Mattcake

Good one Felly, I'm curious myself, being a bit rusty when it comes to praying but desperately needing to do so.

I was sortof loosely raised Catholic (my mother being a lipstick Catholic, atheist father) but I never really clicked with that religion - for starters because, according to that church, I'm going straight to hell no matter what I do on account of my sexual orientation. So I became very interested in mythology, pagan beliefs, eastern philosophy and theology in general. I've since come to terms with the true message of the Christian Church, and keep what's good of it for me.

Anyway, how do I pray? I find that the ceremonial itself isn't as important as the message and feelings you convey. Right now I find that meditating a few times a day and concentrating on gratefulness and trust is what gives me some peace. I try to mantain those feelings throughout the day, trying to recentre myself every once in a while - easier said than done. Sometimes I'll actually say the words out loud, sometimes I just try to hold a mental image in my mind. But what has really helped me is realizing that I have SO much to be grateful for; thas really kept me going this week. The serenity prayer has also helped, and I've added a few lines of my own to it.

In all cases I simply let go and surrender to the moment. If something unexpected comes up -grief, sadness, anger, whatever- I ride it out, really allowing it to be. I don't keep a specific schedule, though I like to start and end my day with a simple "thank you".

Matt

BTW, thanks for this Jersey Nonny, I'd never thought of it this way: