Bless all creatures here below

Daughter sang with the children's choir today, and, since this is the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Francis, the hymns centered around that. The opening hymn was one I'd never heard before, and it was *adorable*. Today we celebrate a feast, A holiday for man and beast. We think of every friend who speaks, barks and purrs and roars and squeaks. As we sing we keep in mind beings of a different kind. Bless all creatures here below, Lord, from whom all blessings flow. We think of squirrels in the park at play from morning light 'til dark, and birds that sing on leafy boughs in green fields with the sheep and cows Dear that in the forest leap, whales that swim the ocean deep. Bless all creatures here below, Lord, from whom all blessings flow. Together with our pets we meet friends with whiskers, tails that greet. Muzzles wet beside our cheek show us love they cannot speak. Hold them tight so they will know where we are they too will go. Bless all creatures here below, Lord, from whom all blessings flow. There were three more verses. The last line, though, is what made me well up: When at last we come to you, let our creatures be there too Our creatures have just got to be there. If they're not, how could it be heaven?

October 24 is International Talk Like a Quaker Day

Via jeanne_d_arc's Livejournal In the same vein as International Talk Like a Pirate Day and National Quaker Week in the UK, I have decided to declare October (Tenth Month) 24 (which just so happens to be United Nations Day and William Penn's birthday) as International Talk Like a Quaker Day. Participants can use such sentences as: "Mind the Light!" "Friend, I'm afraid I must elder thee for what thee said on First Day." "Today is the 24th day of Tenth Month, 2007." "Walk cheerfully all over the Earth." "George, thy foreign policy is not in keeping with the Peace Testimony." If you are thinking that most modern-day Quakers don't talk like that, just keep in mind that most modern-day pirates don't talk the way a celebrant of International Talk Like a Pirate Day would. Indeed, most pirates today sail the waters near Indonesia (and may not even speak English) or create bootleg software and illegal copies of movies (and therefore use techno jargon). Please spread the word! If someone feels Led to create a website for the day, so much the better. Okay, the blog isn't much to look at so far, but I can purty it up later. :) Or maybe simplicity is what I should be going for...