Take a moment to listen to the still small voice of God within the bustle of the day which has begun. Find a quiet place where you can enjoy precious moments of peace in God's presence. Sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the world around you, both outside and in the place where you are. Breathe slowly and rest in God's presence......

Thanks be to Thee, Jesu Christ,
For the many gifts Thou hast bestowed on me,
Each day and night, each sea and land,
Each weather fair, each calm, each wild.

I am giving Thee worship with my whole life,
I am giving Thee assent with my whole power,
I am giving Thee praise with my whole tongue,
I am giving Thee honour with my whole utterance.

I am giving Thee reverence with my whole understanding,
I am giving Thee offering with my whole thought,
I am giving Thee praise with my whole fervour,
I am giving Thee humility in the blood of the Lamb.

I am giving Thee love with my whole devotion,
I am giving Thee kneeling with my whole desire,
I am giving Thee love with my whole heart,
I am giving Thee affection with my whole sense ;
I am giving Thee my existence with my whole mind,
I am giving Thee my soul, O God of all gods.

My thought, my deed,
My word, my will,
My understanding, my intellect.
My way, my state.

I am beseeching Thee
To keep me from ill,
To keep me from hurt.
To keep me from harm ;

To keep me from mischance.
To keep me from grief,
To keep me this night
In the nearness of Thy love.

(taken from Carmina Gadelica)

Consider the challenge of your calling; to be set aside for service,
to be the voice, hands and love of Christ in your neighbourhood and workplace.

Listen if you have a minute to this Taize song - In manus tuas, Pater - and as you listen to the words and music just empty your mind of the coming day's fears and concerns

Be encouraged by the words of the Psalmist:

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
(Psalm 34:17-19)

And ponder the words of Samhthann, an early Celtic Christian:

"If God could be found on this side of the sea we would indeed journey across. Since, however, God is near to all who call upon him, we are under no obligation to cross the sea. The kingdom of heaven can be reached from every land."
Samhthann (?6c.) Celtic virgin

Most High and glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our hearts
and give us true faith,
a certain hope and a perfect love.
Give us a sense of the divine
and knowledge of yourself,
so that we may do everything
in fulfillment of your holy will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

This day is precious
created as it is
for each one of us
to fulfil our purpose
This day is precious
Treat it with care