Turning over a new leaf

This posting is a little heavy, so here is one of my favorite oldy but goody pictures of Lanie Mae

Sunday, our pastor (Pastor Paul Lawler) preached an awesome sermon. Maybe it was so awesome, because it was something that I really needed to hear. He talked alot about marriage and the normalcy of family. He quoted the divorce rate at 50 % which most of you probaby already know. However, the next thing he quoted was the divorce rate of couples who daily spend time together in prayer...only 3 %. That was an amazing thing to hear. I don't know why I as so shocked. My precious grandparents who were married 61 years before my Paw Paw died, prayed every single night together. When we would spend the night with them, my Maw Maw and Paw Paw would come into the room where we slept and pray with us. Just after that, they would go into their lamp light filled room and I could see them both on their knees, holding hands, saying their prayers. I could hear them one by one pray for everyone in our family. I particularly remember them saying "please watch over little Karla and little Kelli".

As we left church Sunday morning, I said to Neil, "you know, it's true...we need to pray together." See, up until that moment, we had only prayed together at meal times (and that has only been in the last 2 years). We, on very rare occasion, have prayed together about a special circumstance. NEVER, have we just prayed together b/c that's what couples do. Starting Sunday night, Neil and I started praying together at bedtime. This is NOT natural for us. But, I know that eventually it will be. I would love for little Lanie Mae to have memories of her parents holding hands and praying together. I would love to be in the 97 % not the 50 %. I would love to make this natural so that when we need prayer the most, we are prepared to do it together.

I don't know why I felt so compelled to share this, but, ever since Sunday, I have just felt different. I feel gentler and more peaceful. I am sure that I will have terrible bad attitude days where I am a jerk to Neil. But, if I can keep those to a minimum, we have made progress.

if you want to check out Paul's sermon...www.christchurchunitedmethodist.org