Prayer Diary

Humble blog posts

5/18/2019

I realize that I haven’t posted in a while, fully aware that in creating this blog I made a commitment to post. If you readers keep appearing only to find that I have disappeared, why would you continue to checking in? I may be quite consistent in offering a Daily Quote and Word and Image every other day, but you can find those throughout the internet, in books, and yes, in the Bible.
I don’t post my thoughts about prayer because I think they are especially worthy or profound. Rather, they are humble offerings, a sharing, because I believe that we learn about God and grow in faith by hearing what others are feeling and experiencing. The writings of theologians and lay people, both ancient and contemporary, are available in book form—just a click away. But what about you and me, each immersed in our particular situation, trying to keep life together? You and me, who feel called to be prayerful and who long to feel God’s presence?
Hearing from others who are also trying to lead a prayerful, God centered life, give me more encouragement and hope than all the religious books on my shelf. That is why I write these prayerdiary ditties.

A beautiful walk in the neighborhood

5/7/2019

An afternoon prayer walk in the neighborhood. I’m very grateful that I live in the historic district among lovely old homes, including mine.

Morning prayer

5/3/2019

I love my morning routine, that first hour of the day. In Florence it includes walking about the city with God, slipping into a bar for a cappuccino, and sitting a café writing. The routine at home involves sipping black American coffee as I pray—expressing gratitudes, praying my prayer book and writing out my Top Ten Prayer List for the day.
I don’t know which scenario I like the best, but I am aware that the home version is the more God centered of the two. To be honest, when I’m wandering about Florence, much of my thought is on where to stop for that first cappuccino.
At home in the morning, sitting here in the Angel Room, my prayer is at its ‘best’, but it drifts away as the day goes on. I want to change that. Reviewing the day with God at the end of the day is another ‘best’ idea, but hard to generated. No coffee or being sleepy is not a good excuse.

Faithfulness

4/24/2019

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15

As I read this verse from Psalm 86 this morning I thought, “Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to do, that’s what God wants of me: imitate God. It’s a given that I will fall short of the mark, but if I don’t try, then what is the point of reading the Bible, what’s the point of trying to lead a good life.
It’s a tall order: be merciful and gracious to others, even those I deem not worthy: don’t get angry at people in the news: love everyone.
The verse ends with the word faithfulness. The only way I can begin to fulfill this tall order is by being faithful. I have no power on my own, but I can embrace faith by surrendering to God.

Annunciation pictures at the Uffizi

4/16/2019

Here are the Annunciation pictures I took at the Uffizi the other day. I can’t get enough of them, so I snap them over and over and over again. Maybe I should be posting pictures of Holy Week to correspond to the current season, but I resonate with the beginning of Christ’s life, and with what God is asking of Mary—to be the Christ bearer. I keep asking what God wants me to bear and what I hear is hope and love.

Being of service in Florence~

4/14/2019

On a good day, I wake up asking, “How can be of service today?” At home it is easy; there are people of visit, and a home to attend to. When traveling, however, there is less opportunities. I can email friends but one-on-one contact is a challenge.
Thank goodness for the arrival of Emily and Abby. The service is to give them a good time; be a tour guide, listen to what’s going on in their lives, and enjoy the fabulous shopping that Florence offers. When I am here alone I tour the city every day; but I have no one to listen to, nor do I shop. Being of service ‘isn’t about me’ and yet it can bring out the best in me.

San Marco again~

4/10/2019

I did it again. I went to San Marco and took photos of Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the monks’ cells. Each scene from the life of Christ offers a metaphor for life: the journey from birth to death, from suffering to hope. Whatever is going on in my life, in the lives of those I know and love, or in the lives of the people in the world, transformation and hope in present in Jesus’ life, suffering, death, and resurrection.

The WONDER of garbage collecting in Florence~

4/8/2019

A friend suggested that each year we chose a word to live by for the upcoming 365 days. I have chosen one for this trip: WONDER. So, here I am again in Florence, living into a sense of wonder as I walk around with God.
I’ve pretty much given up defining God—no words other than vague phrases: mystery, beyond words, a state of being, a sense of wholeness, contentment, deep peace in the soul, a feeling of that all is well. My experience tells me that knowing God comes to me when I am being in the present moment, no thoughts of the past or future, which is wise way to be when meditating.
As I wander the streets of Florence in a sense of wonder, I’m in a in a different kind of meditative state. I’m not sitting still with an ‘empty mind’. I’m aware of the NOW, but I’m also drawing on the past; my past experiences do matter. The future is also with me, but to a lesser extent.

15 minute meditation

3/31/2019

Sometimes I can be rigid, but thankfully I can also be flexible. Today I decided that I don’t have to meditate for twenty minutes, just because ‘they’ say that’s the optimal length. ‘They’ also say that if you just have a minute, meditate for a minute. I have a friend who meditates for an hour.
This morning I set my timer for fifteen minutes instead of twenty, and that felt just about right. As I meditated I didn’t dwell on the time, nor did I sneak a look to see how many minutes I had left. I was more into the meditation itself, and was surprised when the timer went off.
Clearly there is no optimal length; try what works for you.

Sandy Hook and being of service

3/27/2019

Again I want to share what I just posted on acottagebythesea,net blog. And, as usual, I have added something more at the end.

The other day a parent whose child was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy took his own life. So many thoughts and feeling sweep through my mind/body/spirit. I will share one.
     How dare I worry about my life! I’d better stop perseverating on the meaning of my life and start acknowledging all my good fortune. My faith tells me that my purpose is to be of service to others.
     This should be simple. It can be done in silence and solitude.

      The Christian faith is about service. Jesus tells us so through parables, direct teachings, and his own actions. Faith versus works has been debated throughout the centuries, but I need no debate here. If I don’t believe that my life purpose is to be of service, I have no faith. Although I’m mighty amiss at following through on this, my faith reminds me when I stray.
    Belief in God opens me to compassion for others. I can hardly imagine what this Sandy Hook parent was facing every day after his child died. I have no judgment. I do know, however, that I face a God who calls me to be of service.