Tag Archives: new year

New Year’s Prayer

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I like old prayers. Those Puritan preachers had a way with words. The Valley of Vision is a book of prayers that is never far from my reach.

One of my favorite old dead guys is John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. He was a man of prayer who wrote a special liturgy just for New Year’s Day in 1755. But we can pray it all year long, if we dare.

I am no longer my own but Yours.
Put me to what You will,
rank me with whom You will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for You,
or laid aside for You,
exalted for You,
or brought low for You;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing.
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to Your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine and I am Yours.
So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth,
Let it be confirmed in heaven.
Amen.

Borrowing Prayers from John Baillie
Praying Up With John Baillie

And We’re Off!

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dirtyEvery family has it’s quirky sayings — pithy little proverbs that express volumes in a few words.  These bits of wisdom might come from a line in a movie or a quote from a book.  Or perhaps the maxims were handed down from past generations and the source is unknown.

My sibs and I recently had a conversation about sayings we heard in our home as we were growing up.  One such saying would have been said as the car backed out of the garage and we headed down the driveway, perhaps late for a school concert or a ballgame —

“And we’re off….like a dirty shirt.”

Evidently, dirty shirts were supposed to come off fast, because the gravel was usually flying in all directions as my dad pressed down on the gas pedal.  There was a sense of relief that we were finally on our way after numerous trips back in the house for something or another.

I had that feeling this morning — the first Monday of the new year.  After the slow, soft, easy days of Christmas break, this morning the pace picked up.  Back to responsibilities, back to schedules, back to gravel flying under the tires as I was off and running.

And so we are “off like a dirty shirt” into 2015.

 Next Monday: another family adage.  

In the meantime, what were some of your family’s unusual sayings?