Standing in Prayer

We have a small altar in our family room. Well, actually it's a t.v. cabinet. On the top we keep a statue of our Blessed Mother and a few other things, a candle, some pictures, artwork our kids made when they were younger. But it's just the right height that I can stand there with my elbows on the top shelf, hands folded under my chin, and pray. It's a comfortable place where I can slip into prayer quietly and quickly, and it's where I pray when I'm alone.

I like when the house is quiet. If I slept well, then prayer is just about the first thing I do. I like to thank God and remember he's there, that he has a purpose for me and that no matter how nervous I get, he's bigger than my fears. I don't like to dwell on them. It's important to put them in his hands and get going, so it's appropriate for the early morning--I remember that life isn't perfect, and I set off willing to try to make it more so...

Loving God is having a relationship. Everything is included, every human experience. He knows it all and when we bring ours to him in prayer, he helps us sort out what's worth keeping.


Today at work we are going to celebrate Valentine's Day with the kids. Teacher wants to keep it simple and calm, just cruise through the day and help the kids stay happy. She complemented my work yesterday, which is like hearing from God because compliments at school can seem like miracles. JoAnne's physical therapist gave me a tip this week. She told me to teach the kids how to make "fish lips and duck tails". That means "close your mouths and put your hands behind your backs" only it says it in a way the kids want to imitate and it works like a charm. Our lines are straight and quiet now, a big improvement.


Did I tell you that I teach? I'm certified in Arizona but I work as an assistant in special education. Lots of stories there... I get half the pay but none of the teacher's stress, though these days things are stressful for everybody. I'm glad I've got God to turn to, and the little standing altar where I can stop and pray for strength, for wisdom and for peace. Love needs a strong, sturdy seat to sit on. Three legs are the minimum to keep it steady.


Still learning about blogging. I'm trying different typefaces and things like auto-signatures. I want it to look nice when I publish. Sorry about the spelling errors. I haven't found the spell check yet.


I also want to make the blogs brief and pithy, easy to read, but hey, I guess we can't have everything up front... I keep thinking of more things to say.


Tom