Thank You

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you for your prayers. We have had no news as yet regarding a house offer, but I'm still quietly hopeful. :) If not this lady, then somebody else. SOON!

Please keep us in your prayers as we wait to sell, and continue our very busy schedule of rehearsals for The Music Man (this week alone I have 7 rehearsals, one every day of the week, then a promotional performance in a local Flood Relief Concert on Sunday...), and trying to keep a balance of work / family / rest at the same time.

Hope everyone is having a great week. :)

Heartache

My heart is aching today as I have just read this story.  Little baby Cora was just a month older than William when her parents found out she had cancer in her liver.  She died, and went to be with Jesus yesterday- only 3 weeks after her initial diagnosis.  I cannot begin to imagine the grief her parents are experiencing.  They simply took Cora to the doctor for recurrent ear infections, never in the world expecting the weeks ahead of them.

Please pray for them as her funeral and burial is today.

This really puts things in perspective.  Life is fleeting and unpredictable.  If we have our life today, and our health, this is something to be truly thankful for.  Our families, our friends.  Today I'm not taking these things for granted.

7x7 Prayers for our children

I came across this amazing blog today, during our very restful rest time!  Angie has 4 sweet girls, and I was so moved and convicted by this post that I wanted to share it. (I'm obviously not the only one who was touched- there are over 400 comments! Phew!) What a wonderful reminder to pray over our children, each and every day, many times a day!  I hope this blesses you as it has me.  I intend on printing this all out so I can use these thoughtful verses as a guide for my own prayers.  Anyway, over to Angie.......

________________________________________________

I don't really care that much about whether or not my kids are book smart.

Let me explain.

I do care, I just don't care as much as I care about other things.  I don't sit around and pray that my girls will learn to read today, or that they will understand a foreign language by the time they are 6, or that they will know their times table by next week.  I do spend a lot of time asking God to give them "undivided hearts (Psalm 86:11), " and praying "that they will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel when they open their mouths (Ephesians 6:19)." I pray that God will help them to be good stewards of their time, their money, their words.  I pray for their character, their faith, their decisions, their husbands.  I want them to be wise, Godly women who chase after the Lord.  

I'm thinking that instead of getting a "My kid is on the honor roll" bumper sticker, I may create a "My kid has an undivided heart" one.  And then people will make ones that say "My kid kicked your 'undivided heart' kid's butt" stickers.

Maybe not.

But, the point is that one of the most important things I am privileged to do as a mother is to pray for my children every day.  

The other day I came across a verse that God used to prompt me to write this post.  If you are a mom (or have someone else you want to pray for specifically), I hope you will join me as I do this for the next 7 days.  It struck me that I need reminders during the day to be praying over my girls, and I decided to choose 7 events in a day that would remind me to do so.  Then, I chose verses that had to do with that time of the day (for example: as my kids are getting dressed in the morning) and then I put them on notecards.  

Here are the events and verses I chose:

1.  When they wake up: "Let the morning bring (child's name) word of your unfailing love, for she has put her trust in You.  Show (her/him) the way (she/he) should go, for to you (he/she) lifts up her soul." (Adapted from Psalm 143:8)

2. When they are getting dressed: "Therefore, as God's chosen child, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Lord, help (him/her) bear with others and forgive whatever grievances (he/she) has against others.  Help (him/her) forgive as the Lord forgave (him/her).  And over all these virtues, help (him/her) put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Adapted from Colossians 3:12-14)

3. While they are eating: "Teach (child's name) the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  Teach (him/her) that (he/she) can do everything through him who gives (him/her) strength." (Adapted from Philippians 4:12-13)

4.  When they go out of the house: "(Name of child), do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Adapted from Romans 12:2)

5.  While they are taking a bath: Lord, give (name of child)  clean hands and a pure heart, and let (him/her) not lift (his/her) soul to an idol or swear by what is false. Let (him/her) receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God (his/her) Savior.  Let (him/her) be part of the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Adapted from Psalm 24:4-6)

6.  When they are going to bed:  "The Lord Your God is with you; he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, be will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

7.  While they are sleeping:  "I pray that (name of child) will do everything without complaining or arguing, so that he/she may become blameless and pure, a child of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which he/sheshines like a star in the universe as he/she holds out the word of life-in order that he/she may boast on the day of Christ that he/she did not run or labor for nothing." (Adapted from Philippians 2:14-16)

I feel like God has been reminding me more and more lately that I need to live my life in prayer. For my children, husband, family, friends, country, those in need, etc., etc.  As a mother, it has been so pivotal for my children to hear me praying out loud over them, and I want to commit to do this every day (seven times a day!) for the next week.  If you care to join me, just copy these verses onto index cards (or, if you came here from Jessica's blog, feel free to print them on pretty  scrapbook paper and embellish your little heart out....:))

Let me know if you decide to join me, and please keep me posted (either by comments or emails) if  God reveals anything to you/your children this week. 

Have a great (and prayer-filled!) week. And may God bless you and your babies richly.

Angie

Saraya's bedtime prayer

Usually at bedtime it is me who speaks the words of prayer with the children.  Tonight Saraya wanted to pray.   My heart was overjoyed at her words so I thought I'd record them.

"Dear God,  Thankyou for my cuddly toys and for my cuddly bed.  Thankyou for our day.  Thankyou that I have toys, and a home, and parents.  Our sponsor children don't even have a home, and some children don't have food or shoes or anything.  Amen."

This prompted a discussion on poverty, missionaries, and a possible trip to Uganda to do some work there and meet our sponsor children one day.  I love the bedtime hour with Saraya- it is so often our special, "connected" time of day.  Oh, and a Uganda-trip-planning-conversation with Stuart in the kitchen as we did the dinner clean-up followed.  Thankyou Saraya!  

Pray!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

Today our pastor preached on this verse.  And I was surprised, because this is a verse which has been close to my heart this week.

I love this verse from Matthew because in it Jesus specifically tells us to come to Him when we are weary, when we are heavy-laden - when we feel the burdens of life weighing us down.  And what does He promise us?  Rest.  That wonderful, calm feeling of peace that ONLY comes from our Creator, the one who loves us and wants us to feel rest.

Today during a "praise and prayer" part of our service, I put up my hand to share that this week I have been re-convicted of the power of prayer.  Not just in the big things, but the little things too.

I have been having an issue with one of the children over the past weeks, and I have been trying many things to cure it.  Many many things, but not prayer.  Isn't it funny how we can sometimes just not think to pray?  We try to battle on our own.  But it's only when we pray about our specific issues, when we "come to Him", that we feel the peace of God working through us - and we see results too!!!  After weeks of battling in my mind over this issue, I handed it to God just a few days ago.  And of course, instantly things are better!  I know it will be a continual process, but I now know I'm not in this alone.  God has commanded us to pray without ceasing, to come to Him with all the many burdens of our hearts.

As I heard for the first time today, "Prayer should be our first resource, not our last resort".

So today, let me encourage you to pray.  To talk to God about the details, the little things, the hurts, the dreams, the struggles, the disappointments.  Keep on praying!  Come before Him in thanksgiving too.  As we ask God for wisdom and to work in our lives, and thank Him for His guidance and blessings, we are drawn closer and closer to Him. 

And it's wonderful to see just what He can do in our lives.

Undivided Worship

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Apostle Paul makes an admonition — we are to "pray without ceasing."   I have got better at this over the last few years, and these days my conversations with God are frequent.  

"Thanks Lord for this day"

"Thanks God, I asked you for 4 hours straight sleep last night, and I got it!!"

"Oh God, I'm SO tired..... please please please help me get through today....."

"God, I need inspiration, I don't know what to cook tonight"

"God, give me patience.  This children are driving me crazy right now!  Aaaaggghhhh!!!"

"Thank-you Father for my home and family.  Show me how to best minister to them today"

"Lord, bless my husband today.  Keep him safe and bring him home to us soon"

.........etc., etc., etc., etc.  The conversation goes on and on.  Since learning to lean on Him and converse with Him throughout my day (and often nights too) I feel supported and encircled in love and protection.  I feel peace, calm (most of the time!), and answers to the many questions which cross my mind.  It is beyond a blessing, and I can't remember how I ever got through anything before I got to know God personally in my life!

But today at church Gwen spoke about the 3 things that can detract from truly worshipping God.  Really spending time just devoted to Him, learning more about Him and praising Him for all He's done for us.

1.  Our circumstances.  It's easy to praise God when everything's great, but harder when things aren't going so well.  

2.  Our self-reliance.  Believing that we can do things on our own, and that all good things that happen are because of what we've done.  

3.  Distractions around us.  Spending time with God (church, Bible-study, prayer, listening to worship music, etc.) but thinking about other things while we do it (kids, work, what we're doing tomorrow, etc.)

As I was listening, I realised that I really struggle with number 3.

As a Mum......... as a person, my mind is full of many distractions.  I don't really create within my day a time to give JUST to God.  When we're busy I think it's valuable to be able to "pray without ceasing" as we go about our day.  But I also realise I owe it to God to give Him my undivided attention as well.  Just as my husband and children deserve one-on-one attention from me, so does my Heavenly Father.  I know that sometimes I can sit and read a whole passage of  my Bible, yet at the end of it remember nothing of what I've just read. 

 

So today I am thinking about how I can discipline my mind to not think about other things while spending special time with God.  I still need to tend to the needs of the children, but I think other things can wait.  Like the phone ringing, or the mental shopping list I'm making in my head. :)  This week I'm going to try some undivided worship.  I know when I spend time with God first, everything else falls into place!

(I have no idea why this font is so small.  I can't get Blogger to make it any bigger!  Sorry. :()