New Year's Prayer

O Lord, our Father! We have gathered here at the turn of the year because we do not want to be alone but want to be with each other, and together be united with you. Our hearts are filled with sombre thoughts as we reflect on our misdeeds of the past year. And our ears are deafened by the voices of the radio [and television] and in the newspapers, with their numerous predictions for the coming year. Instead we want to hear your word, your voice, your assurance, your guidance. We know that you are in our midst, and are eager to give us all that we need, whether we ask or not. On this night we ask for one thing only: that you collect our scattered thoughts, getting rid of the confused and defiant thoughts that may distract us, and thus enable us to concentrate on your limitless generosity to us. You were abundantly generous to us last year, and will be no less generous to us next year, and in very year to come. Fill us with gratitude for You. (Karl Barth, 1886-1968)

Another Year is Dawning

Another year is dawning; dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee;
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon They loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love;
Another year of training for holier work above,
Another year is dawning; dear Father, let it be,
On earth or else in heaven, another year for Thee.
(Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Greater Faith

Teach us Lord, not to ask for lighter loads, but greater faith for steep and rocky roads. (Fred Bauer in Daily Guideposts, 21 Nov 2007)

God's Order

God's order rules not only my life but the entire universe. As I cooperate with divine order, I will see every situation unfolding in harmonious, orderly ways. (Colleen Zuck, Daily Word, Day 332)

Serenity

Today help me quiet my mind. Help me seek serenity one day at a time. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 14 December)

Go Tell It On The Mountain

While shepherds kept their watching o'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior's birth.

Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and ev'rywhere.
Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
(Traditional Spriritual)

A Christmas Wish

I wish you the joy of Christmas,

The Season's sweet repose.

I wish you the peace of Christmas

To mark the old year's close.

I wish you the hope of Christmas

To cheer you on your way.

And a heart of faith and gladness

To greet each coming day.

(Author unknown)

Christmas Benediction

The Lord bless and keep you and make His face shine on you and give you peace.

As you remember the Child born in Bethlehem may you also remember to honor the child in your own heart.

May you follow the light of the stars in your dreams and know that God is with you wherever you go.

Let the hope that was born in a stable be a sign that God can change the world through one small child.

May the spirit of Christmas warm our hearts all year long.

Grace and peace be with you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will ever be, world without end.

Amen.
(Author unknown)

Come Fill Our Hearts

We thank Thee, dearest blessed Lord,
For all you've given us to share.
Come fill our hearts with Christmas love
Your peace be here and everywhere.
Amen.
(Father Paul Keenan)

Holiday Season

Grant me, O God, ears to hear and eyes to see the wonder of Your presence this holiday season, in the ordinary places of my life. (Jeff Japinga, Daily Guideposts, 22 December 2007)

This is the Day

This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Change

Lord, today help me focus on what "I" can change. Guide me to a new way of thinking about the situation. (after Courage to Change, 17 December)

Old Business

Today let me begin to clear up old business. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 5 December)

Faith

Unless we have the key of faith to unlock the meaning of life, we are lost. We choose faith not because it is one way for us but because it is the only way. Many have failed and will fail again. For others there is no life of victory without faith. We are at sea without a rudder, aimlessly drifting, when we attempt to live without faith. [Without faith] life is a meaningless succession of the kinds of turmoil we had in the past. ... I realize that faith is imperative... (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 18 December)

Spiritual Life

I pray that I may choose today the way of the spiritual life. I pray that I may live today with hope and faith. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 17 December)

Die for a Lie?

One area often overlooked in challenges to Christianity is the transformation of Jesus' apostles.

Their changed lives provide solid testimony for the validity of his claims ... I can trust the apostles' testimonies because, of those men, eleven died martyrs' deaths on the basis of two things: the resurrection of Christ, and their belief in him as the Son of God. ...

The response that is usually chorused back is this: "Why, a lot of people have died for a lie; so what does it prove?"

Yes, a lot of people have died for a lie, but they thought it was the truth. Now if the resurrection didn't take place (i.e., was fake), the disciples knew it. I find no way to demonstrate that they could have been deceived. Therefore these eleven men not only died for a lie -- here is the catch -- but they knew it was a lie. It would be hard to find eleven people in history who died for a lie, knowing it was a lie.

(Josh McDowell in His Passion, Day 310)

Seek & Knock

Seek in reading and thou shalt find in meditation; knock in prayer and it shall be opened to thee in contemplation. (St. John of the Cross, in Soul Searching, p. 361)

Christian Society

Christian society, as it now exists, doesn't follow Christian law in its real meaning. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 9 June)

Earthly Trips

Lord of the journey, help me to end my little earthly trips the way I want to end the longest one: looking ahead to the best of homecoming. (Elizabeth Sherrill, Daily Guideposts, 1 Dec 2007)

Commonplace Things

Let me observe with new interest, even the commonplace things that happen in each new day. (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 10 December)

Thanksgiving

I pray that my day may be filled with thanksgiving. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 25 November)

Understanding

I pray that I may not worry about things I do not now understand. I pray that I may have faith that someday I may have deeper understanding. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 3 December)

Real LIfe

Photo: Corel

• Prayer, exercise, [reading], and proper nutrition are preventive measures that help me stay healthy. (Daily Word for Healing, Colleen Zuck, et al., p. 287)

• The only real life is one lived close to God. This does not happen by itself; you must make an effort to make this happen, and this effort will bring you joy. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 2 April)

Daily Guideposts: http://www.dailyguideposts.com

Right Choices

I will meditate on God's word and direction today as a key to help me make the right choices in my life. (Soul Searching, p. 330)

The Message

God, give me the capability to hear your message as clearly as possible in my everyday life. (Soul Searching, p. 307)

Habits

If I have adopted habits that I know are not healthy ..., I ask God for guidance and strength in releasing those habits and leaving them behind. God will show me what I need to do. (Colleen Zuck, et al., Daily Word for Healing, p. 283)

People Along the Road

Lord, thank You for all the people along the road [of life's journey] who have been happy to help me. May I always be willing to pass on the kindness in Your name. (Penney Schwab in Daily Guideposts, 12 Sep 2007)

Your Presence

God, Your presence in my life is dearer to me than I could ever hope to put into mere words. (Colleen Zuck, Daily Word, Day 313)

Life of Jesus Christ

The life of Jesus Christ is very important to us as an example of a life of one who could not see the fruits of his work during his lifetime. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 3 May)

The Choice

God asks no man whether he will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only choice is how. (Henry Ward Beecher, in At My Best, 22 November)

Instant Messaging

God was using Instant Messaging long before the invention of the Internet. (after Elizabeth Sherrill in Daily Guideposts, 1 September 2007)

Look to Your Health

Look to your health, and if you have it, praise God, and value it next to a good conscience; for health is ... a blessing that money can't buy. (Izaak Walton, in Body, Mind, and Spirit, 22 November)

Old Stuff

God, is there something I can give up today - some old stuff, an old attitude, an old idea? Let me toss it without a backward glance! (Linda Neukrug, Daily Guideposts, 18 Oct 2007)

Give Thanks

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and your strength. Give thanks for your food and give thanks for the joy of living. And if you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured that the fault is in yourself. (Chief Tecumseh, in Thinking Outside the Church by Jennifer Leigh Selig, p. 238)

Thanksgiving Prayer

Lord, give me the discipline to eat according to my needs rather than my self-destructive cravings. (Food For Thought, 4 January)

Change and Blessings

God is with me through every change in life. (Colleen Zuck, et al. Daily Word For Healing, pl 270)

Loving, Father, give me the grace to look beyond my difficulties to the blessings in my life. (Melody Bonnette, in Daily Guideposts, 21 Sep 2007)

Seek The Truth

Seek the truth: it always shows us what we should do, what we should not do and what we should stop doing.  (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 22 March)

Some Hesitation

There is not a single believer who from time to time has not had some hesitation about the existence of God. But these moments of hesitation are not harmful. On the contrary, they lead us to a better understanding of God. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom, 24 March)

The Spirit of God

Through the spirit of God within me, I have b een given all that I will ever need to be successful throughout my life. (Colleen Zuck, Daily Word, Day 265)

This Life

Thank You, Lord, for this life you have given me. (Soul Searching, p. 314)

Material Things

I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things. I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 20 November)

I didn't post an Arrow Prayer yesterday.

God Speaks

God often speaks through the people in my life.  I need to listen to them.  (Gina Bridgeman, Daily Guideposts, 7 Sep 2007)

Enough

May I be satisfied with enough.

Gift of Memory

Thank You, Father, for the gift of memory! (John Sherrill, Daily Guideposts, 24 August 2007)

Gift of Life

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life and for this magnificient world you've given us to live in. And when the time comes, bring me peacefully home to You. (Karen Valentin, Daily Guideposts, 21 Jul 2007)

Give Me Strength

Give me the strength to experience all of my emotions, positive as well as negative. Give me the foresight to learn from my feelings and to seek help when they become overwhelming. (Soul Searching, p. 284)

Clarity

Thomas Point Light, Maryland

Give me the clarity to be sensitive to another's needs and feelings today. (Soul Searching, p. 291)

Trust in the Lord

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Portland, OR)

Trust in the Lord instead. Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper feeding in safety. (Psalm 37:3 (TLB) Daily Guideposts, 21 Jul 2007)

Prayer One Thousand

Clear my mind of needless thoughts. (Billy Graham, Day by Day, 15 August)

Today I'm posting the thousanth prayer to my Arrow Prayers blog. When I started the blog I had no idea whether I'd be interested in posting over a long period of time. I hope that some of the prayers I've posted have been helpful to someone else.

Mr. Dickie

Lessons

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Kaliedoscope of Maryland flowers)

Show me the lessons I need to learn. (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 5 February)

Faith

Faith is the messenger that bears your prayers to God.
(Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 1 November)

Change

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Marston Wedding Reception)

Today help me to accept change as part of the challenge of ... [life]. (Adapted, Body, Mind, and Spirit, 7 November)

Special People

As I remember special people who are no longer with me, I thank you, Lord, for the memories and the positive imprint they left on my life. (Soul Searching, p. 259)

Listen

Lord, I want to listen before I speak. (Lloyd John Ogilvie, God's Best for My Life, 15 August)

Walk & Talk

Lord, help me to walk and talk softly so I don't disturb other people. (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 198)

The Election

Lord, we give thanks for this day, which many thought could never come, when we celebrate the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.

My Regrets

Free me from my regrets. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 4 November)

Laughter

Today let me realized the healing qualities of laughter in my life. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 29 October)

I'm Stumped

Lord I'm stumped. Please tell me what to do.
(Norman Vincent Peale)

Anxiety and Fear

Rid my heart of anxiety and fear.

Giving

Dear God, we are discovering a new joy in giving. Help us grow in this attitude. (Disciplines, 1986, 30 August)

Right or Wrong

Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with. (Peter Marshall, in Courage to Change, 29 October)

Your Work

Father, grant me the perception to see your work in my life - and the faith to assume you're working even when I can't see it. (Soul Searching, p. 174)

Courage

Give me courage to change my mind. (John Baillie)

An Ordered Life

Make me willing, Lord, to accept the discipline of an ordered life.

Protect Me

Protect me from myself, O Lord.
(Wisdom from the Bible, 25 Sep)

Enough Is Enough

Grant me the sense to know when enough is enough. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 28 Sep)

I pray that I may try to draw near to God each day in prayer. I pray that I may feel His nearness and His strength in my life. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 23 Sep)

Blessings

Photo: Mr. Dickie (One of Melva's Boston Ferns growing outside during the summer of 2008)

Thank You, God, for pouring out blessing upon blessing! (Colleen Zuck, Daily Word, Day 229)

Blessings

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Monument at the Virginia Church where the funeral of Lou Pizzoli took place.)

Today help me remember all my choices and [inspire me to] take advantage of all that life has to offer. (Body, Mind, and Spirit, 29 Sept)

Today, 22 Oct 2008, is the first posting to my Arrow Prayers blog since I moved it from AOL to Google. Including photographs will be easier now because I can use Picasa to quickly post a photo while writing the blog entries. I hope anyone who read this blog while it was on AOL will continue to enjoy it at its new location. Thanks to the folks at Google for making the space for this journal available.

Mr. Dickie's New Google Blogs

For a few months I have been keeping a personal journal (Mr. Dickie's Blog) on Google. I've been pleased with how the service works.
I announced earlier that AOL will discontinue Journal support on October 31, 2008. Google agreed to move AOL journals to their service. They created an easy procedure to facilitate the transfer.

I'm pleased to announce that I have successfully moved my three AOL journals to Google. As of October 21st I will no longer post new information to any of the AOL journals. Certain housekeeping tasks remain to be accomplished before the three new Google blogs will be configured to my satisfaction. Please be patient as I go through that process.

I'm thankful that Google was willing to support AOL users by providing support for our journals.
My four Google blogs are as follows:

Personal Blog:
http://mrdickiesblog.blogspot.com/

Arrow Prayers:
http://arrowprayers.blogspot.com/ (976 entries)

Henthorn Genealogy News:
http://henthorn-website-news.blogspot.com (130 entries)

Henthorn Obituaries:
http://henthorn-website-obits.blogspot.com (50 entries)

Mr. Dickie

The End

Lord, thank you for the blessing of a wonderful visit with family and friends in Nebraska and Kansas.

AOL recently announced that they will discontinue support of private websites, AOL Hometown, and journals as of 31 Oct 2008.  This is probably another sign of the ultimate demise of AOL as an Internet powerhouse.

This announcement will impact me personally.  For many years I have maintained the Henthorn Genealogy Website in free space provided by AOL.  I've also been posting to my Arrow Prayers journal and several others.  I estimate that there have been over 27,000 visits to the genealogy homepage since I added a visit counter.

I'll probably create an Arrow Prayers blog on Google.  I don't plan to move any of the prayers from the AOL journal archive to the new blog.

I don't know what I will do about the genealogy information.  I suggest that if there is anything you want you either print out the information or make a copy of the file on your own computer prior to October 31st.

I currently have a personal blog on Google.  If you are interested in keeping track of what I am doing please read the blog postings from time to time.  After October 31st this will be the best place to find out what I decided to do.

Mr. Dickie's Blog: http://mrdickiesblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone who shared information and encouragement during the years that AOL provided this service.  I hope you found something of interest from time to time.

Dick Henthorn

 

Tags: Arrow Prayers, Mr.Dickie'sBlog

Watch Over Us

Lord, watch over us during our trip.

This will probably be the last posting to this blog until after October 11th.

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Replace

Lord, replace the whine in my life, with wine.  (Adapted from Oswald Chambers, 14 April)

 

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Trouble

Lord, remind me, trouble comes to pass, not to stay!  (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 95)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_2

Lord Please Give Me

Give me the strength to resist, patience to endure, and constancy to perserve.  (Thomas 'a Kempis)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Spiritual Gifts

I pray that I may be ready to accept Your spiritual gifts.  (Food For Thought, 31 October)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_2

Lord Protect Us

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Longwood Gardens, PA)

Lord, protect us from the hasty politically expedient decisions of our "so called" leaders.

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Thankful Heart

I cannot help but have a thankful heart because my heart is over-flowing with my appreciation for God and all the ways that I am blessed.

Each new day is a wondrous time of discovery, a time of giving thanks for all my blessings.  (Colleen Zuck, et al., Daily Word For Healing, p. 199)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

Work and Pray

Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended upon prayer.  (William Booth)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

The Gift

Today, I pray for the gift of fortitude.  Grant me rightful thinking and self-control.

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1

John Denver

Photo: Cape Henry, VA

It amazes me, and I know the wind will surely someday blow it all away

It amazes me, and I'm so grateful that You made the world this way.

(John Denver in Thinking Outside the Church by Jennifer Leigh Selig, p. 306)

Tags: Arrow Prayers

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1, aoljaolPictureAdd, aoljaolPictureAdd_1