National Day of Prayer

Yikes...2 months old post here...oh well. Better late than never.


We gathered with some local homeschool families to pray for our leaders before our city held its National Day of Prayer gathering. Good thing we went early for by the time we left, our boys had managed to climb through the flower beds and set off our car alarm. It was clearly our time to leave. =)I love the idea of exposing our children to praying for our leaders. Leaders in our community, city, state and country. We need to teach our kids to pray for others, especially our leaders.


I also think it is important to teach our kids to pray. Not only among our family, but with their friends and even strangers. I loved to see how my girls had grown in their own walk with God from last year's NDP to this year. They are each growing up so much.

Praying for our children

I desire to pray more for my children. Not just a prayer for their health and for them to have a good day. But I desire to pray for their spiritual walk. For their relationship with God. Their influence on others. For their future spouse. Pray that they would be an example on others. For their purity.

I found a book on praying for your children and I made cards to keep next to the breakfast nook. I try and pray over these cards each morning as I have a cup of tea and read my Bible. I love how these prayers come from scripture and help me to focus on what is worthy as I lift up my family before the Almighty God. Especially as I have been praying for our new child (ren). Since I don't know names or ages or gender or circumstances, I pray for God to be working in their life even now.

I am so thankful for the prayers of friends and family. I know our parents pray every day for our children and we are so thankful to have prayer warriors that lift us up. God is faithful and He hears our prayers and His will is what we desire.

Another one of my favorite resources is the "Praying for our Children" calendar. (HERE) It is worth printing out and putting some place you see every day.

how can I pray for you ?

I have had this burden on my heart to pray for some of my blogging friends. And I wanted to jot down some things to pray for. When someone comes to mind, I often pray for them. For what I know is going on in their life. For the needs that I know they have. For their ministry or family. Many of you are going through adoptions or have just brought new children home. I know many of you need to sell a house. Maybe a decision you need to make. What ever is on your heart, feel free to let me know how I can pray for you.

If you will leave me a comment with how I can pray for you I will add it to my prayer cards. If you don't mind others knowing what it is, I will publish it. If it needs to be anonymous or you don't want me publishing it, PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ALL CAPS AND I WON'T PUBLISH IT. I will just jot it down for myself and then delete it.

Looking forward to lifting up my dear blogging friends in prayer.

Always offering prayer with joy and in my every prayer for you all...Philippians 1:4

blessed

If you only knew how hard it is for me to post something real and honest like yesterday's post. It is hard for me to show any kind of struggle and I always run the risk of someone trying to be helpful with their words but end up come across as uncaring.

Oh how I was so blessed by your friendship both on the blog here and on FB. Blessed by friends praying for me, encouraging me, reaching out in comforting friendship. I love how I can be encouraged by virtual strangers. By some of you that I have never even met, but because you took the time to write an uplifting note, you were part of the blessing. You were used in such a powerful way to come along side me and lift me up. Handing me that cup of water as I am finishing up the marathon just trying to put one foot in front of the other. I am so grateful for you all. Thank you so much.

Truth be told, as I got started in my studies yesterday in my Precepts Bible lesson (still studying Isaiah), I was so blessed by the Word. Blessed by the truths that I find comfort in. Blessed as I study this book on prophecy, I find comfort for my daily life. Finding joy in God's faithfulness and hope that only He can give.

In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are those who long (wait) for Him. Isaiah 30:18

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On a different note, even though we sold our home we are still praying for several friends that are still trying to sell a home in a difficult market. Let me know if I can continue to pray for you in this way...just leave me a comment.

We may be done...

...we have come to an agreement on the price of the house for these buyers. Which is great. So, here is the deal, they believe it will not appraise for what we agreed on. And then would want to renegotiate. This is where you all come in. We need the house to appraise for the agreed amount. We have made major changes in the last year to update the house and we believe it will appraise for the amount. SO PLEASE PRAY with us that God will fight this battle for us. We know that God is faithful and He will provide and that He will go before us and fight this battle. We also know that the enemy wants nothing of this, wants our family to be apart and doesn't want our family to trust in God through this.

Please pray that our home appraises for the agreed amount and that this will even be through the appraiser that they choose. Even though no one should have an influence on the appraiser, I believe they have chosen one that will work in their favor. They agreed on the deal with full belief that it will not appraise for that much. So they are putting their trust in the appraiser, and we are putting our trust in God. In God who is in control of every detail. In God who is sovereign. In God who is faithful.

Trusting...

...that God goes before us and works out the possible details. Pray with us that Jehovah Jireh, God will provide.

Praying through these scriptures today

Psalm 119:135-138
"Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Righteous are you, O Lord , and your laws are right. The statues you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy."

Psalm 147:6
"The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground."

Isaiah 66:2
"My hand has made both earth and skies, and they are mine. Yet I will look with pity on the man who has a humble and a contrite heart, who trembles at my word."

1 Timothy 2:1-4
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. this is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."


Thanks Rachel, I borrowed these from you my dear. I am honored to be able to pray in freedom for our country.

A prayer for your family

I found this on another blog (a friend of mine from college) and I wanted to encourage you to click the link. Maybe even print it out and keep it somewhere to remind you to pray for your family.

HERE

I have just started a new book with the girls called, Lord Teach Me To Pray. It has been great so far and I look forward to sharing about it. I use the Precepts for kids books with my girls to teach them how to study God's word.

It has been neat to see our prayer life increase as we grow to be more like Him.


UPDATE: Prayer Calendar for Praying for our Children ~ HERE

simply stated

I found this tonight in Tally's night time devotional book that she does. It says just how I feel tonight too. Simply waiting on God to answer.

We are praying that "Big Daddy" gets a job

Last week I got a call saying that we were going to have someone look at the house on Saturday. As soon as I got this information, I just had such a peace about this showing for some reason. With Chuck gone it was up to me to get the place "show ready" for Saturday morning. I mowed the yard and cleaned the house and we were ready to run our weekly errands and be out of the way so this family could see the place. For some reason, I asked if our realtor could come and be here for the showing (something I never have asked before).

Later I heard that this family really likes the place. They were here for 2 hours and had all their questions answered (good thing our realtor was here). I was also able to get the scoop from her about the showing. Here are the details and how we are praying. The guys name is Big Daddy (yep, that is what he goes by) and she is Sandy. He is up for a contracting job (from Anheiser Busch I think) in the next town over and if he gets the job he said he would put an offer on the house. So, needless to say, we are praying everyday that Big Daddy gets this job. To be totally honest, I have such a peace about this one. I am trusting that this is our buyer. And if not, than I am trusting that God has something better in store for us. It is so neat to see how God is working and all that we are learning through all of this.

So, join us as we pray for Big Daddy and Sandy. Wouldn't that be awesome if God worked through Anheier Bush and Big Daddy? What a great story to tell. =)

Praying for a friend

Years ago, when Chuck and I were first married, we were youth leaders in NJ. It was such a great opportunity to invest in kids lives and serve where God asked us to. It has been interesting to see these kids grow up and begin families of their own. They have gone in all different directions and some of them have continued on with their own walk with God. Of all things, it has been neat to see their own fruit mature and grow in response to the Holy Spirit in their lives. Only by God's grace were we able to be part of that growing process.

Now to get to my point of bringing this up...I just got an email from a friend of mine in NJ who passed on a blog from one of "our youth group kids". I am asking you to click their link and pray for this dear family. (HERE) Darren's wife Misty is in stage IV of brain cancer and they are praying for God's healing in her life. As you can imagine with any sad news my heart is heavy, yet I am so grateful for their response to the whole thing. I see Darren holding fast to his faith and seeking for God's grace in their lives. Please let this be a testimony of how powerful God is and lift up Misty today.

Shedding some light...

I felt like I left you hanging a little bit with the last post about our family moving on. I wanted to share a few more details and ask you again to pray with us about selling our home.

Chuck has worked in the TV industry since he was in college. He has been able to accomplish so many of his goals in his career. We have marveled at how God has brought each job to him, rather than having to pound the pavement to get the next job. This new job is no different. A few months ago he went to check out this company to see if it would be a good fit for him. At that time, they were very clear about not having an opening for him. "No problem, I just want to check out the area and see what I think," was his response.

Well... as I mentioned before, we have been praying that God would open the right doors and close the wrong ones. After Chuck came back from his visit, he got an email from this new company saying they wanted him to join their team. Not only that but what they were laying out for a job for him suits his strengths perfectly.

This new company does a variety of things and one of them is making DVD-based curriculum for children's church programs. They make things for both the secular and christian venues. They desire for Chuck to come and lead their video production team and help them grow the company.

It is neat to see this whole thing unfold. To worldly wisdom, this seems foolish. Selling right after you have bought a home = CRAZY. We are leaping out in faith on this one. Please pray with us for a contract on our home. Chuck will leave mid May to start this new job and the girls and I will stay here until our home sells. We do NOT desire for our family to be divided in this way and we are seeking God's grace on our situation. With our mustard seed sized faith we are asking God to move this mountain.

As for where we are going... I try really hard to keep our location vague (just for the protection of our family - trying to ward off the crazies). I will give some ideas though... this will be the first time in years that I have lived in a land locked state. We will get out of the tropics and move to an area with "seasons", but not a harsh winter. We've been told that we may run into some country/christian music stars at the grocery store and at church. ***please keep your comments vague about locations***

So... please pray with us as we seek God's face for a buyer/contract on our home. Chuck and I have been getting up and praying together every morning before the day starts. We pray at 6:45 eastern time, if you are called to join us at that time. I know BIG things are going to happen and HE will receive the glory.

The cat is out of the bag (so to speak)

Well, this is the post that I have been waiting to write. To fill you all in on the details that I didn't tell you last time.

As I mentioned, God has been working in our lives here and I now have some freedom to fill you in. If you have been following our blog for awhile, you will know that we have only recently located to our current home about 5 months ago. We were so thankful to find this home and have so enjoyed living here and fixing it up to make it our own. But... the for sale sign goes in the yard on Monday. We are moving on. (gasp)

I know, I know, grab your cup of coffee and sit down. Chuck's job here in our sunny state has been a great fit and we have enjoyed watching him flourish (awards and all). One of Chuck's deepest desires has been to take his 2 degrees (communication/TV and Bible -- his 2 loves) and blend them into a job. It seems that that God has brought that along.

Our prayer has been that God would open the right doors and close the wrong ones. We have seen God closing the door at his current job. It has been a hard and somewhat painful process. It has been hard to see Chuck struggle and watch his company go through the dip that they are in.

In the past few months we have been praying more fervently about this new opportunity. We both have such a peace about this new opportunity and he has decided to take this new job. It will move us out of the state and into a new one. The idea of selling our home sounds impossible in this market. We have fixed up this home and invested a lot of time, energy and money into our home. But I am reminded that these are all things that we hold loosely in our hand. These are the details that God is sovereign over. I know that I can completely trust Him in.

I will share more about the new job (gotta leave some details for later). But for now, I am asking my dear friends and family to join us in prayer. We are praying for a quick sale on our home. That is the seemingly impossible. But I know that it would be a great testimony to God's faithfulness. It will be VERY hard for our family to be apart for awhile, but we may have to do that.

So, my blog sisters... that is the cat that is now out of the bag.

Things are COOKIN' and God is WORKIN'

I can't go into details yet, but I do want to share that God is working in our lives here. I know that I have a great support base of blogging buddies and I am seeking prayer for our family as we desire to follow in obedience as God calls. (Details to follow in the next few weeks/months.)

Join me...

I am asking my blogging friends to join me in prayer for my Dad. He is in Asia speaking at pastors and missionary conferences and he is fighting a head and chest cold. Please pray with me for his renewed health as he has a heavy speaking load these next few day. Pray that he can be a blessing to those he comes in contact with and that God uses him in a mighty way.