Dear God,
A new day has begun. Once more, I can begin anew and be a channel of your grace in the world. Let me not be too busy to stop and breathe deeply and feel you life-giving Spirit in me. Help me to care for myself so that I may care for others with more energy and joy. Renew me from within that I may live each moment of this day with a fresh and vibrant resolve to serve you and others with humility and compassion.
I pray this in the name of Jesus, who is alive forevermore. Amen.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Published by
Carla Romarate-Knipel
Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed reading and writing. Perhaps it was because my parents were great storytellers and voracious readers. As soon as I learned to write (yes I did it in cursive like everybody else did then!) I started a diary. When I was nine years old I sent a letter to my Dad who was an overseas contract worker in Guam. I wrote it in a form of a comic book and illustrated it myself. As a student at the Central Philippine University Elementary School, I was the Filipino literary editor of our school paper, the Mini Echo. To this day I was baffled by that because I was not that good in Filipino! In highs school I served as literary editor in the Central High Herald. I began to write poems and short stories that unfortunately I don't have any copies saved because we didn't have computers and flash drives then. II joined a short story writing contest sponsored by Central echo, CPU's college paper some time in the 1980's. I joined because I needed money to buy a new pair of sandals. My short story was titled, "Leaves," and it won first place! The chief judge was Prof. Alfredo Q. Gonzales, author of the classic essay, "The Will of a River," one of my favorite reads of Filipino literature in English. I did a lot of writing in college/seminary and graduate school but the most fun I had was when I was writing poems and short stories. Fast forward to the 21st century, I now write sermons every week and articles for our monthly news letter. Currently I serve as Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church of Woodbury in Woodbury, New Jersey, U.S.A. This is my twelfth year at CBC, where my husband and I served as co-interim pastors from 2010 through 2012. We have a 19-year old son who is a college freshman, and my technical adviser in all things digital. In this continuing writing adventure I am thankful to God for giving me the inspiration to write and the joy that goes with it. I hope that my poems, prayers and prose inspire joy in my readers.
View all posts by Carla Romarate-Knipel
Choose Joy: Poems, Prayers and Prose 
Carla, I love your poems. I too love poems and have a few “composed” for my own consumption. Thank you for your blog. I find comfort reading your poems and resting on your prayers.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your appreciation. I am sorry for such a delayed response. I hope that you are well. Blessings to you!
LikeLike