Photo was taken over the weekend at Altamount, Millstreet, Co.Cork (Irl)

The first rays of sunlight can often highlight something dramatically, while other parts are still in the shade. These cobwebs were firmly anchored onto some leaves and the rising sun made them stand out even more.

Thought on Tuesday – February – 28/02/2012

Prayer begins with you. Start where you are and stay with it. God is in you as you are and does not expect you to be any other than you are, except that there is a change that God is going to make in your life. You have to learn how to get together with God in your life so that the change can be made.’ ~Mary Luke Tobin

When prayer becomes a chore or an effort it is time to step back and take a break. Sometimes when we look at things during or after a break we begin to see things a little clearer or gain a better understanding. If prayer is a chore it usually means we are expecting too much from it. The best starting point is to know that God is with us where we are right now. Whatever is going on for us right now is the most important moment to start with and stay with. This calls for honesty. It pulls in a whole range of feelings of where we might be right now, from content, upset, angry, anxious, unsure, scared, happy, sad, fulfilled, stressed, hopeful or whatever. Honesty in prayer and saying what’s going on for us right now is so precious. It is never closed. It may lead to change or it may not. Having shared the honest moment means that the prayer has not been a waste of time. When we can weave these short little moments of prayer into our daily routine, we have the key to inner happiness and contentment. Money can buy lots of things but it can never buy such a key.