The key and the bolt

4:29 p.m. Today's project was to finally get my 3 inch long roots colored by Irene, my hairdresser. With the out-grown roots being kinky as well, this was not a do-it-yourself job! In my rush to get Steve and the grandsons situated, I didn't eat breakfast--just packed up two boiled eggs, some mustard, mayo and cilantro/green goddess dressing, and made egg salad in the lunch room of the salon while I waited for another client to be done. I also had the opportunity to call my prayer partner Monica for her birthday, even though she spent it in Loma Linda's CT scan department, as they search to see whether her breast cancer has spread to other parts of her body. She was able to pray with me for my son, and we truly lifted one another up! "...pray for one another that you may be healed." James 5:16a says. I was glad that I'd taken the time to Facebook message our pastor's wife to pray for the family intervention session I'll be attending with our grandsons tomorrow.

After an hour and a half of lighthearted fellowship at the salon, and now fit to be seen, it was time for me to tackle some business items. I had already called the phone company to pay the past due balance on the disconnect notice. That accomplished, I called DirecTV to get a channel restored that I had inadvertently removed while reducing our package to save money. The Lord blessed, however, because we deactivated a second receiver that hadn't been used in years, forgotten under a stack of papers on an old tv in Heidi's room. Overall, I cut at least another ten dollars from our monthly bill! The NLT version of Psalm 58:11 says:

There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on the earth.

While stopping at home to make sure that Xavier made sandwiches for Steve and his brother, I received a call from married daughter Heather, asking me to pick her up at work because her car was ready at a local repair shop. I wheedled a 3-piece chicken fingers "lunch" out of her in exchange for a ride...We stopped at her house to pick up something I've been anxiously awaiting: the disc with the pictures she took of Steve and me for our Christmas card!! I went on from the shop off of University to my optician's office at Brockton and 14th to drop off some Mary Kay products. Another client said she'd just get her moisturizer sunscreen from me on Sunday so neither of us have to drive out of our way. Thank you, Lord, for growing and blessing my business!

On the way home, I pulled over and talked with Tate publisher's cover design editor about adding a subtitle under Galatians. She suggested "A workbook on faith and freedom;" "A study of faith and freedom;" and "An exploration of faith and freedom." I am leaning towards "exploration," but want to pray on it and get a few opinions.

I initially wanted to seek some opinions on which picture to select out of 16 taken of the two of us, but I realized that the Christmas card needs to be a pleasant surprise to the recipients. As I explained to our grandson, I want to give a keepsake to everyone so that they can remember Steve as he looks now, while he can take directions and pose for a picture, which may not be possible next year. The Lord knows, but being proactive in a positive venture can't hurt. And I think making the cards will be more economical than the elaborate cards we usually send.

All of these matters are matters of prayer, whether large or small. As I learned when purchasing the turkey last Sunday, God wants me to not only "Pray without ceasing, " (I Thessalonians 5:17) but I am to "be anxious for nothing, but with thanksgiving, let my requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6b).

I learned an Amish proverb in my nightly reading from Wanda Brunstetter's A Simple Life that truly captured my imagination, on how to greet and close our day:

Prayer is the key to the day and the bolt to the night.

The key and the bolt, indeed!