Prayer is a word that's been swirling around my head like a planet in orbit, embellished with twinkling cartoon stars. It's a difficult concept to define. It's such a personal endeavor. So I've been thinking. What does prayer mean to me today? Defining words like prayer and faith and hope are always subject to change.

For me, prayer is nothing more than a conversation. Um, but a conversation I want to make sure is heard by the CEO of my destiny. A conversation that brings results. The small print to this conversation is that sometimes the answers to my prayers aren't always what I want or think they should be. In fact, there's usually a plot twist.

Not all my prayers are egocentric. Over a lifetime I've prayed myself into a stupor for world peace. I've yelled my thoughts until my brain was sore. The results have been worse than iffy. But I'll continue to be as persistent as a mosquito in the dark of night - my hopes and dreams and prayers can't be swatted that easily. I'll continue to pray for world peace because I have faith. Oy. That's a topic for another day.

Today I left a comment at a friend's blog. Her daughter is very ill. My friend posted a video and spoke about prayer. This was my response with minor edits:

I consider myself a woman of faith but I struggle with every facet to include the most basic and essential tenets. I used to worry that maybe I was a faith fraud. I don't anymore. My faith is as valid as anyone's.

Ah, yes, prayer. I define it with elementary concepts to accommodate my own understanding. I consider prayer a mystical Valentine. Prayer is *Have a Good Day* with heart. Prayer is a Get Well or Sympathy card. Prayer doesn't require God or Jesus or Allah or Buddha or anyone else attached, though I often do speak to one or more. My prayers for you come from me, straight to you - if they make a detour to a deity, then they arrive with the sparkle of bling. I like to think all my prayers have bling.

The hard truth to prayers, as I now believe, all are answered... all. But we might not always get the answer we're seeking. It's then that we pray for trust, which comes in time. That and peace.

Amen