What I believe about God

“We are on this earth to be happy. God is happiness, because God is absolute security. If you have discovered God in yourself, if you feel loved by God, sustained by God, carried along by God like a wave is carried along by the ocean—that is the ultimate accomplishment. And you will find God through love through gratitude and gratitude through happiness. God is that non-dependent happiness that subsists through betrayal, trials and failure.”

~~Arnaud Desjardins

The Jump into Life, p. 159

I believe this but don't know it all the time. I hope I am growing in this area of knowing that God is always within and around me, no matter how I feel.

Virgin of Vladimir

When I went to the Shalem Regional Retreat in January 2006, I was mesmerized by the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theotokos_of_Vladimir). Normally, I would have sat before the Pantocrator, but the Virgin kept calling to me. Whenever I sat with her, her eyes spoke to me of the pain and suffering of the world. I really felt that God was calling me to pray for the world. I still do, when I think of those moments, but wonder why I could not follow through.
I sporadically prayed, even though I had visions of me praying in the pink chapel with the contemplative pink nuns every day for the world (http://www.adorationsisters.org/day.html --take the "virtual tour" to see them) . That did not happen, and even though I thought God wanted me to do this, I didn't.
On April 22, 2007, I sent out emails to my friends that contained a prayer for the world. I thought it was so important that I committed to pray it on awakening each day and before going to sleep each night. Amazingly, I have kept this promise! And now I realize that God brought a way for me to pray for the world--not in the way I first imagined, but in the form that I can do at this time in my life.
Here is the prayer:

Most loving God, your concern for the poor is unrelenting
- draw our concern into yours;
your compassion for the poor is limitless
- draw our compassion into yours;
as you long for justice, may we also strive for it.
Forgive our doubt, forgive our neglect.
Open our eyes to structures of oppression
and free us from apathy and indifference.
Give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
perseverance to finish our work,
and the gift of your Spirit to do what alone we cannot do.
So may we serve to the honor and glory of your Name
and the wellbeing of your beloved people throughout the world.
Amen. By the Rt. Rev. Jeffery Rowthorn.

http://www.e4gr.org/pray/prayers.html