Saturday 5/1/10 - "ENERGIZES"

SIX WORD SATURDAY

"ENERGIZES"

LIFE ENERGIZES

MESMERIZES, AND

SURPRISES ME!

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit:
Energize me by ahmedart@deviantart.com
Mesmerize by revenantprime@deviantart.com
Mesmerize by rawrrr321@deviantart.com
Surprise by LilRedAngel452@deviantart.com)

Friday 4/30/10 - "FOREST MAGIC"

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY 55

"FOREST MAGIC"

Asleep? Dreaming? Sleepwalking?
Heavy wooden lids kept her eyes shuttered.
Thoughts flickered around.
Cool air kissed her skin as she shivered under its touch.
Then she woke to the soaring forest above her.
She vanished into insignificance.
Her breath left her as she gazed up at the majesty towering above her.
Magic brought her here.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Bamboo Illusion by Marylee Pope - Kodak picture of the day)


Flash Fiction Friday 55 is hosted by G-Man

Wednesday 4/29/10 - "SPIRIT ANIMATES LIFE"

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY


"SPIRIT ANIMATES LIFE"

Prayer Girl
(Photo credits:
Baby 7 by pixelzeesh@deviantart.com
Baby Rock by SAMLIM@deviantart.com
Mesmerized by Tom Vogt
By cookies and cream 88510
Kyle Cope)

Tuesday 4/27/10 - "EXPLANATION!"

"EXPLANATION!"

I have not blogged since Sunday because I have been so very busy and most of it has been working with my sponsees and some new Al-Anon women reaching out for help by phone and in meetings.

I described my Sunday in my 160 as completely as I could in those few characters. There was much more. Among other things, I tried my luck at planting a tomato plant in a Topsy Turvy that daughter gave me for Christmas. I have a brown thumb, but I'm working on turning it green. I didn't hit the pillow till 11:00 after I had seen the movie, "When Love Is Not Enough - The Lois Wilson Story". I am glad I stayed up to watch it. It was powerful. Thank God for Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon.

Monday was just as busy with many sponsee conversations - some women in crisis, others putting the program to use in challenging situations, and women methodically working through the steps to change their lives. Monday began with a downpour just at the time I got up and was getting ready to go to the hospital. Dog would not go out in the rain to do his business after a long night asleep. Finally I was out in the rain with my umbrella, dog on a leash, and he was trying to get at a cat in the driveway. I walked him under a tree as if we were taking our daily walk and getting wet just standing there. Eventually he lifted his leg on a palm tree like he does when we take a real walk and we could get back inside out of the rain.

After volunteering I met with my sponsor at a coffee shop in the brand new Hazelden treatment facility that has opened here in downtown Naples. We spent about two hours together and it was a blessing. I received a call from a girl who is doing 90 meetings in 90 days in Al-Anon. She is depressed and having a lot of trouble coping with life. She's looking for a solution. She approached me after the Sunday Al-Anon meeting and I told her the steps are the way out of self-defeating thinking and behavior patterns and the path to change. I also told her there was no greater gift she could give herself than to work those 12 steps. She called me Monday night and asked if I would take her through the steps. God has blessed me so much by allowing me to take many women through the steps. It is an opportunity to live a miracle over and over. We will meet Friday night to discuss it. I did warn her that I have many sponsees and might not be as available to her as someone else might be. I also told her that I am hard pressed to say "no" when someone asks me to help them and are serious about it. I believe these are God-inspired happenings.

When daughter got home from work Monday we were off to Petco and Target to do some doggie shopping at the first store and baby shower gift shopping at the second. I was shopping for a girl I sponsored years ago in AA. She lived in a city just north of Naples when I first met her at a Naples meeting. Her story is she got sober, drank, got sober, drank again. But the day came when she surrendered, got a sponsor where she was living, and got sober for good. She is a completely different person than the woman I first met. She is happy, a positive thinker, fulfilling her dreams. She got married about a year ago and it is a shower for her first baby I will attend Saturday. Miracles abound all around me.

Today, I chaired an Al-Anon meeting and then sat and prayed with an Al-Anon friend who has reached out to me for support and prayers in a most difficult time. I was happy to give her some of myself. After being with her I went back to the gym after three weeks of staying away. When I had a cold three weeks ago I didn't go. Once I was away for a week it was very hard to get myself back. I am relieved I went. I came home then and took a two hour nap and I feel wonderful. I'll be watching American Idol tonight.

Life is good.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Water Tulip by Georgeanne Mcliveene - Kodak picture of the day)

Sunday 4/25/10 - "A HEAVENLY DAY"

SUNDAY 160

"A HEAVENLY DAY"

Today was a brilliant sunny day - scooter ride, breakfast with husband, sunning with daughter on the Gulf, haircut, church, chats with sponsees. A heavenly day.


Prayer Girl

Sunday 160 is brought to you by Monkey Man.

Saturday - 4/24/10 - "NEW"

SIX WORD SATURDAY

"NEW"

ALL THINGS ARE NEW UNDER HEAVEN

(NEW Growth)

(Alone on NEW Zealand)

(central park, NEW york)

(NEW Year For Peace)

(NEW Orleans)

(NEW york metro)

(NEW Born)

(NEW Born)

(NEW)

Prayer Girl

(Photo credits:
New Growth by MissSpocks@deviantart.com
Alone on New Zealand by Vedas@deviantart.com
central park, new york by Anemyah@deviantart.com
New Year For Peace by magnusti78@deviantart.com
New Orleans by Venturadiva@deviantart.com
new york metro by lerayonvert@deviantart.com
New Born by FlippinPhil@deviantart.com
New Born by curlyhair@deviantart.com
New by norbi@deviantart.com)

Friday 4/23/10 - "AHEAD"

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY 55

"AHEAD"

Weary, lost, and uncertain, she found herself on the edge of "knowing", of "understanding".

Ahead a beckoning light called her forward.

Till now life had seemed just one crazy game of chess.

As she stood, a mist began to rise separating her from her past.

It was the moment of decision.

Confidently she stepped forward.


Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Her path by Gothic Oblivion@deviantart.com)

P.S. "L" - you were on my mind when I wrote this. I dedicate it to you. I know you will read it.

Flash Fiction Friday 55 is hosted by G-Man

Thursday 4/22/10 - "STAY IN THE NOW - RIGHT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE"

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY (ON THURSDAY)

"STAY IN THE NOW -

RIGHT WHERE YOUR FEET ARE"

Prayer Girl
(Photo credits:
feet by AngelaHellcat@deviantart.com
Happy Feet by BellalleB@deviantart.com
Feet by ilohab@deviantart.com
Naked feet by BellalleB@deviantart.com)

Wednesday 4/21/10 - "STILL GRATEFUL"

"STILL GRATEFUL"

So much is happening in my life and the lives of those I love that I wasn't able to blog today. Tonight I am choosing to post some of the gratitude that is in my heart.

I am grateful I found the picture on this blog that I also made my desktop background for a while. It is full of joy, light, and happiness. I love it. It makes me feel good.

I am grateful that daughter who is in a world of hurt, fear, and disappointment over her new job is praying to God for help.

I am grateful that hubby and I pray for our daughter's situation and have enlisted others to pray too.

I am so grateful that I know God has the situation covered and one way or another things will be O.K.

I am grateful to have been able to share my healing touch and sensitivity with a hurting friend today.

I am thankful for the steps and principles I have learned in Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. They have made my life worth living. They are tools for living that really work.

I am thankful that after a sleepless night that left me dragging today I was able to take a 1 1/2 hour deep sleep nap this afternoon that allowed me to enjoy the rest of the day and evening.

I am thankful for the walk daughter's dog, Lucky, and I took in the cool of the evening.

I am grateful for my health and the health of my loved ones.

I am thankful that son and his wife had a safe, relaxing, and happy vacation in Las Vegas.

I am grateful for my, my husband's, and my daughter's sobriety.

I am grateful for the Al-Anon meeting I attended today.

I am thankful to those who read my blog and I am thankful for your blogs.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Yellow Tulips by Robert F Wilson-Kodak picture of the day)

Monday 4/19/10 - "DISCOVERY"

"DISCOVERY"

I'm thinking about what happens on our journey of recovery and the exploration of deeper and deeper levels of ourselves. We discover truths that have been buried most of our lives. There are reasons we have kept them covered up.

My hidden defects were the seeds of my mental, emotional and spiritual illness - the escalation of my alcoholism and my co-dependence. These hidden truths were so grotesque to me that I could not afford to acknowledge them. The more I resisted them, the bigger they grew. I was creating mountains out of molehills and those mountains were crushing me.

In childhood I developed a sense of not being good enough, of being not just imperfect, but worthless. I acquired an internal measuring stick that was always present and caused me to be ever comparing myself to others and forever coming up on the losing end of the measurement. How did this happen? My mother raised her children in what she thought from her own experience was the best way. She was critical, judgmental, and compared us to others frequently. I believe she thought it was constructive criticism, judgments, and comparisons that would show us the way to a good life. It didn't work out that way. It produced low self-esteem and even self-hatred at times.

The twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon allowed me to begin the discovery process that has set me free from the damage of my past. Many of my sponsees are frustrated by the fact that after completing the twelve steps and finding some peace and serenity, they find themselves back at that place again of seeing a defect in themselves that they abhor.

I have heard in the rooms of AA and Al-Anon that the pain is in the resistance. The more I resist new knowledge about myself, the longer it takes to move to a better place mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and the more painful the process is. Just because we find ourselves at a place we label as 'back there again', it is not really that same place. We have just reached a deeper level of awareness that provides the opportunity for further spiritual growth.

What to do when we find ourselves very aware of yet another character flaw?
Be willing to acknowledge, accept, and take action to correct it.
Take care of ourselves.
Be gentle with ourselves.
Hush the self-critical and self-judging voice.
Ask God to reveal character defects and humbly ask Him to remove them.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Revelation by Masterwks@deviantart.com)

Sunday 4/18/10 - "LILIES"

SUNDAY 160

"LILIES"

Third Easter Sunday and lilies still adorn the altar step, standing like trumpets. Heavenly music sings from each delicate blossom. God's voice is loud. I hear.





Prayer Girl

Sunday 160 is brought to you by Monkey Man.

Saturday 4/17/10 - "RED"

SIX WORD SATURDAY


"RED"

RIOT OF RED

RHAPSODY OF SENSES

Prayer Girl

(Photo credits:
The Beauty of Rajasthan by Mukesh Shrivastava-Kodak picture of the day
Fly Agari by Carla Versteege-Kodak picture of the day
Rainy Day Hopscotch by Timothy Toole-Kodak picture of the day
Reflection by Els Bax-Kodak picture of the day
The Red by xblackbutterflyx@deviantart.com)

Friday 4/16/10 - "THE WOOD"

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY 55

"THE WOOD"

Escape from the watchful eyes of her family, a precious delight
Wandering endlessly, dancing, waltzing through the velvet wood
Imagination flowed, willed stronger with all her might
And as she turned on tiptoe light, became all that she could
One with all the richest, vibrant views within her sight
She like butterfly and flower bright

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Sounds of joy and innocence by Luna2003@deviantart.com)

Flash Fiction Friday 55 is hosted by G-Man.

Wednesday 4/14/10 - "SPIRIT OF WIND"

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY


"SPIRIT OF WIND"

Prayer Girl

(Photo credits:
Wind by arpagic@deviantart.com
EdeN - The Wind by themian@deviantart.com
Wind trees byTiredMe@deviantart.com
With the wind by lincochuan@deviantart.com
Wind City - Shikul Grove by centauran@deviantart.com)

Tuesday 4/13/10 - "HOLY MOMENTS"

"HOLY MOMENTS"

I returned from the hospital yesterday realizing I had experienced many holy moments during my visits. I knew I had felt the spirit of God. These moments blessed me and I pray they blessed those I sat with. These are just a few of my encounters.

I entered a room calling the name of the person in the second bed. The lady in the first bed told me her roommate spoke no English. The woman I was there to see was a tiny and frail, very black, very old woman sitting in a chair looking out the window. She recognized her name as I called her by turning her head towards me. At the same time a nurse's aide entered the room to take her vitals. She told me the lady spoke no English. I said I would smile at her - a Universal language. I sat with this woman, holding her hand, smiling at her, and when I left, gently kissed her cheek. When I left I knew God had conveyed His presence to her in that Universal language of love.

Something happened yesterday that has never happened before. I missed last Monday when I was home sick. There were two different gentlemen who had requested visits from the pastoral care department that I recognized from visiting two weeks prior. In each case, they had been discharged, had a return of severe symptoms and were readmitted. They were both extremely ill.

When I entered the room of the second man, his daughter, her husband, and their son were all in the room. When this gentleman and I recognized each other, they quietly left. It was good to be alone with him. His lungs were filled with fluid as they had been two weeks before. Each breath he took was shallow. He expressed that he was not afraid of dying, but he was afraid of not getting enough air with each breath he took. This gentleman had many other very serious health issues. God was in that room. I cut to the chase and asked if I could place my hand on his chest and he nodded. He closed his eyes and silently prayed as I prayed my silent prayer that I use whenever I am touching someone. They are planning on placing a port in his lung today that will allow for continual drainage. I pray for him.

The last story I choose to tell concerns a rather reserved and not very talkative woman. She spoke little, but in the course of our visit she asked me what church I went to. Whenever I am asked this I explain that in my role as a pastoral care volunteer, I am non-denominational. I then always explain that I was raised Presbyterian, was Baptist for a while, and became Catholic about 3 years ago. Sometimes people will ask me outright why I converted. I take this question (for right or wrong) to be a cue from God to tell them my story of how the healing touch came to me sitting in a Catholic church after having begun to receive holy communion. I always wonder what people are thinking when I tell this. Sometimes I worry that they think I am a 'nut case'. I am beginning to believe - maybe not. When I was finished telling this story she immediately asked me to place my hand on her chest and I did so. We prayed our silent prayers. She had been admitted through the ER with shortness of breath and chest pain. All tests had indicated she did not have a heart attack. They were to do further testing and I could tell she was frightened. We also prayed aloud together.

What can I say? God is so good to have blessed me with such a beautiful gift. My blessings are so many - my children, my marriage, my sobriety, this gift, so many others. I am grateful.

It is a gorgeous sunny day and I hear the birds singing like crazy outside the open window. I think I'll get ready to move out into this beautiful day. I pray your day is glorious too.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: mystic moments by ~nbak@deviantart.com)

Monday 4/12/10 - "WORDLESS"

"WORDLESS"

Now that I am feeling better I was ready to be able to concentrate on a blog. Well, I do have my focus back, but when it comes to writing a blog, for some reason my mind is "wordless". Some kind of block? I feel like the poor fellow above - all feet - not enough brain.

On a second brief thought, this may not be such a bad thing. It's not good for writing, but it has an upside. I am an over-analyzer, a thinker, a person whose mind sometimes just won't quit. Anyone reading this able to relate? It can be a big blessing to have it slow down. I am also a pretty serious person and it is good to lighten up.

The other day I happened to say to my sponsor, "My mind is blessedly blank." I feel discouraged that it is so difficult to come up with a blog, but I think I will just turn it around for today and say how grateful I am that my brain isn't in overdrive and there is a peace and serenity that is filling it at this moment.

I am off to the hospital shortly. I missed last week when I was sick. Each time I volunteer it is like a gigantic surprise. I never know what will happen, who I will see, what God will choose to do. One thing I am certain of, I will be blessed.

Love you all,
Prayer Girl

(Photo credit:Blue-footed Booby by Sue Cullumber - Kodak picture of the day)

Saturday 4/10/10 - "BETTER"

SIX WORD SATURDAY


"BETTER"

FEELING BETTER

TICKLED PINK

PLAYING, LAUGHING

Prayer Girl

(Photo credits:
My Happy Place by mrcool1256@deviantart.com
Tickled Pink by LittleRedShany@deviantart.com
Laughing by Flame of the Phoenix@deviantart.com)

Thursday 3/8/10 - "QUESTIONS OF THE HEART"

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY 55

"QUESTIONS OF THE HEART"

Her playmates had chanted out the letters, "M-A-R-R-I-A-G-E", followed by, "first comes love, then comes marriage, here comes Mary with a baby carriage".

Sixteen's first love and petals went flying, "He loves me, he loves me not".

IV lines lay across her wrinkled hand.
He'd been gone ten years.
Would she be with him soon?

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: Heavy heart by AQ0106@deviantart.com)

Flash Fiction Friday is hosted by G-Man.

Tuesday 4/6/10 - "FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER"

"FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER"

I am knocking on wood as I type this, but I rarely get sick. I am blessed with good health most of the time.

When a cold knocks at my door, even a mild one, it tends to affect me a lot. Sunday evening one suddenly arrived. It's not bad, a sore throat, headache, some sneezing, mostly just tired.

I'm sorry. I haven't been able to focus enough to read, comment on, or write blogs. I just wanted to let you all know what's up with Prayer Girl.

I'll be back when I feel better. Hopefully it will be very soon.



Love you all,
Prayer Girl

Sunday 4/4/10 - "HAPPY EASTER"

SIX WORD SATURDAY ON SUNDAY

"HAPPY EASTER"

EASTER

IS

RENEWAL

REBIRTH

REVIVAL

RESURRECTION

Prayer Girl

(Photo credits:
Holy Spirit by power@deviantart.com
Remembering Easter April 09 by pearwood@deviantart.com
Babe by Ellen Hodges - Kodak picture of the day
Yellow Tulips by Robert F Wilson - Kodak picture of the day
All By Myself by Chua Wee Boo - Kodak picture of the day
Easter Lilies by 30245@deviantart.com)