Tag: pandemic

The Prayer

I fall in love with this song every time I hear it!  It is so beautiful and touched my heart as I look around and see the struggles in our world.

The world is not a very happy or calm place right now.  The entire world is dealing with a pandemic.  Right here in our own country there is arguing instead of compromise, fighting instead of handshakes or hugs.   Families are struggling to find places to live and put food on their tables.  Our children are being tossed about in a school situation that is awful (from personal experience – I was a teacher for 36 years).   There is the feeling of being afraid of the future and being out of control.  We have children shooting other children, parents abusing and abandoning their children, and discrimination aimed at anyone who is different that “us”.  How did we get here? 

There really is only one answer – and this of course is my personal belief – and that is FAITH.  I have to believe that there is a God who sent His Son to help us through all of the horrible things that will happen in our lifetimes.  No one is immune from struggle, but I believe there is a loving God who really is in control.  If I can find that place of peace in my own heart, and trust that all is well I can make it through anything. 

I have had my own personal struggles, from personal relationships that failed to overcoming cancer twice!  I have always had a positive attitude and I do believe that came from my Mom whose motto was “Everything Changes”.  The bad times will happen but they will go away and faith is what sustains me during the rough times.

I wish you that faith in tomorrow, that things will be better.  This song is my prayer for all of my family and friends.

I have shared two versions of this song – enjoy!!!

I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go
And help us to be wise in times when we don’t know

I pray we ‘Il find your light, and hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night,
Remind us where you are
Let this be our prayer, when shadows fill our day
Help us find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

A world where pain and sorrow will be ended
And every heart that’s broken will be mended
And we’ll remember we are all God’s children
Reaching out to touch you
Reaching to the sky

We ask that life be kind, and watch us from above
We hope each soul will find another soul to love
Let this be our prayer, just like every child

Who needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Advent 2021

Well, in just a few months it will be a full two years since the pandemic began.   I must confess that with the pandemic and moving to Texas, I have not yet found a new church home.  So, today on this first day of Advent 2021 I will practice “Forgiveness” on myself.   Not attending a brick-and-mortar building does not mean I have moved away from my faith, on the contrary I still remain faithful in my beliefs but I do not yet have a faith community to share that with.

I have decided to use this Advent season to return to daily reflection and prayer.  In my life music is very important for me so I will blog each day a seasonal song to share with you.

Today, the first Sunday of advent I have chosen the hymn “O Come, O come Emmanuel”.  The term advent in Latin means “coming or arrival”.  How appropriate those words are as we have spent almost the last two years waiting on an end to this pandemic and if you are like me feeling not at all in control of what is happening in the world.   

Advent is a time of waiting and a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Before the birth of Jesus, the Israelites were waiting for a Savior to arrive!  The arrival of this Savior was a child and that was not what they were expecting.  The Son of God became a man like you and me.  God did not have to do this – but He did.  Those words strike a chord for me – He did not have to do it but He did! He did it for us so He could also become the sacrifice for our sins.

It took me listening to quite a few versions of this song to decide which one I would share.  I wanted the pure sound of the lonely melody and the feeling of mourning and longing as we wait for the coming of a Savior to rescue us from all the ills of the world.  Maybe this Advent we can remember that God saw our situation and sent the Christ Child.  What we can learn from His birth and life is to wait patiently and know that God is in charge.

Kyrie Eleison – Lord Have Mercy

 

Do we need this now!  I grew up reciting these words in church not paying too much attention to what they meant.  The song was popular in the 80’s but I didn’t think about the religious implications then, but I sure do now.  I heard this song on the radio yesterday and I thought “how timeless those words are”.

I am a Christian and I hold dear to my faith but I try not to close myself off from the world.  There are gems like this out there that speak to me and others about life.

Not too much else to say about this song, so listen, enjoy and “Kyrie Eleison” on your journey through this day!

 

Kyrie eleison definition, the brief petition “Lord, have mercy,” used in various offices of the Greek Orthodox Church and of the Roman Catholic Church.

The wind blows hard against this mountain side
Across the sea into my soul
It reaches into where I cannot hide
Setting my feet upon the road

My heart is old it holds my memories
My body burns a gem-like flame
Somewhere between the soul and soft machine
Is where I find myself again

*CHORUS*
Kyrie Eleison
Down the road that I must travel
Kyrie Eleison
Through the darkness of the night
Kyrie Eleison
Where I’m going will you follow
Kyrie Eleison
On a highway in the night

When I was young I thought of growing old
Of what my life would mean to me
Would I have followed down my chosen road
Or only wished what I could be

Teach Your Children Well

This is a time of such fear and uncertainty.  It is not easy to keep the fear from rising up and overtaking all of our daily thoughts.

I would like to view this time as a time of inter-generational bonding.

I hope this time brings good change.

Some people want to go back to the way we were, but no, that is not what we will do – we will be forced to create a new normal.

Remember 9/11?  Before 9/11 there was only a few ways to get the news – the morning paper, the 6:00 or 11:00 pm news broadcast, the radio on the hour.  My perception is that only after that event on 9/11 did we begin to broadcast 24 hour news programs.  Those programs went over and over the same news all day long.  Some people tune in, get the headlines and tune out back to daily life but for some their daily life is watching the news all day long.

What will be our new normal after this pandemic?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I know some things I hope it is.

I hope this time we spend with our families keeps happening.  Our families are spending more time with each other, talking, listening, reading, playing, laughing.  That is one priceless gift during this time.

I hope the connection between generations keeps happening.  I hear of grandparents helping with childcare instead of a stranger in daycare.  I hear of Grandparents talking and spending time with parents who are talking and spending time with children and learning about each other.

I hope new respect is gained for some of our neighbors and the jobs they do.  The nurses and doctors, the teachers, the truck drivers, the store employees. We all contribute to society but lately it seems we honor those with money more than the hard worker.

I hope the older generation will teach the younger generation the value of these professions.

I hope the younger generation teaches the older generation the value of these professions.

I hope we all learn that we must work together as a society to solve problems.

I hope we all learn that words spoken to divide different groups are destructive.

I hope the older generation teaches the younger generation the value of our history, that we have come together in the past to solve problems. Sometimes it was hard but it was worth it.

I hope the younger generation teaches the older generation that we are all different and just because I don’t look like you or think like you we can still work together to solve problems and make our society stronger.

 

 

You, who are on the road
Must have a code
That you can live by
And so
Become yourself
Because the past
Is just a good-bye

[Chorus]
Teach your children well
Your father’s hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked
The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

And you of tender years
Can’t know the fears
That your elders grew by
And so please help
Them with your youth
They seek the truth
Before they can die

[Chorus]
Teach your parents well
The children’s hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked
The one you’ll know by

Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

Stop the World I Want to get Off!

Stop the World I Want to Get Off!

How many times in our busy, busy lives do we say this?  I know I have and now we have the perfect moment in time right here at our doorstep to do just that.   So take advantage of it!

Listen to this viral video going around right now of an Italian city, Siena, where one person begins a song and the rest of the neighbors from their own balconies join in and sing along with him.  Would this have happened months ago – maybe not because we WERE TOO BUSY TO STOP and listen and join in to something so simple and beautiful as that song.

The song, entitled “Canto della Verbena” (Song of the Verbena) — also known as “E mentre Siena dorme” (While Siena Sleeps) — is sung to show local pride in Siena.

Below are the lyrics translated to English:

Verbena is born in Piazza del Campo

Long live our Siena, long live our Siena

Verbena is born in Piazza del Campo

Long live our Siena, the most beautiful city!

 

This event, this pandemic, happening in our world right now is something a majority of the us have never experienced.  I will admit to being a bit fearful for myself but I tried to push that aside and kept on living a normal life the last few weeks.  I have only changed my habits because it has gotten apparent that to control this outbreak we must isolate ourselves to avoid a rapid spread of this virus so we do not overload the healthcare system.  I have spent most of my time at home, but I still will go out to shop if I need something.  I sit at home and hear the news (of which I turn off after I get the headlines) I think on how this might change our world a bit.

 

As a retired teacher I have dealt with families who are stretched for time and money and watched as the children suffer from the anxiety expressed by their parents.

Parents and children – maybe this is your wakeup call to reconnect with your children.   Take this opportunity to get to know your children again.   There are so many learning opportunities available on the internet spend some time with your children as they do their lessons. Then, take them on virtual field trips – go to the Louvre in France on a virtual tour and teach them about history, art, music.  Show them that the world is smaller than we think and that what happens in China really does affect us here in the US.

I know, finances will be hard especially those parents who work an hourly job.  Take advantage of the help you can get from the government but do not forget the help you can get from your neighbors.  Personally, we know such families and have offered help to them in anyway they will need it.

To the world out there – take care, take it slow and take advantage of how the world as stopped and you can SLOW down.