Dear God

Lord Jesus,

Come into our hearts this day. Fill us up with your holy spirit. Help us to allow your grace to spill over onto every person we meet – whether it is the check-out lady at the grocery store and the greeter at Walmart, our co-workers, or the homeless person we pass on the street. Give us a sense of adventure and a sense of wonder and awe so that we might be caught up in ministry with you. Give us smiles on our faces, love in our hearts and action in our hands.

Lord, I pray for each of my co-workers . . .Ann, Amy, Amy, , Bobby, Brian, David, Donna, Eleanor, Fred, Joe, Haley, Jessica, Jodi, Julie Lynn, Kate, Linda, Kristan, Laura E., Laura E., Lynn, Marie, Nathan, parker, Reid, Robert, Ryane, Shelley, Stuart, Suzanne, Tori, Trey, Ross, Nommi, Jerome, Hans, and all the other folks in this building that help make ministry happen. You know the needs of their hearts – show us how to love and help each other.

Lord, I pray for my family . . .Mark, Laura, Glenn, Lauren, little Elliott yet to be born, Grandmother, our sisters and brothers and nieces and nephews . . .and I pray for my friends, whom I call family – Phella and Guy and Laura and Allen and Kim and Dave and Duane and Terrie and many others. I pray for my neighbors, Lord – those literally on either side of my house and across the street. . and for those far away neighbors.

I pray for my church – for leaders and preachers and Sunday school teachers; for money to do ministry; for the merger between Oakmont campus and Oxmoor Road campus; for our hearts to be broken by the things that break your heart; for our backpack ministry; for the food pantries we help support. I pray for the firehouse shelter and Urban Ministry and the church without walls. I pray for this Sunday – Celebration Sunday; Stop Hunger Now – show up Holy Spirit – blow through this church in such a mighty way that we will ALL know that you have been here and that we have been standing on holy ground. Then help us not to hoard that goodness and those blessings for ourselves but to spread them throughout the community.

I pray for those with mental illness (Drew and many others). I pray for those with cancer – Amy Lengel, Beverly and Anna and so many others (thanks that Shepherd had clean scans).

I give thanks for this gorgeous Fall weather – blue skies; white fluffy clouds; warm sunshine; crisp mornings. I give thanks for friends and family and church and food on the shelf and a home and good medical care and clean drinking water and indoor plumbing. I give thanks for a grandbaby on the way; a wonderful job for Laura; an opportunity for Laura to own her own townhouse. I give thanks for transportation.

I give thanks for the opportunity to do a job that feels like ministry – is ministry. I give thanks for the fact you think you can use me to facilitate – both young adults and folks like me. Oh goodness gracious – I give thanks for each young adult that has walked through the doors of our home over the last 5 ½ years. How many have you sent, Lord? How many have you entrusted to us? What is so amazing about Tuesday nights is you have used each one of those young adults to change Mark and me; to help us grow closer to you; to be in community with others; to keep us “young.”  I pray for all those in the John Wesley class and for how you use each of them in such mighty ways – from scholarships to food banks to fans for homeless folks to anonymous gifts.

I give thanks for Bob Goff and for the book, Love Does. I give thanks for opportunities to learn and grow. I give thanks that you allow us to be a part of your work here on earth.

Lord, take this jumbled prayer and these random thoughts and know these words are from my heart. Lead, guide and direct us!

In your precious HOLY name we pray!

P.S. I love you, God!