Beechem Bright Spots

More Homemade Christmas Gifts

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000-06:00

I found a really neat inexpensive gift idea on Women Living Well blog before Christmas. I LOVED the idea and wanted to make this for my parents! Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until DECEMBER 23 to get it together. By the time I cut out the letters, took the pictures, got the pictures printed, and found the frames at Michael's, it was Christmas Eve! This just shows how easy these cool picture frames really are! We even made one for my brother since he's the uncle to all 4 of the grandchildren.

For my brother and sister-in-law, we spelled out "McCarty."

We spelled out "Grammy" and "PawPaw" for my parents.

The suggestions on the Women Living Well blog said to print the pictures in black and white, so you don't have to worry about coordinating colors. And I matted the pictures with this cool 4x6 black cardstock that I found at Michael's. Made the work even easier!

Our other inexpensive gift for the family was homemade ice cream kits and homemade hot cocoa kits.

The boys made these for our extended family. We put all of the items in a plastic shoebox lined with Christmas tissue paper.

Zambian Vocal Group

2012-01-08T22:45:00.000-06:00

Today was a special day!

Some of our best friends came to visit...

The "other Kim and Eric" and their kids, Grant and Cassidy.

Of course, we like to think they ONLY wanted to come and see us but in REALITY they wanted to come to our church tonight for the Zambian Vocal Group Concert!

It just happens to be Kim's birthday tomorrow, so we had to do a little celebrating before the concert...

We had homemade lasagna, crunch salad, and garlic bread...

and then we had CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES!

Ethan had to help blow out the candles!

Ethan kept Cassidy busy all afternoon...I'm sure she was exhausted when she left.

He made her play game after game and had her jump on the trampoline with him.

The boys did some geocaching...

And then we enjoyed the concert...

At one point during the concert, they even called on Kim to stand up so they could sing "Happy Birthday" to her! What a treat to have an accapella group serenade you for your birthday!

And after the concert, we all enjoyed some pizza at Ethan's favorite place...The PIZZERIA!

Such a wonderful day with friends and such a wonderful time of worship!

Homemade Hot Cocoa

2012-01-06T13:00:00.000-06:00

Do you like hot chocolate?

Our family absolutely loves it!

So when my dear friend, Kim, made some wonderful homemade hot cocoa for us last year, I knew we had to get the recipe! She was so sweet to share it with us, so we decided to make it for gifts this year.

Here's the "oh so simple" recipe:

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 large Nesquik chocolate milk mix

9.6 oz Carnation powdered milk (my friend says other brands don't taste as yummy)

6 oz. Coffee-mate creamer

Stir the 4 ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Here's how to make your yummy cup of cocoa...

We made these gifts for Sunday School and choir teachers and our friends
at our homeschool co-op.

We also made homemade hot cocoa gift packs for our extended family...
We put everything in a plastic shoebox/storage box with
festive tissue paper around it.

We also made these super easy chocolate spoons to stir in
the hot cocoa! We just dipped the spoons in melted
chocolate almond bark and then dipped some in sprinkles and
drizzled some with white chocolate almond bark. Too cute!

Salt Dough Ornaments

2012-01-06T08:30:00.000-06:00

Another crafty day in December, we made Salt Dough Ornaments. Why have we not ever done this before? They were the easiest & most fun things to create! I really enjoyed baking & painting them too!

Here's the recipe:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup water

Directions:

Mix the salt and flour. Add in half the water and stir. Then gradually add the remaining water. Knead until the dough is smooth. Roll out the dough on baking paper or floured surface. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or design your own.

Bake at 250 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Make sure they don't burn. Let them cool completely and then paint them.

It's that simple! I'm thinking we could make these for every holiday...Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving...the choice are endless!

Here are some pictures of the boys having fun...

Some of Ethan's buddies came over one afternoon, so they
helped us paint them. They were very creative!

Showing off their creations!

The boys both made their names for their Christmas tree in their bedroom/schoolroom.

And I had fun painting a few crosses.

Breakfast with Santa

2012-01-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

Still trying to post our Christmas memories...

We had the opportunity to attend a local fundraiser this year called "Breakfast with Santa." Ethan had a wonderful time...mostly because his best friends were there.

Ethan's sweetie.

Ethan's buddy & his little sister. Ethan tends to boss her around a lot.
I think it's because she's the only one younger than he is. :)

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

2011-12-29T22:31:00.000-06:00

One of our favorite activities this year was creating homemade ornaments. On this day, we made CINNAMON APPLESAUCE ORNAMENTS. SO EASY! I found this idea on pinterest and decided we had to try it!

The recipe is simple...

1 c. applesauce

1 c. cinnamon

4 T. white glue (like Elmer's)

(We talked to Ethan over & over about how we can NOT eat these although they smell so good and look like yummy cookies. So he reminded everyone that we gave one to not to eat theirs either.)

Stirring the dough

After you roll out the dough between two pieces of wax paper, you can cut them with any cookie cutter shape. Make sure you don't roll the dough too thin because they will brittle. Most recipes I found said between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. I found the thicker to be better.

We liked the stars and crosses the best but we did try gingerbread men and trees too.

Once you cut them out, make sure to use a straw (or something like it)

to cut out a hole in the top of the ornament for string. Then, bake them on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 2 HOURS. Then, turn off the heat and leave the cookie sheet in the oven for at least 6 hours. We just left ours in the oven overnight.

My proud little baker!

(Yes, he has his favorite Buzz Lightyear pajamas on with a child's apron.)

We tied raffia on the ornaments and attached them to mugs

filled with homemade hot cocoa mix.

We gave these as gifts for Sunday School teachers, choir teachers,

co-op teachers, friends, and family.

Memory Verses #21- #24

2011-12-29T22:19:00.002-06:00

Wow! I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted. Thanksgiving & Christmas had me busy. This year, we spent a lot of time making Christmas crafty projects and making family memories. I'll be posting pictures of them soon.

But first I have to post my Siesta Memory Verses...I didn't realize I hadn't even posted them on here. I have logged them in on Beth Moore's Living Proof blog but forgot to do it here.

So here they are...

#21
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy,
and I will give thanks to Him in son.

#22
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever!

#23
Proverbs 29:11
A fool gives full vent to his anger,
but a WISE (wo)man keeps him(her)self under control.

#24
Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be onhis shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, MightyGod,
   Everlasting Father, Prince ofPeace.

Thanksgiving Treats

2011-11-23T08:52:00.001-06:00

This week we have the opportunity to stay with Grammy & PawPaw for Thanksgiving. We are enjoying spending time with our family, decorating for Christmas, and shopping. Hopefully, we're not wearing out my mom & dad. :)

Before we left, Ethan made this adorable stuffed turkey

thanks to his Aunt Shellye giving him the supplies.

This week, we celebrated Aunt Ami's Birthday...

And PawPaw's Birthday...

And with the help of Ethan and two little girls at Grammy's daycare,
we made some edible acorns and edible pilgrim hats.

Cute and Yummy!

OBU Homecoming

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

My sweet niece was in Ouachita Baptist University's Tiger Tunes during Homecoming last month. As an OBU Alumni, to say I was quite proud is an understatement. We loved the show & loved getting to see sweet Mauri!

Our friend, Ryan, was one of the Tiger Tunes hosts too!
Fabulous job!

Campus Ministries were students & professors.

The EEE's were astronauts & aliens.

Mauri taught Ethan the official Tiger Tunes face!

Palo Duro Canyon (Fall Vacation Part 4)

2011-11-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

Another highlight of our vacation was spending the night at Palo Duro Canyon. We enjoyed learning about the canyon and hiking and learning how to Geocache. (You can go here to read my husband's chronicles of Geocaching...very FUN family outing!)

It was really hot when we got there that afternoon...95 degrees at the end of October! But the next morning it was 45 degrees! That's the way I like it!

The boys even got to earn a Junior Ranger Badge by learning about the history of the canyon. We had such a great time together! And the canyon was beautiful! God is so creative with His creation!

Learning in the education center.

Daddy is pointing at Palo Duro Canyon & Ethan is pointing at Caprock Canyons (where we went the next day).

We stayed in the "Cow Camp Cabins" at the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon. There are only 4 cabins that were built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corp workers who initially developed road access into the canyon. They were really rustic, and those of you who know me, will know that this was pushing my limits. But surprisingly, I really liked them. I didn't really like having to use the restroom down the street, but the little cabin was really neat! It had this bunkbed, a little microwave, a mini-fridge, and a table with 2 chairs. Because of the burn ban, we didn't get to have a fire or cook anything, but that's ok.

We began our Geocaching journey here on the Juniper Trail in Palo Duro Canyon. We all had a wonderful time searching for little hidden treasures!

I love this picture of Daddy & our boys!

My husband got a little carried away trying to find one and never did. He climbed up this HUGE steep hill. Can you see Evan sitting about halfway down in the picture above? He has a white t-shirt and an orange cap. It was getting too steep for him, so he stopped & waited on Daddy to get back down. He later thought the cache might be around the curve, but we didn't have time to search...it was getting dark!

Eating dinner in our little cabin.

Our cabin the next morning...cool & crisp & beautiful!

These beautiful trees were in the bottom of the canyon but not at the top.

Amarillo (Fall Family Vacation Part 3)

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Another neat part about Amarillo is the painted horses at businesses around town. They are painted to represent the business...we liked the Wal-mart one. :)

Since it was getting close to Halloween, there were several pumpkin patches around town. Because I'm so camera happy, we just HAD to stop & take a bunch of pictures. My E boys (INCLUDING my sweet husband) were LESS than thrilled, but they indulged me. I got a few good ones. I wish I knew how to do some special effects & blur out the busy town in the background.

We had fun going to some antique shops on Route 66. We even found a MICHIGAN License plate from 1971 (when & where Eric was born), so we just HAD to get them.

We had the opportunity to tour Jacie's school too. It was really nice!

Cadillac Ranch (Fall Family Vacation Part 2)

2011-11-20T22:30:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from the rest of our vacation. We had a wonderful time visiting my college roommate & her family. It was so nice & relaxing, and we had beautiful weather! The kids loved playing in their backyard, especially climbing the trees.

Ethan had so much fun playing with Jacie and their 2 kittens all weekend. He misses her now.

Mr. Cool...we must not smile when we're 12 years old!

Cadillac Ranch is a really neat tourist place right in Amarillo! Someone "planted" these cadillacs in the ground YEARS ago and now people love to go out & put graffiti all over the cars. We remember visiting there when Eric & I were newly married, around 15 years ago! And now the kids enjoyed climbing & painting!

This was too cute!

For dinner, we went to historic Route 66 to Cowboy Gelato's. It's a trendy little hamburger place with Gelato (Italian ice cream). YUMMY!

BRRRR. This ice cream is COLD!

On Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed playing at a local park. The weather was perfect, so the boys had a wonderful time playing!

Providence

2011-11-07T21:17:00.000-06:00

It’s funny how Godwants to bless us sometimes, but we get too busy and caught up in our “to-dolists.” I struggle with this SOOOOmuch! (I think a lot of it has to dowith always having a million things to do at once as a high school teacher withsometimes as many as 4 preps and 100+ students. And it doesn’t help that Imarried a man just like me!)

Teaching highschool for 17 years produces quiet a habit of “task master” mode. I think about the year I taught AP Calculusfor the first time in addition to Pre-Calculus. While I absolutely LOVED the challenge of learning the calculusconcepts, it took a tremendous amount of time—during school, after school, andwell into the night after we got the kids to bed. I wonder how many opportunities I missed thatyear that I could enrich relationship with my students.

Don’t get mewrong…I did try to have fun with the kids, but I always had this naggingchecklist in my brain that I HAD to teach this, this, and that by the end ofthe period each day.

God has been tryingever so patiently to change this stubborn girl’s mindset for the last couple ofyears. I’m trying, but man, IT IS HARD!

I’m learning thatknowledge for simply knowledge’s sake is not nearly as important as richrelationships and true life experiences.

I’m learning thatmemorizing math facts by rote is not nearly as meaningful as discovering how tocreate a simple machine or why something works that way.

I’m learning thateach child learns differently (especially my own two boys) and it’s mostimportant to discover the way they each learn best. And it’s ok if it is not MY way of learning.(Ouch!) Learning about my own children is especially important because they arethe two children that God entrusted into my care to effect eternity.

So last week wasso educational for me as we took our first official fall vacation since westarted homeschooling about a year and half ago. (We were supposed to take one last year butGod called us to move to a new church and a new life instead). Hmmm….now that I think about it, maybe Godknew I wasn’t ready last year to learn all that He wanted to teach me thisweek.

I’ll have to sharemore lessons soon, but I just had to share this BIG ONE today!

Eric and I tiredreally hard during our vacation week to RELAX and enjoy life on ourvacation. And we’ve done fairly well, Ido believe. Until this morning…

But God taught mea HUGE lesson and gave me a BIG BLESSING.

We were kind of ina hurry to leave so Ethan could get to Aunt Shellye’s school Fall Festival atnoon—3 hours down the road.

Eric and Evanwanted to find three more Geocaches before we left town. I didn’t mind because we all are having funwith them. But…we were running a littlebehind schedule.

Eric wanted tostop at Betty’s Kitchen to eat breakfast in Aubrey because he’d eaten therebefore and loved it. I kept saying, “weneed to eat fast and get on the road!” He even placed his order and left to go gas up the van to save time. The waitress was reasonably quick too!

We finishedeating, so I took Ethan to the restroom to wash his syrupy hands. By the way, there were very few people in therestaurant at this time—it was already past 10 am! And I did notice that a family came in afterwe did. As I passed that table, I noticed the young many quit talking to his familyand just stared at me. I thought that wasso strange…I was thinking about how weird that was the whole time we were inthe restroom. I was planning to tellEric and was thinking he must have been sharing some type of secret story.

As we came aroundthe corner from the restroom, the young lady at that same table said,“KIM! I’m Sondra!”

OH MYGOODNESS! I haven’t seen Sondra innearly 15 years! We had lost contact!

SONDRA! My sweet, sweet friend!

SONDRA! Reallymore like my long lost little sister!

SONDRA! Myfavorite child that my mom ever babysat for when I was growing up.

Although she’s 13years younger than me, we were the best of friends!

We hugged sotightly!

It brought tearsto both of our eyes!

It was neat tomeet her husband and son and see her dad again. (Our little boys are only 2 months apart!)

So time stoodstill for a few moments and I forgot about the hurry we were in…I had found along lost friend (really family). And weboth vowed not to lose touch again.

And when we droveoff, I started thinking about God’s providence. His timing. His sweet blessing.

If I had insistedon not eating there or if we had gotten there just a little earlier, our pathswould not have crossed.

Thank you, Jesus,for letting me find Sondra again! Thankyou for her sweet friendship! Thank youfor Your wonderful blessings! May wenever lose touch again.

Sondra & Me...so happy to be reunited!

Sondra's son & our boy...I thought it was funny that they both have blonde hair & were dressed in brown.

Amarillo (Fall Family Vacation Part 1)

2011-11-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

We recently went on a family vacation to the Texas Panhandle to visit my college roommate, Deena, and her family. We had a wonderful time seeing some of the sights and spending time with them. Deena cooked some wonderful meals for us and they took us to the coolest DONUT STOP where we got to watch them make the donuts. We were all mesmerized. And the donuts were DELICIOUS!

yummy donuts!

this was the half-eaten maple crunch cinnamon roll...mmmmmmm good!

Just give me a dozen donut holes, Mom! :)

We got to watch them make the donuts...so cool!

making the cinnamon rolls

donuts come off of the oven & go onto the icing rack...

Ethan called this the waterfall of icing.

look at all of those donut holes

rolling out the donuts & picking out the donut holes

This sweet man brought Ethan a cup of fresh off the conveyor belt donut holes!

YUMMY! And this was AFTER breakfast! So we all split the warm delicious delicacies.

We stayed there watching for so long...we were mesmerized.

We asked the owner how many donuts they make on a typical Saturday.
She said they make 20,000 donuts between their 7 locations locally! Wow!

Memory Verse #20

2011-10-15T09:54:00.002-05:00

OK, this year is just flying by...and the fact that we're up to NUMBER 20 out of 24 MEMORY VERSES is just one more sign that this year is coming to an end soon! And that means we're just that much closer to the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration! I can't wait! My sister & I had so much fun in January 2010 when we got to go to the first SSMT Celebration!

And it's really not too late if you have PROCRASTINATED and haven't gotten all of your memory verses posted. Beth Moore even suggested memorizing a chapter (or two) of PSALMS that would add up to 24 verses. When I was in graduate school in Memphis, I was a part of a Bible study group at Bellevue Baptist, and we all memorized PSALM 139. I never thought I could memorize an entire chapter before, but I did! And it wasn't that difficult! And guess what? It's exactly 24 verses! Just a suggestion. Until this day, it is still my favorite PSALM! So full of God's promises...

Psalm 139

For the director ofmusic. Of David. A psalm.

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths,^[a] you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
   I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
   Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
   and abhor those who rise up against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Now to my verse for this time... I decided to use Beth Moore's suggestion from last time. It's a great verse to keep in my prayers on a daily basis (maybe even an hourly basis some days). :)

"I continuallylook to the Lord for help,

for He will free my feet from the enemy’s net.”

Psalm 25:15 (The NET Bible)

Boy Scout Popcorn Sales

2011-10-13T20:28:00.002-05:00

Please watch this 1 minute video of our son. He needs your support to go to Boy Scout camp. Thank you! After viewing it, feel free to visit www.trails-end.com Under "You are supporting _____" click change and enter Evan's code: 17713603 so he will be credited with the sale. Incredibly the profit is 70%. Thank you!

My Talented Husband

2011-10-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, my multi-talented husband decided to turn his old clarinet (the one he played in middle school) into a lamp. He's been talking about doing this for years, and he finally took the time to do it. He looked around town at the different flea markets and discount stores to find the perfect base for the lamp. He was excited to find this marble ashtray for only $9...he just turned it upside down & drilled a hole in the middle of it! A much better use for the marble than an ashtray, I'd say! He then purchased a light kit at Lowe's & constructed the lamp. He only blew the breaker once before he got it to work properly! I'm so proud of him! He's quite creative!

First Day of School

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

We had a little photo session to ring in the new school year. Yes, I'm quite late posting them, but I don't want to forget them. Do you know how difficult it is to get MY two boys to get a good looking picture at the SAME time? But they did have a lot of fun together!

I Made Homemade Hummus!

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I decided to try something new...I made homemade hummus! I've bought hummus before and thought it tasted pretty good. Then, when I was visiting with my friend, Deena, she told me how she made homemade hummus! That sounded interesting.

Soon after that, I found a post on Life As Mom with a homemade hummus recipe. She linked to this recipe, so I tried it last week!

And YUMMY! I really liked it warm too!

And now I have something to add to my Christmas list...a FOOD PROCESSOR! I managed to get it all mashed up in the blender but it took FOREVER!

Those Eyes

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

I told you yesterday about the recent Burmese Fellowship we had at our church. While the adults thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the children did get a little restless after awhile. There were so many adorable children , but I must admit that I'm a little partial to this one.

And after a while, he started asking me to take his picture.

Such a poser...and he knew it! After every picture,

he would say, "Let me see! Let me see!"

I don't know how he's learned to raise one eyebrow at a time!

But it sure makes us smile!

Burmese Fellowship

2011-10-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had a fellowship at our church with a special group of people. Recently, many refugees from Burma (now called Myanmar) moved to Center, and they have started meeting as a congregation at the chapel in our church on Sunday afternoons. Some of them have started coming to our Sunday school & church services. While some of them understand English & speak it fairly well, some do not. But you can still sense that we all serve the same wonderful God! Many of them sang special songs for us (in their native language, of course). We had a great time listening to them sing & watching them worship in such a sincere way. And we truly enjoyed trying their food & I think they enjoyed trying ours too. :)

Here are some of the children singing.

They were definitely the highlight of the evening!

The smallest two children were only 2 & 3 years old...

and they knew the words & sang with such heart!

These are some other groups singing for us...

We had quite a crowd!

I loved how they wore some of their native clothing.

This man gave his testimony about how he recently became

a Christian after being a Buddhist for most of his life.

The Burmese asked some of our people to get up and

sing for them.

We look forward to our next fellowship together.

Memory Verse #19

2011-10-01T22:33:00.004-05:00

As I've been reading through Psalms this month, I found that Psalm 86 was a wonderful Psalm...every verse is a promise from God. I may have to work on memorizing the entire chapter, but for now I'm choosing verse 7...

"In the day of my trouble I will call to You, for You will answer me." - Psalm 86:7 (NIV)

It's still not to late to join the Siesta Scripture Memory Team for the celebration in January! Click here for more details!

Memory Verse # 18

2011-09-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

I'm continuing memorizing my Proverbs passage this week...

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV)

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

Re-purposing Idea for Organizing

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I really like to be organized, but sometimes it takes me a LONG time to figure out how to best organize things. I saw a really neat idea last year to help me organize our school supplies. I don't know where I found it, but it suggested hanging a plastic shoe holder over the back of the door in our school room/Ethan's bedroom to house the school supplies. Well, that was a great idea but it has been SOOO disorganized ever since. I truly wish I took a before picture but I forgot to. I thought about restaging it but decided that would take too long. :)

So this summer I decided it was time to make this organizer worthwhile.

I also had several of the little pencil boxes that I could put in the plastic holders, but I also had several of these due to my boys' love of strawberry milk...

And I thought they would be the perfect size to hold pencils, markers, pens, etc...

When I was cleaning & organizing this summer, I decided it would look so much nicer if I covered those & I just so happened to have a roll of that clear contact paper & some yellow construction paper. I cut it to size & covered those containers!

I also printed 2 labels for each container...one for container & one for the slot it goes on in the shoe holder.

I was pretty pleased with the results.

Ahhh...so much better! And I even have a few that are empty still...just waiting for the perfect little something to be stored in them. :)

What ways have you repurposed some items in your home to organize things? I'd love to hear them!

Finding JOY in the journey,

Kim

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

2011-09-08T13:41:00.002-05:00

Our sweet baby just turned FIVE on Monday! I don't know where the time has gone! He has brought so much joy into our lives! We absolutely love his curiosity & his witty sense of humor!

For Christmas, Ethan got a Leapster Explorer with two games that teach world geography in such a fun way...Globe Earth Adventures & Dora's Explorer.

And that began his LOVE of maps!

With those two games, he has learned all of his continents & many facts about major landmarks throughout the world. He loves looking about maps & learning anything about geography!

So when it was time to decide what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted a "flat map cake." I found some pictures on the internet of world map cakes & he picked out the one he liked the best. And we HAD to make the fondant continents the same colors as the picture (although 2 of them were the same color & that really bugged me).

So here are a few pictures of the cake making process for BIRTHDAY #5!

He was really proud of his cake!

More to come on his birthday celebration!

Finding JOY in the journey,
KIM

Memory Verse #17

2011-09-04T17:48:00.001-05:00

I can't believe how fast this year is passing! It's already SEPTEMBER, and that means one month closer to the SSMT Celebration hosted by Beth Moore & her daughters, Amanda & Melissa!

September 1 came with a bang...we've had a busy week with starting our homeschool co-op in Nacogdoches & hosting a Choir party & preparing for Ethan's birthday celebration with the family...And then I got really sick in between all of that. That put me a little behind on posting my memory verse.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." -Proverbs 4:23

I came across this verse on one of the blogs I read (and I can't even remember which one now) this week and thought that might be a good verse to memorize this time.

So I looked it up in my study Bible and found that I had highlighted this whole passage as some point the past. It seems like a great passage to hide in my heart and to keep on the refrigerator for the whole family to work on! This goes right along with the character verses we are working on in school this year.

Proverbs 4:23-27
"Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil."

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love trying new recipes...

When my friend, Patti, made this yummy Chicken Pot Pie for our Bible study group one week this summer, I knew I needed the recipe. I've never made one with a pie crust before. My Mom always made it with biscuits on top, so that is what I've always done. And that is very yummy too!

So here's what it looks like before going into the oven...

And here's what it looked like just out of the oven...

And here's what it looked like on my plate. :) MmmMmm...good!

Chicken pot pie

2-10oz can chunck white chicken drained
2 boxes of ready made pie crust
6 tbs butter
1 cup diced potatoes (cook these a little)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage (I didn't have any so I didn't use this)
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary (My husband said he'd do without it but I rather liked the flavor!)

Prepare bottom half of 2 pie crust shells and set aside. Melt butter and add vegetables. Sauté 5 minutes then add rest of ingredients. Mix well and divide mixture between the two pies. Place top pie crust on. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce to 350 for an additional 40 minutes.

Tip from Patti - I use the frozen onions and as a time saver I have been known to use the julienned cut frozen potatoes. The only reason for white pepper is appearance so I use black pepper because I didn't have white.

Enjoy!

Kim

Peanut Butter Balls

2011-09-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

My dear friend & college roommate, Deena, posted this recipe on her facebook & I was too intrigued not to try it. It's a pretty healthy snack & they are really tasty! And I even figured out if you make them into 60 (one-inch) balls, they are only 1.5 points on Weight Watchers! Not a bad little snack that fills you up!

Only 4 ingredients!

Peanut Butter Balls

1 c. honey

1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 1/2 c. dry milk powder

3 c. quick oats

Mix all together. Form into balls with your hands & freeze on wax paper lined cookie sheets until hardened. Store in freezer in ziploc bags. Makes about 60 balls.

To serve--thaw for as little as 3 minutes to be ready to eat. The longer they sit out, the softer they will be. Warning: Do not try to take a big bite right out of the freezer! It will hurt your teeth. :)

Enjoy!

Finding JOY in the journey,

Kim

Boy Scout Camp

2011-08-26T23:50:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Evan's Boy Scout Camp in June. I know it's a little late posting these, but I want to have a record of his first Boy Scout Camp!

Getting ready with the cot & the backpack &

the water bottle (a necessity in our 100+ degree temperatures ALLLLLLL summer her in Texas),

Ethan was really getting into helping with packing...

Right before he left for camp...Daddy & Son actually match too...

We got to visit him on the last night & see their closing ceremony.

After a week of camping, he looks a little worn out. Can you believe they sleep OUTSIDE for an ENTIRE week in a TENT??? This is not for me!

In the dining hall (that was not air-conditioned either)...

Yummy camp food...

The boys danced during supper...Evan had a blast doing this.

Flag ceremony...

Ethan enjoyed the outdoors...

Troup 342...what a nice-looking group of Boy Scouts!

A New Routine

2011-08-17T14:44:00.003-05:00

I told my husband that this week is my “inservice” week to get ready for school to begin next week. Having taught high school math for 17 years, I have learned the importance of planning ahead and I am such a procrastinator…especially if I don’t have a definite deadline to complete something.

When we decided to homeschool last year, I felt pretty overwhelmed with all of the choices and all of the responsibilities and the fact that I had to be my OWN boss & motivate MYSELF to get up every morning and inspire my own boys to learn. Luckily, we found a wonderful co-op, Cottage Garden, and that dictated some of the courses Evan took. Cottage Garden and my friends, Kim and Jennifer, were God-sends because they provided much needed wisdom and support. And then I met even more wonderful moms from church and the co-op and we were settling into quite a nice routine.

But then it all changed when God provided a “divine interruption.” (This is what I learned to call it through my summer Bible study on Jonah by Priscilla Shirer.)

God called Eric to a new church in Center, TX, so we moved in the middle of the school year. Luckily, school and my job were not issues because we were homeschooling. But soon after we moved they became HUGE issues to me because I did not have my support group that I had grown to love and depend on so much! We worked out a way to travel to Tyler once a month to finish our year at Cottage Garden, but to say this move was not a struggle would be dishonest.

It certainly disrupted our nice routine which was the topic of this post. Sorry I’ve digressed, but it also helps me to process all of the changes to get to where I am today.

After months of trying to get settled and searching for a new homeschool group to join, we did find one in Nacogdoches. Once again, it’s about a 45 minute drive, but everyone seems to be really friendly and we are SLOWLY assimilating into the group. Evan has even joined the Boy Scout Troop that is sponsored by NACHEA (Nacogdoches Home Educators Association). This has turned out to be a great Daddy/Son time every two weeks, and Eric is enjoying getting to know the other dads and learning ways he can help as well. We’ve also joined the NACHEA 4-H group. We’ve decided this is for Ethan because he loves being a part of the Clover group for the younger children. His leaders are awesome & he comes away with a little project every month!

We are also going to be a part of a much smaller co-op this year, but we are really excited about it! Evan will taking Apologia General Science & Starting Points Biblical Worldview /Writing classes there, and one of the moms has graciously agreed to work with Ethan and her 5-year old son each week. They should have a blast together!

As a school teacher, I also learned the importance of attending CONFERENCES to learn HOW to do my job better. My husband and I were fortunate enough to attend two this summer! We attended the Homeschool Book Fair in Arlington in May and then the THSC Family Homeschool Conference in July. Both of these conferences motivated us to examine how, what, and why we are teaching our boys at home. The speakers were SO encouraging and full of practical ideas that we can implement, and the exhibit halls were so much fun to explore the diverse curricula available for any and every subject.

We had the opportunity to learn from Sally Clarkson (Whole Heart Ministries), Andrew Pudewa (Institute for Excellence in Writing), Steve Demme (Math-U-See), Jim Weiss (Greathall Productions), and many others!

A few observations that I have made from the few homeschool conferences I have attended…

1. The homeschool community does NOT seem to be out to get your money! There were many times that I wanted to attend math teacher conferences or any other educational conference over the years, but they were very expensive. I finally resorted to writing grants to be able to attend. However, these conferences are fairly inexpensive…the Book Fair in May only cost $20/person for the 2-day conference and the THSC conference was FREE to members! Wow!

2. These experts are tried and true normal parents just like us but with a lot more experience and a lot more wisdom! The ones I’ve met so far are all very godly Christians seeking to raise a godly generation of young people to change the world for Christ!

3. As I am learning, I have really had to question my motives and methods for teaching. I have to constantly remind myself of my priorities—to raise godly young men—and not just complete a checklist of learning outcomes each day. This process will take much more TIME and PATIENCE, but I truly believe the result will be a much better product!

4. I have learned the importance of READING good quality “living” books!

5. Audiobooks are awesome and the public library has so many of them! They are an answer to prayer for a dyslexic child.

This post is a little disjointed but it helped me think through some things this week & take a little break from cleaning that JUNKY school room/Ethan's room/office. (That post will come as soon as I finish cleaning!)

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear how you are getting ready for the new school year!

Finding JOY in the Journey,

Kim

Missing My Malakoff Friends

2011-08-17T07:09:00.012-05:00

Last summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to study Ruth (by Kelly Minter) with this group of sweet ladies. Kristie, Kim, Flo, Brandi, Penny, Kristi, Jenna, Jennifer (with baby Chase in tow), I miss you and love you each dearly!

During the study, we decided to not just fellowship, eat together, and study God's word but to also DO something...we helped wash clothes for a family that didn't have running water and we helped with a few other projects. It was during one of our lllooonnnngggg conversations one night that Jenna first mentioned to the group that she wanted to go on a mission trip to Uganda with Visiting Orphans.

She asked us to pray about joining her on that mission trip.

Fast forward about 10 months and 4 of the girls from our Bible study group plus 5 others from our Malakoff church joined 20-something others in Washington DC & headed to Uganda, Africa for two weeks to love on orphans!

As I read their blog posts & facebook posts while they were there, I could tell this was not your normal “feel good” mission trip. It was a very emotional and heart-wrenching trip. They loved it and I’m sure they are changed forever! They are ready to share their experiences & advocate for more support for these beautiful children. You can read about some of their experiences here and here and here.

And if you are close to Malakoff tonight, you can hear them share about their experiences at 6 pm. I SOOOO wish I could be there! I wanted to make the trip to visit them, but I am not ready for school to start Monday like I need to be. I need to focus on my lesson plans, so we will have a great start to a great year of learning!

Jenna, Flo, Kristi, Brandi, Kasey, Marci, Madi, Cassie, and Carla, I am so proud of you for giving of your time and money and heart to minister like God says in James 1:27! “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Finding JOY in the journey,

Kim

Memory Verse #16

2011-08-16T23:57:00.006-05:00

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

1 John 3:18

I'm memorizing this with my boys as our first memory verse for the school year. I'm trying to teach them how our actions speak MUCH louder than our words.

My Husband, The Builder

2011-08-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

For my birthday, my sweet husband decided to build a deck "for me." Knowing how much I do not like the out-of-doors, it sounds kinda funny that I would want him to build something outside for me. But I really wanted somewhere we could congregate & enjoy in the shade. Unfortunately, my birthday is at the end of May & this summer has been the most sweltering here in Texas! So...the deck is now built & it was a great father/son project but it has not gotten used hardly at all. But it will be there for us when God decides to let it cool down below 109 degrees on a daily basis...perhaps October or November.

I am very thankful for my sweet husband building the deck! He conquered something he's never done before!

Our backyard before the deck...

Getting organized...

Cutting the boards...

Building the frames...can you tell how hot it is by the red cheeks on Evan?

Eli's (our dog) checking out the new "stuff" in the backyard...

Ethan's getting excited about it...

The complete deck...looks so nice!

Mauri & Ethan enjoying a little shade...

Oh, did you the broken umbrella? Yes, it broke the first time Eric put it up! A little dust storm came up when he & Ethan were outside one afternoon. He said the wind picked up that umbrella OUT of that HEAVY base & blew it clear across the field! He was worried that Ethan was going to get hit, but luckily he was safe. And after a little duct tape, it looks all better now too! You gotta love duct tape!

Dolphin Tale Movie Challenge

2011-08-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to listen and learn from Sally Clarkson at the THSC Homeschool Family Conference. I learned SO many things about being a better parent, and she shared some really neat stories about her children.

Her son, Nathan, is in Hollywood as an aspiring actor, but for the next two months, he has the special job of promoting the new family film, DOLPHIN TALE. Sally Clarkson told us that a special interest group from Warner Brothers has given a challenge to see if they can get 150,000 people to watch the move on September 23! I think we can!

And if they achieve this goal, then Warner Brothers has agreed to make another family friendly movie!

As I was laying in bed last night, my math teacher mind was thinking how easily & quickly we could get this word out on Facebook. If each of us had just 300 "friends" on facebook & we told our 300 friends & they told their 300 friends (300x300x300), then you would have 270,000 "friends" that know about going to the movie on SEPT. 23! (I know my mathy mind kinda goes crazy sometimes.) And you only need a little more than half of them to actually GO to the movie! How cool would that be if they way exceed their goal!

Let's pray for this movement to be a great success! Go to the Homeschool Movie Club & sign up for their newsletter. They even have a curriculum guide/unit study to go along with this movie and a few others.

Here is a little ditty from the Homeschool Movie Club blog:

FIELD TRIP TO THE MOVIES!
Mark your calendars for September 23rd…and set up a field trip for your local homeschool group or go as a family!
We are going on a giant homeschool field trip to see:

Dolphin Tale

Homeschool Movie Club and Warner Brothers will be offering a ‘homeschool day’ for matinee shows on September 23rd and if you sign up HERE you will get information on special group promotions, discounts for homeschoolers, and FREE DOLPHIN TALE CURRICULUM written by Sherri Seligson who wrote Apologia’s Marine Biology curriculum! Also, contact usand let us know if you want to bring your homeschool group to see the movie and we will send you some extra ‘goodies’!Register here to get updates on Dolphin Tale’s “Homeschool Day”:

And Scholastic.com has a novel for less than $5 right now. You could read it as a family before the movie comes out!

Dolphin Tale: The Junior Novel

So let's get going...start spreading the word & let's make it a date to watch Dolphin Tale on September 23!

Finding JOY in the journey,

Kim

Memory Verse #15

2011-08-01T12:25:00.007-05:00

AUGUST...the HOTTEST month of the year for us in Texas! Today, the lady on the news said this would be HOTTEST week yet for us! How can it possibly get any hotter than 105-110 degrees???

So...I think we should all just stay inside & memorize our verses. What do you think? :)

"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."

Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

I got the idea for memorizing this verse this time from a Sally Clarkson workshop that I attended this weekend at the THSC Homeschool Conference in The Woodlands. Sally (and all of the other speakers) kept teaching about how important it is for us to cultivate a GODLY HEART in our children.

She kept telling stories & teaching us that we will reap what we sow. If we get frustrated easily with our little ones, we will cultivate FRUSTRATED HEARTS. If we get impatient because our children are not getting ready quickly enough for church or school or the trip to Walmart, then we are going to cultivate IMPATIENT & RUDE HEARTS. If we have a bitter attitude toward our jobs, church, friends, or life in general, we will cultivate BITTER HEARTS.

Then, Sally Clarkson quoted Proverbs 14:1: "The WISE woman BUILDS her HOUSE, but with her OWN HANDS the FOOLISH one TEARS hers DOWN."

Wow! What a gem of a verse! I've read it many times before but it really HIT me over the head when I heard Sally say it with her kind, gentle voice! She said do we want to build up our children or tear them down? I certainly do not want to tear down my house with my own hands!

I need to keep this verse in the forefront of my mind at all times! I can't tell you how many times I snap with an impatient, unkind attitude on Sunday mornings as we are trying to get out the door! And then I want them to be happy about going to church to learn about Jesus?

So this month I am going to try my hardest to say this verse to myself every time my boys (husband and dog included) try my patience. :) Will you pray for me & hold me accountable & check back to see how I'm doing?

I'd love to hear the verse you are memorizing this time!

Finding JOY in my journey,

Kim

M.O.B. Society Boy Mom Blog Hop

2011-07-29T17:22:00.011-05:00

Welcome! I’m participating in the Boy Mom Blog Hop today at M.O.B. Society. What a fun way to connect with other boy moms!

I enjoy cooking & decorating cakes & cupcakes, scrapbooking (although I don’t have much time do to that anymore), taking pictures, & traveling.

I have been married to my best friend, Eric, for 16 years. He is a Music Minister at FBC Center, TX, and God has truly blessed him with a beautiful voice & a talent for anything musical. We met teaching high school…he was a band director & I was a math teacher. We met in August & got married 2 days after school was out in May. Needless to say, we were teased by our students all year long!

Our two miracle sons are Evan (12…a definite TWEEN) and Ethan (4…almost 5). Evan is a miracle because we were actually able to have him, and Ethan is a miracle because God created him just for our family through adoption!

It’s funny how God’s plans are not always our plans! Life has not turned out exactly how I dreamed about it growing up, but I know His plans are so much better than I could ever dream or imagine! And I always claim Jeremiah 29:11—“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for good & not for evil, to give you a future & a hope!”

I like to say that I didn’t marry a minister…I married a band director! But God changed that just a few years after we were married when Eric was called into the ministry.

I also always dreamed of HAVING four children…I loved being pregnant! But that is not how God chose to grow our family. Eric & I used to both dream of having 4 children…until we had ONE & realize how much work it is to raise them. But I still sometimes wonder if God will continue to grow our family through adoption again…

We built our “dream house” in 2000 & thought we’d live right down the road from my parents forever…but then God called us to a “crisis of belief that required faith and action” (Blackaby’s Experiencing God principle). We have served at 2 other churches 2-3 hours away from my parents since then…

I thought I would teach high school math until I retired & then God changed that last year, too! Through a series of circumstances, God showed us that homeschooling would be the best choice for our older son who struggles with dyslexia. We just finished our first year and it has been a great fit for our family! We’re still learning, but we definitely see the benefits! You can read more about that here.

Evan enjoys building with Legos, loves anything to do with technology, and enjoys science. He recently joined Boy Scouts & spent a week this summer at Boy Scout camp in A TENT! I don’t know how he did it, but he loved. (Can you tell I am NOT an outdoorsy person? Just another way God has a sense of humor by giving me BOYS that LOVE the OUT OF DOORS!) Some of the books he enjoys are Narnia & Harry Potter (I just started letting him read/listen to these because he’s 12 now).

Ethan enjoys learning anything about Geography & loves to look at books. He has a love for learning & I’m praying that will never be squelched! He has the cutest personality & the funniest sense of humor! Ethan enjoys reading ANY book but especially LOVES two stories from the Bible—Joseph & the coat of many colors & Jonah. If we have any sort of Bible story book, these are the 2 that he wants us to read EVERY night OVER & OVER. That’s ok though. They do teach wonderful lessons!

Come to think of it, all three of my boys are pretty witty (husband included). I’m so blessed!

Thank you for stopping by! I’d love to hear from you & have you follow me! I look forward to meeting some of you at the Boy Mom Blog Hop!

Memory Verse #14

2011-07-19T18:56:00.004-05:00

The verse I chose this time is really for our family. My boys tend to argue with each other or with us (talking back but think they aren't talking back). I know my boys are probably the only children in the world that do this (wink), so maybe God wrote these 2 verses just for my family. :) When I was reading my Bible the other day, searching for my next memory verse, these just jumped out at me! So here they are:

2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)

Don't have anything to do with foolish & stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be KIND to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

I can't wait to join Beth Moore & the rest of the Siestas for the Scripture Memory Celebration in January! Will you be joining us?

Jenna's Coming to Sing at our Church!

2011-07-09T17:11:00.010-05:00

A dear friend of mine is coming to visit us next Sunday evening to sing a benefit concert for their upcoming international adoption. Because we know first hand how expensive adoption is, we are trying to get the word out in every way possible to encourage people to attend this concert. You won't be disappointed...she has a beautiful talent that she is using to glorify God! Here’s a link to Jenna’s blog so you can learn more about her story.

And here’s what Shelby County Today has posted about the Concert of the Ages.

First Baptist Church of Center will kick off its “Concerts of the Ages” concert series with Jenna Lorick on Sunday, July 17th at 6 P.M. Jenna has a phenomenal voice and a heart for worship. Lorick has a new CD project entitled “Chosen Love” which will be available after the concert. She is asking for a minimum donation of $15. A love offering will also be given. 100 percent of the proceeds from the CD and love offering will go toward their international adoption and orphan care around the world. Jenna Lorick is the wife of Nathan Lorick, pastor of First Baptist Church, Malakoff, Texas. Don’t miss this event!

Upcoming “Concerts of the Ages”:
August 7: Trey Wilson
October 9: David’s Song
January 8 (2012): Zambian Vocal Group

Memory Verse #13

2011-07-04T09:54:00.005-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

I'm a little behind on posting because I haven't had time to get on the computer. I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day! Let's remember to say a prayer for the service men and women that are sacrificing for our freedoms!

I have two verses that seem to really go together for this time. One was part of the Warrior Prayers challenge that I thought would be very helpful for my "tweenager's" attitude. :)

Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

As water reflects a face,

so a man's heart reflects the man.

Luke 6:45 (NIV)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Educating the Wholehearted Child

2011-06-28T21:44:00.006-05:00

Sally Clarkson at itakejoy.com is giving away 3 copies of their newly updated book, Educating the Wholehearted Child. This sounds like an excellent resource! I can't wait to read it!

Warrior Prayers -- Day 21

2011-06-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Congratulations!! What an accomplishment!! This has not been an easy task, if you’re like me, the devil has put roadblocks along your way. Just think of all the work that has been done on behalf of your children! I’m proud of you, MOM!

Today’s Prayer in on HUMILITY…

Brooke McGlothlin states in the Warrior Prayers Leader Guide:

“I chose humility as our last day’s topic because it is such an amazing posture of the heart. Scripture just seems to scream God’s favor over those who are humble in heart.

James 4:10 says that if we’re humble before the Lord, He will lift us up.

1 Peter 5:6 says that if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us.

Most importantly, in Psalm 149:4 we find that it is the humble who are adorned with salvation.

A humble heart is required for salvation! Just as Jesus humbled Himself unto the cross, we must admit that we’re sinners, admit that our OWN way is NOT the right way, and HUMBLY ask for forgiveness before salvation comes.

Do you show humility before your sons? Do you always have to be right? Always have to win? Pray an ask the Lord for specific ways you can show humility today so that when the time comes, your sons will know how to show it too.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” - Ephesians 4:2

Today’s verses are:

James 4:10

1 Peter 5:6

James 4:6

2 Chronicles 7:14

Psalm 25:9

1 Peter 3:8

Matthew 11:29

Psalm 149:4

Ephesians 4:2

1 Peter 5:5

As we finish this 21 Day Challenge, will you please share in the comments a specific way this challenge has been meaningful to you?

Also, will you consider praying and asking God to give you 3 specific things that you can pray for your children each day? It could be 3 of the topics or 3 certain verses or something else God has revealed to you through this challenge.

Congratulations again on completing this 21-day challenge to pray! Let’s keep praying for our children!

Praying for humility,

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 20

2011-06-27T14:33:00.004-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

We’re almost there!

Today’s Prayer in on HEART CHANGE…

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

-Luke 6:45

The most foundational thing we can ask God for in the lives of our children is HEART CHANGE. The Bible says that what is in the heart eventually comes out. If we have bad stuff in our heart, then bad stuff comes out! And if we have good stuff in our heart, then good will come out.

I’ve heard this illustration twice within the last week, so I think God might be trying to tell me something. I hope it’s meaningful to you as well.

I’m going through Priscilla Shirer’s JONAH Bible study this summer with a group of ladies from our Sunday School class. On the video last week, she had a girl hold a glass of water. Then, Priscilla started shaking the girl’s arm, and the water started spilling out everywhere.

Then she asked, “why do you think the water came out of the glass?”

We could say that the water came out of the glass because Priscilla shook her arm. But then she said, could it be that the water came out of the glass because there was water IN the glass? If the glass were empty, then nothing would come out of it when shaken!

So it is with our hearts! Life has a funny way of ramming up against us & shaking us up! People pull out in front of you & go slow when you are in a hurry. Your child spills milk all over the table right before you need to leave for work. Your little one wakes you up in the middle of the night because he had an accident all over his bed. (This has happened too many times lately!) Your children decide to annoy each other in front of everyone at church. (Need I go on???)

We get “shaken” up every day…probably many times every day! But our response to the “shakes” comes from what is in our glass…or our hearts! If we have bad stuff in our heart, then bad stuff comes out! And if we have good stuff in our heart, then good will come out.

So…what comes out of your heart when you are “shaken?” Our response matters to God and it matters to the people watching and learning from us along the way.

Today’s verses are:

Matthew 23:26

Ezekiel 36:26

Isaiah 29:13

Luke 6:45

Luke 22:42

James 4:8

Psalm 51:10

Ecclesiastes 10:2

Ezekiel 14:3

Acts 2:37

Praying for heart change,

Kim

(Adapted from Brooke McGlothlin’s Warrior Prayers Leader Guide:)

Warrior Prayers - Days 17-19

2011-06-26T18:50:00.003-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Playing Catch-Up!

I must admit that do not like it when I over-commit myself & don’t follow through with things. I’ve had a difficult time getting the last three days of Warrior Prayers posted, so I’m going to catch up with this one post.
Then, we’ll be on our way to finishing!

The topics for these prayers are SELF-CONTROL, ANGER, and SALVATION…what a combination!

So we finish up the “fruit of the spirit” with self-control…something I struggle with myself…especially when it comes to food! The key to overcoming our tendencies to put other things ahead of Christ is to choose to love Him more than we love our sin! A constant laying down of our desires and picking up Christ is the only way to fix our problem of self-control. It’s a daily decision & sometimes it’s a minute by minute one!

The verses to pray for SELF-CONTROL are:

1 Corinthians 3:16

Romans 6:12-13

Romans 12:1-2

1 Corinthians 9:27

Ephesians 5:15

Proverbs 23:17

Proverbs 30:8

Psalm 19:14

Proverbs 14:30

Romans 16:19

The next topic of prayer is ANGER…

Brooke states in the Leader’s Guide:
"so much of the Christian life is a choice. Every day (multiple times a day) we’re presented with a choice to choose God or choose ourselves.
Anger is a perfect example.”

“You can just feel it coming, can’t you? Anger is an almost total body experience. Muscles get tight. Temples throb. Jaw clenches. Explosion feels imminent…wooing us into believing we have no choice but to react. But it’s not true.”

“We almost always have a choice when it comes to anger. We can choose to embrace it and sin. Or we can choose to put it away, and instead choose kindness, self-control, compassion, and love.”

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” –Ephesians 4:31

The verses to pray for ANGER are:

Ephesians 4:31

Colossians 3:8

Proverbs 15:1

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Romans 12:19

Ephesians 2:14

James 3:18

Colossians 3:15

Philippians 4:7

1 Peter 3:11

Today’s topic of prayer is SALVATION…

I don’t believe there is a more important prayer that we can pray than for our children’s SALVATION! We can pray for protection, good friends, and good influences, but until their hearts submit to Jesus, they will continue to choose themselves and their own way.

Let’s pray that our parenting will always be Gospel-centered.

If your son is already a Christian, pray that the Holy Spirit will keep him close each and every day. If he is not yet a Christian, pray that God will work on his heart until he is ready to pray and receive Christ!

The verses to pray for SALVATION are:

Romans 10:9

Ephesians 2:8

2 Timothy 1:9

Exodus 14:13

Psalm 27:1

Ephesians 6:17

Philippians 2:12

1 Peter 1:5

Psalm 31:16

Hebrews 7:25

**It seems like all of these prayer topics deal with what is in our hearts as well! When we’re tempted to lose patience with our children, let’s stop and ask the Lord to show us the way out and choose grace and love instead. I know it seems easier said than done, but God promises He will always provide a way out in 1 Corinthians 10:13!

Praying for our boys,

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 16

2011-06-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on GENTLENESS…

We are still praying for the “fruit of the Spirit” to be evident in our sons!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

The following is from Brooke McGlothlin’s Warrior Prayers Leader Guide:

Aggression in men is commonplace. It may not manifest itself the same way for all of them, but it’s there nonetheless. For the physical boys, it shows up in their need to be on the top of the wrestling pile. For the intellectuals, it shows up in their need to score the highest on the exam or be at the top of the class. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with aggression. I don’t want to break my sons of their aggressive streak and I’m learning not to be afraid of it. But I do want to teach them how and when to use it. I’m beginning to think that gentleness is more of an approach to life than a specific characteristic to develop.

Since they were born, we’ve whispered these words into our sons’ ears:

“God made men to protect women and care for them. God made you a big brother! Your job is to protect your little brother, not hurt him. There’s a time to play and a time to listen. If you can’t listen, you have to feel (true in so many aspects of life). God wants you to use your strength to protect, not to hurt. Superhero’s don’t look for fights, but they will fight to protect others. It’s OK to want to be the best, but the best people in life are the ones who serve others. A gentle word turns away wrath…”

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gently open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” - James 3:17

Today’s verses are:

Proverbs 15:4

Matthew 11:29

Ephesians 4:2

1 Thessalonians 2:7

1 Timothy 3:3

1 Timothy 6:11

2 Timothy 2:25

Titus 3:2

James 3:17

1 Peter 3:15

Praying for GENTLE hearts,

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 15

2011-06-22T19:23:00.001-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on FAITHFULNESS…

We are still praying for the “fruit of the Spirit” to be evident in our sons! (Only 2 left!)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

We need to pray that our sons will be faithful to God. A man whose first love is Jesus will be faithful in all areas of life. He won’t be perfect, but he will possess the ability to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be faithful. It is something worth praying for.

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness…” – Joshua 24:14

Today’s verses are:

Joshua 24:14

1 Samuel 12:24

Psalm 25:10

Psalm 26:3

Psalm 37:3

Psalm 89:33

Psalm 91:4

Proverbs 3:3

Lamentations 3:21-24

1 Corinthians 10:13

Praying for faithful hearts,

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 14

2011-06-22T19:09:00.002-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer is on GOODNESS…

We are still praying for the “fruit of the Spirit” to be evident in our sons! (There are a lot of them!)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOODNESS, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

What makes someone “good?” Is it an action or is it an “overflow of the heart?” We can do GOOD things but have a bad attitude while doing them. As we raise our children, are we teaching them that if they DO good things then they are GOOD? If we teach them that being good is all it takes, if our discipline and training only focuses on our behavior, how will they know they need a Savior?

Brooke states in the Leader’s Guide:

“I believed that if I did good things, it made me god. Actually, it’s probably closer to the truth to say I believed that if I didn’t do bad things, then I wasn’t bad. I didn’t know that no one is good. I didn’t really understand that everyone sins. And I didn’t understand the depth of my own sin until the Lord showed it to me.

So…are we raising little Pharisees? Or are we raising Godly men with a heart for God? If a Godly son is your goal, you must aim for the HEART. Because unless the heart is changed—touched—the behavior will stay the same. It might look a little different, morph some as they grow. But behavior is always a symptom of the state of the HEART. What’s in the heart eventually comes out!

“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” – Matthew 12:34

Ask yourself these questions:

What parenting tools have I been using that only focus on changing behavior and not the heart? Am I willing to lay them down even if they produce what looks like a good child?

Reaching a child’s heart takes time. Behavior modification is much faster! Am I willing to change things about my life so that I have the time to invest in the hearts of my children?

Most importantly, am I willing to submit my own heart to God and allow Him to mold me from the inside out?

Shepherding our boys is not for the faint of hearts, my friend!

So what keeps me going?

I want their hearts!

Just like my Heavenly Father wants mine!

Today’s verses are:

1 Kings 8:66

Psalm 23:6

Psalm 25:7

Psalm 27:13

Psalm 31:19

Psalm 65:4

Hebrews 6:5

Genesis 2:18

Deuteronomy 6:18

Deuteronomy 26:11

Praying for heart change,

Kim

Warrior Prayers -- Day 13

2011-06-20T20:42:00.005-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on KINDNESS…

Today, we continue praying for the “fruit of the Spirit” of KINDNESS mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

It seems that KINDNESS is lacking in our busy “hustle & bustle” world that we live in nowadays. People are so concerned about their “agenda” that they forget to stop & consider others. It is our job as parents to be extremely intentional about going the extra mile and teaching kindness to our children. And the best example that they see is our own.

Brooke states in the Leader’s Guide:

“Remember, kindness is not something that comes naturally. We are selfish, sinful beings who mostly want our own way. Kindness is a learned art, usually caught by experiencing it first-hand from the hands of the people closest to us.”

Can you share how you are teaching your children to be kind in your home and in the world around you?

Today’s verses are:

2 Samuel 2:6

Ephesians 4:32

2 Timothy 2:24

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Colossians 4:6

Romans 12:10

Numbers 6:23-26

Hebrews 13:2

Ephesians 4:32

1 Peter 3:8

Sally Clarkson posted a very encouraging post about kindness on the MOB (Mother of Boys) Society page. It's here and here if you'd like to read it!

Praying for a more KIND heart,

Kim

**I just want to encourage you to PERSEVERE through this prayer challenge! I know it's difficult! Some nights I fall into bed & remember that I have forgotten to keep praying for the specific characteristic that day. I just say a prayer then & start over the next day. Satan would like to do anything to keep us from praying to God to better our families! Brooke is even having a giveaway on her blog for anyone that would link up & share how they are doing on this journey. So let us know how you are doing! We can make it one more week!

Warrior Prayers -- Day 12

2011-06-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on PATIENCE…

Today, we continue praying for each specific “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

Patience is one of those things that I’ve often heard (teasingly) that we should not pray for—because you never know what God might put in your path to teach you patience! It truly is one of those things that I struggle with because I always want things done on my timetable & that usually means “now!” J

However, when I stop and think that this is a “fruit” that God not only wants me to have but for me to also teach my children, it is very convicting! I really need to make a more intentional effort to be more patient with my children (and my husband). And I really need to work on teaching them to be patient as well.

Here’s Brooke’s question for today:

Do you think we’re teaching our sons that the “little things” are what matter most?

I’d love to hear your reply in the comments!

Today’s verses are:

James 5:10

Colossians 1:11

2 Corinthians 6:6

2 Timothy 4:2

Romans 2:4

Colossians 3:12

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Proverbs 19:11

2 Peter 1:5-7

Titus 2:2

Praying for a more PATIENT attitude,

Kim

Warrior Prayers -- Day 11

2011-06-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on PEACE…

Today, we continue praying for each specific “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

Do you have trouble resting in God’s PEACE sometimes? It doesn’t matter what stage of life our children are in, it seems there are always times when we could use some peace in our lives.

As you’re praying today, ask God to show you ways that you are not trusting Him completely, perhaps for your sons, and release them to Him, choosing to trust in His plan for their lives.

“Thou will keep in perfect PEACE, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusts in Thee.” –Isaiah 26:3 (ASV)

Today’s verses are:

1 Peter 3:11

2 Thessalonians 3:16

John 14:27

2 Corinthians 13:11

James 3:18

Colossians 3:15

Jude 1:2

Philippians 4:7

Romans 5:1

1 Thessalonians 5:23

May the PEACE that passes ALL understanding wash over you today!

Kim

Why Can't I...

2011-06-17T15:00:00.001-05:00

ever get a decent family picture anymore?

Could it be because of this silly boy?

Or the other silly boy in the green shirt?

Or the ringleader of them all (wearing the blue shirt)?

I'm not sure which one of them is the true reason...

I think it's a combination of all 3 boys!

For now (and maybe for the next several years),

I guess this is as good as it's gonna get!

I do love them all to pieces!

And they always manage to make me laugh!

(Except maybe when I'm trying to get a good family picture.)

Warrior Prayers -- Day 10

2011-06-17T14:43:00.004-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on JOY…

Today, we continue praying for each specific “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

When I hear the word JOY, I always think of that song that I learned when I was little:

I’ve got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart!

I’ve got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart to stay!

Honestly, I don’t ALWAYS feel like having JOY in my heart every minute of every day. However, that should be our goal.

“Christ’s work on the cross was never intended to be something we took joy in one time and then never again. Thinking on His work and embracing it with a heart of gratefulness is enough to make even the grumpiest among us ‘burst out in songs of thanksgiving.’ No matter where we are, or what we’re experiencing, we CAN find joy in focusing on all that Christ has done and made possible through His death and resurrection.” (from Warrior Prayers Leaders Guide)

Today’s verses are:

Nehemiah 8:10

Galatians 5:22

Isaiah 55:12

Romans 15:13

Psalm 43:4

James 1:1-4

Psalm 30:5

1 Thessalonians 1:6

Romans 15:13

Romans 14:17

Pray for God to help you and your family to spread JOY to everyone around you today!

I’m praying & believing!

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 9

2011-06-16T10:52:00.003-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on LOVE…

Today, we begin praying for each specific “fruit of the Spirit” mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22

To have all of these “fruits” evident in all of our lives is a very worthy goal! It’s how God wants us to live.

Brooke states in the Leaders Guide that two of her favorite verses to pray for her sons are today’s verse (Galatians 5:22) and Ezekiel 36:26.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” –Ezekiel 36:36

She also talked about how love can’t really be all that it should be apart from God. The Bible says that God IS love. For us mathematicians, using the word “IS” is the same as using the word “EQUALS.” In other words, GOD = LOVE. They are the same! There is no real love apart from God, and God is behind all real and genuine acts of love.

Because we use the word “love” so loosely in today’s world, how can we begin to make changes in our life and our vocabulary to help our sons understand the true meaning of the word?

Today’s verses are:

1 John 2:15

1 John 4:7

1 Peter 1:22

Ephesians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 3:12

2 John 1:6

1 John 3:18

Jude 1:2

Deuteronomy 6:5

1 John 4:10

Pray for God to help you show LOVE to everyone around you today!

I’m praying & believing!

Kim

Warrior Prayers - Day 8

2011-06-15T09:10:00.005-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on HONOR…

Good morning! I’m praying that you are “staying the course” & remembering to pray for your boys each day!

Today’s topic reminds me of some of the fairy tales and stories and movies that I’ve never grown tired of watching…like The Chronicles of Narnia, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Rapunzel, and even Shrek! I love how the story is about facing good and evil, and I love how GOOD always wins!

It’s important to teach our children about honor and I think it is a great idea to use stories of a knight in shining armor to do so.

Brooke states in the Leaders Guide that she “came across a book recently that perfectly illustrates the type of men she hopes her sons will become. It might surprise you to know that it’s written for girls. It’s The Princess and the Three Knights by Karen Kingsbury. It’s presentation makes it a perfect fit for a girl, but it’s message is for girls AND boys. The only knight good enough to win the heart of the princess was the one who would do anything to protect her. That’s the kind of honor I’m praying for in my sons.”
So who else is ready to go out and buy this book for your children???

Why don’t you consider reading a book or watching a movie with your children this week that will teach them about honor?

Today’s verses are:
1 Chronicles 29:12
Psalm 15:4
Psalm 84:11
Psalm 91:15
Proverbs 3:9
Proverbs 3:35
1 Peter 2:17
Ephesians 6:2
Leviticus 19:32
Romans 2:10

Which one of these verses speak most to you?
Let’s keep praying!
Kim

Memory Verse #12

2011-06-15T08:36:00.006-05:00

We have made it HALFWAY through the year!

Beth Moore stated today on the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Blog “Hear bells and whistles and lots of music, maybe even a few beginning bars of the Hallelujah chorus: YOU MADE IT EXACTLY HALFWAY!!!! You are officially over the hump after you get this entry behind you.”

“Way to go, Sisters. Way to go! It’s a pretty good feeling, isn’t it? Don’t think for a second that the enemy didn’t try to steal away your focus and commitment. If you made it this far, you fought with him and won. This is a big victory. Celebrate it with your very faithful God.”

Here’s my verse for this time. I’m using the same one that Beth Moore chose. I was just thinking of this verse today when I was thinking about a conversation I recently had with my 12-year-old son! I’ve been telling him that verse, but then I was thinking I should have him memorize it with me. Then, I read her blog this morning & she chose 2 Timothy 2:15 too! So I decided that was a sign that I needed to memorize it with him. I memorized the King James Version as a child, but I like this one too!

2 Timothy 2:15 (NET)
Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.

She also asked that we summarize in one sentence what it has meant to

memorize God’s word this year. Here’s mine…

Memorizing God’s Word this year has been a JOY as I’ve worked with my sons to memorize scripture with them.

I’d love to hear your verse & what it’s meant to you to memorize scripture this year!

Please leave me a comment!

Warrior Prayers - Day Seven

2011-06-14T07:00:00.008-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Good morning, fellow prayer warriors! We’ve made it one week on our prayer journey! I’m praying that we will all have the strength to persevere in this challenge and for God to move in the hearts of our sons.

Today’s Prayer in on

HAVING A SERVANT’S HEART…

My husband and my older son both have a servant’s heart. I do believe they are both gifted in that area. Many times, my husband feels that he is behind in his work, but it’s because he is such a servant that he will stop and help anyone that needs it. I love that about him. He also helps out around the house so much! I always say that he does all the “gross jobs” like cleaning toilets, taking out trash, mopping, yard work, etc. And when he gets mad or upset, he CLEANS! I really like that too!

Evan really likes to serve as well. He doesn’t always want to keep his room clean or pick up after himself, but he loves to help when there is a need. Until we moved in December, he was helping at our local food pantry every week. He LOVED spending time with the people there. He also enjoys helping when we have any church event or church need. I was encouraged to see him help just last Thursday when our church had a huge flood. He worked with his daddy ALL day, cleaning the mess. And then, I was proud to see him work so hard last Saturday at our church car wash…it wasn’t a fundraiser—we were just showing the love of Christ to the community. And Evan worked so hard!

I’m praying that our 4 year-old will follow in his daddy’s and big brother’s footsteps as well. I’m sure he will. He’s just young. This has made me think that we need to be more intentional in giving him opportunities to serve as well.

I encourage you to think of ways your family can serve in your home, in your church, and in your community. Let’s find ways we can teach our children the value of serving others. Will you share some of your ideas in the comments? I’d love to hear them!

Today’s prayer verses are:

James 1:1
John 12:26
Hebrews 3:5
2 Timothy 2:24-25
Galatians 5:13
1 Peter 4:10
Ephesians 6:7
Hebrews 12:28
Matthew 23:11
Deuteronomy 6:13

Which one of these verses speaks most to you?
Let’s keep praying!
Kim

Warrior Prayers -- Day 6

2011-06-13T08:53:00.003-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on PURITY...

How are you doing on your daily prayers? I must say the weekend was a little busier than I expected and I missed getting to spend as much time in prayer as I did during the week. Maybe I can plan better for this week…

Today’s prayer focus is on Purity. Brooke states in the Leaders Guide that the average age of porn exposure is now 11 years old!

SCARY!

What a world we live in!

That makes me think that we need to focus on prayer & teaching our children even more!

Today’s verses are:
1 Timothy 1:5
1 John 3:3
James 1:27
Philippians 4:8
Matthew 5:8
Job 16:17
Proverbs 20:11
Philippians 1:9-10
Psalm 119:9
Philippians 2:15

Which one of these verses speak most to you?

Let’s keep praying!
Kim

Warrior Prayers -- Day Five

2011-06-12T22:38:00.003-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on AVOIDING PRIDE...

“We take such pride in our sons, don’t we? When we see one with a natural bent toward academics we call him gifted. When we see one who excels in sports we call him an exceptional athlete—bound for the pros. Sometimes we even place pressure on our sons to be who we wish we could have been. And this can be a form of pride.”

We should “allow God to grow our boys into the men HE wants them to be. Sometimes, we have to let go of our dreams for our sons, and deliberately choose to pick up God’s dreams from them instead.”

(From Warrior Prayers Leaders Guide)

Today’s verses are:

Proverbs 16:18

Proverbs 29:23

Job 33:17

Leviticus 26:19

Proverbs 13:10

Proverbs 21:24

2 Corinthians 7:4

Galatians 6:4

Psalm 36:11

1 Samuel 2:3

Warrior Prayers -- Day Four

2011-06-11T22:47:00.002-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on AVOIDING FOOLISHNESS...

Brooke states that there are 2 kinds of men in the world: the FOOLISH man and the WISE man. The FOOLISH man says in his heart there is no God and acts like a law unto himself. The WISE man fears God and obeys Him.

Let’s pray for our sons to seek to be WISE men. Let’s teach them to understand the difference between the foolish man and the wise man using the Bible’s definitions in Psalm 14:1 and Proverbs 9:10.

The scripture references for today are:

Titus 3:9

2 Timothy 2:23

Ephesians 5:4

Matthew 7:26

Ecclesiastes 4:13

Titus 3:3

Proverbs 14:7

Ephesians 5:17

Proverbs 19:1

Ecclesiastes 10:2

I’m sorry I’m so late getting this posted. We spent several hours today ministering to the community through our free car wash at the church. And I think I overheated…this fair-skinned red-head is just not meant to be in the heat & sun. J

Warrior Prayers -- Day Three

2011-06-10T11:09:00.008-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on INTEGRITY…

I just asked my 12 year-old if he had integrity and he said he didn’t know what it meant. I tried to explain to him that it’s being honest & doing the right thing even when no one is around. He flippantly said, “Oh, that’s just like me.” J

I do think that he is pretty honest and that his weak areas are some of the other ones that we’ll be praying for. (Is there a day for smart-aleck remarks & having an attitude when asked to do something?) However, because he is young, he probably hasn’t had to face many situations that require him to make those difficult choices.

Brooke states that “life is full of opportunities to choose the easy way instead of the way of integrity, but a man of integrity ‘ponders the way that is blameless’ (Psalm 101:2). Pausing to help our sons understand why we chose the way of integrity over what might have seemed to be a better or easier way trains their minds to ponder the blameless way.”

And I whole-heartedly agree with Brooke that INTEGRITY is a heart issue for all of us!

I love the verse she used for this chapter…Ezekiel 36:26-27:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

In fact, this verse struck such a cord in me that I used it for this month’s memory verse.

We must continually ask God to change our son’s (and our own) hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. This is the only way they will grow up to be men of integrity!

Here are the scripture references for today’s prayers:

1 Kings 9:4

Job 27:5

Psalm 101:2

Titus 2:7

Luke 1:27

Daniel 1:8

Philippians 4:11

1 Timothy4:12

1 Samuel 17

Genesis 12

Dear Lord, thank you for these ladies that are choosing to live intentionally and praying daily for their sons (and daughters). Please give them the strength they will need to persevere in this challenge for the next few weeks. Please move in the hearts of our sons to change their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Help us to be the examples we need to be to our children today. We’re believing you, Jesus! Amen

In our comments today, would you consider answering study question #4 on p 18?

Consider your own parenting style. Is the way you interact with your son(s) targeting the heart and motivating them toward real heart-change? Or do you mainly focus on changing behavior?

**I know that some of you have had difficulty commenting. I don’t understand blogger enough to figure out this problem. I’ll keep looking into it & let you know. If you’d like, you could email me with your comments & I could post them for you. Just a thought…"

One more thing...Brooke has created this Flickr group for us to upload a picture of our "whys" for doing this prayer challenge. I'm not familiar with Flickr but I think it's a great idea for us to post pictures of our sons--our "whys" for our intentional prayers!

Have a great FRIDAY!!!

Warrior Prayers -- Day Two

2011-06-09T10:35:00.012-05:00

21 Days of Prayer for our Sons…

Today’s Prayer in on SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY!

This topic relates to obedience really well. All of their lives, our children will find themselves in situations where they have to submit to someone—whether it’s parents, teachers, bosses, government officials, or God Himself!

Sometimes it’s really hard to submit to authority because we want our way! However, training them now to respect authority and submit to it will set them for success in the future.

As you pray specifically about your sons submitting to authority, here are the 10 scripture references to use (from page 16 in the ebook):

Hebrews 13:17

James 4:7

1 Corinthians 16:16

Ephesians 5:21

Hebrews 12:9

Job 22:21

Romans 13:1

2 Chronicles 30:8

1 Peter 5:5

Galatians 5:1

I encourage you to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) today. I try to tell myself things to help me remember to pray…like every time I walk by a certain place in the house (or in your work place), I will pray. For instance, every time I walk by the boys’ rooms I will pray. Or every time I go to the refrigerator, I’ll pray. Ask God to help you to be in a spirit of prayer throughout the day.

Brooke says in her book “this battle is best fought on our knees.”

As I was reading my devotional this morning from Voices of the Faithful,
I read a really good quote about how awesome our God is! “Big things happen when small people ask big things of a Big God!” So, let’s get asking! J

For our comment today, will you please answer the study question from p 14?

“Have you ever considered how teaching obedience leads naturally to a deeper understanding of the Gospel?”

Also, it was really good to “meet” you guys on yesterday’s post! It’s really neat that we share the exact same anniversary with Jana. How cool is that! If you haven’t had a chance to introduce yourself, will you please leave a comment there too? Thanks!

Have an awesome day in prayer!