TGIF

 

Happy Birthday, Daughter!

 Alyssa Maree entered the world (1994)!

One month old.

4-5 months old.

9 months old.

3 years old.

7 years old.

10 years old.

12 years old.

17 years  old.
 

February 2014

It's hard to believe my baby is 20 years old!  Happy Birthday, Lyssa-bean!  I pray that you know that I will always love you, I will continue to pray for you, and I'm proud of the woman you're becoming! 

I love you to the moon and back!

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10 Powerful Prayers to Help You Fight for the Heart of Your Daughter:
by Lysa TerKeurst (found here)

1. Give my daughter a deep desire to listen to You, Lord, and pray often, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” (Joshua 5:14b).

2. Let her learn early in life that to obey You, God, is the best way to the life her heart truly desires, (1 Samuel 15:22).

3. May she find comfort in Your ability, God, to reach her, hold her, and rescue her, (2 Samuel 22:17-18).

4. May she please You, Lord, by desiring, asking for, and utilizing a discerning heart full of wisdom, (1 Kings 3:9-12).

5. Let her find confidence in You, God, even when hard times come and she doesn’t know what to do, by keeping her eyes fixed on You, (2 Chronicles 20:12).

6. Give her a great desire to accept Your word, God, and store up Your commands within her so her ears will turn to Your wisdom, (Proverbs 2:1-2).

7. May she keep herself under control and not give full vent to people and situations that anger her, (Proverbs 29:11).

8. Give her the ability to rise above the traps of people pleasing so she can be kept safe by trusting You, Lord, (Proverbs 29:25).

9. Let her walk in the security of Your assigned worth to her. Give her a strong work ethic and health to accomplish all her tasks. Give her a heart that desires to extend her hand to those in need. Protect her for the right husband, a man of respect and godly honor. And let her be a woman of joy and laughter whose Christ-centered character is what makes her most beautiful, (Proverbs chapter 31).

10. And every time you, Jesus, whisper, “Follow me” she does so with great grace, (Matthew 4:19).

 

He Listens ALWAYS!

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13

 My family! (2013)

I love that God promises that He will listen to us when we talk to Him. He never tires of us.  I'm so thankful!

I wasn't always so available. I'm reminded of nights, that seem just a short time ago, when Alyssa and Kyle would want to chat, chat, and chat some more when it was time for bed.  By that time of the night I felt D-O-N-E.  There were times that I wasn't the greatest listener. 

But God is different.  God listens, night or day, with His full attention.

I pray that Alyssa and Kyle pour their hearts out to Him...
when they don't know which direction to go,
when they look towards their future,
when they are troubled,
when their hearts hurt,
when they have dreams, hopes, and passions,
and when they are full of gratitude!

Alyssa and Kyle, when you call on God and pray to Him, He will listen to you!  What a gift!

Lord, teach Alyssa and Kyle to pray and help them know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you listen to them.  Teach them to pour out their hearts and cast their cares on you.  Oh the joy they will find of getting to know you as they talk to you in conversation and listen for your voice.  I pray, dear Jesus, that they know the beauty of a personal relationship with you.  That is my greatest hope!


 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Cleanse Me

 

Facing Life with Prayer

Photo Credit

Lord, today, when Lyssa and Kyle face big mountains, I pray that they come to you in prayer.  Your Word calls us to come to you when we are weary and burdened and you give us rest.  As Lyssa and Kyle deal with hard relationships, face difficult conflicts, or are challenged with huge tasks, may they look to you for strength, wisdom, and help through prayer.  You alone can be their Rock and Refuge.  Prayer will be a lifeline in their daily journey through life.  Thank you, Precious Jesus, for Lyssa and Kyle and for listening to the cries of their hearts.

 

Being Persevering

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  Hebrews 4:16

As I was searching for something this last weekend, we came across a letter that Alyssa wrote me when she was in third grade.  You have to realize that there were times in our house where I was sure I was living in a farm...or better yet a ZOO...and the thought of one more animal joining our family did not bring this mother much pleasure.  Ken was always the easy one to persuade, but I on the other hand, took great convincing and bribing.  Therefore, the letter.

Oh can kids be persistent when they want something.  I pray that they can take that "gift" and learn to use it in their prayer life.  Being persevering and persistent will draw them ever closer to their Savior.

I don't really remember if this letter accomplished what the kids wanted, but I'm sure God wouldn't have turned them down! if they prayed with such eloquence and persistence!

Lord, I love that you hear our prayers and know the desires of our hearts.  I love that you promise that when we seek you we will find you, and when we ask it will be given to us.  I pray that Alyssa and Kyle find great joy and delight in coming to you, dear Jesus, in prayer.  I long for them to know the peace that passes all understanding that comes from you as they learn to trust you with their fears, needs and wants.  May Alyssa and Kyle approach your throne of grace with confidence so that they may receive mercy and find grace to help them in their times of need.  Thank you, precious Savior, for hearing our prayers!
 

A God Prompted Letter

Alyssa, Kyle and friends (2004)

I wrote a letter to my daughter yesterday.  God had placed her on my heart.  She's going through a tough time with her new roommates.  Its a reminder that relationships are hard, hard work.  I have a similar stretching experience in my life and thought I'd share with Lyss what God has been teaching me.  A portion of the letter is below (though edited out for some privacy).

Dear Lyssa,

As you came to mind today, I had a revelation that you and I are kind of going through similar things...believe it or not!  I thought I'd share with you how I've been praying in my situation, and maybe it could be of encouragement to you.
  
One, I pray for the other person to change and see the light.  Oh how the situation could quickly be remedied if they'd realize the error of their ways.  HA!  Especially if they could see how much it was hurting others someone else.  We want people to recognize how they hurt us and are being "rude" and be sorry and willing to change.  Keep praying that way, and I will too. God can do it!

Secondly, the other way I have been praying in my situation, and I find it a bit harder, is "God change me."  I want Him to show ME the ways I need to change my expectation, my responses, and my heart.  Ultimately, I think that will be the more important prayer in my situation.  It's hard to learn how to love the unlovely, but God calls us to.  So, I've been trying to find ways to intentionally love. People tend to change more through love than demand.   It goes against every grain in me, but God calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  I don't always like doing it...or the response I get (or lack there of), but I know I'm being obedient to God's instruction to me. 

God put us in these situations for a reason.  Maybe its to grow us...and maybe its to love the other parties.  For some reason He thought we could handle it and has purpose in our trials.  My prayer for us both is that we become better (and not bitter) through the experience. 

He's with you, baby!  He loves you...walks beside you...and wants to work in and through your situation to make something beautiful in you.  Trials aren't fun, but for some reason, they stretch and grow us into more what He wants us to be. 

I'm praying for you and trusting for His intervention.

loving you...

Mom

Learning our part in hard relationships can often be challenging and takes us out of our comfort zones, but God is willing to walk with us as we are faithful to follow Him.  And as we are obedient, God will take care of the rest.

Lord, help our kids in their relationships with others.  Teach them to love abundantly, forgive freely, and pray diligently when relationships are strained and need mending.  You call us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, yet that is often so against our human nature.  Help Alyssa and Kyle to love supernaturally through your strength and leading.  Bring people into their lives who will show them good what healthy relationships look like, and who are willing to work through conflict and misunderstandings, and show them love and forgiveness when they mess up.  Lord, you give us people to love, and to love us in return.  May we be good stewards of the friendships you give us.  Amen.

 

Call to Him

“This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, 

made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: 

(Photo Credit)

‘Call to me and I will answer you.

 (Photo Credit)

 I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things 

that you could never figure out on your own.’ 

 Jeremiah 33:2-3 (The Message)

Lord, thank you for the promise that when we call to you, you will answer, and when we can't figure out things you will give us wisdom and insight.  I pray that Alyssa and Kyle learn to talk to you like one would talk to a friend, and seek you when they need answers and have struggles.  Oh what marvelous and wondrous things you want to share with them.  I ask that you help Alyssa and Kyle to understand the power and sweetness of prayer, and find joy and delight as they find you in your Word.  You, Lord, have the answers they need, and will shower them with wisdom and love as they call on your name. May the truth of this promise come alive to Alyssa and Kyle, and they experience first hand your intimate and all-knowing voice.  Oh what blessing they will find!

 

Salvation Saturday & Sunday

Being a mom is not for the faint of heart, I tell you!  Why didn't someone share that news with me before I entered the realm of no return?  And the struggles just don't end with potty training and teaching those little hoodlums how to sleep through the night.  Sorry if this is not encouraging news to some of you.  Though I think I do have some good news to share.

Before kids (and even still, though I hate to admit it) I had some pretty big fears about being a mom.  Would my kids grow up to be well adjusted adults?  Could I keep them from drugs, alcohol, smoking and other life-damaging things?  Was I going to teach them well enough to love the Lord or would they walk away from the faith of their parents? Oh how I feared loosing my precious babies to this world.  

So, to "prevent" these fears from becoming realities, over the years I've done things to ensure their safety and protection.  Since Alyssa and Kyle were born we've gone to church, attended play groups, sent them to church camp, and taught them about the Lord from my experiences.  But out of my intense insecurities, I hate to admit, I started writing this blog and even formed a parent prayer group at church.  I figured the more prayer for my kids the better!  I just didn't want to fail at this parenting thing.

In some ways, what I feel like I have failed at is this: trusting God to do His work.  I don't want to negate the importance of praying for my kids, but by golly, I think I need to confess that I need to trust God to do His job too.  He is the One who will do the work in Alyssa and Kyle's lives so that they know and believe in Him, and choose to live their lives according to His design and plan.  Me?  I just get to trust, pray, hope...and watch.  

That's pretty good news!

I hold onto this:   
"He is wooing MY KIDDOS from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction,    to the comfort of your table laden with choice food."  Job 36:16 (NIV)

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in THEM will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6 (NIV)


Oh precious Jesus, I trust you fully.  I trust you with Alyssa and know that you are continually wooing her to yourself. She is your daughter and you hold her in the palm of your hand, and will keep her in the center of your heart.   I also trust you with Kyle's heart and believe with all that I am, that He is your son and you will be calling his name, pursuing him around every corner, and have great plans for his life.  I am confident of this, you HAVE begun a good work in Alyssa and Kyle's lives and YOU will carry it on to completion.  They are yours Precious Savior, not mine.  I will continue to trust you, pray for them, hope with all that I am, and watch your hand at work in Alyssa and Kyle's lives.  This I pray, Amen!

 

Let the Week Begin!

Oh it's Monday.  After a nice weekend, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for the week to begin.  So, for today's prayer I'm sending you to another blog. I know, it's kind of cheating.  It's titled Seven Things to Pray for your Children by Jon Bloom.  Enjoy a little prayer time for your kids today...and I'll do the same!

Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude.

~Walter A. Mueller

 How time flies!  My precious babies. (1999)

 

Monday's Misery or Majesty?

"Do not be anxious about anything..."  Philippians 4:6a

Kyle's first day of school (2008).

It's Monday.  The beginning of a new school week is upon us. 
Tests.
Papers.
Relationships.
Homework.
So many expectations some weeks.

"But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6b

Anxious moments give opportunities to pray and seek Him.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:7

Peace.
Patience.
Trust.
Strength.
Joy.

School doesn't have to be all that bad!  I'm praying for Alyssa and Kyle to have a blessed week!

Lord, we welcome a new week and all that it holds.  School has the opportunity to be stressful and crazy, but it also can hold joy and delight.  Open Kyle's mind (Alyssa is on summer break as of today) to the gift of learning.  May he strive to do his best and find great satisfaction in all his work, and in moments of anxiousness, come to you in prayer.  You, precious Savior, walk with Alyssa and Kyle day by day and I pray that they meet you in their comings and goings and enjoy your peace that passes all understanding.  Thank you for this Monday, and for a new week of learning. 

 

How Long, Lord?

"How long, Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?"  Psalm 13:1-2








How long, Lord?  How long?

Sometimes prayer is hard because we get tired of waiting for God's answer.

How long, Lord?  How long?

It's said that "God is never early, and never late."

How long, Lord?  How long?

Still He asks us to pray without ceasing.

How long, Lord?  How long?

And promises that if we ask Him, He will answer.

How long, Lord?  How long?

I'm pretty sure He's not afraid of us asking "how long?" because we're still asking, seeking, and coming to Him.

How long, Lord?  How long?

Lord, teach Alyssa and Kyle to pray, and teach them to pray without ceasing.  When they wonder and doubt that you hear them, and are waiting for you to answer, may they not be afraid to ask "how long, Jesus?" May Alyssa and Kyle wrestle through life's issues with prayer, knowing and trusting that you will hear them and answer their call to you.  Prayer can be a sweet relationship builder as they come to you.  May they fall in love with dear conversation with their Lord and Savior.

 

First Resort

"Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish."  Psalm 25:17

“We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all."

--Oswald Chambers

Lord, I love you, for you hear my voice; and you hear my cry for mercy.  Because you turn your ear to me, I will call on you as long as I live.  Oh, how I long that the same will be true in Alyssa and Kyle's life as well.  I pray that they fall in love with speaking to you about their days, their cares and concerns, and their hopes and dreams.  I hope that Alyssa and Kyle learn to recognize your still small voice, and hear your whisper in their ears.  Lord, you are Alyssa and Kyle's refuge and shelter, and an ever-present help in trouble.  May they find this to be an absolute truth and something to live by, as they come to you in prayer.  Thank you, Father, for talking to your children.

 

 

Grasping How Deep

Oh Lord, I pray that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen Alyssa & Kyle with power through your Spirit in their inner being, so that you may dwell in their hearts through faith. And I pray that Alyssa & Kyle, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is your love, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that Alyssa & Kyle may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of you.

Lord, you are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within Alyssa & Kyle, to you be glory in the church and throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:16-21

 

Out of the Depths

Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh! 
Lord, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Psalm 130:1 (HCSB)

"Olaf didn't have such a great spring break."--Lyssa

Lyssa arrived back to her college dorm, after having spring break at home, to find one of her "friends" gone.  I'm not sure how she handled it but it reminded me of some our long-lost pets of the past.  Hamsters, turtle, rabbit, frogs, and fish, many of which are buried somewhere in the back yard.  Many time there were tears, heartache, and grieving.

Lyss and Zoe, Easter 2013

Seeing as our family dog, Zoe, is 15 years old, I have a feeling that sometime in the near future we'll have to say good-bye to her as well.  I'm pretty sure that won't be an easy loss for any of us.

Grieving is always hard.  Sometimes the grief is over broken relationships, unattained goals, hurtful words, unfulfilled expectations, and sometimes death.  Each causing tears or heartache, fear and loneliness.  My prayer is that when Alyssa and Kyle face these "bumps in the road", they will know  that they can cry out to Jesus and that He will hear their pain, sense their questions, and speak to their condition.

"Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!"...the best way to survive the hard things of life!

Lord, teach my children to pray, so that when they face trials or experience grief, they will automatically call to you and sense your attention and presence. I pray that out of the depths Alyssa and Kyle will seek your face, sense your comfort, and experience your peace that passes all understanding.  My tendency is to pray for protection from the hard things of life, but I know that trials, grief, and conflicts are inevitable.  So, in those hard times, may Alyssa and Kyle, call on you, Precious Savior, and sense you arming them with strength and filling them with love and hope for better days.  You are the God who sees, hears, and knows, and I give you praise!

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Thankful Thursday: Prayers of Others

"On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers."  2 Corinthians 1:10-11

 Lyssa and Jered in her dorm this weekend. 

I'm so blessed that I have people who pray on my behalf.  I'm sure there are those who pray for me without my knowledge, and I'm grateful.  I also know that there are others who pray for me because they tell me so.  God lays my name on their hearts and they pray. This week, I even called out for prayer, and I know they someone must have obliged because I saw God come to my rescue.  How privileged I am to have people in my life who pray for me!

If you're one of those people, I give God thanks for you!

Here are some answers to prayer this week:

• Safe travels to Oregon for meetings...even the return since I, for some reason, had a ticket to come home on the wrong day.
• I loved visiting Alyssa and staying with her in her college dorm.  I was a part of her world for 2 evenings and loved seeing her interact with her friends, hear about and see college life, and hear more words out of her than I would in a whole week at home.
• Some of my meetings were hard for me, and I shot a quick text during dinner to my hubby to pray, and God came to my rescue.
• God gave me some parenting wisdom after I asked for prayer.
• Lyssa is struggling with a class this semester and had a big test yesterday. We're still praying that the grade is good, but she said she thinks she did okay.  I hope it encouraged her just to know we were praying.

"On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us"... AMEN!

Thank you, Lord, for the hope and healing that come as we call on you! As we call to you, you hear us and answer our prayers.  I pray that Alyssa and Kyle know the power and peace that come when they call on your name. Deliverance, strength, hope, courage, and faith always are available as we look to you, our Savior!  Thank you for being the God who hears your people!

 

Thankful Thursday: Praying Together

"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."  Matthew 18:19-20 (NASB)

Each Sunday night I have the precious privilege of hearing a couple of my friends pray for my kids. Oh, I'm so thankful for them.  There is no better way to move into a new week, or release my burdens or fears, and learn to rest in hope for God's intervention in so many things on this parenting journey.  Together, these ladies and I are experiencing sweet communion with the Lord, and seeing His power and grace at work in the lives of our youth.

Thank you, my dear friends, for faithfully gathering together with me in prayer. It's one of my greatest blessings each week!


Lord, it is such a tender experience hearing someone else pray for my children so faithfully, and I can't help but give you thanks today for my friends who gather with me each Sunday night.  You say that when two or more are gathered in your name that you are in their midst.  Your presence with us moms as we pray is the greatest encouragement and gives us the strength we need to face the coming week.  Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers, for loving our children even more than we do, and being present and active in their lives day by day, and moment by moment.  What peace that comes knowing that we don't parent alone.  We have you, dear Jesus, and we have friends that walk along side us on this journey.  Thank you for such a precious gift!


 

Wordless Wednesday