i like big posts and i cannot lie

if you make it all the way to the end of this post, you must be pretty bored.

PRAYING FOR KIDS

I was asked a question awhile back about praying for children, which is funny since I feel like I am a lousy pray-er, but here goes. Note: These are just my own personal thoughts and what works for me.

I like to pray Scripture for M. Mostly because I don't want my human desires (or frustrations) to color my intercessions for him. So, when I am reading my Bible and a verse sticks out to me, I will pray it for my little guy. For ex, Ephesians 1:18 says "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." and that has become a verse I pray almost daily. I may change the words, such as "Lord, please open M's mind to understand your truth," but I feel like if I pray God's Words, then I know my desires are aligned with His.

I keep a journal by my bed in which I write prayers for M. I do not write in it daily, or even weekly, even though I pray for him daily. I simply write as I feel led to pray about specific topics. I will give it to him when he is grown and look forward to seeing how God answered the prayers of this mama.

I pray a lot with M whether it be for other people or for him...or even for me when I am cracking under the pressure of the terrible twos! And now he will often initiate prayer...asking me to pray for him or for someone else. Does he understand? I can't even guess as to what he thinks is going on, but what I want him to see is a mama who loves God and who believes He is a God who loves talking with His children. I try to point out when God answers our prayers...and to share Bible stories that do the same.

Would love to hear if anyone else has ideas to share!

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I DIDN'T SCREW IT UP!

Tried out PW's ginger steak salad tonight and it rocked my taste buds. I had never-as-in-ever bought ginger before...besides ginger snaps, of course...so I was freaky nervous going into this thing. Told myself that if it flopped, I would never-ever-ever try another new recipe again.

But PW did not disappoint! Scott even had seconds, which says a lot because he really doesn't trust salad. But this stuff is gooooood...so good I might eat it for breakfast tomorrow.

Note: I cooked my steak longer than the recipe calls for because I come from a long line of cook-it-til-it's-jerky women.

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NINE

That's the # of sentences in the 2nd chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

And in just nine sentences, you find the ultimate "before and after." It's like a snapshot of a person before and after Christ...a "you WERE" versus "you ARE."

So I made lists. Because lists make my brain happy. Almost as happy as ginger steak salad makes my tongue. And this is what God says...

You WERE
- dead in trespasses and sins
- walking according to the prince of the power of the air
- a son of disobedience
- conducting yourself in the lusts of your flesh
- fulfilling the desires of the flesh & mind
- a child of wrath
- without Christ
- strangers from the covenants of the promise
- having no hope
- far off

Enter Jesus.

You ARE
- alive together with Christ
- saved
- raised, made to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
- His workmanship
- created in Christ Jesus for good works
- brought near by the blood of Christ
- reconciled to God
- having access to the Father
- fellow citizens of the household of God
- a dwelling place of God in the Spirit

Pretty amazing, huh? But another cool thing is this...there is a word that can be placed on BOTH lists. Yep, both. It's found in verses 4 & 5a:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses..

Love.

This passage not only tells us that, even when we were living according to our own lusts and in disobedience to God, He still loved us...but that He loved us with a GREAT love. One of the definitions I found for the original word used for "great" was TOO MUCH. As I consider God's love for me, a wretched sinner, "too much" sounds pretty right on.

One of the reasons I love this chapter so much right now is that, in my human trafficking research, it can be easy to feel anger and hatred toward the oppressors, the abusers, the traffickers...but God's love for them is slowly filling my heart. I loathe what these people are doing but am reminded that they are no more free than the women and children they enslave...for they are slaves to their sin. Just as I was.

This is what the love of God can do in a life...

before Christ:

after Christ:

We look at these photos and focus on the outward transformation of Anthea...but the real change for her, and for all of us, is the inward transformation that comes only through Jesus. This is the work of love. This is the look of love.

God is love, and I want to be love, too.

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NEW POST ON PRIVATE BLOG

pray big for your marriage

I have recommended the book Pray Big for your Marriage before but thought I'd give it some more free ad space. I am moving ever so slowly through it and tailoring the prayer suggestions for my marriage. And...I am already seeing answers to my prayers. I am humbled by God's goodness and by the joy of committing to praying more than just "bless us, God."

Some examples of suggested intercessions in the book include praying that
- you and your spouse won't settle for mediocrity in your marriage,
- your marriage would mirror God's everlasting love and lovingkindness,
- God will expose and remove any barriers that keep you from knowing all the joy He intends for your marriage, and
- you will love Jesus MORE than you love your spouse, etc.


I'd like to be transparent here...not because I think my words are going to be super exciting or profound, but because I know how incredibly helpful the honest sharing of others is to me.

I've mentioned before that I am not the prayer warrior I long to be. I know that God is our Abba (Romans 8:15) and some people converse with Him easily throughout the day just as they would their earthly Dad. However, for some reason I always think of Isaiah's encounter with the Lord (Isaiah 6) and feel like I need to be locked in my closet, face on the ground, and going through the ACTS steps in order to pray. Not for ritual but for reverence! Think Wayne and Garth, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy."

BUT...I know that God meets me where I am, and He's been using this book to encourage me in prayer.


I have been praying the intercession listed above asking God to "expose barriers." Let me just say that the first day I prayed this, I did so with the acknowledgement that I am so often a barrier...THE barrier. God must have agreed and started revealing very specific ways that a change in me would lead to more joyful intimacy in my marriage.

Keep this in mind: If you read the account of Adam and Eve in the garden, God gives the instruction about the "forbidden fruit" BEFORE He makes Eve. There is no mention of God reiterating His words to Eve. Perhaps He did, or perhaps Adam shared the news and she was expected to trust him...we don't know. But we do know that Eve was deceived by satan and then gave the fruit to Adam, who ate of it in direct transgression (1 Tim 2:14). However, after they BOTH ate of the fruit, God addressed Adam. Nevermind that Eve ate first. Nevermind that she gave the fruit to her man. God addressed Adam.

I am a girl led by emotions and sometimes volatile ones at that! If up to me we would probably have started an orphanage in our guest room, given our entire savings to combat human trafficking, and be trekking to Mexico every weekend to build homes for those need. All good stuff, right? But is it God's will for our family?

Now because I believe that God designed the husband to lead the family (1 Cor 11:3), I pray often for Scott to have wisdom in guiding our family and our business. Yet, even when not meaning to, I often try to impress my ideas and my timing on him rather than trusting that He is surrendered to and being led by God. I mean, why haven't we sold all of our belongings yet? There is a baby in africa who needs milk!

I think most husbands, like mine, really want to make their wives happy...and perhaps sometimes men can succumb to the desires (or nagging, whatever the situation may be) of their wives in order to achieve this. Is this what Adam did? Did he disobey God in an attempt to make Eve happy? I don't know but I do know that, by Divine design, Scott is responsible to God for our family. Remember how God addressed Adam?

My guess is that we can expect to see more joy in our marriages when we fully commit to praying for our husbands to be surrendered to and led by God and then trusting that it is actually happening. May we be more conscious of what we ask of our husbands...praying that their desire to obey God will supercede their desire to make us happy. When God calls the name of your husband, may it be to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant..."

post lite

Recently I've been serving up some pretty full-bodied posts, so thought I'd give you a "post lite!"

M bolted through the kitchen the other day (as fast as a toddler can bolt), and I asked, "Where are you going?" Without missing a beat, he answered, "Home Depot!"

I just got this new workout video and chose it specifically because it is broken down into five 10 minute sections. With M's nap being so short, I need a quick fix...I just do a section here and there. So far I like it and, while I haven't felt the "pain", I am seeing a little "gain." But the unexpected blessing in it all is that between the sections you have time to grab a handful of Robin Eggs Easter candy! You know, just in case you need some extra protein....because eggs are protein.

Pray Big for Your Marriage by Will Davis, Jr. is a book I am currently reading. LOVE IT! I seriously suck at praying, and this book offers the guidance I need. I know...praying should be as easy as talking to someone you love because you are talking to Love Himself, but it's just really difficult for me. This book is helping me be diligent in seeking God for my marriage.

Speaking of talking, I recently got a phone call from a CELEBRITY! Yes, THE Stefanie of Ni Hao Y'all rang me up the other day! Now let me say that I suck at talking on the phone (hmmm...notice a pattern with my rotten communication skills). For some reason I never know when it is my turn so I am either silent (awkward) or interrupting (awkward and rude), and I pretty much just hate it. BUT...it was THE Stefanie of Ni Hao Y'all, so I sucked it up and answered my phone. Let me just say that she is even more gracious and wonderful "in person" than I imagined. PLUS, if you don't already know, she is headed back to China for her FIFTH ADOPTION (nine children total)...she is utterly remarkable.

Soon we will be trippin' out to CA for M's first time at the beach! Some dear friends have blessed us with their time share, so we are EXCITED!!! I used to live in San Diego, and I miss it dearly so going back gets me all hyped up...or did I just eat too many Robin Eggs?

Here are some pics I took this morning. M is just way too fast for me. He will not hold his head still for even a half-second. So I got some soft photos, but I really like them! He looks handsome in his outfit, which we bought while in Taiwan.


this is what i get when i say "SMILE!":

praying for mamas

Yesterday I saw a Facebook friend at the museum storytime hour. Erin and her handsome son arrived just as the storyteller began speaking, so I gave her a little wave with hopes of chatting after the program. I noticed as we were breaking for the craft session that she had packed up her kid and was bolting toward the door. I caught up in time to say bye and, with a look of total frustration and without slowing her gait, she motioned to her son as the reason for her early departure.

Later over FB, she recounted the rest of their day...tantrums at the car dealership, tantrums at the grocery store, tantrums at daddy's office and, to cap it off, her little guy locked himself in the car when they arrived home! She was completely deflated and asked for prayer.

One thing Erin mentioned in her message is that she can feel when people are lifting her up in prayer. As I read her words, I remembered how I felt covered in YOUR prayers when I traveled home after my mom passed.

So I thought it might be nice if today...before you leave my blog...you say a prayer for another mama.

Maybe for a mama you know. Maybe for a mama you don't know...but God knows her.

Maybe for a mama who is struggling to raise her kids alone, or...

who just received a crushing diagnosis, or...

who has no money to buy food for her kids this week, or...

who is watching her child endure excruiating pain.

Or perhaps you may pray for a mama who has healthy kids, money in the bank, and a wonderful husband...but she just had a really tough day today.

Need words for your intercession? Consider using the following verses as a guide for your prayer:

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Psalm 23:2,3

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me [by Your] generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may be able to comprehend with all the saints what [is] the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14, 16-19

the Bright and Morning Star

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am...the Bright and Morning Star." Rev 22:16

My heart seems to smile when I think of this description of Jesus. The Bright and Morning Star. Perhaps it's because I have a "visual aid" that keeps this title fresh in my mind.

A mountain range is located to the east of us, and daybreak brings a faint light outlining the mountains...a hint of what is coming. Then, as a warrior conquering his enemy, the mighty sun rises over the mountains, ushering forth its light and declaring victory over the darkness that had covered the city.

At Christmas we reflect on Jesus coming as an infant, but we also look ahead to His return. And as the morning star arrives to dispel the darkness of night, one day the Morning Star will return to dispel the darkness of sin and death. Forever. We have so much more than our Savior's birth to celebrate!

I'm sad. I'm sad, and I miss my mom. But just as the sun gives promise of a new day, Jesus gives promise of a new life...an eternal life with Him. How grateful I am to know...to be absolutely confident...that I will see my mom again.

Today I have been thinking of those who are alone...or are in a crowd but lonely...or are simply sad this Christmas. My heart aches for you, and I would love to pray for you over the next few days. As I pray for God's comfort for myself and my family during this first Christmas without my mom, I will lift you in prayer, too. If interested, you may email your prayer request to 1sttimemama1 AT gmail DOT com.

May your hearts smile as you celebrate the birth of Jesus and anticipate His return (may it be with the excitement of a child awaiting Christmas morning!).

Merry, Merry Christmas, my friends!

cancer sucks, but God is good

I've been sitting on this post for awhile and, after reading Laurie's post on prayer, I decided to "publish post" today. I haven't written too much about my mom out of respect for her privacy but, as obvious in the last photos I posted of her, she has cancer.

I pray for healing for my mom. It doesn't matter that the doctor gave her an unfavorable prognosis, my prayer continues for restoration of her health. Sound foolish? Like I'm not facing reality? Perhaps if you only look at the visible, physical evidence....but God transcends what we can touch and see. Just consider Hezekiah, or Jairus's daughter (8:41), or Lazarus, or sweet little Gwyneth.

The other day when I was praying for her, I stopped and thought, "This is crazy! I'm praying for her to stay in this world but praying for Jesus to come for me!" That made me laugh...even now as I typed it! Seriously though, my prayers for my mom have changed since her diagnosis. While I once only prayed the selfish cries of a daughter, I now pray the pleas of a sister in Christ.

For while I'm confident that she would be exceedingly better off in Heaven since to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ, in God's compassion for those who do not know Him He tells us to "pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." My mom is a believer, and so my desire is to see her health restored that she may live to serve her Lord and Savior as a laborer in His harvest. May her life be extended that she may bear much fruit for His kingdom.

Do I know that it is God's will to heal my mom? Nope. But I also don't know that it isn't. However, I do know this. Unless He tells me it isn't His plan, every time I pray to God to heal my mom I am glorifying Him because I go before Him in confidence that He alone is the Great Physician. I acknowledge Him alone as Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who Heals.

A question asked on the Truth Project was something to the effect of, "Do you really believe what you believe is really real?" The example was that if we REALLY believed that praying was to go before the throne of our Holy God and have Him welcome you with arms outstretched to sit and talk with Him, praying would not be difficult. In fact, we would want to pray all day! We call ourselves "believers," but do we really believe?

If you would like to pray for my mom's healing, I'm sure she would appreciate it. Her name is Sara. I also write this post in hopes of encouraging readers who may currently be discouraged. Every day that you have on this planet is a day with purpose. Whether you are bedridden, unemployed, a POW, or a SAHM (kinda the same as a POW, huh?) your life has great value in the eyes of your Creator. Every breath you take is an opportunity to glorify God in your thoughts and actions, and the ultimate way to glorify God is to trust in Jesus Christ as the One who died so that you might live.

edited2add: The following comment is from my mom...I'm just posting it for her!
I would go for years and never mention the greatness of God and now it seems that in this hardest part of my life has been the easiest to praise Him for all He has done. The opportunity to just slightly mention to others how wonderful He has been to me through all this just keeps popping up. And I say these things to people I would never have mentioned religion to before. Now I hope I can figure out how to send this comment!

And since I know it will bum out my mom if there are no photos, here goes:

Prayers for America

I believe this may be the final post on my prayer blog, so check it out HERE.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed HERE.

New Prayers for America

Stop by my blog Salvation for the Nation and join me in prayer this week!

New Prayers for America

New intercessions for our country listed at my site.

Blessings on this Memorial Day and our deepest gratitude to those who have served, are serving, and will serve our nation and its people!

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed on my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed on my site.

UPdate: Still in IL...busy having fun...and eating way too much! Hope you all had a great weekend! Will post photos of the little man soon!

Prayers for America

New intercessions listed at my site.

New prayers for America

New intercessions are listed at my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed at my site.

P.S. Please pray for little Matthew. Last night we had our first experience with throwing up...and thowing up...and throwing up some more.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions are posted at my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed at my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions are posted at my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions for our country have been posted at my site.

New Prayers for America

New intercessions listed at my site.