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How Should I be Praying, Anyway??

Praying

I am the type of person who thrives on following rules, or systems, or plans.  Whatever you want to call them, that’s what I love.  If there is a checklist or guide for pretty much anything, I am a happy camper.  And, if there aren’t any lists provided, chances are I’ll create my own!

Lately, I have been working on improving my prayer life.  Now, some might say to just, ‘go ahead and pray.’  Trust me, I’ve tried that… But, I don’t feel like I really know HOW to pray.  After all, I have never actually been taught how to pray.  Even growing up in a Catholic elementary school, (where praying occurred every single day – multiple times a day), there was never a class on prayer.

And, while I know Jesus gave us an excellent example in Matthew, I was having some trouble translating that into my daily prayers.  So, after realizing I needed some extra help in this area, I decided to do some research and pick up a couple of books.

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6 Steps for Finding Joy in Back-to-School Shopping

back-to-school

Yep!  It’s that time again.  I couldn’t believe it when I heard the first commercial advertising a back-to-school sale.  It didn’t seem possible.  Didn’t the kids just get out of school? I have no idea how this summer flew by!

The school supply list arrived just a few days after I heard the commercial, so it confirmed that our lazy (ha!) summer days were numbered…

I don’t know about you, but even the thought of back-to-school shopping tends to send shivers up my spine.  It can be a rather stressful experience.  The stores are always chaotic and crowded, and half the time, we leave the checkout without something on the list.  Regardless of if it was forgotten or the store was sold out, it means the same thing – ANOTHER TRIP.  Not really a cause for celebration or one that brings immense joy…

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Freedom Series: A Recap

Freedom

Over the past five days, I wrote a series of posts on Freedom.  It seemed pretty appropriate as the United States was celebrating its Independence Day.  And, as I was going over all of the Freedoms given to us from God, I was struck at how much there is for us to be thankful for.

As a recap, I thought I would go back and share a quick summary of each post and the verses that have stayed with me throughout the week.  Be sure to click on the links after the verses to read the entire post!

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Freedom Series: Worry & Fear

Worry and Fear

(If you missed the previous posts from my Freedom Series, be sure to go back and catch up!  To read, Freedom from Burdens, click here. For Freedom from Sin and Death click here.  To read, Freedom from Worldly Priorities, click here. And, for Freedom from Guilt and Shame, click here.)

A couple of weeks ago, I went in for a physical.  I had been putting it off for a while, so I was overdue for a few things.  As my doctor started to list off all the tests she recommended, I started to get a bit panicky…  It wasn’t that I didn’t know what she was talking about, or what it all meant, it was just the sheer number of tests that made my pulse go a little bit faster as the appointment went on…

So, I had all my blood tests, and some other things done, and all the results kept coming back great!

But, then I got a call from radiology.

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