Love and Prayer

image from http://paulmayers.blogs.com/

This post is a wee bit whatever-ish in honor of it being Wednesday, though I feel like it hearkens towards some theoretical biznass, too. So, shall we call this is a whatever-ical then? You bet your booty we shall.

I've mentioned this cashier before--Emily, a 50-something year old woman I talk to nearly everyday at work--but I have to mention her again. The last I spoke to her, she told me about the weekend she'd had with her husband. They'd gone to a casino/resort town an hour or so from their home, stayed in this really nice hotel room that looked over the Pacific Ocean, went to a nice dinner, swam in the pool, and, of course, they gambled...which won them $1600! ON PENNY SLOTS! Can you imagine WINNING that quantity of money?! Not earning it, not working 8 hour days for 4 weeks straight, just plain WINNING IT?! Unbelievable. But their $1600 winnings aren't actually the point of my story. The point of my story is that while recounting her weekend to me, Emily spoke about how great the trip was even despite winning the money. She spoke about how much fun her and her husband still have together and how in love they still are (they've been married 35 years). She told me that just the other morning, she left for work before he was out of bed. When she was pulling out of the driveway, he came running out of the house in nothing but his boxers (it was 28 degrees outside). When she rolled down the window to ask him what the hell he was doing, he said, "I didn't get to say I love you. And I want you to know that I'll miss you while you're gone today." Not only that, but she said he often grabs her face in his two hands and tells her, "I adore you." So PRECIOUS, right?! After 35 years, they've still got the romance! What a love story, huh?! Totally reaffirms my belief in the big ol' M word that is marriage. Mmm-mm good that marriage thing is. Clearly. Speaking of which...

As I was listening to Emily tell me these things, I realized something--theirs is a successful marriage because they actively participate in their love--they go on trips together, they cook dinner together, and they make small but special gestures every day. And they're always in the forefronts of each other's minds, as they purposefully direct their attention to each other by thinking of ways to show and share their love. It's not that love takes work exactly, but it does take effort. It takes thoughtfulness and generosity and time. As long as you're thinking about the person you love, you're likely to think about how you might show that person you love them, which will lead you to actually and actively make that loving gesture.

Little did Emily know that the examples of love in her life would come to be a good example of love in mine.


But now for a Daily Dose of Dillies! Inspirational and/or Uplifting Readings

In the Lenten spirit of things, I've been trying to read and pray more. Well, I must say that after just one week, I feel a difference. Though prayer usually feels hokey or corny to me, as I find it silly to talk to God about what He already knows, I've found that it's actually calming, centering, and positive. I love the saying, "You are what you think," and my recent experience has shown me that prayer helps me think good thoughts, which carry over into what I say or do. It's proving to be an all-around good thing for me. Perhaps it'd be good for you too?

Here are the meditations and prayers I've got lined up for today, if you're interested:

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/022310.html

http://preacher3142.bloghi.com/2010/02/20/walking-close-to-god.html

"As soon as you apply yourself to prayer, you will at once feel your senses gather themselves together: they seem like bees which return to the hive and there shut themselves up to work at the making of honey. At the first call of the will, they come back more and more quickly. At last, after countless exercises of this kind, God disposes them to a state of utter rest and of perfect contemplation."--Saint Teresa of Avila

"Let us love God out of gratitude because we owe Him everything--our knowledge of Him and of creatures, all our faculties of mind and body. He deserves our love because He is good, infinitely beautiful and lovable. Abide in my love, He said. Let us therefore love God because He first loved us. Let us consider Our Lord's passion, His sufferings, His love for us in Heaven, always living to intercede for us. Let us love Him in order to make reparation for our own coldness toward Him in the past. Let us love Him because He is the source of all good. He said that if we love Him, His Father will love us and bless us and make His abode in us."--Prayers for a New Day

And lastly, about what to give up for Lent--

Give up complaining. . . . . . . .focus on gratitude.
      (Does this mean no more Terrible Tuesdays?)
Give up pessimism. . . . . . . . . become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments . . .think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry. . . . . . . . . . . . . trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement. . . . .be full of hope.
Give up bitterness. . . . . . . . . . turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred. . . . . . . . . . . . . return good for evil.
Give up negativism . . . . . . . . .be positive.
      ("Think happy, be happy," right?)
Give up anger. . . . . . . . . . . . . .be more patient.
Give up pettiness. . . . . . . . . . .become mature.
      (So no more holding a grudge against my coworker who hates Beringer wine?)
Give up gloom. . . . . . . . . . . . . .enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
      (Like my screensaver picture of my bridesmaids).
Give up jealousy. . . . . . . . . . . .pray for trust.
Give up gossiping. . . . . . . . . . .control your tongue.
Give up sin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . turn to virtue.
Give up giving up. . . . . . . . . . . hang in there!
      (Story of my life. Running attempt 1,000,002!)

<3 So much love to you all.