Such a beautiful day today. The sky was so pretty it looked artificial. Father Sky painted a glorious azure blue sky, added lots of white fluffy clouds, sun kissed on their crowns, to float around on the canvas and add dimension. Spent the morning watching pee wee football and watching my darling little niece cheerleading for the Bulldogs. Love her spunkiness! She wants to be top girl, think they call them flyers, on the cheerleader pyramids when she gets to high school. I’m pretty sure I’ll see her up there one day!

I love living in small town America. Friday night football games with hand shakes and hugs with family and friends. Homecoming parades with fire trucks and floats. The slow pace of Saturday mornings. Life can be so simple and uncomplicated! Dictionaries define small towns as towns where people are honest, friendly, and polite. Small towns are close knit communities where everyone knows everybody and people rely on each other like family. The world spins slower on its axis in small towns. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but right where I am.

This little prayer popped in my head as I walked down the street tonight to look at the sun setting on the horizon. “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Please angels watch me through the night, and keep me safe till morning light.” This was my prayer every night when I was a child. This sweet prayer was considered a nursery rhyme in the 18th century. I’m sure generations of children have recited this prayer at bedtime and generations will continue to recite it.

Might be a children’s prayer but it’s a powerful message about the peace that comes when we genuinely trust in the Lord to keep us safe. We communicate with God through prayer. Just a simple thank you for the day is sufficient. Praying is just having a conversation with God. There is no right or wrong way to pray. The Lord can listen to our prayers any time of the day or night. Praying at night can comfort us and give us peace as we lay down our heads and shut our eyes for sleep. Praying in the morning or reading a short devotional can be a peaceful start to our day. Prayer helps us stay closer to God.

I’ve shared this prayer many times and here it is again. I love this prayer and read it tonight for my prayers for family and friends.

Apache Blessing — May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world, and know its beauty all the days of your life.

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough,” Meister Eckhart.