Oooohhh, Lord.  I am sick!  I’m afraid I have no apologies for not praying yesterday as I felt really rotten and just hunkered down in bed.  Only a vague improvement today, Lord, but not enough that I didn’t have to call Dad to take Nathan to kindy.  In fact I’m only praying now because I desperately need to ask for your healing hand Lord.  Make me well!  My nose is streaming like a tap and my throat is like razor blades.

Of course by rights I should be going to Libby’s today for Bible Study but there’s no way I could.  I had to call and say I wouldn’t be there but would hope to be back next week – if I live that long.  So bless their time together without me, Lord.

Sarah also called to remind me of the Missions evening she’s organising at church on Saturday night, hoping to see me there.  I must confess I had totally forgotten.  When she heard I was sick I will say she did not seem very sympathetic, to the point where she almost said Saturday night was a ‘no excuses’ occasion and she would expect to see me there.

Anyway, Lord, I don’t want to be accused of being worse than the average man while sick, but I do feel like death warmed up.  Whatever healing you can send my way would be greatly appreciated.

I pray in the name of Jesus…Amen

Afternoon Lord.  I’ve only got ten minutes until it’s time to go and pick up Nathan from kindergarten so this will be brief.  As usual, if I try and get everything done first before spending time with you, I run out of time and either don’t manage it at all or don’t do it justice, whereas if I start with you I seem to get so much more done.  You’d think by now that I would learn my lesson and make you the priority, but sometimes the distractions of home become too tempting.

So, it’s prayer on the run today, and just three things of note.  Firstly, I called Caroline but didn’t get a reply, but I did leave a small, upbeat message to let her know I was thinking of her.  I continue to pray for the Wests, Lord, that your hand would be on them.  Secondly, Claire called to thank me for lunch on Sunday but I could tell that she had a secondary motive, namely to have a go at my parents again.  She had the temerity to suggest my mother has some sort of a mental illness since they had a small conversation about household routines, during which Mum confessed to not having one.  Clearly this was a step too far for Claire who probably has a written schedule of when she washes the linen off the spare beds and when she irons William’s Y-fronts.  If house cleaning is some sort of spectrum disorder, I would guess that Claire and Mum are at opposite ends of that spectrum.  Anyway, it made me feel cross so I pray that I would be able to have the patience I need not to rock the boat more than necessary.

And lastly, I have a very tickly throat today.  Here was I feeling very proud of not having come down with the cold when the rest of the family did, but maybe (and I pray not) just maybe I’m not going to get off Scot-free.

I pray for your healing hand, Lord!

Amen

Afternoon Lord.  Thought I would come home after dropping Nathan off at kindy and spend a quick bit of time with you before tackling the kitchen that still needs tidying up after the carnage of yesterday’s lunch.  By the time both sets of parents left yesterday I was fit only for a nap, and since it was Father’s Day I made a big thing about Andrew not worrying about it, and so there’s still plenty to tidy up.  Thank goodness there was enough food left over that I didn’t have to cook last night otherwise I could be in even more trouble.

Of course there was leftover food on account of Ashley cancelling (some excuse about having to cover for one of the other dispatchers who had an emergency – rather unfortunate for someone in that line of business) and James neither bothering to show up nor bothering to call with an explanation – real or otherwise – as to why he couldn’t come.

Anyway, thank you that we got through the occasion with minimal fallout.  In fact by the time we got home from church it didn’t feel as though there was room left for any more drama.  It wasn’t so much what happened during church (Daniel’s fitting sermon on Father Abraham was most interesting) but more what happened after the service.  It was as though the whole West family decided to go crazy all at once.  Christian had a huge tantrum over the fact that they gave out little chocolate bars to all the fathers and there wasn’t enough for him to have one, while Faith and Trinity seemed to be having a huge argument over which Father’s Day card Logan preferred out of the ones they’d made for him.  Then Logan lost his patience with Christian, and rather than just surrendering his own chocolate bar and shutting the boy up, instead made some disparaging remarks to Caroline about her parenting skills, blaming her for Christian’s behaviour.

Frankly, I was shocked.  Logan and Caroline are the perfect parents with the perfect marriage, perfect house and perfect children.  Arguing at all, let alone in public, is something akin to a miracle – or maybe anti-miracle might be a better description.  I really wasn’t quite sure what to do or say to be honest.  I’m still not sure.  All I can really do is commit them to you, Lord, and if there is something I can do, you would help me to know what it is.  I lift them before you in the name of Jesus…Amen

Another early Sunday morning start!  It’s back to me, the couch, the cat, the cup of tea and the prayer journal, once again hoping not to combine any of the above.  For once I am pleased to be up early and to have time to pray because if there’s any event needing to be smothered in prayer, the meeting of our respective parents for Father’s Day lunch is definitely right up there on the list.  I pray that my parents will try and keep their eccentricities to a minimum, that the Copelands would be bathed in a post-church glow of patience and understanding and that the children would be like angels on earth.  I pray that our respective siblings would be jovial and provide uplifting conversation (okay, so perhaps in James’ case non-controversial might be the most I can hope for) and that we would all feel blessed with a sense of gratitude as we realise the importance of a loving family.

Of course, realistically, I pray that we all just don’t kill each other!  And I pray that in the midst of all the chaos that Andrew would feel blessed and honoured as a father, and that we get a chance to remember today that you are our ultimate father.  Thank you for your perfect parenting, Lord, even when that parenting involves the odd bit of discipline.

Be with us I pray…Amen

A quick prayer Lord, before I dash out and leave the children in the tender care of their father.  I guess you could call this The Shopper’s Prayer:

May I find three father’s day presents in the shortest possible time, may I find the handiest car park known to mankind, may I remember everything I need even if I can’t find my list, may I choose the speediest check out operator at the supermarket, and may I be home within two hours without dropping the eggs.

Be with me and protect me from the other horde of shoppers out hunting down a Father’s Day bargain and help me to be more organised so I might never leave things to the last minute ever again.

In Jesus’ name…Amen

Morning Lord.  Spring might have sprung but today it’s the sky that sprung – a leak, that is.  It’s absolutely hammering down so Nathan is hunkered down in front of the t.v watching his new favourite, Ben 10, and although I should be folding washing, making beds and thinking about catching up on the household bills, I thought I would spend some time with you first.

Thank you for the blessings of yesterday.  Thank you for the time spent at Libby’s and for another promising session with the Bible Study group.  I talked a bit with one of the other mothers (Jo) and we had a nice time commiserating with one other about the challenges of raising three-year old boys.  There’s a bit of irony in the fact that you can be quite uplifted by hearing about someone else’s misery.

The session seemed to go well for Daniel.  He seemed quite cheered by the fact that Libby made a fuss of him and he seems to be encouraged by the inception of our group which is nice.  He wasn’t sure what his family had planned for him in the way of a birthday dinner (I had visions of Abigail telling him off for blowing is birthday cake candles out incorrectly) so if nothing substantial had been planned at least someone had done something.

He didn’t seem to mind to be asked to pray and bless our group (occupational hazard I suppose) and nor did he seem to mind being asked to share something.  He told us about what he had been learning in his own spiritual life, about how he’s started this new course of study that one of the local Bible College’s are offering, and about how much he is enjoying it.  I guess I could be quite shocked that he still had things to learn about you, Lord, but instead I was encouraged that there’s room for all of us to go deeper with you if only we would let ourselves.

One thing he talked about was how you have been showing him that the more he lets go of things the more that gives you room to work.  He said we are all tempted to think that we have to do things for you but that maybe all we do is get in your way.  Is this true, Lord?  I mean I’m quite sure I get in your way all the time on account of my inferior spirituality, but if someone useful like Daniel can think that then maybe there is hope for me yet.

I know I have been all at sea with my Christian walk, Lord, but if it is true that letting go is the right answer, then I’m sure I can do that.  I’m encouraged by the fact that there may be another way to live a Christian walk since so far I haven’t been too good at the whole thing.  Lead me on, Lord, and guide my spiritual steps.

Amen

Morning Lord.  Sorry about missing yesterday.  The curse of Wednesday continues.  Anyway, here we are, a new day, and I thought I’d take just a brief time out to pray before I have to get Nathan off to kindy and myself off to Libby’s for week two of Bible Study.  I gather that it’s Daniel’s birthday today (or somewhere hereabouts) and so Libby has invited him to come along as a Happy Birthday cum Bless our new Bible Study cum Help us Fill in Some Time type occasion.  Hopefully we can be a blessing to him as much as the other way around – especially in light of his comments to Andrew on Sunday – and that inviting him on his birthday is seen more of a celebration and honouring than as a way of getting a good speaker.

I suppose from my point of view I should be pleased that he’s been invited since that will require minimal participation on my part – and minimal chance of embarrassing myself spiritually.  It will be interesting to see whether Caroline comes with or without Christian.  That nanny of hers practically seems to be living there these days.

So, bless our time together, Lord, and bless Daniel on his birthday!

In Jesus’ name…Amen

September!  The first official day of spring!  I have to say, Lord, that while I appreciate the diversity of seasons, I’m never sorry to say goodbye to winter.  In fact, out of all the seasons spring is definitely my favourite.  The lovely fresh flowers, the delicate green of new leaves, the whole feel of new life and new regeneration is just so optimistic.  The weather isn’t too cold any more, but it isn’t too hot either, and although I don’t want to sound like Goldilocks bemoaning the temperature of her porridge, for me spring is the season that is just right.

Of course the mother and housekeeper in me also loves spring.  It’s easier to get the washing dry, the kids can start venturing outside more and the days are longer which seems to make all those menial household jobs just that much less burdensome.  I know there’s more to motherhood than all the practical, day-to-day endless, repetitive, boring, tedious, irritating tasks that mostly fall our way (working or not!) but in winter, when life is less interesting anyway, you can start to become weighed down by them.

So thank you for the seasons of life, for things that come and go, and for a reminder that you provide variety and renewal and give small signs of hope for winter-weary mothers like me.

I wish you could provide my mother-in-law with a similar dose of gratitude, Lord.  Claire called to say that she and William would be available to come for lunch on Sunday for Father’s Day (the old obligation invite) but then she asked whether my parents would be coming too and topped that off with some disparaging comments about my father’s choice of subject matter at the birthday dinner.  I think having to have both sets of parents together again so soon is not the best timing.  I might have to have a quiet word with Dad and see if I can’t get him to be on his best behaviour.

If I have trouble managing two sets of parents I can only begin to imagine what it must be like for you Lord, trying to manage a whole planet full of us.  Thank you for your patience, Lord.  Oh to be more like you!

I commit our family to you, Lord, in Jesus’ name…Amen