Prayer Monday

Crystal over at A Life In Ordinary has decided to start Prayer Monday and invited her readers to participate with her. The plan is that each Monday we post our prayer requests and a short prayer for the beginning of that week. I am going to try to do this each Monday and link up to her Monday post as well. I am hoping this will help in me having accountability in my prayer life.

So here goes:

PRAYER REQUESTS
1. I am praying that God keeps my husband safe while he is away from us this week for work-related training.

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

3. I am praying that God will take control of my worries and fears.

4. I am asking that God help me be more disciplined in seeking out His word so I may draw closer to Him and the will He has for my family and me.

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


PRAYER FOR THIS WEEK

Holy Spirit, I pray that you touch the lives of each person deciding to take a part in Prayer Monday. I pray that this enriches and strengthens our relationship with You. I thank you that you have given us this outlet and tool for accountability.

I also pray that you help me this week as I am without my other half. Give me the strength to be the momma my son needs all week!

AMEN

Reaching out

My husband and I lead a small group at our church. This is not a job we take lightly. It is a calling God has given. I love the people in our group. So much do I like the dynamic in our group that sometimes I forget I should be reaching out to bring more people into our group. We should not let ourselves get complacent and comfortable. Part of our purpose as a small group is to help people grow spiritually and to get people plugged in that aren't already.

I am not by nature an outgoing person. I have forced myself not to be painfully introverted. It's hard for me but I know that if I would just reach out to more people in our church, that are not in small groups, then I would be greatly blessed. If you are reading this please pray that I will find the courage to do this. I am encouraging our group members to do the same and I want to lead by example.

I want to yell "WE'RE DEBT FREE"

I have a goal/dream/plan/aspiration; call it what you want. I can't wait for my husband and I to be debt free. We have a long road to go what with vehicle loans, student loans, house mortgage etc. It's doable though. I try not to let this rule my life but it seems many times my thoughts are consumed by where our money is going or isn't going. Or thoughts of why wasn't I smarter with my finances in college. It is such a bad cycle to start. I want to end that cycle and teach my children to plan better.

Dave Ramsey, the author of Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace and the host of Dave Ramsey show, has some really good advice on becoming debt free. You should check him out; www.daveramsey.com. Anyway, I digress. Something else he lets people do though that is really fun is call into his show or go to his building and yell as loud as they can, "We're/I'm Debt Free"! I can't wait to do that. What a great feeling. I believe this goal is definitely something that would be pleasing to God as well. He asks us to be good stewards of the things He blesses us with so I believe this would fit into that category. Until then we are going to chip away at our debt and with God's help we will do this!

The Things I Never Dreamed I Would Do or Say

Before I became a mother there are several things I never thought I would do or hear myself saying. I have listed them below for your enjoyment/dismay. If you are a parent I am sure you understand. If you aren't a parent yet.......You will understand sooner or later.

1. I never thought I would pick up another individual and smell their rear to determine if I thought they had pottied in their pants.

2. I never EVER thought I would use my sleeve to wipe another individuals nose, for lack of anything better to wipe it with.

3. I never thought I would say, "Is that a grape or a boogie on your nose/finger.

4. I never thought I would say," Don't stomp your poop" to an individual being hosed down in the bathtub. See my post, "So funny it's Horrifying!"


I could probably go on and on about the things I have said or done but I will leave it at that. Maybe in a few months I will post a revised edition!

Little Reminders

I have still been in a bit of a blue mood this past week. Not sure why, though as I mentioned before, several things could have built to create my mood. This morning, as I was rushing around the house to find our bibles before we left for church, I feel like God gave me a little reminder that He is in control. I found our bibles in the office (it's sad that I didn't know exactly where to find them). I tried to grab both of them with one hand but my bible is leather bound and the cover shifted and it slipped from my hand. When the bible landed it was open with the pages facing the floor. Something made me scan the page it was open to just to see. Now you may say this is a coincidence but I really believe God uses all kinds of methods to talk to us. When I scanned the page I realized it was open to a verse I know very well. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This verse did give me hope. It served as a reminder that my Father in heaven loves me and He is going to take care of my future, my husband's future, and my son's future. So I am going to claim that verse and remember it when I am overcome with the stress of life.

As I am typing this out, I think I have discovered one of the reasons I have been feeling so blue lately. I have not been spending the time with God that I should be and I have not been digging into the Word. I am sure I could come up with all sorts of reasons for this but it basically boils down to me letting the busyness that is life get in the way of my relationship with God. If you are reading this please pray for me in regards to that. I pray over others so many times that God will allow them to find that time in their day to spend with Him and oh how it will bless them. It's ironic that, though I have prayed this over others, I find myself not making that time. I know it will bless my day. So I am going to strive to be better at this! Hopefully it will improve my mood.

In a Funk

Yup that's right I am in a funk. Not sure why though I suspect a series of events put me in my funk. I am going to do my best to get out of this funk and not make my husband and son miserable in the process. Bless my husband's heart, he is a saint for putting up with me. Which is why I am glad my pastor mentioned on Sunday that though we love our spouses, we sometimes have to put up with them. Actually his exact words were "bear with them". My husband was already doing a good job of this Sunday before the pastor said that. :) Have I mentioned I love him?! OK, that is all I have for now. I need to go try to get out of this funk.

Living with a Toddler

Our son has been an overachiever from the beginning. A little too smart for his own good. He learned to crawl at six months and by the time he was 9 1/2 months he was walking. I knew I was in for it when he became more mobile because he was just too curious. In the last two places we lived he was a little more contained. Baby gates were set up to where he was pretty much in his room if ever left to his own devices. This worked for him and me both because it allowed me to get things done and him to have some alone time. Now that we have moved to our new home I wanted him to feel like it is his home to because well, it is! This has led to a series of events that have either shaved years off my life or dissolved me into laughter.

Our first night in our new home our son had to sleep in our bed because we didn't have his set up yet. If you read my previous blogs then you know we went on vacation right after moving but before unpacking. Anyway, as I was saying the first night in our new home our son woke up and sat up in bed screaming and crying. He was inconsolable. We tried to hug or pat him and he would shove our hands away and continue to scream. I got up to get him a sippy cup of water. He grabbed it and drank it as if he hadn't drank in weeks. And then all was fine with the world. I laugh about it now but at the time when he was screaming I was so worried that something was wrong because he has been sick. All he really wanted was a drink of water and was too upset to tell us!

Our second day in our new home our son had been wandering around wherever he pleased. Which was fine with us, we just had to keep an eye or ear on his where abouts. I was in the kitchen and heard him in our bedroom opening my dresser drawers. I told my husband he might want to check on him and shortly after I said that we both heard a loud awful bang. We both took off running for the bedroom. My son sat calmly in the floor with a fruit cup of applesauce dipping his fingers in it and eating it. That same cup of applesauce had been on top of my dresser (I don't know or remember why). He had pulled out the drawers to climb up and get it. In doing that he caused the dresser to fall over. Fortunately it was caught by another dresser or it would have landed on him. He didn't cry or anything just sat where he had landed eating the applesauce. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry so I just turned and walked out of the room after assuring myself he was ok and let my husband pick him up. After I had composed myself I scooped him up and simultaneously hugged and scolded him.

That same day, after the dresser episode, my husband scooted my son's dresser in his room closer to the wall and where it would fall on the changing table if we had a repeat. I was in his room playing with him and turned my back to pick up something. Next thing I know he is crying and all I can think is I didn't hear him do anything. I turn around and found him wedged between his dresser and the wall. I had to pull the dresser out to get him out.

Tonight after the jewelry show/open house I had here he had another fun adventure. I had made chocolate cupcakes for my guests and the leftovers were sitting on the counter near the edge. I came out of another room into the hallway and my son ran by with chocolate on his face. My husband came runing after him with a baby wipe. I got on to my husband for feeding our son a cupcake. He said, "I nothing, go look for yourself." There was a cupcake that had little finger swipes in the icing and a bit pinched off. Our son had been reaching up and grabbing at the cupcake. Nothing is safe in this house!

Now we haven't even been in this house a week and I am already questioning his freedom but I know it is good for him. I have had a glimpse into the many adventures I am sure to have with my curious little boy. I am glad that God has a watch over him and has saved him from sure disasters. That way I can look back and chuckle at him. Afterall, he is just being a little boy. Be prepared for blogging about the adventures of my son. For now I believe I shall go watch the little angel sleep. That is really the only time he is still for very long :)