Prayer. Now, THAT was easy!

I'd rather have a phone call than a text message. A phone call is more personal, you are more intimate with the caller. A text message in which the sender uses so many abbreviations one wonders if their language is English or Gobble Gook.

Prayer is like a phone call. It is personal, requires a "do not disturb" sign and active participation on your part. Merely going to church every Sunday is more like a text message; requires a minimum of effort on your part, not personal and full of distractions.

How to pray. I am still exploring. Yes, there is the rosary or prayer beads, and prayer books like a breviary. I find the rosary helps me to center myself. It is similar to putting yourself into a state of calm. Clears the mind and prepares one for a longer session with God.

Then comes the hard part. The actual communications bit. Honestly this is where I fall apart. I stumble. What do I say? How do I, well, how do I pray? I'm left in a state of confusion as I don't believe that prayer is a medium to ask God for earthly things. Like money. A new car. A better house.

I guess there are those that do pray for things like that. I don't desire any more than what I already have. Yes, a new car would be nice - however my van works and only costs for maintenance, fuel and insurance. A bigger house, but the one I live in now is plenty as I don't have children living with me. Yes, a bit more folding money would be nice, but money for me is similar to a 19830's famous movie.

Clark Cable
Vivian Lee

In my quest to understand prayer I spoke to my sister who is a Pesbyterian minister. I said to her "after I say my ritual prayers, I am left feeling empty. Wanting more. Can you recommend any prayer books?"

At first, her answer was vague, uninformative. After I chewed over her words in my mind, I realized this wasn't so. She wasn't vague or uninformative. I just wasn't listening. I have already formulated her 'correct' response in my mind and it didn't agree with her words.

Prayer is NOT a formula! Yes, the rosary and other forms of prayer beads ARE ritual, structured prayer mediums, but prayer is no different than a communications with you and God. Like when you talk to your sister.

HE may not be vocal but God does speak to us. If you doubt this, try this 'test'.

Say the sign of the cross.
Dear Lord/God/Jesus
I really blew it today. I got upset with I need you to help me with this, to take away my and cleanse my heart. I didn't mean to abandon you, please show me the way again. please help me.

I can guarantee that He will be listening and will give you an answer. Sit back. Reflect on what you said, how you said it. This is where God steps in and provides you with your answer. "Treat others as you would like to be treated", or maybe its more of a moral problem. The 10 Commandments will rule your thoughts.

See? God may not smite thee with a burning bush, or a lightning bolt or a sudden increase in money, but He gives you what you need - a shove, a push to get you on your way. One might say God says "Really?! Hey! I've already told you people how to conduct yourself in this matter. I even had it written down in stone. LOL


Pray. Pray often.

Ed May the peace of our Lord dwell within you.

This ol' House

We apply the concept of 'house' or 'home' to many things. When I leave for work, I feel as if I'm heading to my 2nd home. When I leave work, I am heading home - the place were I dwell.

I desire for God to live in my heart - to make it His home. He seems to have a lot of vacation days tho. :)

When He is not there, I must go in and clean it - sweep out the filth and dirt that has drifted in through the doors and windows. Then He returns. Muddies it all up with His grace and peace.

How do I know God is on vacation? Because my attitude, my treatment of other people changes.

This is why prayer is so important. When I pray, I feel good. Centered. Calm. God returns. It seems He is telling me a secret - He whispers, "I never left. I was in the bathroom."

He never left. Never let me down. Awesome.

Take care and may the peace and grace of God live in your heart.

Ed

Dear Karen

Dear big sister,
I am writing to you which would be a first in so long a time I can't ever remember writing in the past. I am sorry I have not called or spoken to you in a long time as well. I want to tell you I love you and I am proud of being your brother. At no time have you ever disappointed me or embaressed me. Rather, you have saved me some anguish. I still have your doll's - they are in the display case and I look at them every day. I remember the day Mom bought you Trixie. You were so proud of her. A 5 lb dog that made me feel like a monster. Maybe she sensed the monster that lived in me? Animals often can sense the wrongness in other creatures. I remember taking you up to the obedience school and how you gave 110 percent to learn what the instructor was trying to put across. I learned a lesson from that. Today I remembered what it was. It was your "never give up, never say die" attitude. That is priceless. My beautiful sister, you rock!

Your big brother

A ministry

For a mere 3 weeks now my wife and I have been having "family night". It seems to have settled on Wednesday evening and we phone my daughter and her husband. We gather around the iphone and we each talk about our week as it is so far, and we talk about events that are important to each of us. We talk about our grandchildren and how they are liking (or not!) school and preschool.

My daughter and I agreed to keep more in touch than we had in the past, and this is what we settled on: talking on the phone. I know! Its rather old fashioned, but at least it is more efficient than texting.

How do we get in the presence of God? Through prayer. However, God doesn't want family night, He wants you 24/7/365. I want God with me during our family night so that He can guide my words, guide my heart so I speak true and with love.

I want that 24/7/365 as well. When I speak with my wife, I want my words guided by God. When I speak to my coworkers I want my words guided by God. Recall I once said "never give up, never say die"? No matter how many times I fail to listen to God, I will never give up seeking Him. Never give up trying.

Its 10 to 9. Gotta go. Its another family night and I have tickets for my daughter and her family to go to Night Eyes. A fun filled night at the Zoo for children and those adults who like to be children as well.


Ed

May the peace of our Lord be with you.

Customer Service

That's what I do. I earn my keep as a customer service team leader. I didn't know people until I took this job. I'm wondering where God is today. It doesn't matter if I take a call from the bible belt, or the most 'liberal' area of our country. People are hateful. I don't know if it is because they feel safe to say the things they do due to the shield the telephone provides, or if they are truly without the grace of God. Today I failed with every call I took.

Like everyone else, I am quick to judge others. I tend to believe what the customer says "I was home all day and NO ONE called and now I can't get a repair tech for another 2 days!!!???

I would think, wow, another company employee who didn't do their job. GRRRRRRR!

I just wanted to knock that person into the middle of next week!!!

I'm not very smart. However, even as dumb as I am, I begun to realize there is always another side to this story. I was on my way to fill my coffee cup with that hot elixir of life known as coffee. (Truly coffee comes straight from God!!) I asked the rep to take a customers name and contact number and I'd call them back. 5 min tops. I did. I tried to contact the customer twice. I just got the answering machine/voice mail. No live person answered the phone. Great! I thought. Another false claim that no one called her back.

From the haughty surgeons wife who thinks she deserves special treatment because she is married to a surgeon, to the lowest pensioner living on social security it seems that it is acceptable to lie and berate someone who cannot give what is being demanded.

Cussing has become accepted and "cool" in speech. Screaming to the point of incoherency is seen as a way to drive home your point of view.

In the book Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado, the date of 9/28/2010 starts with a sentence from Proverbs 4:23 "Be careful of what you think..."

Why must we guard our thoughts? What does this mean to us in today's world?

Solomon writes about wisdom for young and old alike.
Above all else, quard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 4:23

Solomon is telling us that our lives are controlled by what is in our hearts. If anger abides there, our thoughts will be filled with anger and from our mouths will pour forth anger. Cleanse the anger from your heart - give it to God. Let Him deal with it and I can honestly say you will be happier.

I should have read this in the morning before work. All the angry customers I had today would not have bothered me at all. After my prayers this evening, I do feel more at peace. Praise be to God!!!


Ed

May the peace of our Lord live in your heart.

What I gots

It is my personal belief that God does not grant wishes as if He were the Wish Faerie. Atheists point out you don't get what you want because there is no God. Ministers tell you that you don't get what you want because you are not sincere.

If I had no arms or legs or sight; if I was poor and had no food to eat and I prayed that I could have arms, legs, sight or food; why I would think I would be pretty sincere!

In fact I'd be feverishly sincere.

I have:
sight, all limbs in their proper locations and size.
a beautiful wife
a lovely daughter
a handsome son.
a job and all the trappings of lower-middle class life in a country that imposes no restrictions on my religion or beliefs.

I already blessed and we haven't mentioned God or Jesus yet.

I didn't say God doesn't grant wishes, or things you pray for- because God did grant me a wish and it came today in e-mail form.

My wish.

My wish is for a prayer book, and I have searched for and found one from the Anglican faith. I just don't have the $$ plus shipping.

I opened my e-mail account and there was a message from my dear sister. I clicked on it, and I swear I heard a "DING" (like a bell rang).

That ding was my sister offering to buy me any prayer book I wanted. Praise be to God and to my sister.

How cool is that? I didn't even pray for one. I simply searched for, and found one. I had even bought a study bible and had to return it due to not being able to read it. The print was so small I think ants are larger than three words - the print was that small. (No, I didn't have an ant to measure with, but...)

God knows I am desperate for His love. Desperate for a way to speak to Him with sincerity and I am developing a thirst for Him. This thirst seems to be headed for addiction status.

I am truly blessed in this life.

Good night and may God bless you.

Ed

Never Give up. Never say die.

Happy 902010 Day. Its another of my Fridays and I have two glorious days ahead, one of which I will spend with family.

This weekend I met a man I call Mike Jointer. That is not his real name, but Mike is the real first name, Jointer is what he had for sale. Made it easy to remember why I put his telephone number in my contact list. This tale isn't about what I purchased, but is about Mike. Mike is a man who has lost his job - and is fighting for disability. He looks whole; walks on two legs and has all his visible body parts however he lives in pain due to a bad this or that. He is loosing his place to live and his wife is a multiple amputee. He has a smile on his face and when he talks about her it is with pride and love.

I went away from his house with a feeling I had meet a happy man. Just when you may think you can't stand any more crap, think about this man Mike. Offer up a prayer for him and his wife and remember that God does not give you any more trials than you can bear. Never give up. Never say die.