We had a prayer meeting at church yesterday. I'm sure that sends pictures through your mind of people in pews, solemnly bowing heads, to petition the Lord on their behalf. Thankfully, our church is willing to experiment a little with different forms of prayer, and we experienced another opportunity to draw closer to God. There was music softly playing and dim candle and lamp lights. We displayed meditations on the screen, had large, paper-covered boards for writing notes to God, and we had "babbling prayers" where everyone prays aloud at the same time. There were a couple of rooms set aside for solitary prayer- entering your closet as Jesus said. It was a good night. I am reading a bit about solitude now and boy is it hard. I know that I need solitude, but finding it is very difficult. I do have times when I am alone--feeding the animals, cleaning the kitchen, going to the bathroom (usually)--but times of extended, work free, solitude escape me. I confessed to God last night that even if I found it, I am sure I would use it to sleep. There is an organization that offers free retreat settings to pastors and their spouses, and I hope we can take advantage of that this year. To have a couple of days alone, without guilt at not getting projects done, would be glorious.