Who I pray for

I guess being older (56 and counting) I found myself more aware of my spirituality.  Better late than never, I suppose.  Not really proud of that but happy I've found my holy place.  Born and raised Catholic, its who I am and its what I do.  So now I find myself looking for prayer time.  Usually its on my walks, I plug in and listen and pray along with our Holy Rosary or the Divine Mercy.  Nothing to complicated, just a nice set of repetitious prayers to focus ones soul and heart on whats important. I honestly feel so much as I complete each prayer time.
As each prayer time comes around,  my "list" if you will, of who I'm praying for grows and grows.

Of course, I pray for my little family, my husband of 31 years that he's love for me and our family continues and grows with each passing year.  For each of our dear children, as they face their own daily challenges, that they make the decisions that will best carrying them to where they need to be in life with a good and gracious heart.

I pray for my Momma that she stays well, that her days will be calm and peaceful as she deals with the never ending challenges of trying to regain her comforts of her home.  For my sisters, for their health, especially Linda, as she faces the biggest foe ever, cancer.  I pray that my other sisters also stay strong and healthy and that our connection as sisters remain as strong and special as it is.  I pray for each of their own family members, each one dealing with obstacles and opportunities.
I pray for all of our dear aunts and uncles, slowly their numbers are diminishing, remembering how much a part of our growing up years they all were.  And for each of their families as well, cousins forever.

I pray for all our departed family members, Daddy, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Tim's parents, Grandparents and Aunt and Uncles, that they all find their way to heaven where we can all be together again.

I pray for friends, near and far, from long ago and now, all their families, all their lost family members, that that find comfort and peace, in their days.

I pray for people I even read about, little kids with life challenging illness, husbands who've had strokes, husbands who have died, friends who are battling cancer, people of disasters, attacks, anger and sadness. I hope my prayers send out a small ray of comfort.

Sometimes I try to imagine all these prayer intentions as quilt, each square a connection to my life, every last one that I want to remember in prayer.  So if ever you feel a little bit of something, gently falling on your shoulders in the course of the day, maybe its my prayer for you, wrapping around you like a quilted blanket.  Its what I ask for.

E.D.I.T.

I've been on this Weight Watcher "way of life" forever it seems.  Made Life Time, loved it, swore to maintain and NEVER EVER regain those 30 pounds I worked so hard to lose.  And as things tend to go, I gained it all back.  Every pound, bite by bite.  I rejoined, recommitted, struggled, failed, cheated, starved, walked, "fudged" those trackers, drank the water, counted the points, weighed every bite and eventually came to a realization.

If I was serious "this time", I'd rejoin, on-line and go to weekly meetings.  So I did.  For about about a year I've been at it.  Again.  Found a good group, a great leader, working the program and on the right path, seeing the results I needed to see and feel.  And then I hit that wall.  Feeling too good, a bit smug even, not quite following the program but not not following either.  But the numbers show the truth.

So I had a talk with myself.  Admitted that I had to quit trying to cheat the system, quit thinking that if I was really "good" on Thursday, the numbers would be so awesome at my Friday weigh-in.   Like a kid taking a test and studying really hard the night before the test.  I was failing.  So this week I introduced something new.  My latest deal:  Every. Day. Is. Thursday.  E.D.I.T.

And Friday's weigh in?  Down.  So it begins.

E.D.I.T.

Church Ladies' Retreat 2016

Just got home from an awesome get a way with some very special friends from St. Agnes Church.  I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about this event.  A retreat?  The whole weekend? Quiet?  Not sure this is really meant for me but I signed on the dotted line and committed to go.
After an embarrassing miscue on my part (they said noon, not one 'o'clock!) the ladies graciously picked me up and up to Belleville IL we went.  Our retreat weekend was at the beautiful King's House Retreat & Renewal Center, a lovely place nestled in the middle of 47 acres hidden in the middle of this city.  Check in was quick, our rooms found, we settled in for a bit of socializing with dinner before the call for silence was announced.  Imagine approximately 50 women altogether without talking.  At all.  Amazing really.  It was the beginning of the kind of centering of ourselves, in the quiet you became aware of so many things around you.
This weekend was filled with a lot of things.  Meals, such very good meals, prayers, heartfelt and really special prayers.  Time to walk, the surrounding grounds were beautiful, there along the trails was the Stations of the Cross to ponder Jesus' final hours on earth.  The winds on Saturday certainly kept you aware of the powers of Heaven all around you as they blew through the trees.  Saturday evening Mass was made special with the Anointing of the Sick for any who felt they needed this blessing.  Amazingly every single one of us stood up for this anointing.  As day turned to night, settling in for the end of our day opened up time just to focus on yourself.  Don't really do that enough.
In a blink of an eye, it was Sunday.  The day brought beautiful sunshine, another Mass to be shared with all of our new friends.   And finally talking.  Oh how wonderful it was.  I missed it a lot.  Another wonderful meal and then it was time to pack up and head back home.  Back to family.  Back to our real world.  I certainly hope that I can hold on to all that I gained, all that I learned from this special time.  It was truly a Bridge of Mercy.