this beats the Brady Bunch hands down!

Ran across this on St. Aiden to Abbey Manor and was amazed at the planning that must have gone in to make this possible.

A week of prayer

My favorite little girls are back from their vacations and I spent some time this evening catching up with them. As I listened to them sharing all the fun they had in California, my mind wandered for a moment to my prayer time this morning.

I am just one of thousands who are spending the week praying for the children who live in Houston. This mornings note had some disturbing statistics in it. "Did you know that 24% of Harris County children live in poverty and a total of 47% live in low income families? Texas is ranked 46th in percentage of children living in poverty, with only Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi doing worse. Related to poverty, Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation at 24.6%." from the Week of Prayer for Children Prayer Guide. I knew things were difficult here, but had no idea it was so dismal. I had to take quite a bit of time this morning settling my heart before I could even begin to pray. It is hard to imagine the city with the richest Zip Code in America has so many children in financial distress.

If you are also disturbed by this news I am asking you to join me in prayer for the children of our city. You can join with me and use the guide for the week found here: A Week of Prayer for Children. Please think about adding your voice to the voices already lifting in prayer. Then find some place where you feel led to serve the children of Houston. They need all the good hearts they can get to aid in their plight!

Thanks and keep praying,

jené

15 books

A request issued by my friend Lee is the source for this list.

"O.K...... think about 15 books that influenced you--whenever!
It doesn't have to be the "Best" 15 books in history, just your personal 15 that moved you or changed your way of thinking or got you hooked on reading! Whatever you want to list.
Just don't take forever to think about it, the first 15 that come to mind!"

Here they are in no particular order of import.

1. Anne of Green Gables Series, L.M. Montgomery
2. The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
3. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle
4. The Wisdom of the Desert, Thomas Merton from the Desert Fathers
5. The Bible, no specific version but have loved the "stop and think" the Message has brought.
6. Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen
7. Everything written by Dame Agatha Christie
8. When the Soul Listens, Jan Johnson
9. The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
10. The Cherry Ames Nurse Series, Helen Wells
11. George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis
12. The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis
13. The Five Little Peppers Series, Margaret Sidney (Harriett Mulford Stone)
14. Uncommon Graces; Christlike Responses to a Hostile World, John Vawter
15. Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne

It's a diverse and eclectic list, so it suits me to a "T". The great thing about reading is how it can take you far away or deep into your soul.

Thanks Lee for bringing many happy memories to mind!

Still reading daily,

jené