When I Close My Eyes. . .

. . . I hear better.

I'm using the phone more and more all the time and am getting more comfortable. I find that when I close my eyes and concentrate, I can focus better on the conversation and understand the message. I'm not afraid to ask the caller or person on the other end to slow down if they are talking too fast. No, I don't talk on the phone while I'm driving so you don't have to worry about me closing my eyes on the road!

My Bible Study group met together on Tuesday night after a summer hiatus. Afterwards we all held hands and prayed like we always do. For the first time, I could hear the prayers of my "sisters" with my eyes closed. Without having to look and speech read. I always felt like I was invading someone's privacy watching them pray. Several times during the silence when no one was praying, I could hear the clock ticking on the wall. Listening without speech reading is hard work and exhausting and I still have to "look" sometimes, especially when the speaker is soft-spoken. But, I've reached a new level of intimacy in prayer. . . Tina, my leader, asked me afterwards if I heard everything and I told her I did. She admitted that she even looked at me to see if I was reading lips and was pleasantly surprised.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Beth Moore Conference "Deeper Still" in Nashville. Am going with my good friends, Shelley and Dawn. Two years ago, I went to Knoxville to hear Beth Moore speak shortly after my first CI was activated. Beth Moore has her own blog and is an awesome Bible teacher. There will be other speakers there and some great music. I need this retreat more now than ever. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I've talked to so many women lately who are just tired and spiritually drained.

I've also got the best news. . .but you'll have to wait until my next update. . .it is proof that God is always working behind the scenes. . .so that we can give Him all the glory. Because when I close my eyes, I "hear" God.