For Everything a Season:  75 Blessings for Daily Life, by the Nilsen Family

Zion Publishing:  Des Moines, Iowa.  1999

Rituals and traditions help us mark the many seasons of our lives, acknowledging the presence of God in the midst of our tragedies, our milestones and achievements, our losses and our celebrations.  This book provides rituals for many ordinary occasions and times that a family may want to set apart as holy and important.  Blessings and rituals have been written for getting a driver’s license, before traveling, the death of a pet, for retirement, for those who are pregnant and those who have miscarried, and for friendships and many other times.

My family used the “Blessing for the New School Year” when my son started kindergarten this year.  As we gathered around our makeshift home altar, he was excited to see that his back pack and school supplies were part of our blessing.  We gave him a cross to carry in his backpack, and everyone in the family marked him with the cross of Christ, even his two-year-old sister!  It was a memorable evening for us, and my son clearly felt special and important. 

A great resource if you are looking for a way to connect your faith with the everyday and the not-so-everyday events of your family’s life!