We learn so much from our parents, good habits and bad.  Maybe that’s why I’ve always been conflicted about waking up in the morning.  On the one hand, my father has always risen before the sun; he’s the earliest riser in the family.  On the other hand, my mother, well, that’s a different story.  Although she gets up early for work, the truth is that on the weekends she has the ability to sleep until…let’s just say she can sleep pretty late.  Honestly, I think I inherited my mom’s sleeping gene.  I’ve always loved sleep, and getting out of bed has tended to be an effort for me; yet, I have continually made an effort to get up early.  Therein lay the conflict.

I really do love the early morning, and I’ve become more of a morning person as I’ve gotten older.  Since I live at the seminary I have to be up early—which means I go to bed pretty early as well.  We begin our day with meditation in the chapel at 6:30.  Prayer is a great way to start the day.

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