The phone rings. The baby cries.
The school child asks for answers.
The mail arrives. The bills appear.
The laundry piles. The cooking waits.

God, we will need you next to us
to guide us through every stage of our “I do,”

Turn us toward one another to see the hurting humans we are.
Oh God, be present in our family. Make peace possible.

All we can do is remember: With God all things are possible,
even the mending of a broken home.

Guide us — seller and buyer both —
through this change
with open and eager hearts.

I ask the Creator of Life
to hear my cries.
Soothe my soul, my aching arms
that long for a baby to hold.

I celebrate the life of the beloved I knew,
the hands I held, the life I shared.

God, who forms all creatures with loving hands,
bless this, our new companion animal.

You are the third partner in our marriage, enhancing our love for each other, strengthening us in times of trial, and supplying us with both anchor and wings, that we may remain steadfast and true while soaring far beyond where we could be alone.

Creator of the Universe, in your grace you promise us that those who die still live in Your presence. Their spirits have simply been transformed but have not ended.  I pray in gratitude and hope for my family, relatives and friends that have gone before me, and for all the dead known to You alone.

Thank you for all the wonderful things
You have made:
The whole world, all the people
My home, my school, my friends, my pets.

Embrace these students and teachers with your love.