Wonder Under the Stars

Setting sun

Rising moon

New life

Waiting

A hundred onlookers

Anxious

Hopeful

Ready to witness

The miracle

Laying just beneath the sand

If the video does not load, please view the article to enjoy an awesome video of baby sea turtles being hatched

Today I Pray...

...with an awe-inspired heart

amazed by the miracle of life

and the wonders of nature

...though we didn't witness these

baby sea turtles being hatched

I thank You for teaching me

something new today

...and for the gentle reminder

that every day is a new day

A fresh start

A renewed attitude

A new beginning

With Your love

a new life

can be born at any moment

Nothing Like It

There is nothing

quite like the spray of salty air

on your face

And sand between your toes

And the call of the seagulls

and pelicans

A change of pace

A chance to step away

from every day life

And make castles in the sand

photo from bing images

Today I Pray...

...with gratitude

for the opportunity

to step away from every day life

and delight in the joy of my family

Melt

Trying so hard

to hold it all together

Now is not the time

to come undone

But the dog's barking

The phone's ringing

So much to do, and

Tensions are running high

The mountain of belongings

stacked up in the hall

Tell a story of a new adventure

about to begin

...the next step for a little girl

who's growing up

...and the mix of emotions

for a family who is learning to let go

Without even realizing it

A tear rolls down my face

then another

....and before I know it

I begin to melt

Today I Pray...

....for laughter and joy

...for patience and understanding

...for compassionate hearts

And a deep awareness of

Your unfailing

peace and love

settled deep within our bones

Unexpected Gift

No poetry or prose today
no flutters of inspiration

Just a quiet mind
the purr of the computer
and a steady beat of my heart

The music of solitude

An unexpected gift of calm
Amid the swirling chaos called life



Today I Pray...

...with a grateful heart

for the gift of a peaceful morning

...with so much to be done in the days ahead
this gift was a weight off my shoulders
a reprieve from stress

I know it was a gift from You
and I'm starting to realize
that it is a blessing
that is always there for the taking

Always there....

...Still

"He woke up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39

Breath of Heaven

A hundred to do's
Suffocate me

And though the day is just coming to life
I feel the rush
of the week already racing by

Help me remember to breathe

And just like that,
in the rush of the day
A cool morning breeze
swept through the open window
in my office
And gently wrapped itself
around me

Comfort. Truth. Life.
Amen



Today I Pray...

...please help me to stay focused

...to use my time wisely

...to make the most of each conversation

...to have a successful day

And thank you for answering my prayer so quickly...

......and erasing the tension that was already mounting

Your subtle breath of heaven reminded me
that there is nothing
more important
than this moment with You

So Am I

"I'm happy!" she said

in her sweet little voice.

"So am I!" sang a chorus of friends.

And they laughed and played

and skipped around the yard.

"I'm hungry," he said

as he rubbed his grumbling belly.

"Me too!" roared his friends

who followed him into the kitchen.

"I'm scared," she cried
as lightening illuminated the sky

"So am I," shrieked her friends

and they huddled together

away from the storm.

She cried out in the dark,

"I'm stressed."

"I'm nervous."

"I'm anxious."

"So am I," echoed back in a breeze.

And a chorus of friends

who understood

Held her up while she learned to breathe

That day she finally caught her breath

She heard the words

He'd been speaking all along

The wisdom of ages

Simple abundance

Grace

"My child, you are never alone."

Today I Pray...

...with a grateful heart

Thank you for showing me

that no matter what I am feeling

I am never alone in my emotions

Hold me steady as I find courage

to share more

Help me to trust that in sharing

I will heal

And maybe help others

who are bearing similar burdens

Help me to see the many ways

that I can learn from others

I also say a special prayer

for courage

for anyone

who is feeling lonely

or scared, or anxious

...open your heart,

trust...

and know you're not alone.

"Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you." Genesis 28:15

The Words Don't Come

I want to speak
about the calm

about dewy grass
and the soothing patter
of rain on the rooftop

about the cool rain
that's beaded on
each leaf and branch

I want to delight
in the essence of morning

and embrace the serenity
of my morning walk

But the words don't come

Instead of calm
I'm anxious
restless
unsettled
uneasy

I'm weary from a journey
that's taking me in circles

I need to breathe



Today I Pray...

...for Your calming hand upon my shoulder

...forgive me if I lean too hard on You

...Guide me, steady me,

...help me find center and breathe

"Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God.
I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice."
Isaiah 41:10

Twenty More

Twenty years ago today
A young girl
with butterflies in her stomach
clutched her Daddy's arm
And took a short walk

She never stopped grinning
At what she saw before her....

The bluest eyes
The broadest smile
Excitement
Joy
A thousand hopes and dreams
A home, a family
A life together

...Forever.

The walk
....was down the aisle

The eyes
...were yours

The hopes and dreams
...still grow from year to year

The family
....is ours (and an amazing blessing)

The life together -- tried and true --
...is a gift I would never trade




Today I Pray...

...for my husband,
my very best friend,
the love of my life

the hopes and dreams
the excitement and joy
are as real today as they were
twenty years ago

I am so grateful
that you never gave up on me...
...or on us

...I pray for 20 more years
...and 20 more after that

...always with you by my side

I love you Jeff.

Mom's Wisdom

Staring at a blank computer screen
Hypnotized by the blinking cursor
and its calming hum

Today I prayed for inspiration
New words, new thoughts,
new reason to give pause

Across the bottom of the screen
A message flashed
"One new email from Mom"

Prayers answered
Inspiration comes
Author unknown

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark

ONE: Don't miss the boat.

TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!

THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX: Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.

TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Today I Pray...

...with a peaceful heart,
grateful for the angels that flutter in and out of my life

...ready "to float awhile"
fully aware that at rest
and with a quiet mind
the answers will come

My Little Place

I stood on the porch
Looking out
at my little place
on this earth
and the celebration
at hand

A day for my daughter
to celebrate her accomplishments
and her future

To the right,
gathered 'round the table
a group of women
...mothers, sisters, daughters, friends

New friends being made
Memories being shared
Laughter

Behind them a garden
Bursts of color
Pink, yellow, green, purple, red
Butterflies fluttering

Looking in through the kitchen window
More family and friends
Filling their plates with food
Taking time to enjoy the memories
That flooded back as they looked
At colorful photo displays

Coming from the living room
The roar of celebration
And the sighs of despair
As a dozen avid baseball fans
Watched their team
Dominate or deflate before their eyes

Regardless of the outcome of the game
Friends of all ages
emerged from the house
And poured into the back yard
To join one of the games at hand

Horseshoes clanked,
Bases were run
Balls were thrown

Those that didn't play
Tapped their toes and danced
to the beat
of music that flooded the air

From the heavens
...Not the forecasted rain
But beams of sun
And a cool breeze
circling round

I stood on the porch
Looking out
at my little place
on this earth

Everywhere I looked
...I saw blessings




Today I Pray...

...with gratitude

for a wonderful weekend with family and friends

...thank you for the joy you bring into my life
...for your kindness, your laughter, and your spirit

...to those who helped me pray for good weather
God heard us and answered

...for my wonderful family
who stuck with me and helped me
every step of the way
The weekend was teamwork at its finest
and I love you dearly

My life is filled
with blessings
...too abundant to count

I'm humbled and grateful...

...Life is good.

If You've Ever...

If you've ever...

...played in the ocean's waves
...or built a castle along the sandy shore

...skipped stones across a lake of glass
...or chased fireflies on a summer night

...rolled like a ball down a grassy hill
...swung from the branch of a tree

......laid in the grass finding faces in the clouds
...or counted the stars that fill the night sky

...swam in waterhole
...walked in the rain

...jumped into a pile of fallen leaves
...made angels in the snow

If you've ever...

...you've played with God in His favorite playground.



Today I Pray...

with gratitude...

...for all of the precious moments at play

...help me to to be mindful
of what I am giving and receiving
and find ways
to protect and preserve
God's green Earth

"As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22

Centered

I need...
...want
...should
...must
...could

A mile long list
of to do's

...the ticking clock
gets louder by the minute
as the shadow
cast by deadlines
quickly approaches

I feel myself slipping
out of control

...and pause for a moment
to center

It's so easy to get caught up
in the frenzy of the day

And forget
to celebrate Your glory

And thank You
for the countless blessings
that You have given me



Today I Pray...

...with a grateful heart

...for the love of my family and friends
...for the air I breathe
...for our daily bread
...and for the amazing energy
clarity, focus and resolve
that comes from keeping You
at the heart of my day

with You I know that all things are possible

Special Intentions

Today I Pray...

...for some very special loved ones.

Please help my Dad rebuild his strength.
He knows what he needs to do
-- and he is not a quitter, so I know he'll do it
But please send an angel to rest on his shoulder
and whisper words of encouragement in his ear
(he's 82, so maybe "whisper" isn't the right word...
...but You know what I mean God. :)


Please continue to breathe that amazingly
positive spirit into my Mother.
We all see Your unfailing love
in every step she takes
in every unselfish action
every smile,
every "Come on, you can do it."

...Please hug her just a moment longer
and make sure she knows
she can rest....and lean on us.


For dear hubby,
Now that he has blown out the candles
on his special birthday cake
Please help him to find joy
in a truth I know he already knows...
...he is no different today than yesterday
...and he is incredibly loved for exactly who he is.


Thank You, God, for filling my life with such amazing people.
Today my prayers are devoted to them.


"Live a good life, and in the end it is not the years in the life, but the life in the years."
Abraham Lincoln

Between Here and There

In the space between
here and there

You'll find
Countless words
that tell the story
of my dreams

Things I only imagine
because the space
seems so vast and
I don't know how to cross
the great divide

You'll find
Fears so real they
could swallow you whole

Fear of ridicule,
or failure,
Fear of the unknown

Like a river
That separate distant shores

Though I can swim
There's no way way to know
if I am strong enough
to make it across
Or if the undercurrent
will sweep me away

So close
Yet so far
...the space between
here and there

One thing is sure
I'll never
know my strength
or ability

...Until I dive in

Image from www.wisconsinrivers.org

Today I Pray...

...for your continued guidance as I move from here to there

...help me to stay focused

...help me to shake off the negativity

...and tune in to the encouraging voices

...help me to know when I've reached the best point to dive in

...and give me strength to swim


"A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage." Psalm 23:1-4


A note to my readers: I just had to share this with you because it truly is amazing. Normally when I include a Bible verse, I take some time researching to find a verse that "fits" my theme or resonates with me on that day. Today though, after writing my poem and prayer, I literally opened the Bible at random. This was the very first passage I read. As you can imagine, I wept upon reading it.