Friendship Friday

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
"Pooh!" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."
 - AA Miline The House at Pooh Corner

 I can be sure of a few friends. When necessary, they tell me the uncomfortable truth. They don't tell me what I want to hear, but what I need to hear.  My friends provide a safe place where I share my fears, struggles, and victories. Each summer, we gather at Mo's home for songs, prayers, and study.

It is a safe place to grow closer to each other and to God.

At our next visit, I am sure we will share how God has worked in our lives.
Praying for God healing, restoration, and peace in our lives. Love my Sisters in the Lord.

Friendship Friday

"Only those who care about you can hear you when you are quiet."

Unknown

It has been several months since this group of friends gathered at Maureen's home. Last night, we reconnected over dinner and prayer. No evening would be complete if our time together was not peppered with stories and laughter. 
Do you have a safe place to share and be real with friends? Do you need a quiet space to talk with a friend.  The holidays may be a perfect time to make plans to meet over a cup of coffee.

Our bonds of friendship are held together by the love of God.

I love that our time ends in prayer.

As we give our petitions to  Almighty God to we trust in His love and grace.

Twitter

On my twitter feed this morning… Malcolm Taylor, a Baltimore city bus driver,  “ I helped assemble brothers up from the community. We converged, we prayed, we sang, we stopped some fights, we stopped some rioting. We just held them by the hand and talked to them, and told them to calm down.”

Praying that God will call and use women and men in Baltimore to be God’s instruments to pray give tangible ways to give help and hope in the city.

Prayers

When night turns into morning, my prayers blend together. I pray at midnight. I pray at 5:00 in the morning.  I pray. 

I shudder to think of a day without prayer.

When we visit family, we try to squeeze more time into our twenty-four hours. Every minute is precious. The days and hours of our vacation will soon slip away. We talk on Sunday afternoon, we linger over breakfast, we chat over dinner, we visit while our toes are wiggling in warm water at our pedicure. We laugh over Y Tube videos. We even make time for a miscommunication.  When they work,  we vacation. Family visits… love them.

Oh, God, thank you for the gift of family.  

In the midst of vacation, I continue my routinue. Today is Thursday. The Psalm for today is 63. It has been described as the most common and most beloved of the morning Psalms. St. Basil said if there were a perfect prayer to be prayed in the morning, it is Ps. 63. Here is a portion,

Psalm 63

O GOD, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirst for you;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and weary land

Where there is no water

So I looked for You in the

sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory

 (Verses 1 – 2)

Omaha at night

Praying

"I pray because I can't help myself.  I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time - waking and sleeping.  It doesn't change  God, it changes me." 

C.S. Lewis

Prayers for the journey

Yesterday morning at 6:30 a.m., I began my trip home from Omaha.   This morning I arrived at  home at 1:00 a.m.   Looking at my odometer this morning, I discovered that I have traveled over 1,800 miles.   My sister was my road partner for the majority of the trip.  Prayers:  We prayed before, during, and after the trip. Our prayers were not all self centered... we did pray for others.

This morning, I discovered people from my church had been praying for me.   Discovery others who had taken time to pray for me, I am so thankful!

Beyond our families, churches and missionaries, will you consider praying for the persecuted church?  Visit this site for more information:  www.persecution.com/

Holding on to what is important

Do you remember the first baby you held?  Was the  baby you held a younger brother or sister?  As the youngest of my brothers and sister, I did not the opportunity to hold a baby sister or brother.  

Forty years ago, I held my first baby... my niece.  Nanette was a beautiful baby. Today, she is a caring mother who is blessed with beautiful children. Nan is special to me.  Today, I hold her up in my prayers.




Happy Birthday Nan!
From left to right, my niece Nanette, niece, Dawn, Renea, and Jennifer.