Evening! Did you all have a good Monday? Mine was decent enough. In fact, I am going to walk you through it in this post. I have seen other bloggers do an outline of their day in posts and I always think they are interesting to read. So here is your chance to see just how my life goes on a basic day. Nothing earth shattering, but I hope it gives you the chance to know a little bit more about me.

6:10 am - *tap tap tap* on my shoulder. Peter tells me he is leaving for work and gives me a kiss goodbye. This is my typical morning alarm, so I can get up a good hour before Makenzie.

6:18 am - Roll out of bed. Grumble about not being able to find my glasses. Put in contacts. Grumble that my eyes are burning from being up from 3-4:30 am thanks to Makenzie's new random night waking habit she has picked up the past few nights.

6:25 am - Make it downstairs. Curl up on comfy chair to spend time in prayer. Cut my prayer time a little short because I am starting to fall asleep. Being honest...but that doesn't mean I won't have random convos with God throughout the day. Gotta keep on building that #1 relationship, right?

6:40 am - Go to grab my Bible for my daily devotional reading. Realize I left it in the car. Good thing the readings come through email too.

6:56 am - Check email for the few minutes before Makenzie gets up.

7:04 am - Good morning Makenzie! Let's get changed, dressed, fight over leaving Teddy and "Cici" (the newschool glowworm) in her crib since we are going to the gym soon.

7: 18 am - Get myself dressed and ready for the gym.

7:25 - Fix M's oatmeal + pb breakfast. Find out Makenzie now knows how to say "oatmeal". Even though it sounds more like "Elmo".

7:32 - Realize I'm not too hungry and want something light. So have a Green Monster while putting away clean dishes from the dishwasher, wiping off counters/highchair/table, starting a load of laundry in the washer, and packing my gym bag.

8:00 - Revel in the fact that it is warmer out, so I can wear flip flops to the gym before changing into my spin shoes for class.

8:08 - Huh? Where did the time go?! Grab M from chasing our dog to head out.

8:10 - Wow, it's chillier outside than I thought. Not terrible, but enough to cause some nippin'.

8:20 - Check into the gym. Wonder if the dude at the front desk is giving me a weird look for my aforementioned chilliness issue. Check Makenzie into the childcare.

8:25 - 9:25 Set up my bike and sweat bullets during spin class. Wonder why Monday's are always the hardest workout day? Insane instructor or just lazy from the weekend?

9:33 - 9:42 Leave the gym to head home. Discover Makenzie suddenly knows another word by her pointing and screaming to something outside. Oh, "flag". Where the heck did she learn that?!

9:45 - 9:57 Fix Makenzie a snack; fix my morning oats (oats, honey pb, and Newman's Own Organics dried cranberries). 

10:00 - Put Makenzie down for a nap. Go to toss the clothes into the dryer, only to realize I have some I still need to fold. Ehhh, they can wait until the other load is dry.

10:10 - Sit down for my "relax" (aka computer) time during her nap. Begin typing this post...read some blogs...catch up on emails...etc.

11:37 - Makenzie wakes up. I hop in the shower real fast before a friend arrives for a visit.

12:09 - 3:15 Friend visits. We have lunch. We talk. We watch Makenzie run around and tear up any semblance of clean the house was earlier in the day. Go for a long walk. Fun for all.

3:30 - Time for Makenzie's 2nd nap. And time for me to plan tutoring lessons for tonight along with a much needed snack and iced coffee break.

For the record, those Newman's Own Organics Hermit cookies are delightful. The perfect chewy texture with a very flavorful taste of spices (ginger, nutmeg, etc). It was like a spicy oatmeal raisin cookie.

4:36 - Peter arrives home. Tutor kid #1 is a no show. Per the usual. Hold back frustration and call his stepmom. So instead I handle Makenzie when she wakes up. Read books, color, dance around.

5:15 - Let her watch her favorite show "Word World" so I can get to prechopping veggies for dinner. Sweet potato + brussels = my all time favorite combo.

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5:35 - 6:35 Talk with Peter, laugh at Makenzie's antics, get ready for tutoring, and remind Peter numerous times on when to start the veggies roasting for dinner.

6:45 - 8:00 Head to the library. Tutor from 7-8. Proud of this kid. He shows up and as logic has it, is doing very well in Spanish.

8:13 - Get home and rush in to be able to devour dinner. Monday nights are always a quick and simple evening. We had no leftovers from other meals, so frozen it was. Morningstar Buffalo Wings for me and Gorton's Fish for Peter with our roasted veggies. Food always tastes good when you're hungry!

8:39 - Put finishing touches on this post. And hit publish.

9:05 - Will be reading our daily short reading from the book our church is studying.

9:20 - Time to start Desperate Housewives on the DVR to watch last nigh't episode.

10:00 - Bed! Perhaps some reading first to wind down and drift off to dreamland.

Remember in yesterday's post I mentioned that I had a bit of an emotional outpouring? Well, it happened during our Sunday Bible Study class yesterday morning. This week we have been discussing prayer and all it can do for us. After sharing so much interesting and profound discussion, I had to share what has been weighing on me with those that I know love me and support me wholeheartedly. It wasn't anything new that was upsetting me, but sharing what has been on my mind with so many was pretty darn emotional.

Anyways, yesterday I really learned something. I recognized that the BIGGEST need in my life, even over my great relationships, is my relationship with God, aka prayer.

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Hands down. Without a doubt. More important than food, sleep, or money. Prayer is where it is at and is what sustains me. Prayer is so incredibly simple and can provide such amazing blessings, yet many people don't understand it or take advantage of it. I want the chance to share with you in this post all the wonderful rewards of prayer. They are greater rewards than even having every one of your heart's desires granted. And they will fulfill your life.

Consider this: prayer is simply conversation and spending time with God. It would be impossible to spend time connecting with God and not see a positive change in our lives. All prayer is is talking to God, just as you would any other relationship you put time into building. You don't need to follow any rules. You don't need to say the "right" thing. You just need to open up, share your heart, and spend time with Him. It will change everything.

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1. It will change your ways. You can share your struggles and misguided decisions with God, instead of trying to keep it all in. Talking with God, you release the negative parts of yourself and it helps you become a better person. You recognize the ways you can be stronger or more faithful or a better example of love and you have a desire to carry it out. You confess all your misgivings and He helps you release them and overcome them.

2. It will change your confidence. Giving things up to God and asking for His help is very empowering. He is the creator of this universe, so how could you possibly doubt His abilities to help you out? Knowing that God is a loving God and that He is always on our side and looking out for our best interest provides immense peace. Being able to be confident in what God can do can help enable you to go through life confident as well.

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3. It will foster community.Who doesn't love feeling loved and supported? Prayer can open up opportunities for new relationships and stronger foundations in current ones. I know it can be hard to ask someone to pray for you, but imagine the peace in knowing you have people on your side and that you can turn to if needed. Yesterday, once I opened up, I felt an even stronger bond than I currently do with my friends. It was amazing and felt like such a huge release. Being able to unload the weight from our shoulders by sharing with others is a very important part of prayer.

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4. It will change your perspective. I think this is the most important change that comes through prayer. What may start off as a desperate plea for God to fix your problems and provide your "wish list", can ultimately become you seeking His way in your life and having the utmost fulfillment from trusting in Him.  You understand more and more God's love for you and that He is working in your best interest. You learn patience, perseverance, and strength. I love an analogy given in the book we are reading. It is that God is the pier and you are the boat. You don't bring the pier to the boat; you pull the boat into the pier.

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The pier (God) is the sturdy one and going to the pier is the only way you can make it out of the rocky waters and onto firm ground. So with prayer, you grasp the fact that He is the secure one and the only way to be safe is to come to Him and accept His will. There are things that are out of our control and the only way to find contentment in them is to accept God's plan.

Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

• Have you ever noticed positive changes in your life through prayer?
• What about prayer brings you peace?
• Or do you find peace in other ways? How are they similar to prayer?