Divine Prayer

I have been needing to set down and let everyone know that Regan is having some breathing issues over the past couple of weeks. It started on our trip through Kansas and Oklahoma. The Oklahoma climate was near tropical plus wind minus the beaches and tan muscular people in swimsuits. As you remember from previous entries Regan doesn't like mild weather. She is an en extreme girl in many ways. She likes it hot or freezing. So we are doing round the clock breathing treatments. She started on an antibiotic on Monday and we hope she will respond to all of this soon. In the meantime will you pray with us about it. We are beginning to feel tired so I know she is.

Some of you know that I love the "Divine Hours" which is book that is a companion for people who pray according to the Daily Offices of prayer (which is one of the oldest forms of Christian prayer taken from Judaism.) These prayers have saved me from myself many a day in the last few years. Many times I don't know what to pray, I have no energy to come up with words, I can even speak. God laid this tool in my lap...I have never owned my own copy. I continually check them out from the library. My mother in law Vera Lu generously purchased them for me for Christmas. It is one of the highlights of the season for me. Thanks again for my own Vera Lu! I wanted to share the Final Nightly Petition with you,
"Watch, O Lord with those who wake, or watch or weep tonight, and give Your angels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones. Bless Your Dying ones, Soothe Your Suffering ones. Shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your loves' sake. Amen! (By St. Augustine)

Could we say it any better than this man who was inspired to write it somewhere in the late 300's-early 400's. Thank you sir...I look forward to meeting him someday when we are all gathered with Jesus. I hope he gets to tell us the story behind the prayer. I can think of no better prayer to pray to the One who never slumbers. I can think of no better request than to ask the One who made all to watch, to tend, bring rest, bless, soothe, and shield...all for His Love's sake. The great Love that brought the woman to wash His Son's feet with her tears and hair. The great love that drove the Father to give us redemption through His own Son. Surely there must be no end to His Love. No divorce ...no separation from us. This love so great that He would stoop to save us from our own weakness. Bless His Name that He is in charge of us wither we wake, watch or weep...I am so grateful that Augustine knew that during the night some are awake, some are watching out for others, some are weeping...and sometimes we are doing all three. God's love is great...His mercies are unending.

On a much lighter note .....We subscribe to Time magazine and I am very behind on reading them. I read magazines back to front usually so if an article is in the front it could take days before I would get to it. Last night I was reading the November issue in which the cover proclaimed "God Vs Man" they had a story on Mitochondrial Disorder called "When Cells Stop Working" (You can click on the Link to read the article.) It is a short article and easy to read and understand. I thought some of you might want to understand Regan's disorder better. Often article about it are to weighty but this one might bring clarity.