My Sacred Center – A.M.
Written by Pastor Thomas P. Williamsen and Susan Coale

     This morning I awaken to the Father, in whose arms I slept. This morning I awaken to the Son in whose heart I am kept. This morning I awaken to the Spirit in whom all my joys are met.

     This morning I am reminded that God is with me wherever I go, and that the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are gifts of God’s life-giving presence (Gal. 6:22-23a).

     Since I am God’s beloved child, I know my Holy Companion watches over me this day. The Divine Lover accompanies me, and the Sacred Helper guides me. I will see God everywhere - for God, the Creator, is with me, and is ever before me, welcoming me wherever I journey. The Spirit shines through me, enabling me to see Jesus deep in the spirit of each person I meet.

     Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you.” Today, I will be peaceful. The peace that Jesus gives “passes all understanding,” and that peace cannot be taken away. My focus is on Jesus who gives me peace and serenity. Peace is a warm river flowing through my veins. It quiets my thoughts and stills my heart. Today the tranquil peace of Jesus flows through me. I will bring peace to others and be a blessing to those I meet.

     The Psalmist exults, “Joy comes in the morning.” Today, I choose to experience joy. The sunrise bursts with the bliss of dawning light. Flowers that closed at sunset, open to greet the luminescent day. Plants turn toward their source of life. The sun draws them like iron filings to a magnet. God’s Son, the source of my joy, draws me to himself, and companions me this day. As a gentle rain refreshes the earth, so will Jesus, the Water of Life, wash joy over me all the daylong. The deep knowledge that I am never alone fills me with joy. God is more intimate than my breath, and nearer than my hands and feet. The joy of God’s presence sustains me.

     Today I will be filled with hope. I live with the assurance that God is always present, active, and trustworthy. Hope buoys me like a feather on a pond. There is no sinking. Hope keeps me afloat. Hope is the food upon which I feed. It draws me into the future and fills me with inner peace. Hope is dependent solely on God’s initiative. Hope-filled confidence is a gift. Hope surprises. Hope is sometimes subtle; therefore, I will look intentionally for the hope-filled assurance that God gives me. God is hope. God resurrects hope. Hope is real because resurrection is real. Easter comes everyday and my eyes behold hope in every situation. The gift of the present moment is the presence of my Holy Companion who transforms uncertainty and fear into confident assurance. Today, I will be filled with hope.

     The Spirit of Generosity will guide me today. My generous heart is always filled with the joy of giving. Generosity will give me courage to see what others need, and offer it without measure. I will lavish praise on those I meet. I will give from the well of my heart, the pure water of meaning and purpose to those with whom I work. I will seek to understand others, and exercise tolerance. I will give the benefit of the doubt when I am uncertain, and I will be magnanimous with forgiveness for others and myself. The Spirit of Generosity guides me today.

     Today, gentleness will abide in my soul. Like a precious delicate flower receives a butterfly, so will I welcome others. The peace and joy that dwell in the core of my being will become visible in gentleness. I will be a good listener and respond only when I have something of value to say. Words will rise from my deep center where God abides. I am a vessel for God to use in bringing peace to others. I will be gentle with myself as well, for gentleness is the gift of a peaceful and merciful soul. Today, gentleness radiates from me.

     Today the love of Jesus will guide my actions. Jesus, who is deep in my soul, will birth love out of me. I am love. That is to say, I was born in love and I was born to love. My name is love. My vocation is love. Birthed in this body, with this personality, with this face, I am the only one who can love in my own unique way. I am God’s expression of love in the universe. My love does not seek a reason, only an object. God is both the source of my love and the primary recipient of my love. Love pours out of me onto others, like an overflowing wellspring. As it flows it grows and embraces others like a warm Irish mist. I will allow myself to receive love from others. Love flows from God through me, into others, and back to God, and into others and back to God, and through me, and back to God, and on and on. Love binds all of the fruits of the Spirit, together in one, and gives them depth. Today, I am God’s expression of love in the world.

     My entire day will be a prayer because I am attentive to the still, small voice within me. God loves me with a love that cannot be measured, save by the cross. God created me. God molded me in my mother’s womb. God formed my face and gifted me with my own unique characteristics and personality. I am true to God’s call when I am truly myself. I will ignore the false selves that others impose upon me and be the loving person God created me to be. Today, I am in constant prayer. Today is God’s gift to me. Today is my gift to God.

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My Sacred Center – P.M.
Written by Pastor Thomas P. Williamsen and Susan Coale

This evening I thank the Father for creating the world I enjoyed today.

This evening I thank the Son for his loving presence, as my journeying companion.

This evening I thank the Spirit for guiding my footsteps and embracing my heart with arms of peace.

     The unity of God’s creation and its infinite beauty will stay with me this evening. I approach this evening with a grateful heart and a thankful mind, for my Holy Companion blessed me with divine presence. I celebrate the day as it was and is. The joy that has been shared with me is a precious gift. The people I met, welcomed, and spoke with, replenished my life with meaning and purpose. Those interactions were holy encounters because God was with them and in them, and God’s light shone through them. Even in the most arduous and painful conversations, my Sacred Companion was present. As I reflect on them, I behold the Light of the World that illumined and surrounded me. I have learned from both the joy and pain of being human, and I have grown in my understanding that all are my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I know that this deepening understanding and desire to do God’s will, is pleasing to the Creator. As I reflect on my day, and ponder its meaning, I judge nothing that occurred. I allow it to be just what it was. My only goal is to recollect with love the events of the day. These loving remembrances will bring me peace as bedtime draws near.

     As I ready my body, mind and spirit for rest, I take inventory of my body. Beginning with my feet, and moving up through my calves to my thighs and hips, I am cognizant of the places that hold the tensions of the day. I gently stretch each of these muscles and allow the tension and tightness to dissipate like smoke before the wind. I take note of my lower back and stomach, my chest and shoulders. I tenderly move my neck from side to front, to side to back, and release any bad memories I might hold there. I notice if my brow is furrowed and relax the muscles in my face.

     I recall the times I received the most love today. I remember the people who loved me and how that loving felt. That loving feeling will linger through the night.

The love I received from others today is but a dim shadow of God’s love for me. I am God’s beloved child. God’s love for me is wider and deeper than I am able to comprehend. As I rest, I will be cradled in God’s loving arms. The love of Jesus will bring healing to the hurts of today and those of days long past. The light of the Spirit will strengthen me and fill me with hope as I prepare to enter the new day.

     I am aware of the quiet joy and deep sense of peace that Jesus, our Companioning Presence, has brought me today. I have been enabled to be kind, patience, gentle, generous, and loving beyond my own capabilities. I am thankful, dear Jesus, that I was able to be an instrument of your love and a catalyst of your peace.