Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

You may remember we surprised Hallie this past March with a dog. It was on her birthday wish list right between an iphone and makeup. In effort to maintain some girlishness we carefully picked out an innocent-looking terrier mix and put the iphone on a waiting list. To update you, we now often fondly refer to this "gift" as "Bad Girl". It's what I call her when she runs circles through the house refusing to stop, or sit, or stay. It's what she's referred to as I pick up a chewed through hula hoop and as I survey the wood siding on the house that she has feasted on like beef jerky. At least Griffin (our Schnauzer) still has his fifth collar; she chewed the other four off his neck.

Rylie, happy that it's Friday and happy that it's beautiful out, went outside this morning before school. She thought "Bad Girl/Ashlie" was choking on a toy. Being the animal hero she's always aspired to be, Rylie went to help her, and got bit. On this happy, Friday morning Rylie has a puncture wound on her finger. She cried in true Rylie style. For those of you who don't know, that means she cried like the Hollywood camera was rolling, zoomed in on nothing but her sheer traumatized tear-stained face. I, in true mother fashion ran into the kitchen and pulled out one of the baskets containing medicinal products (we have several baskets, being that half of us have several medical conditions including hypochondria). I grabbed some triple antibiotic ointment and some medical tape and fixed her wound straight up. To my surprise that didn't cease the tears. Jason was sitting to her right. She wrapped one arm around Jason's head and the other around mine inviting us to give her a group hug. And just like magic, she was healed.

On the inside anyway.

Reminds me of an old commercial

I'd like to buy the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves.

Chorus:
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to buy the world a ----
And keep it company
That's the real thing.

First person to guess this commercial gets a free subscription to my blog. (Just kidding. The subscription is always free.)

This song flashed through my mind, mid-group hug with Rylie and her dad as we mourned her dog bite. Huddled together, I think she had us swaying.

I'd like to think that if the each person in the Coke commercial didn't have an ice cold Coke in hand, they'd have an arm wrapped behind the shoulder of the person beside them, Group Hug style.

That's the real thing!

I think "Group Hugs" are underrated.

Hayden used to call them Flamly (family) Hugs. They were an important event in most days of our week.

There's nothing more encouraging than people gathering in together to say "Things are going to be ok", "We are with you",

"We are for you".

I think corporate prayer might just be the most awesome form of a group hug there is. We are gathering together, hearts united. We are saying we are with you. Our hearts hurt for what hurts yours. Other times we huddle in to rejoice together at what God has done, quite like a group hug. But unlike some group hugs, in corporate prayer we invite our God.

We call on Our Father who cares and provides for us.

We call on

Yahweh Shalom- "The Lord is Peace". He comforts our weary souls.

Yahweh Nissi- "The Lord is my Banner" who fights for his people.

{God,} "you have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence". Acts 2:28

Group Hugs are age old. In Acts the people united on a regular basis. The became one in heart.

….They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14

This makes me want to put out an ad in the paper,….. on social media. It makes me want to shout from the rooftop.

Group Hugs Wanted!

Walls down.

Busyness cast aside.

Hearts in close proximity

Vulnerable and committed to each other, bringing glory to God

Afterall, at some point we're going to be spending a lot of time together……….Like forever.

Want to get started this evening?

September 26, Friday at 6:00 pm Triangle Baptist is having a prayer vigil for Saeed Abedini, a pastor who has been imprisoned in Iran for two years for his faith. His wife and two children are here in the States.  This evening we will pray with one heart. Be there as we meet to group hug and lift up Saeed and his family, and the persecuted church. More information on this event is shared on my Facebook wall.