Season's Greetings

I started passing the prayer note card mentioned and pictured in my previous post...

The first card was slipped into a Minot High Basketball Program with the help of an elderly gentleman from the local Kiwanis Club.  My mom needed a "date" to the girls and boys varsity games on December 17th so I gladly accompanied her and relived my glory days.  I used to play basketball way back when the girls basketball season in North Dakota was in the fall.  (How am I getting this old and yet am still so young?  That's for another day...)

I spent Christmas in the Twin Cities where I had the opportunity to briefly visit a couple of dear friends and spend quality time with family, as well as hit the slopes!  And by "hit the slopes" I mean go snow tubing because I am not skilled on anything that rolls or slides under my feet.  Nope, it's best that I sit down on a plush tube and hang on.  I'm good at hanging on.

Anywho...  My dad and I took one of my best friends (let's call her Beth because well...she is Beth) to the airport early Christmas Eve morning.  It was a good thing we did too because a winter storm hit and I don't think she would have made it in her lil' Subaru Impreza.  Then again, she was rather determined to make it home so who knows!  I kindly asked her to tuck the note card into the seat pocket in front of her on the airplane.  Hopefully it didn't distract any passengers during the safety presentations the flight attendants give every flight!  (That is seriously my favorite thing about flying!  I mean when they tighten the elastic cord on the oxygen mask and also unbuckle the seat belt...  It cracks me up every single time.)

The third card was bookmarked into the Bible located in the "pocket" of the pew I sat in during the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota.  It was a nice service and NBA basketball coach Flip Saunders sat a few rows behind my family and me, so that added a bit of spice that my hometown church can't compete with.  Ha ha.  Only kidding First Lutheran!  You know I love you.

Well then, I hope your Christmas was merry and that you spent it with loved ones.  I am so very grateful that I was able to!  I was also extremely grateful that I was well protected from the massive amounts of snow that piled up in the Twin Cities and in my hometown.  I'd like to thank my brother and sister-in-law for the Slanket that kept me (and keeps me) oh so warm!

Cheers to the New Year!

Prayers & Such

Dear Reader:

I have a couple of prayers to share with you, as well as a little Pass-A-Prayer project I'm working on...

First, a belated prayer from November that I hid in a massive array of books at my favorite local coffee shop: The Bagel Stop and Book Nook. My momma and I went to The Bagel Stop for lunch on Veterans Day and I thought it was a good time to share a prayer.

On another note, a sincere thank you to our Veterans for all of their selfless hard work and the sacrifices they make while serving our country. Saying thank you to you really isn't enough, but I truly do appreciate you.



This Thursday I made a little visit to Office Max to purchase some office supplies. This is always a little treat for me because I love, love, love office supply shopping nearly as much as I loved school supply shopping as a kid. Well, maybe I love it more because it gets me out of the office. Oh how I love a brief break from the work day.

Anywho, while shopping I came across a large blank piece of paper in the Tul Pens display just begging to be written on. So I opted to write the simplest of prayers, but I think it's a pertinent wish that you are enjoying a great day. Our days our numbered, so enjoying each day as much as we possibly can is tremendously important. Even in the worst of days, we can find something to be grateful for.


And finally, I created a prayer note card to leave in various locations where people may stumble upon them. On the left is a prayer I wrote, which explains Pass-A-Prayer and what I hope to accomplish when passing prayers. The right side is left blank so that the finder of the note card can pass-a-prayer if he or she chooses (I hope they do).

So I'll keep you posted with this little project and I invite you to join me. If you'd like to have some of these Pass-A-Prayer note cards so that you can share a prayer and leave them in places of your liking, I'd be happy only too happy to mail you a little bundle of them. Just email me (annie@articulate1.com) your address and I'll send them on their merry way to you.

And speaking of merry... Merry Merry Christmas! To those of you who are not Christian, I thoroughly hope you are enjoying your Holiday Season as well! 'Tis the season for family, friends, faith, giving, and gratitude. God's blessings to all.

Cherish Today

It's been a long time since I've passed a prayer. A long time. It's completely crazy to me that it's already November! This summer flew by and now we're entering the holiday season. Today I had a break from work and was able to just take it easy enjoying the day, which was lovely. What made it better was a lunch date with my mom and aunt, then visiting various artsy stores in downtown Minot. We ended our day with a stop at one of my favorite Indie bookstores where I purchased a "homemade" apron and I finally got my hands on a copy of I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris. So what I'm saying is, I cherished today. I truly did.
The above prayer was slipped into the pages of the below notebook at Main Street Books in Minot.

Your Life is a Story

I had a lovely afternoon today. Lunch with a friend and her beautiful 17 month old daughter at a favorite sandwich place. Then a stroll around Downtown Minot to take some pictures on this warm September day. And a stop at Main Street Books where I left a prayer on a bookshelf dedicated to classics in the used book section. I wish more days could be like today... Simple. Taking in the everyday beauty and capturing it. Enjoying place and time.

Confront Your Fears

I left this prayer in a copy of John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things in Barnes & Noble. I've never read the book, but it does seem like it would be a good read. I was drawn to the book because of its title and felt that it should be the home for this prayer because I think it's easy to lose ourselves in our fears. So I hope that whoever buys the book and finds the prayer can find their courage and triumph over their fear. In so doing, I hope they will be able to find their lost self that's been hidden underneath the fear. I hope we can all do that...

"Do one thing every day that scares you."
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

Every Moment

This Fargo, ND passer o' prayers hid her prayer and a mixed CD in a Target dressing room for someone to find...


Dear Reader/Listener:

I pray that you take each day one at a time, fill them with love, friends and family. Find the beauty in every moment and let God into your life; I promise you won’t regret it!

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble its own.” Matthew 6:34

God Bless You!

To Find Beauty

It's been a while since I've passed-a-prayer, but I took a minute to do so while in Barnes & Noble. Lately, I've been a bit glum and one thing that has lifted my spirits has been the rebirth of earth... Spring. Trees are blossoming and flowers blooming. People are coming out of hibernation (I live in North Dakota and we had a crazy cold winter) and playing catch in their front lawns. The birds are chirping and dogs barking. There is beauty all around me--I only need open my eyes. So my prayer was a reminder to myself to take in the beauty and enjoy it.

I bookmarked the prayer into a journal and placed it back on the shelf...


Afterwards, while browsing at Barnes & Noble, I came across a little book titled Now Is the Time. I kid you not, the first page I flipped to was the one photographed below.


I recently finished reading The Alchemist, which refers to omens and the importance of them. Since this page in the book mirrored my thoughts in my prayer, I took it as a sign... I'm not sure what that sign is exactly, but I thought I best respect this "coincidence" and purchase the book. We'll see what happens with this omen...

Two for the road...

Easter Eve Prayer - First Lutheran Church - Minot, ND
Tucked into the pages of She's Come Undone at the Bagel Stop & Book Nook in Minot, ND.

Appreciate Beauty

This prayer passer slipped this prayer in Sunday church bulletins...

19th of April 2009

Dear reader:

This morning I saw a rainbow whilst walking to my bus stop.
To me, the rainbow symbolised all that there is to be grateful about in this world.
Freedom and wonder. Ephemeral beauty. Peace after the storm.
I am thankful that there is such beauty in the world and that it can be seen by all without any limitations or restrictions.
I pray that we never lose the ability to appreciate such beauty.

Amen.

Pass a prayer...

The beginning...

The most recent prayers in this little endeavor of mine... They were written during the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services at First Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.