Who are you Praying Through?

Have you prayed for our soliders today?

I was struck with the strangest thought today......

 

I pray for my children everyday.   I pray for my children’s safety in their daily routines.  I pray for their success in life.  I pray for their desire to hold on to their innocence. I pray for their desire to follow hard after God.  I pray for their future spouses.  I pray that they are surrounded by Godly relationships, and that they will be protected from the wrong people.  I pray that they are always gentle in spirit, and strong in their convictions.

I have many prayers that I send up for my children, and I thank God for trusting me with these  children (His children) everyday.

 However, there is soooo many aspects of their lives that I take for granted.  I have never thanked God for making them the people that they are.

 I have never specifically thanked Him for making my son the tenderhearted, compassionate, and absolutely hilarious young man that he is. 

Seriously,  his humor often brings me to tears.  I just love it when he gets tickled at some witty comment he has made, and he will just laugh and giggle for hours about it.  I am thankful for this......

I have never thanked Him for making my daughter strong willed, courageous, and absolutely wise beyond her years.  It never bothers her one bit to share what is on her mind-good or bad.  Yes,  this personality trait has led to MANY embarrasing moments as her mother. 

This child is not afraid of anything, and is as tough as they come.   I am thankful for this........

I have just begun to thank Him for giving them the ability to do the thing that they both love-rodeo.  I am fully aware of the fact that there are so many children that would love to take part in the sport of rodeo, but aren’t physically able or do not have the means to participate.  We are so blessed.

So today I am thankful for all of these aspects of my children, and I am thankful for dusty hem lines, boots in stirrups,

and fingers loosely wrapped on reigns.

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

                                                                                                                        Ephesians 5:20

The horse is prepared against the day of battle but saftey is of the Lord. 

                                                                                        Proverbs 21:31

Lessons learned from a child are sometimes the most difficult to come to terms with.

Summertime always brings lots of adventure.  This year one of my adventures has been Vacation Bible School.  My kids have been involved in many different VBS programs throughout the years, but this was going to be the first time that I would be involved as a member of the staff.  I volunteered hoping I would get kitchen duty or even the job of cleaning the bathrooms.  No such luck.

 I was chosen to help with the Bible class.  

I must say I was NOT overly excited.  For weeks prior we would have our planning meetings, and I would often wonder what I was thinking.  You see I do not do well with the unknown, and I am a bit obsessive compulsive.  I like things just so, and I experience a lot of anxiety when there is disorder.   As you know anytime you are dealing with kids there is always disorder of some kind.  So you can see why this had the potential for disaster.  Our director laughed when I expressed my concerns, and said “Maybe God is going to teach you something.  Maybe he is trying to get you out of your comfort zone.”

  I prayed hard that God would fill me with the words I would need to reach these kids.

I prayed that God move mightily throughout the week.  I prayed that He would just get me excited and calm my fears.

Last week was our church’s Vacation Bible School, and I was coming off a really rough week.  Exhausted is an understatement.  So when you heap that on top of the anxiety I was already feeling that is a recipe for a really bad attitude.   Now I did my best to put on a happy face, and go through the motions of being excited to be there.  However, on the inside I was in a really foul mood, and I did NOT want to be there. 

As the week came to an end, I rejoiced, and never gave it a second thought.

Until Sunday night…….. When a father stood before the church to thank everyone that had been involved in VBS.  Then he asked his 6 yr old son to tell the church what had happened after Bible School.  This precious boy announced as proudly as he could that he had accepted Jesus into His heart as his personal savior.

I felt like I had been ran over by a truck.

 Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt so happy for this child and his family.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I begged God to forgive me for my horrible attitude about Bible School.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thanked God that my attitude did not cause a missed opportunity to guarantee this precious child an eternal future.

Tears streamed down my cheeks because I was so thankful that God is bigger than my negative attitude.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thanked God for this hard lesson.

As I thought back over the week I remembered something that I had noticed before, but never really paid attention to.  This sweet boy sat in my class every night, right in the front, as still as he could be, and he hung on every word that was said.  Each night he told me that my class was his favorite part of Bible School.

How could I have missed this?

Who am I to get so caught up in the ‘me me me’ that I missed the big picture.  

This is the prayer I wrote in my prayer journal that night after church.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come as humbly as I know how with a deep regret. I pray that you will forgive me for the negative feelings I have had about Bible School this past week.  I am sorry for not feeling the excitement of being allowed and able to share your word with those children.  I praise and thank you for the one’s that came to know you through VBS despite my attitude.  I pray that you will enable me to be more attentive to these opportunities in the future.  I thank you for this lesson.  I pray that I will never forget the smile on Carson’s face as he stood before the church tonight to proclaim his salvation at the tender age of 6.  Keep this fresh in my mind Lord, so that I never forget that my responsibility is obedience, and you will take care of the results.  Father, I pray that you will infuse me with a servant’s heart.

I love you, I praise you, and I thank you.  In Jesus’ precious and holy name I pray-Amen

Then I searched for God’s word that would cement this lesson in my heart.

                            

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

                                                                               Matthew 18:2-7

The leading of children should be our priority.  This scripture provides direct evidence of this.  It also commands all believers to live a Godly life before children and to tell them about the Lord.

I have learned this lesson, and I pray that it is one that I will remember forever.  No matter what life throws at me I am to remain obedient to God.

K.C.

Birds of a Feather

I was headed down the driveway this afternoon on my way to the grocery store (which seems like an everyday occurance)  I saw this beautiful bird flying in front of my car.  It was just a few feet in front of the car.  As soon as the thought of it's beauty came to my mind this huge hawk swooped down and plucked it right out of mid flight.  Feathers were going everywhere.  I hit my breaks, and couldn't believe what I had just witnessed.  As suddenly as it happened, they were gone back into the trees.
 I sat there for a minute, and the thought occurred to me how often does this happen to us?

 You know there we are just going through life minding our own business when something/someone swoops down and plucks us right out of mid air.  A crisis, a devastation, an interruption that disrupts our whole world. 

When this happens we often submit to the hawk that has us in it's claws.   We let the hawk drag us into the darkness of the forest.

But shouldn't we fight with everything that we have and let the hawk know we are still alive?  Shouldn't we send up a distress signal to all who love us to come fight with us and for us? 

How the interruption effects our lives is based on the choices we make while in the clutches of the one that wants to see us give up, give in, and ultimately be defeated.

But if we trust in the one that will always fight for us and with us we will have victory----every time!!
What a peaceful feeling......

To be thought of

As I awoke this morning the first thing I saw was my new book.  The thought then occurred to me that the reason this gift means so much to me is because even though I haven’t physically seen the friend that sent this to me in years she thought enough of me to send me a gift unexpectedly.

As I continued on my morning routine my mind kept returning to how great it feels to know someone thought of me.  Thought of me on an ordinary day for no special reason other than she thought I would enjoy this book.

As these thoughts filled my mind I rushed quickly through the laundry room to throw in a load of clothes before the rush of the day began.  As I turned to leave something caught my eye.  When I took a second look I paused, and it took my breath away.

There through the window it was the sun beginning its day painting a beautiful picture as it peeked through the tree line and made its way above the barn.  The pinks, purples, and oranges swirled amongst the backdrop of pale blue. 

I stood there captivated when God gently whispered to me.  Much like my friend, He thought of me today.  Thought of me on an ordinary day for no special reason other than I am His and He thought I would enjoy this magnificent painting in the sky.  What a wonderfully unexpected gift.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  James 1:17 

One of those really high pitched squeals.

OK so today I had one of those moments where I squealed with delight.  You know one of those really high pitched squeals that usually occurs at Christmas when your son realizes he has gotten the one toy that makes the loudest noise ever or when your daughter opens the finger paints or makeup. 

As a 30-ish mother of two I haven't had one of these moments in a while.  

I was busy in the kitchen this afternoon when my son came in and said, "Mom, your package came."  I looked at him confused, and explained that I hadn't ordered anything.  He said, "well, it has your name on it, let's open it and see."  So I let him open the package, and I continued on with my work.

He opened the package, and explained that it was a book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Like the mature mama that I am, I ripped it straight from his hands and clutched it tightly to my chest--this is the moment the squeal escaped from my mouth. 

I am soooo excited to receive this book.  I have heard tons of great things about this book, and have been dying to read it.

  You see, I did not order it for myself.  A precious friend ordered this for me, and had it shipped to my house.  What a sweet surprise, but even sweeter is the friend that sent it.  She has blessed me in more ways than I can count in the last few months just by being a child of God. 


A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer that a brother.
Proverbs 18:24


K.C.