A week of daily prayers

A pattern for prayer
Who God is
What I need from God
Intercessions
Thanks to God

Monday
Dear Father. You are my Helper, my Friend, my Shelter, my Healer.
Be my strength today as I do the few things I hope to do.
Give me abstinence from unhealthy behavior.
Grant me pleasure in healthy activity.
May Sherry feel your loving arms around her in her distress.
Protect Lynn and her household from the nearby fires.
Help my son weather his financial storms.
Keep his family safe in their travels.
Thank you for the shelter you have given my family.
Thank you for the beauty you have provided in music.
Thank you for the greenery of where I live.
Thank you for making yourself known.

Tuesday
Dear Father. You are the Creator of all, the Lover of all, the Healer of all.
I lean on your patience and your love.
I need your strength today.
I pray for those in your community of belief.
Give them wisdom and comfort.
Grant Sherry acceptance, grant Lynne protection, help my son with his finances.
Thank you for the love you have given us.
Thank you for the beauty of the earth.
Thank you for wisdom.

Wednesday
Dear Lord of my life. You are my Defender. You are my Guide. You are my Protector.
I live in your patience. I draw strength in your guidance.
Help me to grow stronger day by day.
Please help my son find comfort in your will.
Help our leaders find non-violent solutions.
Comfort Sherry, protect those in danger in the fires, give the brethren wisdom.
Thank you for the gift of gratitude for my son.
Thank you for the morning.
Thank you for medicines.

Thursday
Dear Lord and Teacher. You are my patient Teacher.  You are always near.
I love to be in your presence.
Please let me know how I depend on you. Help me draw energy from your love.
Help my son.
Hear our prayers for peace.
Comfort the sorrowful.
Thank you for the community of those that love you and seek your will.
Thank you for nourishment and wakefulness.

Friday
Dear Creator and Lover of Creation. You are the unknown who reveals yourself to us.
Let me know you. Let me be with you.
Be with Ben and help his patients in Uganda. Help him find the supplies and tools he needs.
Please help my son be in peace.
Comfort Sherry.
Thank you for the progress in calming the California fires.
Thank you for my prescriptions.

Saturday
Dear originator of Life. You are the source of all our movement, reproduction, energy, growth...
Let me move and demonstrate your energy. Help me to heal.
Help Seth please, and give his doctors wisdom and knowledge.
Help his parents help him.
Give my son financial security.
Comfort Sherry.
Thank you for the loveliness of this temperate weather.
Thank you for the comfort of home.

An extra Thanksgiving gratitude ... for MY grandmother.

I'm a grandmother now, but on Thanksgiving I'm back to age 6 as we drive south to Tarrytown singing "Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House we Go!" My grandmother was a hugger and my parents were not, so for the hours we took I anticipated the hug she'd give us at the door. She would scoop my sister and me up and give us wiggly hugs. She smelled of talcum and bleach which she used for cleaning. She had sort of a lilting voice and had the kind of accent you hear in old movies. Sort of like Sidney Carlton in Tale of Two Cities 'Tis a far far better thing that I do ..." or her contemporary, William Powell.

She usually had items around with just us girls in mind, a doll, a tea set ... I don't remember ever being bored around grandma. She was great at crossword puzzles and Jeopardy. She taught us Canasta and even now if I'm passing something out and come out exact, I mentally give myself 300 points.

She wasn't noted for cooking so I can't recall any special foods at her house. I know that on Thanksgiving there would be turnips because she liked them. Nobody else liked them, but I missed their smell on Thanksgivings after she died.

Lest we forget

Lest we forget.

I remember when I heard this live on WBAI before it had been recorded. Yeah, I'm old.

Grateful

I went to help out with the free Thanksgiving dinner that was offered by the three denominations on our block - Church of the Brethren, Lutheran, and Seventh Day Adventists. There were more helpers than there were eaters! Folks are saying that next year they should publicize more.

I did get in some friendly conversations and saw a guy from 12 step programs I haven't seen in a few years. He has some sort of mental disability that I can't identify ... seems to show very little affect and it's hard to understand his talking ... but he's sharp and thoughtful and once one can get through the talk problem, he's very pleasant to talk with.
He's not homeless, but certainly hard up and hits every free meal in town. He was telling me that the reason most people get kicked out of Christian Shelter was because they didn't want to sit through devotionals. He said "if that's the rule, I don't see why they can't do at least that little bit." I feel like that's the problem some of my high school students have ... it seems like they almost go out of their way to break some of the rules ... and some will be the homeless of the future.
Here's an article that encourages me to write a daily gratitude list. So what better day to start than today?
I'm grateful that I was taught to read.
I'm grateful to have drinkable water.
I'm grateful to live in a temperate climate.
I'm grateful that heat is included in my rent.
I'm grateful to have a childhood friend living nearby.

The picture above is of Kirk Douglas, I liked the picture before I knew it was of him. Now I like it even more.