{"id":1083,"date":"2013-12-31T10:09:07","date_gmt":"2013-12-31T15:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/?p=1083"},"modified":"2013-12-31T10:09:07","modified_gmt":"2013-12-31T15:09:07","slug":"a-prayer-for-the-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2013\/12\/a-prayer-for-the-new-year.html","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer for the New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beginnings are times of blessing. They are also times for reflection. As we enter the new year, let us look for ways to bless one another and be a blessing for the world. And let us reflect on what makes our lives a unique blessing and gift to the world.<\/p>\n

\"birth\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Every year, to help me in this task,\u00a0I read a favorite prayer composed by Rabbi Alvin Fine. It pictures life as a journey with many beginnings and endings.<\/p>\n

Underlying those moments is the Eternal Spirit, the God of the Universe, whose Presence is our greatest blessing.\u00a0I share this prayer with the hope it brings blessings and comfort.<\/p>\n

Birth is a beginning and death a destination;
\nBut life is a journey.
\nA going, a growing from stage to stage:
\nFrom childhood to maturity and youth to old age.<\/p>\n

From innocence to awareness and ignorance to knowing;
\nFrom foolishness to discretion and then perhaps, to wisdom.
\nFrom weakness to strength or strength to weakness and often back again.
\nFrom health to sickness and back we pray, to health again.<\/p>\n

From offense to forgiveness, from loneliness to love,
\nFrom joy to gratitude, from pain to compassion.
\nFrom grief to understanding, from fear to faith;
\nFrom defeat to defeat to defeat, until, looking backward or ahead:<\/p>\n

We see that victory lies not at some high place along the way,
\nBut in having made the journey, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage.
\nBirth is a beginning and death a destination;
\nBut life is a journey, a sacred pilgrimage,
\nMade stage by stage…To life everlasting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beginnings are times of blessing. They are also times for reflection. As we enter the new year, let us look for ways to bless one another and be a blessing for the world. And let us reflect on what makes our lives a unique blessing and gift to the world. Every year, to help me…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA Prayer for the New Year - Truths You Can Use<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2013\/12\/a-prayer-for-the-new-year.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Prayer for the New Year - Truths You Can Use\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Beginnings are times of blessing. They are also times for reflection. 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