Happy Thanksgiving--pray for peace

To the war torn countries of the world

For you I say this prayer today

To Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq , to Jerusalem, Sararjevo,

Beirut, Belfast, Africa, Kuwait, Mongolia and to the world.

May God let his peace rain from shore to shore,

cleansing hardened hearts from hatreds of generations past.

May the winds of unrest be stilled at last,

May God open blinded eyes and allow them to

view the world afresh and new.

      May he shut the bowels of anger, hatred and wrath

And lead us down a path of mercy, kindness and love.

May broken spirits be repaired

and old wounds healed.

I pray for the children of the world, that they

will remain untouched by the violence their young

eyes have seen.

May God raise up amongst them leaders who will teach the

way of peace, godliness and love.

I pray that these young men and women

will never have the desire to solve their differences

with weapons or missiles, but instead will work

together to solve their differences peacefully.

I pray that they will not fight without purpose or cause,

but, will choose to stand for what is decent and right.

I pray for those who have lost their lives needlessly.

For their families and loved ones, I ask for comfort and healing.

I ask that you would fill us with your love.

Give us a heart of understanding and a tolerance for diversity

in race, color, nationality and customs.

Teach us how to love one another with the same love

wherein you have loved us, unconditionally and without merit.

I pray that we will not judge one another,

but will grant one another the grace and mercy God has shown us.

                                                   God grant us your sweet Shalom.

coyright P Newman-Harris



                                                

Death of a President--In Memory of President John F. Kennedy

Born: May 29, 1917, Brookline, MA

Assassinated November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas

I remember November 22, 1963 as if it were yesterday.  I can remember exactly where I was when the death of President John F. Kennedy was announced.  I remember the shock and disbelief, the inevitable acceptance of the reality that he was gone, and the grief that followed a long time after.

I was a young black girl in high school at the time, but I felt the loss as if he was a member of our family.  We had come to know and love him as a man of compassion, understanding, determination and integrity.   I had heard many people say he was a breath of fresh air to a nation that was dying from the cancer of racism; that he represented hope for a cure to that seemingly incurable disease, and finally that he was their light in the midst of darkness

As a teenager, having grown up in the south, there was a depth and understanding, that, to me,  could only come from having experienced racism first hand.  I could sense the deep hopelessness that my parents felt at the time of the President's assassination, but I could never really know all that they felt.  Having lived in the south most of their life, they had experienced far more years of racism than I had experienced in my short years on this earth.

Looking back on that day, I can now understand the depth and extent of their grief as they watched President Kennedy's body proceed to Arlington National Cemetery and listened to the final taps echo in the distant sky.   I now know that they wept and grieved the death of a promise of hope that was buried on that fated day in 1963.

In Memory of President Kennedy and all who have lost their lives in the name of peace and equality

Only Love ..Part 4 Tribute to those who lost their lives in France

I'd like to offer my condolences to the family of those who lost loved ones both in the downing of the Russian jet and to those lost in the terrorist attacks in France.  I am saddened by the loss of innocent lives anywhere on this continent.  As the world stood with us during the 911 attacks, we stand with Russia and France during their loss.  Hatred has struck again, but those who stand for peace, will continue to stand united against hatred in any form.  It is easy for to become divided in our separate beliefs, but tragedy and grief unites us all.  It transcends any barriers, whether it be race, nationality or religion.  It is hard to believe that murder can be justified by anyone who considers himself humane.   No one can justify repairing what they see as wrong with hatred.  You can't build a firm foundation, you can't change a nation and you most certainly cannot change the world.    I started the series Only Love, because I believe that love is the only answer for the world today, tomorrow and forever more.

One Heart, One Mind

When I think of the years,
The unnecessary tears,
The agony, the shame;
The anger and the pain
That comes from being hurt
again and again,
I wonder if we will ever
live together peacefully.
Will we always war needlessly?
It doesn't matter who we are
or where we a from.
Life is the same for everyone.
If we open our hearts,
we will find,
We have one heart and one mind.
When time is no more,
Our differences won't matter anymore.
Regardless of what language we speak,
There is commonality in what we seek.
No mater where we live our goals and our aims
Are the same.
Everybody cries
When someone they love dies.
There is no difference in our tears.
We share the same fears.
We have different faces and different names,
But inside we are the same.
It's time we realized
We have common ties.
When we get down to the heart of the matter,
That is all that matters.
It's not the color of our skin,
Where we have been,
Or whether we are a King or Queen.
It doesn't matter where we live in the world.
One day, we must leave this world.
If we continue to hate,
This will be our shared fate;
Wars on every hand
And the deterioration of man.
We brag about how far we have come,
But if we never learn to live as one,
Our accomplishments will be as dung.
They will be of no significance to anyone
We must live as a people, undefined by station or place,
Inseparable by color or race.
We can't rewrite history,
But we can change what is to be
When we realize that we are not only kindred spirits,
We are a perfect fit on the tapestry of mankind.
With one heart and one mind,
Peace will finally be ours to find.

Copyright 2015 by Patricia Newman Harris,  Living the Dream

All over the world.  Let's pray for peace!

In Honor of Our Veterans..We Honor You, and We Thank You

To the men and women who towed the line,

Walked on mines,

Kept watch through the night

Until the dawn’s early light.

To those who left family and friends behind,

Gave freely of their time.

To those who postponed their dreams

So we could know what freedom means.

How do we say thank you?

How do we repay a debt like yours?

You sailed to foreign shores

Never knowing if you would ever be back.

You came under constant attack,

But you never said no to the call.

You gave it your all.

The opportunities we enjoy

Came at great expense.

You provided our defense.

You bore the hurt and pain

Without shame,

Without fear.

Because of you, we are still here,

Standing strong on your behalf.

In your honor, we fly our flags at half-staff.

We raise our hands in salute to you,

Because this is what we do.

You are gone, but you will never be forgotten.

No, you will never be forgotten.

Every Memorial Day, you are there.

Every Independence Day you are there,

Every Veteran’s Day, you are there.

Every victory we celebrate, you are there.

Every flag that we raise,

Every moment of praise

Is not ours alone.
You have made America our home.

From every hillside and plain,

We proudly speak your name.

Because of you America is America,

And will always be, America.

Because of you, we can still sing of her spacious skies

And purple mountains majesty.

You made America the beautiful country we see.

America

Our country, our home

Because of you we can proudly sing,

Let freedom ring!

Long live freedom,

Long live liberty,

Long live America,

Our country, our home.

copyright 2015 Patricia Newman-Harris