Every Moment Holy

   I am loving the spring flowers just now. Lilies of the Valley, Lilacs and Violets are definitely among my favorite flowers. Do any of you all have those flowers blooming now too or are the long gone or yet to come or don't grow in your area?

I love how simple it is to bring beauty to your table and your meals. 3 little repurposed jars with just a few stems each of different types of flowers. No fancy arranging needed - just simple beauty. Do you bring flowers into your home? I know that not everybody responds with joy to flowers the way I do but for me it just lifts my spirits and reminds me of God's love and His amazing artistry when I see flowers.

    Not long ago my good friend, Jennifer, offered to loan me the book "Every Moment Holy" by Douglas Kaine Mckelvey. I looked at it a bit when she offered it to me and I could see that it had a lot of good thoughts. I admit that part of me was a little hesitant about this book. It is, after all, a book of liturgies. A prayer book. Prayers that somebody else wrote out that I could use. I have never been a part of a church group (or any other religious group) that has used pre-written prayers and the idea of it just seemed odd to me. Don't I know on my own what I should speak to God about? Won't the Holy Spirit help me with that? I believe that the answer to both of those questions are "yes" but I have also found many blessings as I had read through this book.

   I absolutely think we should pray from our heart and pray as the Holy Spirit directs us. But in my reading this book I was reminded at how blessed I am when I pray with others and they put into words things that I may have struggled saying, or not thought to say. Praying with others and hearing their prayers causes my prayer time to be richer. Reading this book is a little like that. 

I would like to share a couple of excerpts from this book that really hit home with me....

  "O Christ My Shepherd,

    O Christ My Companion,

   You never promised that I would not walk this bitter road. What you promised was I would not walk this road along.

   When you prophesied to Peter the kind of death he would die - you told him simply to follow you faithfully on the path marked out for him.

   In the same way, Jesus, you do not call me to compare the length or the topography of my own road to the journeys of others who serve you. You call me simply to follow you faithfully on my path, on this path, through the specific events of this one life I am given."

   "O Christ Most Compassionate,

     O Christ Most Wise,

counsel and comfort me now. In the midst of this, my hour of doubt and fear and questioning, remind me of the history of your grace so long expressed to me at every turn of life.

    For what have I ever had to trust you with, if not my fears, my tragedies, my disappointments, my losses, my heartaches? The happier times required no costly trust; the light and pleasant hours asked nothing of my faith. I was the thirsty desert wastes, the long hard winters, and the sudden surging storms that proved the steadfastness of your love, and the certainty of my hope.....

....Grant me such divine, surpassing peace, O Christ. Let me acknowledge and release for good this sense that I am the victim of some cosmic injustice - that I might lay hold instead of the grace that ever holds me."

   It is my mission that every moment in my life would be holy. Including the time spend sanding the drywall down in our basement bathroom as I try to get it ready for hosting with Air BnB.

I would love to hear your thoughts!