Lord, it is the deepest desire of my heart to be free from the sin of lust or, if not free, to be able to manage it so that I may better follow you, live for you, and love for you. I also pray that by doing this, I would be more receptive and aware and blessed ever more than you have so abundantly blessed me now. Please help me to be silent and at peace in my heart, mind, and soul so I can be open to your Holy Spirit and write what you speak to give glory to your name ad to build your kingdom here on Earth. Amen

To know Him is to love Him
To love Him is to follow Him
To follow Him is to imitate Him
To imitate Him is to be Him for others
In knowing Him we know and find ourselves
In loving Him we see others the way He sees us
In following Him we learn and grow in faith and holiness
In imitating Him we are more truly free
In being Him for others we bring another heart to know Him
And the cycle starts again

You are the vine I am the branches
Connected to you the source of all life
You are the vine I am the branches
Connected to you I bear great fruit
You are the well source of living water
I am a cup for your blessings outpoured
You are my shelter strong tower in the storm
You are the rock my salvation
You are my solid ground and firm foundation
You are the source of life everlasting
You love a sacrifice of praise and prayer and fasting
Apart from you I am nothing I am empty
In you I live and breathe and have my being

United to Christ we adore
United to each other what are we waiting for
United in love together we stand
We can begin to heal our broken land
United we bring the kingdom come here
Together we may cast off hatred and fear
When we work together with our sisters and brothers
We can start to bring about a faith revival
We can begin to thrive and not focus only on survival
Uniting our hearts to Jesus we draw nearer
Drawing closer we reflect Jesus as a mirror
So much more unites us that which does divide
I want to make a change but I'll let you decide
If you want to join a revolution start a fire
Watch it burn brighter and hotter and higher
United we stand against the devil and his ways
United we stand for Christ and creation for all our days
United we are hope for a world that seems so lost
Standing up for what is right can come at a high cost
But you are worth it Lord and you thought we were as well
So much that, perfect, you died to save us from hell
United we come to pray and give glory
United we join ourselves as a part of His-story
United we lift our voices in worship and song
United we find a family a place where all can belong
We stand together in faith hope and love
In union with the perfect communion of the trinity above
With the Angels and Saints who praise your name
We your children strive to do the same
United as one body working to act as one
We care for Christ as we help everyone
From the greatest to the least from the powerful to the weak
From those who stand strong and tall to the ones down on their knees
We are all one people one children of one father
We live on one world as son and daughter
We do not stand alone or apart
When we are united not at hip but in heart

Amen

Mary Mother of God, Mary Most Holy
Take me into yourself and in doing so draw me closer to Christ
It is through you that we find we are led to a deeper understanding of Christ
The more we understand who Christ is the better we are able to know who and what we are
Mary, take me as your son and love me as my mother
Comfort me when I am and stay with me when I feel sad
Grant me the ability to treat you with the love, care and respect you deserve as the mother of Jesus and as my mother
Mary you are pure and blameless with no stain of sin or death
By your grace, grant me some share in fellowship with our Lord
I know your son well enough Mary, but I want to know you better
This prayer is very much like a letter
Today we celebrate simplicity, humility and love for creation
With St. Francis of Assisi
Remind us of the sanctity and beauty of life in all its stages and forms
Look with favor upon your church and upon this earth
See all the destruction we have brought upon ourselves
In our ignorance and arrogance of Jesus
Look with mercy and love upon your children longing to make a change
Bless and strengthen us to act with love, peace, and wisdom
As we go about our lives strengthen our devotion
To you and your son and the Holy Spirit
Guide us along the one true road
As we pray to the angels and saints
May we learn and grow in sanctity and holiness
One day we stand before our maker in all his perfect glory
Did we enjoy the life we had, did we use the gifts we were given, how did we love
What will be my answer and will I be counted among the shepherd's flock
Mary be my shelter in the storms of life
Mary be my way to be closer to your son
Mary be my love that shines forever
Mary be my peace and the grace for everyday
Mary be with me always in every little way

From life's first cry to final breath
In my living daily until my hour of death
You chose me and formed me with love and affection
Wonderfully and marvelously made with no exception
From my head to my hands to my little happy feet
I am the only one of me. I am perfectly unique.
You gave me eyes to seek and a heart to hear
You gave me a burning love to drive out fear
You gave me parents to love me and to teach
They taught me to pray and challenged me to reach
They raised and cared for me the best that they knew how
How lucky I am I'm starting to realize now
You gave me a home to laugh, play, and learn
How love and affection I never had to earn
There were times I was lost and couldn't see the light
I'd cry myself to sleep sometimes but I never left your sight
You were always there for me if I only looked around
I could run and I could hide, but I was always found
You gave me hope and a future; you gave me a chance
To live, to make this world better, maybe find romance
To share my love with another: the biggest thing from one so small
You gave me the gift of Life. The greatest gift of all!

Be careful little one what you speak
It can make mountains crumble and empower the weak
Be vigilant of your tongue and practice control
For words have the power to pierce the soul
For good or ill they may be used
And poor judgement finds us accused
But my dear words are so much more than pain
In the desert place they can be as life giving rain
They may paint a beautiful story reveal mystery untold
They can take a person so shy to be brave and bold
They can dance across the mind and page
They can calm a soul and seas and wind that rage
They can love and laugh they can forget and forgive
They have given sight to the blind and made the dead live
Words are as tools. They can be used for building up or breaking down
They can put a smile on someone's face and turn their day around
Or they can hurt someone and cause bitterness and sorrow
Try to make it right before today becomes tomorrow
You see words are many things to many people
They come in all shapes and sizes and in a way
Sometimes I find words in a church with a steeple
Other times I just listen and write what I feel God say
I'm not perfect I know and I've a long way to go
But I try to be wise and speak truth to be kind and not uncouth
So please forgive me my lapse of good sense
And know that I learned from my error hence