Prayer Monday, March 28, 2011

I had a such a wonderful time at our Women's Retreat this weekend.  The theme was having an Undivided Heart.  In other words not having things in our heart that take away our focus and time from God.  God was so good in revealing the divisions in my heart so I can work further towards having an undivided heart.  I am hoping to post more extensively about it later this week.  I just want to thank everyone who prayed for the 259 women who were able to be there. 

PRAISES

1. God gave us an AMAZING time at the Women's Retreat.

2. My son survived being alone in my husband's care for over 24 hours ;)

PRAYER REQUESTS
1.  I am asking that God will help me to keep seeking Him out and not let everything come undone from the Women's Retreat.

2.  I pray that He continues to highlight people for our members to invite so our small group will grow and touch more lives.

3.My grandmother, my dad's mom, is currently in the hospital.  She went into the hospital with blood pressure near stroke levels.  Fortunately they caught it in time before it did lead to a stroke.  She has already one stroke ten years ago.  I pray that God strengthens and heals her body and that she will take care of herself.

4.  Last Tuesday my husband had a job interview for a Carpenter's position at a nearby prison.  He feels like the interview went well and they told him it could be two days to two months before he hears one way or the other.  Please pray he gets this job.  It would be so good for our family.

5. I pray for the church plant we are sending to Athens, Ohio this summer.  I pray that God builds up those being sent out on the church plant and that God would prepare their hearts for this as well as the hearts of the people in Athens.

PRAYER THIS WEEK

Father,

I pray that You help me to continue to purge the things that are dividing my heart.  Help my focus to be totally consumed by YOU.   Holy Spirit I ask that You continue to be with each of the ladies in our Monday Prayer group.  I am so thankful for their prayers and their hearts filled with You.  Please remind each of us this week to lean on You and seek You out  when the going gets rough.  Father, I sincerely believe our prayers are making a difference and the enemy does not like that one bit.  So I pray protection over each of these ladies.  I pray that You will keep the enemy from attacking us and speaking doubts into our minds.  

AMEN

How I feel times a trillion and then some.

Have you ever just FELT the troubles of your family and friends?  I have a couple of times this week.  I listen to what they are going through and I almost feel like it is my burden too.  I get that really heavy feeling in my heart and just wish I could fix it all.  Obviously I can’t but being a listening ear is sometimes better than interjecting your own opinion and thoughts of what should be done.  Unless, of course, they ask for your opinions and thoughts.  I believe it is ok, in small amounts, to feel our friends’ and family members’ burdens.  It makes you more sympathetic to what they are going through.  However, I sometimes struggle with becoming too overwhelmed to the point of trying to own their burden.  It is not my burden to carry except in prayer to God and being a shoulder to lean on.  I am getting better at doing this. 

I could so easily allow my burdens for others to consume my thoughts.  When we do this we become ineffective and aren’t able to remove ourselves from the situation enough to be helpful.

All of this made me start thinking of Jesus on the cross.  I know, how appropriate with Easter coming up. That is not what triggered my thoughts though.  I thought about how I take on the burdens of others and the heavy, overwhelmed feeling that it gives me.  It makes it that much more UNBELIEVABLE that Jesus took on the sins of the WORLD.  Not just the sins of people in His time on earth but the sins of people to come.  Wow!  I cannot even begin to fathom what He felt on that cross.  I mean after becoming too involved in someone else’s burdens I am so drained.  Jesus took on the sins of EVERYONE.  That is so humbling.  I have always thought it amazing that he gave His life for us but when put in this perspective and multiplying the feelings I have experienced by trillions and then some.  I am speechless.

Prayer Monday, March 21, 2011

What a wonderful week and weekend I had after the last two not so great weeks!  I feel like God gave me a shot of blessings.  Or maybe He just opened my eyes so I could see them.  Either way I am excited to see what He has in store for this week.  I didn't really like how whiny I have been the two weeks prior to last week.  So praise God I am coming to you with a more positive attitude this week.  Our Women's Retreat is coming up this Friday and Saturday.  I am so pumped because the Holy Spirit always shows up in such a powerful way.  I am planning to go and EXPECT God to do something not just hope that He will.  I hope each of you have a wonderful week!

PRAISES

1. My husband got a letter asking him to come to interview for a job he has been waiting on. (More on this in Requests)

2. This weekend wasn't crazy busy and we were able to slow down and enjoy it.

3.  B is so much better this week and my husband and I did not get pink eye.

PRAYER REQUESTS
1.  I am asking that God will keep me strong as I continue to seek Him out and the enemy tries to derail me from my course.

2. My husband and I lead a small group at our church. I pray that He continues to highlight people for our members to invite so our group will grow and touch more lives.

3.This is coming up this weekend March 25-26.  I am praying that God will prepare the hearts of the over 300 women attending our network of churches Women's Retreat at the end of the month.  I expect the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways. I know there will be great resistance from the enemy against the women.  I pray that God protects each woman attending from the attacks of the enemy.

4.  I pray that God will be with my husband this Tuesday.  He has a job interview for a Carpenter's position at a nearby prison.  This job would be such a blessing.

5. I pray for the church plant we are sending to Athens, Ohio this summer.  I pray that God builds up those being sent out on the church plant and that God would prepare their hearts for this as well as the hearts of the people in Athens.

PRAYER THIS WEEK

Father,

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I praise you for the blessings we received this week and allowing me to have a much better week.  Holy Spirit I pray that you pour yourself into each of us this week as we seek you out in prayer.  As we are praying I ask that You help us to not only see the requests but thank you for the praises as well.  

AMEN

Prayer Monday, March 14, 2011

I don't have a lot to say this week so I will just jump right in here.

PRAISES

1. My son has had a sinus infection and pink eye all week but thanks to God, antibiotics and my temporary neurotic behavior disinefecting everything he is so much better.  Tomorrow he gets to stop his eye drops and antibiotics!

2. God gave us a beautiful weekend to enjoy and I want to praise Him for even the smallest of things.

3. We had three visitors to our small group this week!!  I wasn't there because of B's pink eye but I am excited all the same.

PRAYER REQUESTS
1.  I am asking that God will keep me strong as I continue to seek Him out and the enemy tries to derail me from my course.

2. My husband and I lead a small group at our church. I pray that He continues to highlight people for our members to invite so our group will grow and touch more lives.

3. I am praying that God will prepare the hearts of the over 300 women attending our network of churches Women's Retreat at the end of the month.  I expect the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways. I know there will be great resistance from the enemy against the women.  I pray that God protects each woman attending from the attacks of the enemy.

4. I pray that God continues to heal B and that my husband and I don't get pink eye.

5. I pray that God will continue to show my husband and I how to be good and faithful stewards with the things He has given us.

6. I pray for the church plant we are sending to Athens, Ohio this summer.  I pray that God builds up those being sent out on the church plant and that God would prepare their hearts for this as well as the hearts of the people in Athens.

PRAYER THIS WEEK

Father,

I come to you starting this week weary and drained.  I pray that you give me the strength to finish this week with a bang and do the things that need to be done.  Holy Spirit I  ask that you rest on us this week.   Touch our hearts with your word and open our eyes to the requests being made.  Thank you so much for the praises each of us were able to report this week.  I ask that you continue to press into  this group and grow us as a result of our prayers.  

AMEN

Toddlers Are Petri Dishes!

Yes it's true my beloved son has become a little petri dish.  Before I had always viewed other toddler as such.  Of course I know one them passed this on to my dear child.  Monday my son started feeling bad; fever, runny nose and the like.  Wednesday it still wasn't getting better so I made an appointment for him for Thursday morning.  Wednesday night his eyes started getting all red and puffy and producing for lack of a better word, gunk.  The poor guy was so miserable.  I talked to my sister, who is an RN, and she thought he might have pink eye.  UGH!  Thursday morning the doctor confirmed he does have pink eye AND a sinus infection.  She asked where we had been.  I told her church and the grocery store.  He could have picked it up from a shopping cart (though I use disinfecting wipes on them) or he could have gotten it from the toddlers in his room at church.  Regardless he was miserable for two days straight.  Today he is doing better with eye drops and antibiotics.

BUT on to the petri dish.  Pink eye is contagious for five days.  So we are basically quarantined until next Tuesday.  Well he is but that pretty much means me too.  While picking up his antibiotics I also got disinfecting wipes and Lysol spray.  I already had bleach.  I have gone on a disinfecting frenzy.  Do you know how many surfaces a toddler comes in contact with on a daily basis?  Plus how do you keep a 17 month old from touching his eyes?   Here's an answer for you: YOU DON'T.  It's impossible.  So I have to enter in as the protector for him and be on Germ Defense.

Germ Defense?  What's that you ask?  Well it looks something like this: I have taken all of his toys out of his room and am in the process of disinfecting them.  I am only leaving out a few for him that are easily cleaned with disinfecting wipes until he is in the clear.  Then there are all the surfaces he touches.  Tables, door knobs, walls, couches, baby gates, high chair.  I could go on but I will spare you.  Then I am washing all of the bedding and will have to do so again in a couple days just so he doesn't reinfect himself.  I have begun a nightly ritual of wiping surfaces down after he is in bed.   My gosh this exhausting!  Can you tell that this is the first time he has had anything majorly contagious.  He has mostly just had sinus infections up until this point.  Do you feel sorry for me yet?  OK,  I will end my whining here ;).  Seriously though say a prayer for my little guy.  He isn't as miserable today but night time is the worst.  Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Prayer Monday, March 7, 2011

Boy has this been a week for me.  I want to be completely transparent and say by Monday evening this past week my prayer and bible time took a huge hit.  I didn't get back on track really until Thursday.  I won't go into details but you can read a little about it here.  I will say that the rest of my week has gotten exponentially better.  It is amazing what even just a little bit of prayer can do to make you at peace with an otherwise crazy week.

PRAYER REQUESTS
1.  I am asking that God will keep me strong as I continue to seek Him out and the enemy tries to derail me from my course.

2. My husband and I lead a small group at our church. I pray that He continues to highlight people for our members to invite so our group will grow and touch more lives.

3. I am praying that God will prepare the hearts of the over 300 women attending our network of churches Women's Retreat at the end of the month.  I expect the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways. I know there will be great resistance from the enemy against the women.  I pray that God protects each woman attending from the attacks of the enemy.

4. I am praying that God be with my family members that are struggling with various ailments and trials this week. Heal their bodies and situations.

5. I pray that God will continue to show my husband and I how to be good and faithful stewards with the things He has given us.

6. I pray for the church plant we are sending to Athens, Ohio this summer.  I pray that God builds up those being sent out on the church plant and that God would prepare their hearts for this as well as the hearts of the people in Athens.

PRAISES

1. Our church has a Summer Conference for all of our network's churches every summer.  I was not sure if I would be able to attend due to the cost.  On Friday evening I got an email from Craigslist about a stove we had listed.  We sold the stove and I was able to sign up for the conference when it opened Saturday night before it was filled!  I love so much how God provides for His children.  

PRAYER THIS WEEK

Father,

Thank you so much for your provision.  Thank you for the prayers you have answered for all of us.  Holy Spirit, I ask that you continue to open our eyes and hearts to You.  Encourage us when our week gets difficult and we feel as if we are faltering.  Speak to hearts when we need to lift each other up in prayer.  I ask that it not be a mechanical listing of each others requests but rather a heartfelt prayer in which You speak to us exactly what You want us to prayer over each other.   Father, interrupt our day to pull us into prayer.  I also ask that You give us the scriptures we need to continue to strengthen our prayer lives and time with spent with You.  Thank you again for all you have done and will do.

AMEN

What a Week!

It has just been one of those weeks.  Everything that could possibly stress me out has presented itself.  I am sure my attitude didn't help.  Instead of taking it to God I let myself get angry instead.  I had such a wonderful Sunday at church.  I served in the Bookstore and met several new people.  I was almost giddy when church services got over.  But that is almost where it ends.

By Monday evening everything seemed to be piling on and I was just in a MOOD.  Bless my poor husband's heart he has been so patient with me this week.  Even when he was probably thinking, "Where is my wife and who is this person?"  I haven't been praying and reading my bible as much this week.  I'm not sure if this has exacerbated the situation or if it is a result of the situation.  I am sure it is a little of both.

Last night I think was my turning point.  We had Discipleship Community for all of the small groups that meet on Thursday nights.  It was a very uplifting time.  Worship time was good and I just felt better.  It was what I needed.  So I'M BACK!  With renewed determination to make the best of my prayer and bible time the rest of this week.

Isn't it so good to know that, even though we hit a rough patch, God is waiting with open arms to comfort us?  Though I am sure He is thinking, "My child, why did you wait so long to lean on me!"  Even if it was only a couple days that I didn't seek Him out; it was still too long.  It's a lesson I seem to have to learn over and over.  I like to think I am getting better but I still have my moments. :)