Do I pray enough?

My day…
You know lately I have been thinking that my days are not very prayerfully filled. However, last night I realized that they are! I just didn’t realize that I do the mom’s method of prayer. A couple minutes every time you get a chance. I awake with a small blessing of happy children, which I took a few moments to thank Him for! It is wonderful when you day doesn’t start in chaos, isn’t it? Having a 7 month old, you don’t always get to start your day first so you have to take it as it is. Since James was home he got up with L and M and let me rest longer with J in my bed.

“Thank you, Lord, that my children are in a good mood today and thank you that my husband is a wonderful man who will get up and let me sleep in.”

Later, as we were getting ready for church I was able to say “Thank you Lord, that everyone in the house is happy about going to chapel this morning and that Sunday mornings are not a struggle for us. Also, mahalo (Hawaiian thank you) that You have blessed us with living in Hawaii and learning about clock time and “Hawaii time”. We are so wonderfully blessed to be living here!”

On the way to Chapel, “Lord, mahalo for allowing us to safely travel the roads. Mahalo for giving me a man who is a safe driver and I don’t have to worry about on the roads.”

At the Chapel, “Lord, mahalo, for having a nursery that I feel comfortable leaving my baby in so that I can enjoy the service to grow in Your Love.”

Afterwards on the way home, I realize that I thank God daily for allowing me to live in such a great place where the weather is almost always nice and that is so beautiful. Every time I leave Ford Island, I say a thank you to God for letting me live in a neighborhood that is safe and so wonderful to see all the amazing things every time I leave home or even look out the windows of my house!

Then it came to supper time last night. At this point, I had struggled with a migraine for most of the day and wanted to eat at home. However, our Dream Dinners meal needed to marinade for 2 hours which we did not realize before we were ready to cook. M has been talking about going to eat at Red Lobster since we have been in Hawaii. Well, we found one and all day he had been talking about eating the meal at Red Lobster from the Next Food Network Star show. We were sitting at the table and J just threw up. We were lucky that she got a little on her face, some on her kids menu and the rest was in the chair between her legs but not on her dress. Then right after the food got there – M keeps spilling his shrimp in the chair and smearing the ketchup all over the place. J spills her drink about 4 times and as you can tell this was shaping up to be a very unpleasant meal out. Well, TWO HOURS AND 45 MINUTES LATER (yes we could have eaten faster than this at home and not had to drive to get home when we finished!), we get in the car and discuss our meal. I told James that I had been praying throughout the meal. My prayer went something like this….
“Dear God, please grant me the sanity to make it until bedtime. Please grant me the patience to get thru this meal. Please help me see that they are only little once and this time spent with them will end much sooner than I can imagine now. Please help me make sure that they feel loved and appreciated. That M is able to continue to tell people that his mommie thinks he has many talents and can grow up to be anything. That J continues to be able to say how much she loves me on a regular basis and that we can keep a wonderful line of communication. Please also help me to instill these same things into L. Help me make sure that my husband knows how much he is valued, loved and appreciated. Help me grow as a woman, mother, wife and friend. Show me how to do all of this in your Name and likeness. Amen.”

I sure hope that I am able to keep this kind of attitude throughout life! And I think yes I pray...is it enough? Well, I don't think anyone could - but at least I know that I am praying and thanking God on a regular basis!!! What could be better than that?

Blessings to all