Quotes and Readings of the Day

Psalm 25

Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
Of David.
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
For your name's sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who are they that fear the LORD?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.
The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.




Note: Today's Gospel reading is Mark 1:29-45

From the New Revised Standard Version. Reprinted with permission from HarperBibles.

TAGS: Bible, Bible Reading, Christian, Psalm

Deuteronomy 26:1-26:11

When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to establish His name. You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, "I acknowledge this day before the Lord your God that I have entered the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to assign us."

The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God.

You shall then recite as follows before the Lord your God: "My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. The Lord freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O Lord, have given me."

You shall leave it before the Lord your God and bow low before the Lord your God. And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your God has bestowed upon you and your household.

Torah reading From Parshat Ki Tavo. From THE TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

TAGS: Torah, Torah Reading, Judaism, Deuteronomy

May God grant you always A sunbeam to warm you, A moonbeam to charm you, A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

-Irish saying

TAGS: Angel Quote, Angels, Sunbeam, Sheltering Angel, Sheltering, Irish saying

This robe of freedom from cold isn't matched by ordinary clothes. This concentration free of hunger is unequaled by ordinary meat and beer. This draught at the stream of enlightenment isn't matched by ordinary drink. This satisfaction born within isn't equaled by ordinary treasure.

-Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"

Copyright Wisdom Publications 2001. Reprinted from "Daily Wisdom: 365 Buddhist Inspirations," edited by Josh Bartok, with permission of Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm St., Somerville MA 02144 U.S.A, www.wisdompubs.org.

TAGS: Buddhism, Buddhist Quote, Ordinary, Cold Isnt, Enlightenment Isnt, Isnt, Ordinary Meat, Ordinary Treasure, Cold, Ordinary Drink, Robe

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.

-Meryl Streep

TAGS: Power, Human Beings, Entertainment Quote, Celebrities, Empathy, Spiritual, Beings, Human, Celebrity Spirituality, Entertainment, Gift

Learn to know Christ and him crucified. Learn to sing to him, and say, "Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness, I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what is mine and given me what is yours. You have become what you were not so that I might become what I was not."

-Martin Luther

TAGS: Bible, Christian Quote, Christianity

Did you know that the ideal temperature for sleeping is 64 degrees? Set the temp in your bedroom to 64 degrees to stay healthy. Turning your thermometer down by 5 degrees in the winter saves you 11% on overall energy costs.

TAGS: Eco Tips

Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.

-Mark Twain

TAGS: Inspiration Quote, Goodness, Conscience, Mark Twain

Jesus’ life began in a borrowed stable and ended in a borrowed tomb.

-Alfred Plummer

TAGS: Evangelical, Evangelical Quote, Christianity

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.

-Lee Iacocca

TAGS: Health Quote

The story of your dishonor will be repeated endlessly: and for a man of honor, dishonor is worse than death. These brave warriors will think you are withdrawn from battle out of fear, and those who formerly esteemed you will treat you with disrespect. Your enemies will ridicule your strength and say things that should not be said. What could be more painful than this?

Bhagavad Gita 2:34-36

Excerpted from The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Eknath Easwaran, copyright 1985. Reprinted with permission from Nilgiri Press, www.nilgiri.org. To order the book, please call 1-800-475-2369.

TAGS: Hindu Quote, Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism

Thinking doesn't seem to help very much. The human brain is too high-powered to have many practical uses in this particular universe.

-Kurt Vonnegut

TAGS: Glow, Holistic Living Quote, Spirituality, Holistic Living

You have two hands. One to help yourself, the second to help others.

-Unknown

TAGS: Inspiration Quote, Hands

A common misconception is that teshuvah (repentance)...is the soul's return to and restoration of its original purity, and applies to every soul that has descended into the human state.

-Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

TAGS: Judaism, Jewish Quote

He does not refuse sustenance to the one who speaks ill of Him. How then could He refuse sustenance to the one whose soul is overflowing with love for Him?

-Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic"

From "The Bounty of Allah," translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed. Copyright 1999. All rights reserved. Used with permission of The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York.

TAGS: Islam, Muslim Quote, Muslim

Where there is love there is life.

-Mohandas Gandhi

TAGS: Relationships, Relationship Quotes