"Random musings and sudden bursts of inspiration, followed by prolonged periods of deep silence and reflection."
Worth Pondering…….
Many people quote the first part of the known Serenity Prayer. It has provided comfort in anxiety, hope in discouragement, and a centered wisdom in chaotic life challenges.
But there's more to Reinhold Niebuhr's prayer than is usually quoted. Here's the entire prayer for your encouragement:
The Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)Complete, Unabridged, Original Version.
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
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Annie Dillard's writing is a source of stretching and delight. Check out her famous book "Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek. Here is one of her little gifts to us: "Dedicate your life to something larger than yourself and pleasure to the largest thing you can: to God, to relieve suffering, to contributing to knowledge, to adding to literature, or something else. Happiness lies this way, and it beats hollow pleasure."