep by the softness of twilight.

November

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I’m trying a different poem style this week. It’s challenging to rhyme after writing so much free verse poetry! It’s a different kind of week, kids home from school, extra time in the kitchen, gatherings with extended family. I’m grateful for each of you in the @jesusmyfavoritesubject family. Thank you for seeing me, and allowing me to see you.

November

In this month of gratitude
I struggle with a bad-itude.
I do not love this ugly mood
Or how my heart feels misconstrued.

My kids are not a quiet brood.
Today their antics light my fuse.
My inner peace they now intrude
Until I beg for solitude.

I am allowed disquietude,
But I’m not victim of my mood.
It’s likely this month will include
Both thoughtless acts and moments shrewd.

So I will eat Thanksgiving food,
Refrain from being trite or rude;
When we give thanks I will include
Some words of sincere gratitude.

Grace is not a platitude
And Love is wide in magnitude.
Here I belong, so I conclude
There’s latitude for attitude.