Prayer, Because Yes

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, December 8, 2018

Prayer, Because Yes

Ever have an awful couple of weeks? I have. A loved one is seriously ill, and I need to travel out of state to the hospital. Yes, it is Advent. Yes, I am in one of the busiest times of the church year and of the calendar year. And yes, I am taking time out to go and see this dear loved one.

Sometimes, I need to give myself permission.

I am a member of a dear church some miles away from my house and from where I serve another church. This dear church has had an online Advent calendar each year. The Rev. Barb Bolsen submitted this marvelous poem to the church online Advent devotional. I appreciate so much these messages of encouragement and hope that come quietly into my email box early each morning. This was the one for today.

God Says Yes To Me – Kaylin Haught I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic and she said yes I asked her if it was okay to be short and she said sure is I asked her if I could wear nail polish or not wear nail polish and she said honey She calls me that sometimes she said you can do just exactly what you want Thank God I said And it is even okay if I don’t paragraph My letters Sweetcakes God said Who knows where she picked that up What I’m telling you is Yes Yes

The magazine this poem was printed in, This Land (thislandpress.com), says Ms. Haught lives in Oklahoma. She lives in a small town, in a house older than the state itself.

I love the way Ms. Haught had such confidence in a loving, nurturing God. I appreciate that God talked back to this dear woman in the poem as she prayed, addressing her sass and questioning and inconsistency. (I know I have sass, questions, and inconsistency. Lots of all of them.) And sometimes, I just need to give myself the permission. Permission to pray, to go and visit a loved one, permission to say “yes.”

Dear loving God, thank You for Your nurture and love. Thank You for the promise You give in Jesus. Thank You for giving me—us—permission to be and to do and to love. Amen.

(The poem and this devotional originally appeared in the Equality Illinois “Seasons of Inclusion”)

@chaplaineliza 

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my companion blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

In Which We Pray for School Children

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Monday, August 22, 2016

In Which We Pray for School Children

Labor Day is almost here. Autumn quickly approaches. Children and young people are returning to school, including my child. (Returning to college, that is. Tomorrow.)

The return to school can have great emotional impact on parents or children. (Although sometimes, not so much.)

At my church last week, we prayed for the children and grandchildren of the congregation as they started school. So much preparation goes into that process. The purchase of school supplies, school clothes and shoes, calculators, sports equipment, books. All kinds of preparation.

Parents, grandparents, congregation members, other caring and concerned adults—all of us can help children and young people as they return to school, too. We can pray for them.

Pray for these students to have excitement and encouragement. Pray for focus and discipline. Pray for learning and fun, for yearning and discovery. Pray that all students may continue to strive, to play, to enjoy, and to learn.

Pray for the families the students come from. (Both for the wonderful families as well as the difficult places and hurtful experiences the students may deal with.) Pray for teachers, coaches, tutors, aides, and all those who nurture and care for the students each and every day. Pray for them to have patience and persistence, caring and compassion. Pray for all who work with these children and young people, so that all may be safe and secure.

Dear God, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

Love and the Care of Soul

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Love and the Care of Soul

How do I nourish my soul? Let me count the ways.

Today’s chapter from Handbook for the Soul tells me. More on how to nourish the soul. Yes, Gerald Jampolsky repeats some of what the other writers have said. However, he also had a different take on this nourishment. Simplifying our lives and bringing balance by disciplining “my mind so that the peace of God is my only goal.” [1]

I was struck by these two activities, simplifying and bringing balance, and by their corollary. The peace of God.

As Jampolsky ticks off the important ways he suggests to nourish the soul, I was intrigued that he mentioned a woman with no arms. An angry woman, who felt rejected by all, including her family. Art was a saving grace for her, as it is for many.

The garden is also mentioned as nurturing to the soul. The parallel between gardening, weeding, and dismissing negative thoughts is also important.

This chapter also mentions attitudinal healing. I only have a vague idea of what attitudinal healing and workshops are. However, many people have found these helpful. Jampolsky links these healing workshops and love closely.

Want to nourish your soul? Try service. “By concentrating on helping another person, we renew contact with our soul and with God. We can feel peaceful again. A sense of joy surrounds us and all the frustration, agitation, and self-anger disappears.” [2]

What a wonderful feeling. Truly,

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Handbook for the Soul, Richard Carlson and Benjamin Shield, editors. (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1995.), 104.

[2] Ibid, 106.

Rekindle the Soul Connection

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Sunday, June 14, 2015

Rekindle the Soul Connection

I love fires. Fires in fireplaces, or in fire pits. Cooking fires when camping. Even gas fires in fancy-shmancy gas fireplaces (no cleaning up afterwards!). Something about setting up the wood to begin with, kindling the flame, feeding the fire. And then, sitting there in comfort, enjoying the crackle of the leaping flames. The warmth of the flickering glow.

How much I relate this to the care and nurture of my soul! Sometimes, I need to see to my soul-connection. Make sure that the fire inside of me is properly banked for a long-term burn. And, I can’t neglect the fire inside, the warmth and light that the fire provides. Provides nurture and care to my insides. Jack Canfield’s chapter in Handbook for the Soul reminded me of this, so strongly.

Canfield spoke of reconnecting with the soul, and mentioned so many different activities. When he participated in these various ways, they aided in his energy and awareness. As he mentioned, “When you set aside time for peace and tranquility—a massage from a loved one, a yoga class, thirty minutes of deep meditation, and the like—it’s hard to stay in a conflicted state of mind. When the benefits are so consistent and reliable, one has to wonder why so few people engage in these soul-energizing practices on a regular basis.” [1]

When put that simply and cogently, I need to truly ask myself: why don’t I engage in these soul-energizing practices on a regular basis?

Yes, many people are fooled into thinking that they don’t have time to engage in these nurturing practices. Except—and I am doing some sincere soul-searching here—I do know the benefits. I have experienced the positive, soul-energizing effects. Why don’t I practice these things, on a regular basis?

Canfield mentions a great many techniques, several for each different type of person. I want to. I really want to have the benefits of this wonderful soul-nourishing practice. Not the least of these is something I try to do on a regular basis. I’ll let him speak for himself: “one very powerful way to connect with spirit, to lift yourself, and to make a difference is to engage in some kind of selfless service, such as feeding the homeless, teaching the illiterate to read, tutoring in an inner-city school, or volunteering at church.” [2]

Amazing journey I’m on. We are all on this journey called life. We all are encouraged to rekindle the soul-connection inside. And, our individual journeys are One Day at a Time. Excellent chapter. Excellent advice. God willing, God can help me in this endeavor.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Handbook for the Soul, Richard Carlson and Benjamin Shield, editors. (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1995), 89.

[2] Ibid, 92.