A little Prayer

Last night I was laying in Averys bed going through our usual routine. I said, "ok Avery lets say prayers. . .I am going to pray now ok"?
Avery responded with. "NO ME"!!
I thought that this was a good thing considering sometimes she says no to even saying prayers. On those nights I will start praying and she will tell me to pray to myself, so the fact that she was going to pray was a step in the right direction!
"Ok, go ahead"
"Thank you Jesus for FART *giggle, giggle* "
I must admit it was funny and it took everything in me NOT to laugh! I am laughing as I type the story!
"Anything else"
"Thank you I have a fun day today on the trampoline. Thank you I go to Grammy and P-Pops house and play with Esser and Wivia (Esther and Olivia). Thank you Jesus I go to my daddys baseball game (aka soccer game). Hey mommy guess what"?
"What"?
"My daddy tell me I go to his baseball game tomorrow" This was said this VERY exaggerated facial expressions!

And that was it. Her prayer. No concern for what I thought about what she was saying. Genuine thanks for her day! Raw prayer. I am sure that God was smiling as she said her prayers. I know I was! Her heart was pure and she wanted to pray. Yes she said fart in her prayer and laughed about it, but I am sure that God found some humor in her prayer about bodily functions; after all He hears them all (farts I mean)!!
As I was thinking about this later I was struck by how many people don't know
how to pray! People don't want to pray out loud for fear that they may say something wrong or not have the right words. Prayer is a funny things because God desires us to have a conversation with Him, regularly, but He already knows our hearts and minds. He wants us to want to pray; to come to Him and talk and listen. We do this everyday with people. So why is it so hard for us to talk (pray) with God? I admit I struggle with this, but why?
This morning during my quiet time I opened my Bible to Colossians 1. In this chapter Paul prays for the Colossians growth. Funny (or planned by God) that I would have all these thoughts about prayer and then God would lead me to this specific passage. I read Pauls' words over and over again. Praying them for myself and for Christians everywhere! Sometimes when we don't know what to pray or how to pray, we need to just pray God's word!


I Colossians 1: 9 - 14
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it (their faith in Christ), we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of Light.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdon of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.


I pray that I will pray without ceasing, asking to be filled daily, so I can walk in a way that reflects Christ, that I would have JOY to endure the hard times - with patience, thanking God for my new life! I pray that I would listen for HIS knowledge and wisdom to get through today! I pray that I would want to pray! Not worrying about how it sounds or if I have the words. God knows my heart - the Holy Spirit will be faithful to intercede when I have NO words. Even if my prayers are like Averys, just thanking God for the little things; I need to Pray.
Thank you God for the prayers of my daughter to reveal to me the need for a constant converastion with you!

Perspective

Today was one of those days. A day that I just wanted to get stuff done! I had set in my mind all of the things that I wanted to accomplish and I was going to GET IT DONE!! History should tell me that on days I want to do what I want to do; it's NOT going to happen. The kids just get in my way, the dog barks outside, I have to feed everyone, wipe everyone, clean up after everyone, and the rage just builds up inside of me. . .I JUST WANT TO VACUUM!!! I get frustrated, give short answers, get annoyed that Brynn just wants to be held or cried every time the vacuum started. I wish Avery would just play by herself instead of needing me to help and do everything with and for her!
Do you know these days or am I the lone crazy woman? At lunch today I was trying to refocus. Telling myself to respond first with mercy; that's how God deals with me. I knew I could do it - I was willing myself too! Of course you know I couldn't. Today I was struggling with PRIDEFUL SELF SUFFICIENCY! Ouch! I could get it ALL done. I didn't. I could respond with grace and mercy. I couldn't. I would be a good wife and mom. I wasn't. I read a blog today by MckMama, http://mycharmingkids.net/2010/08/im-gonna-miss-this-2/, and it changed my heart and perspective.
God used this blog to grab my attention - YOU ARE MISSING IT!!. My house may be clean when my hubs gets home, the kids fed and happy, but what did I invest in them today? I am going to miss it. I already think back to Avery as a baby and can't believe how quickly she has grown up. I am pretty sure she is going on 16! God threw some perspective my way today! "SLOW DOWN, you don't want to miss what I have for you".
Children are a blessing and I am responsible to tenderly love them and teach them. Asking God for strength to train them and respond to them with mercy. Most days my strength only carries me to nap time and then to bed time! How sad that I would live for 2:00pm and 7:30pm. I need to be living for ALL the time in between. I can read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? 15 times in a row. I can play babies with Avery, push the swing for an hour, sit on the floor and build a tower to watch it get knocked over, and over, and over again. I can do all of those things, but I CAN'T miss this time in my girls lives. I will miss it! I needed this reminder today!

1 Year

My SWEET Brynn turned 1 yesterday and I can hardly believe it!! People always tell you that times goes so fast and enjoy it while it lasts, but you never REALLY understand what they mean until you have children of your own. I was just marvelling at my growing belly as her little life grew in mine. . .I am always amazed by that. God's perfect design! She was a part of me God created her so perfectly just for Andrew and I!
Brynn is a beautiful, carefree, bald (and I LOVE it), loving child that God entrusted to us to raise for HIS glory. In one year she has grown *less* dependant on me. . .moving for herself, feeding herself, putting her own binki in her mouth :) In the years to come she will need me less and less, but I pray that she will come to know and rely on God to supply all her needs. I pray that she will come to a knowledge of the saving grace found in Jesus Christ!!
Happy Birthday Brynn Ariana - I love you and you fill me heart with Joy OVERFLOWING!

Sleep

This morning I woke and wondered what it would be like to sleep for a full night! You know, one of those nights where you don't even wake to pee. . .I haven't had one since before I had Avery!! This is partly my fault because I like to feed my babies even in the middle of the night (and it is the fasted way for me to go back to sleep), but infants aside most moms with children will agree that there is NO such thing as a full nights sleep. Whether it is a bad dream, or a trip to the potty (for mommy or child), or a "missed" trip to the potty (hopefully only for child), or waking to check the clock in wonderment of why you haven't heard from one of your children; you get the point. . .moms DON'T get full nights of sleep. This morning I am REALLY tired - baby to blame, but not for the usual reason. Brynn has been waking around 3am to eat and then goes right back, but last night she was up atleast once and hour! She didn't want to eat; she turned is away disgusted! So the guessing game began. . .maybe it is her teeth. . .she has a cough and a runny nose, maybe she is really sick. . .could dinner be upsetting her belly?? Whatever the reason she was NOT sleeping which meant I was not sleeping - you may be able to tell from the ramblings of this post! I let her cry twice, but it didn't matter - she woke up 30 -40 minutes later and wanted her binkie or to be rocked. . .what to do? All I could do was pray that she would sleep/feel better/stop coughing/keep her binkie!! I realize this morning that this is a season a crazy wonderful season of life and I am resonsible to care for these children (lovingly) with or without sleep! So my day will go on - while Brynn peacefully sleeps upstairs in her crib!

Whispers

Our message in church today was all about God's promises! About how ALL things work together for Good for those who are in Christ (Romans 8: 28-39). Our pastor pointed out today that this doesn't mean that we (those who are IN Christ Jesus) are exempt from experiencing trails or being miss treated. He pointed out that we are to remember that everything works for God's good! What a great TRUTH to be reminded of! After the message we had a time of praying for people in our church that were experiencing trails in their lives. They went forward and leaders and friends surrounded them with prayer. Those of us that remained in our seats were encouraged to pray for them as well. I was silently praying, but very aware of the prayers around me. . .I heard all of the whispers, but couldn't make out any words. Then it HIT me - GOD hears all these prayers AND HE cares about them! He knew what everyone needed prayer for; He heard the heart ache, the loneliness, the stress, the pain, the fear. . .when all I heard were whispers - God heard it ALL!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Today has been a day of deep thoughtfulness for me. . .I have been looking unward (in a good way). It all started this morning when my 7 year old neice walked into my house with her new Bible and proudly stated "I'm reading Joshua"! "That's awesome Liv" was my only reply and she happily bounced away. Ever since she got her new Bible I almost always see it in close promximity to her - she carries it wherever she goes. HMMMM - isn't that what we are called to do, have God's word at the center of our being - to meditate on it day and night. Paul often talks about the Faith of a child and today for the first time I REALLY saw what Paul is referencing. I have NOT been good about reading my Bible and when I do I rarely have the passion and excitement that Olivia demonstrated today! I desire that passion! I will Pray for that passion.
The more I thought today and reflected on my life and the lives of those around me and the lives of my children and the other children that God has entrusted me to influence - I knew that I needed God more than ever! I was humble by my humanity today; by the fact that I am flawed and that I will struggle in this journey towards holiness, but I was more amazed at the GRACE the MY God displays for me.
Today, one of my friends was sharing something she was struggling with. . .a burden that was hard for her to carry. I thought about all of the things she was saying and God told me that NOTHING is TOO small for him to care about. He loves us! He cares for us! and HE wants to carry our burdens!! What an AWESOME God! He reaffirmed this promise to me tonight. I sat down to play the piano with the girls (something I try to do often) and I filp open the Hymnbook that sits on my piano. I flipped to "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and was struck by words that I have sung so many times before but never really heard. The words to the Hymn are below and I have made lines BOLD that really hit me tonight! Notice that in 3 verses we are reminded to PRAY 6 times!! I LOVE the !!!!!. . .

What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should NEVER be discouraged: Take it to the Lord in Prayer!
Can we find a Friend so faithful, who will ALL our sorrows share?
Jesus Knows our every weakness – Take it to the Lord in Prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our Refuge – Take it to the Lord in Prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in Prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

AMEN

A "Stall" Tactic

So. . .potty training has not been easy for us!! I started putting Avery on the potty when she was 15 months

Sometimes she went and sometimes she played

I thought if I got her interested in going to the potty that she would just do it!! I made a big deal when she "pee peed" on the potty; sometimes I danced around like a fool and was glad no one could see me! Well, getting her interested in the potty didn't prove to be what "worked" for her.
Next I tried reading to her on the potty. . .she didn't care. I tried bribing her with candy and soda and presents. . .still nothing worked. So, I gave up for a while. Brynn came a long and I didn't have the time to invest in potty training, but I was bummed because she was over 2 and I wanted her potty trained before Brynn was born. Oh well, life goes on.
In the summer I tried the naked thing - letting her be naked all the time. This failed too - she went potty wherever she was standing!! I was so frustrated. Everyone kept telling me I needed to find her "thing" and I couldn't find it!!! Buying underpants didn't work, coffee didn't work, markers, paints, play doh. . .NOTHING. I have come to realize that Avery can do almost anything SHE wants to do! I just needed to wait until she wanted to do it!
Now she is almost 3 and finally wearing underpants except while she is sleeping and she has only had a few accidents. Avery knows that her going on the potty makes me happy and that when she has to go - we GO! So at night she is starting a new stall tactic. . .I take her to bed and lay with her while we say prays and then she tells me that she has to go potty!! (Mind you I just asked her before we got into her room). The first two nights she told me that she had to poop! She went the first night, but not the second night. I tried to address her heart the best way I knew how, while still encouraging her to go potty when she needed too! Night three of this charade she simply told me that she had to go potty. I took my place on the floor in the bathroom while she went potty. Then she said "mommy, I love your eyes" "mommy I like your hair" "mommy I your jammas". . .She liked or loved every part of me! She may have been stalling, but in that moment she melted my heart with her sweet little heart!
I am learning that in teaching my children I often learn something too!!