Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Pride

Dear God,
Thank you for our sweet girl and for the wonderful physicians who help us with her care. Recently, Dr. Lagod told us to start telling Caroline when we're proud of her. We've been telling her -- we're proud when she eats well, we're proud when she tries to walk, we're proud when she takes a good nap. God tonight I pray that she knows how proud of her that we are, and that she's proud of herself too. It's such a nice feeling to know that your family is proud of you, and I want her to know that feeling well.

God, thank you for this baby, for this day, and for this life.
Amen.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Her Family

Dear God -
Thank you for Dale, Judy & Cassidy coming to visit. Thank you for their safe travels, thank you for their willingness and interest in coming, and thank you for a lovely afternoon and dinner together. Thank you for the gift of fellowship you gave us. God please bless them on their trip home tomorrow and keep them safe.

God tonight I want to thank you for the family you've given to me, to Dan and to Caroline. I know that for many years, she'll think of me, my sister and her family, her grandparents, aunts and uncles as her family -- but the truth is, about 60 years from now, her family will be her children, her grandchildren, hopefully her sister or brother and their children. I know that I don't really know all of her family right now, and I ask that you make them   wonderful people, full of your spirit, loving, funny, steeped with tradition, and supportive of Caroline. Thank you for the family we have today, and the family you'll bless us with in generations to come.

Amen.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Limited Catastrophe

Dear God,
We had our first significant physical harm incident this week with Caroline, and you answered some CRAZY prayers really quickly. Thank you. Thank you for her safety and for helping me stay (relatively) calm. In light of current events, tonight I'd like to pray that you minimize catastrophic events in Caroline's life. Please keep her safe, keep her out of harms way - and when things do happen, help her heal and forget quickly.

God please keep sweet Caroline safe - in spite of her mother who doesn't always keep cords out of her reach. And... please, help me forgive myself :)

Amen.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Love

Dear God,
Today is Valentines day, and we've had a great day. We had some of Caroline's friends to the house to play. Thank you for blessing us with friends we love to spend time with and who Caroline's growing up with. Thank you also for this special day that we set aside to remember how important it is to tell 'our people' how much we love them. Thank you for your perfect love, which is such a wonderful model for the way we should try to love one another. Today I pray that you fill Caroline's heart with love. Please let her always know love, feel loved, and love others deeply.

Thank you for the warmth of love and friendship.
Amen.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Handprints on my mirror

Dear God,
Thank you for our girl, and for the wonderful days we're spending together. Tonight, at dinner, I looked up at the mirror in our dining room and saw handprints on the mirror in there. There are handprints on the mirror in our hallway, on the mirror in her bathroom, on the window by her changing table, on the stainless steel dishwasher door. Basically, anywhere you could clean with Windex, there are handprints. Today God, I want to pray a prayer of thanks to you - for the marks that Caroline is leaving on our lives. For the actual handprints - reminders of how small she is, but how fast she's growing. Also, I want to thank you for the marks she's leaving that aren't visible... the smiles she brings to us, the tears that come when she's being so sweet, the tenderness she's bringing out in my husband, the laughter that comes from other people when she smiles and waves at them. Thank you for the opportunity to be touched by her spirit and her joy. While I'm planning to clean away the handprints (as soon as I can break through the child locks on the kitchen cabinet), please let the other marks stay untouched by time.

Amen.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sunday Afternoons

This morning at church, Dr. Bob spoke about the fading tradition of Sunday afternoon supper. He remembered that growing up, Sunday afternoons at his house implied a big meal, guaranteed time with family and general fellowship around his house. He compared the Sunday supper to communion, and it struck a cord with me. This morning's sermon inspires tonight's prayer.

Dear God,
Thank you for our church and for Dr. Bob. Thank you that we feel at home there and that we have a community there. God, I pray tonight that you help us develop traditions in our home that give Caroline a sense of Christian values, of old American values. God please restore those values to our culture so that Caroline grows up in a country of people who care for each other, who believe in something.

Amen.