Please take a moment to get relaxed in your seats. Place your hands in your lap, feet flat on the floor, close your eyes and just relax. Let everything go that is outside of this room. Forget about anything that may have happened to you before you got here this morning. Calm your mind and spirit.

Take a deep breath - and as you breathe in, I want you to visualize breathing in the words Love and Peace. As you breathe out, visualize breathing out the words confusion and fear.

Once again, take a deep breath, breathing in the words Love and Peace and breathing out the words confusion and fear.

I want you to go back in your mind to when you were a small child. Picture yourself at the edge of a pool. It's the first time you've ever seen one. It looks so big and scary. After all, you're so small and this is a vast pool of water. It looks like it stretches for miles, when in actuality it really isn't - but to your small child's mind - it's terrifying.

While you're standing there, shaking with fear, you a voice. You look to the source of the voice and recognize your father standing in the water. You're terrified that something is going to happen and the water will swallow him up. Your father keeps talking to you, reassuring you that he's fine. He's trying to encourage you to get in the water with him, but you're so scared - what if you take that first step and your father loses his grip and you go under? What if your father slips and you both go under? There are so many things to fear.

Your father is once again speaking to you - telling you that he's never dropped you before; he would never drop you or let you slip now. It's just a matter of trust - YOU have to take that first step. So, take a deep breath and slowly step into the water. You are now on the first step and up to your ankles in the water. Everything is ok. Take the next step, now you're up to your knees in the water. You hear your father telling you that you're doing great. One more step, you're in up to your waist - and you reach out for your father's hand. You hold on with all your strength and you take the last step - you are now up to your neck in the water. You're floundering around, grabbing for your father - You finally grab hold of him and cling to him in terror. Your heart is racing and you feel as if you can't catch your breath.

Slowly you start to calm down - you hear your father speaking to you in a quiet, soothing voice. He's letting you know everything is ok; everything is going to be ok, and just calm down. It's going to be ok. You feel your body and your mind start to relax - your body relaxes and your spirit starts to calm down. Suddenly, you realize that you are surrounded by the warm water and it feels good. You realize that there was nothing to fear at all. You tentatively set your feet on the bottom of the pool and realize it's not scary at all. Your father says that it's time to let go and stand on your own. He lets you know he'll always be there for you and would never let go or let you be harmed in any way - but that sometimes you have to splash and flounder a bit before you get out of the way and let him help you. You have to let go of the side of the pool and trust him to keep you above water.

Give your Dad a hug and thank him. Climb out of the pool and wrap yourself up in a nice dry towel.

Take a few moments to come back to the here and now, realizing that God never fails us - we only have to get out of his way and trust him.

Father / Mother God, I pray Your very words over my worries. You have promised not to let my heart be troubled if I will cast my cares on You. Based on Your words, I pray that all worry will flee from me and that my joy will return to me.

Amen

We'll now sing the Alleluia. After which we'll take a few moments to prepare our prayers and offerings.