Daily KIP: Do you ever NOT know how to pray? OR feel your prayers are “hitting the ceiling”? Consider making this your simple prayer: “Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted. To understand, than to be understood. To love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. Amen.” (taken from Saint Francis of Assisi)
It’s the simple things.
Sitting on my porch, listening to the middle school and high school kids laugh, scream, giggle. Soon, the elementary children will be home, and the neighborhood will be buzzing with activity.
Hoses and squirt guns out of storage. Swimsuit or not, here I come!
Pink shoulders from not remembering to put on sunscreen soon enough. Oh well.
Pulling out my children’s’ clothes which have been outgrown, or those which have seen better days. Thinking about tackling my closet, but will save that for another time.
Cleaning out the garage of unused toys, trikes, and other ‘stuff’ which has been sitting around taking up space.
Smelling fresh cut grass, lilacs and bon fires.
Planting vegetables we had started from seed. Saying a prayer that some of them will survive my unskilled hand at gardening.
Taking a walk through the neighborhood trails, appreciating nature and all its beauty.
The extended sunlight making the days feel longer, brighter.
Enjoying watching my son play baseball on a gorgeous spring evening.
Skinned knees and elbows from riding, scootering, running too fast.
I love the newness of spring. The energy. The smell. The warm sun on my face. Maybe it is because we made it through the long, cold winter of Minnesota. Regardless, I love spring.
Appreciating the simple things.
One year ago, actually on cinco de mayo, 2009, I was driving alone in my truck heading home from who knows where listening to the radio. I can recall the day like it was yesterday, especially the feelings I had. To cut to the chase and be very BLUNT – I was feeling MISERABLE! I had a storm raging inside of me that could not be calmed. My life to others, acquaintances and those who did not live with me, may have looked “rosy” but behind closed doors in my personal dwelling place, both physically and mentally, my life had become unmanageable. So unmanageable in-fact that I said to my husband, “I just want to go to sleep and NEVER wake up! I cannot live like this any longer.”
Live like THIS? What was THIS? What did that mean? For months leading up to this day I would rack my brain trying to figure out what living like “THIS” meant. I was exploring what changes I could make in my world that would make me feel better. What could I do? At the time I could not see. I was blind to everything. I had no answers. I thought maybe if I traveled less that would make me happy. OR, maybe if I worked out/exercised more, I would feel better. OR, if I was more organized OR worked more OR worked less OR ate healthier, etc. I tried EVERYTHING that I could think of and NOTHING – NO THING was bringing me joy. What I was doing was NOT working.
On that noteworthy day, as I was driving, I heard a song that I had heard no less than 100 times before. For some reason the words spoke LOUD to me that day. I cranked it up and started singing the words at the TOP of my lungs as tears streamed down my face. I’m super sure that the people driving next to me were judging me like I was a psycho crazy woman!!! Oh well. I prayed these words to God as I sang them from the bottom of my heart; literally the cry of my heart. I heard the words clearer and that day for some reason, they had meaning. I wanted so deeply ~ EXACTLY ~ what that song spoke.
As I pulled into my driveway, I rushed into my house, downloaded the song from iTunes, googled the song and the lyrics on my computer, copied the lyrics and posted them into an email that I composed to my husband, here’s what it said:
B. this is my heart today. This is my prayer………..
My life,
Has led me down the road that’s so uncertain
And now I am left alone and I am broken,
Trying to find my way,
Trying to find the faith that’s gone
This time,
I know that you are holding all the answers
I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances,
On roads that never seem,
To be the ones that bring me home
Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You
My life,
Has led me down this path that’s ever winding
Through every twist and turn I’m always finding,
That I am lost again (I am lost again)
Tell me when this road will ever end
Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without…
I don’t know where I can turn
Tell me when will I learn
Won’t You show me where I need to go
Oh oh
Let me follow Your lead,
I know that it’s the only way that I can get back home
Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You
Oh, give me a revelation…
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You
(Revelation by Third Day – click on this link to listen)
I surrendered that day. I humbly raised the white flag and decided that I was DONE and I was WILLING to let go of the wheel. NOTE: The key word is WILLING. Just like everything, change takes time, but by simply being willing, God was able. That day, he started to slowly take over the wheel. I had no idea what was in store for me, but His gracious, merciful hand was about to give me the revelation I earnestly prayed for in just a short week.
I will continue this story on May 13, 2010. But for now I want to leave you with this…………..if you’re at a crossroad in your life or searching for clarity, purpose, or freedom consider making this song your prayer.
Follow this link to read the rest of the story.
The BUZZ has been in the air about TODAY ~ May 6, 2010 for several months now. I’ve seen controversial posts all over the internet, social media channels, and through traditional media regarding the National Day of Prayer.
I am not going to claim to understand the history of this “day” even though I’ve done some research to educate myself, nor am I an advocate of requiring others to recognize this day if they choose not to. BUT, isn’t it similar to OTHER “honored days” that happen throughout the year? They don’t ALL apply to everyone and we can choose to recognize them if we want to. That is the BEAUTY and the FREEDOM that we have here in the United States of America.
Lately I’ve been into looking up words to get a clear understanding of what they mean. So I thought I would look up Prayer, here’s what I got: the act of communicating with a deity; reverent petition to a deity; entreaty: earnest or urgent request; “an entreaty to stop the fighting”; “an appeal for help”; “an appeal to the public to keep calm”.
From what I can see from this definition is that MOST people probably pray. Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another. But even if you’re NOT religious or if you don’t believe in God, do you ever have an earnest or urgent request? It sounds like that’s prayer too, in its own way.
For me, prayer is my communication with God, kind of like a conversation – I talk to Him; quit frequently actually. I ask Him for help or strength when I am weak. I ask for protection and guidance when I’m feeling alone or confused. I thank Him all the time for loving me, forgiving me, having mercy on me, and for the many blessings he’s given me. I also sing songs in my car or around the house (do you ever do that??) and when I really like the words I make them my prayer too!!
Not only do I pray, but I’ve experienced the Power of prayer. I’ve experienced the benefits of being prayed for. Through the prayers of my parents and grandparents I know that I’ve been protected over the years. Through prayer I’ve experienced deliverance from addiction and the healing of migraine headaches. I’ve seen miracles happen BIG and small as a result of faithful prayer. I am convinced that Prayer changes things.
So, today, I will not go to a pole, or a prayer meeting, or another gathering to recognize this National Day of Prayer – I will simply pray and thank God for being faithful to me, for hearing my prayers, and for giving me and others the freedom to pray. I will pray for our country, our leaders, and whoever else God puts on my heart to pray for.
Today I will also pray for you, the reader, whoever you might be.
Daily KIP: Two are better than one. We all need someone to call in the middle of the night. Or someone who “busts” us when we’re crossing the line. Two who sharpen each other – pray for each other – encourage each other. Who are you linking arms with? Who have you invited into your life to be accountable to?
I am not a big ‘forward’ person when it comes to emails. In fact, I have to admit am guilty of ignoring an occasional forward. This one sat in my inbox for a few days before I finally got around to opening it. I loved it! I’ve given thought to how I want to live my life as of late, changes I’d like to make- and many of these simple daily suggestions seemed obvious yet a welcome reminder. You know, one of those lists worth printing and hanging on my bathroom mirror. I thought I would pass them along, in hopes to hold myself accountable to them. Maybe one of you will be inspired to simplify your lives by following some or all of these words of wisdom. Many of them remind me of a daily KIP! Let me know what you think.
(By the way, I would site them, but don’t know where this email originated. I’ve also taken the liberty to edit slightly.)
1. Pray.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others. (Including husband and children!)
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. (This reminds me of my Grandpa Johnson, RIP!)
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
10. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
11. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
12. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
13. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
14. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
15. Eat right.
16. Get organized so everything has its place.
17. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
18. Every day, find time to be alone.. REPEAT…every day, FIND time to be alone..
19. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.
20. Laugh.
21. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
22. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
23. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
24. Sit on your ego.
25. Talk less; listen more.
26. Slow down.
