The Gold Rag

The Gold Rag begins with care and understanding of others. When I challenged the Gold Rag back in 1998, I was so excited to have reached this rag. I felt I had centered my life on this mission - to love and understand others. I felt I could challenge this rag with no problems and goals would be easy - boy was I wrong. I find daily that I am having to stop, take a deep breath and remember to try to understand others while still trying to understand myself

In the Gold Rag study card and the ceremony, the following pray emerges:

O, God, give me clean hands, clean words, and clean thoughts. Help me to stand for the hard right against the easy wrong. Save me from habits that harm. Teach me to work as hard and play as fair in Thy sight alone as if the whole world saw. Forgive me when I am unkind , and help me forgive those who are unkind to me. Keep me ready to help others at some cost to myself and send me chances to do some good every day.

Wow-just learn those words and repeat them any time you feel yourself being sucked into the void of hatred, bullying, gossip or self doubt. Know that you can rise above and be the one that is kind. Show others how to be a positive leader, strong in faith and self.

I know I struggle with negative thoughts daily and get WAY side tracked from my Ragger goals and the person I strive to be. But doing things that bring me back to center help - like writing this Rag blog each week I am reminded of who I want to be and how to get there.

So for each of you, I pray the prayer above and encourage you to learn it, repeat it, live by it.

Merry Christmas and remember to keep Christ in Christmas. It isn't all about you, the new Wii you hope to get or the clothes you might soon model. It is about birth, rejoicing, family and reflation. So gather your family near and recenter yourself this Holiday season.

In the Spirit of Camp,
Allison

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