an extravagant gift from an amazing God

Have you ever been given a gift that left you feeling utterly amazed that someone would go to such great lengths to meet your need and bless you?  A gift so extravagant and sacrificially given that you are rendered speechless?  And when you can finally pick your jaw up off the floor all you can say is "Thank you Lord!"  

This is the 12 passenger van that our family affectionately calls "The Lobster".  We were told that the family with nine children (all grown now) who owned it before us had dubbed it thus.  It cracks me up when little Manny says "Let's go Lobster!" and he marches toward it with a determined look.  

The kids all love it.  They get all excited when it's time to go somewhere in our bus-like van.

I was a bit afraid to drive such a large machine at first.  But now I'm feeling right at home in our big lobster. :)

I would be remiss in giving glory to God if I did not say that we did not pay from our own pockets to receive this van.  But a dear friend did.  What else but the love of God would motivate such selfless sacrifice?  Our van is such a special gift and every time we use it we are reminded of the goodness of our God.

I also remember how much we prayed.  We knew we would need a bigger van once Isabel was born.  But the acquiring of one seemed like a daunting task.  It was all we could do to just trust that God would help us.  I can remember thinking that it would be so neat if maybe someone could pass down a large van they weren't using anymore.  In my mind that seemed like a good idea.  I also prayed about that and asked God if maybe...just maybe...someone could give us a van.  I admit, I felt as though I was asking too much.  

Imagine my surprise when I found out we were being given a van!  

I praise God for it.  He is always good, even when he doesn't give us big gifts like this.  I know that no matter what the circumstance is, he knows all about it and he loves us far more than we can even imagine.  He will always provide for our needs.  It's so sweet to trust him, isn't it?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

The training does not guarantee the doing

One of the most difficult things about being a parent is that we cannot force our children to make the right choices.  They must choose to do the right thing.  Sometimes I feel like I am teaching things over and over again, training and coaching them in the best way to handle situations.  "Don't yell like that, speak like this."  "Don't shove, say 'Excuse me.'"  "Don't lose your temper, stay calm and talk it out.'"  "God wants you to put others first, are you doing that or are you only thinking of yourself?"  

Learning to respond according to biblical wisdom is a day in day out process.  And what's more, as parents we are growing in Christ-likeness daily.  We are also learning to respond to situations in a godly way.  We are not perfect people by any means.  We are sinners and so are our children.  They are born that way.  We do have an influence and we can impact their lives for Christ but not everything is taught.  In other words, they are not blank canvases, learning all of their sin patterns from me.  Sometimes that is the case but they come up with a whole lot on their own!  Sometimes I wonder "Where on earth did they get that from?"  "Was it me?  Dad? Friends? Movies? 

We often want something or someone to blame.  But in all reality, we are sinners and we don't need any help or influence to be them.  Our children will surprise us with what they come up with sometimes. 

As parents, do we really think that we can determine whether or not our children will follow after Christ and live a godly life based upon how well they train them?

If we teach our children all the wisdom and ways of God, does God guarantee to us that they will obey him, if not now, then eventually?

There is nothing that a Christian parent desires more than for their children to love God and make wise choices in obedience to God's word.  But just because we teach them, does not mean that they will.  And to claim that God promises this is a grave misunderstanding.  Is it really right for us to expect that just because a person is taught something, he will do it?  Is that not a personal choice each person makes?  Whether or not they will obey and do what is right?

Training and teaching our children is our responsibility as parents.  But I am deeply concerned that we have misunderstood one little verse in the Bible and this misunderstanding has serious consequences.

It is likely that every Christian parent is familiar with the verse in Proverbs that says:

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

The question is...is this a promise?  If so, does the rest of Scripture back that up?  Or is it better understood as a general truth?  If we could guarantee that our children will grow up to love God and serve him then that makes it all up to us and our training.  If we adhere to this line of thinking it follows that if they make poor choices in their life then they are the victim of our poor parenting.  This is not always the case and thinking this way can result in a huge problem.  People who grow into adults and point the finger at their parents for all of their current problems.  Basically saying "I sin because you sinned against me."  Blame shifting.  "It's not my fault that I sin, it's my parents fault for not teaching me right."

This is a vicious cycle that never amounts to any personal change.  I read an illustration recently in which a son blames his father for his problems saying "Dad, why were you such a bad dad to give me all these hang ups?"  The father responded with "It's not my fault it's the way I was brought up."  If every generation blamed the one before it, it would go all the way back to the Garden of Eden!  And there was a whole lot of blame shifting going on there too!  Adam blamed the woman for giving him the fruit.  Eve blamed the serpent.  And in the end, pointing the finger at God because we think he was so unjust to put us in the situation in the first place.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond

your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the

way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

We have to be careful how we think.  Do you realize that there are untold numbers of parents out there who were just as dedicated to training their children and teaching them God's word as you may be now and yet the children want nothing to do with it?  They make foolish choices and have no heart for God.  When we see this our first thought is:

 "What did their parents do wrong?"

"Their parents must have let in some bad influence they shouldn't have allowed."

We question if the parent really trained them up properly.

And what of the parent?  The parent is laden with guilt.  They wonder what more they could have done.  Did they teach the Bible enough?  Did they utterly fail to do well as a parent?  They feel shame and they feel like a failure.

If the sins of our children are always a direct result of our lack of training, then we must think that we have control over the choices they make.  We don't.  Being wise or being a fool is ultimately their choice.

The word of the LORD came to me:

"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning

and the children's teeth are set on edge'? 

As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb

shall no more be used by you in Israel.  

Behold, all souls are mine;

the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine;

the soul who sins shall die."

Ezekiel 18:1-4

I cannot secure the salvation of my children.  That is between them and God.  I can point them to the narrow gate, but I cannot drag them through it.  They have to walk through on their own.  They may choose to go another way and it will break my heart, but I will not blame myself.  They are accountable to God for their choices.

Proverbs 22:6 is a general truth, not a promise.  If we claim it is then we are saying that we as parents have control over whether or not our children will trust in Christ for salvation and serve God with their lives.  We cannot determine this, we cannot guarantee it and we cannot back God into a corner and say "You promised me!"

The following biblical truth applies to parents as well as their children:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,

you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death,

or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?  

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become

obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were 

committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves

to righteousness.  Romans 6:16-18

As parents we must recognize the grace of God working.  If our children serve Christ, praise God!  It is his work of grace in their heart.  We should not become proud and think too highly of ourselves because we are such excellent parents.  We will come crashing down real quick if our children make poor choices or reject the Lord all together.  Let us walk humbly with God, being prayerful, growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ ourselves and teaching our children about him with every opportunity we get.  We are accountable to God as parents.  We do have the responsibility to teach them according to his word.  But ultimately, how they respond is their personal choice and they will be accountable to God for it.

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.  Romans 14:12

Have you ever blamed your parents for the way you turned out?

Are you taking personal responsibility for your own sin?

Could you be feeling unnecessary guilt and shame because your children aren't walking with God even though you taught them to do so?

I'd be interested in hearing what your thoughts on this, whether publicly or privately.  Send me a message.  Iron sharpens iron.

from the youngest to the oldest

Give a little kiss and you just might get one back!

{Isabel-2 mos. and Amera-16 yrs.}

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" {a "Parent Appreciation Banquet"}

   This past Saturday evening was the annual "Parent Appreciation Banquet".  My husband and I always consider this a very special date night.  It's also nice that it's right around Valentine's Day, so it ends up being a wonderful way to celebrate.

   This year the theme was set in medieval times.  The youth staff and youth group of our church had prepared for weeks to give us parents a night of fun, delicious food and drama.

   We dined within the castle walls with the King and Queen who sat at their royal table.  The skits were hilarious.  It was an evening full of laughs and not knowing what might happen next.

   Near the end of the evening, some of the parents sitting near us were struck with the realization that this would be the last of these banquets that they would attend because their young one's would be graduating from high school this year.  As for my husband and I, we may be enjoying them for years to come!  As long as we are here that is.  We don't really know where we'll be in the coming years or even months.  But does anyone really know?  Those details belong to God.

   At the end of the evening the youth pastor encouraged the parents from Deuteronomy chapter 6 to first love the Lord with all our heart and then to teach his word to our children.  Such a tremendous responsibility!  I know that my parenting will not be flawless, but in all I do and all. the. time. it boils down to this...

Love God.  

Teach my kids about him.

   Those are my instructions from God himself.  That is what I need to be passionate about.  That is what I need to pursue.

   After we heard from the youth pastor, each of the juniors and seniors stood before us and told their parents how much they appreciate them and what they are thankful to their parents for.  Gratitude toward one's parents has to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and heard.  Some parents would give just about anything to hear such precious words spoken to them from the heart.

   I cried as I listened to them say things like..

You taught me...

You helped me...

You listened...

You pointed me to Christ...

You taught me how to respond biblically...

   As a parent, I was encouraged.  Encouraged to keep on giving and doing and loving.  The way I live each and every day matters.  It makes a difference.  And I couldn't help but think what my children might say if they stood up there.  What do they think of their mom and dad?  What will they be thankful for when it's all said and done?    These are sobering questions.  I know that even if I were to be the perfect parent (which is impossible) that does not guarantee their gratitude.  Just ask God about that one.  But I do know what God has told me to do.  I will love him.  And sometimes one of the ways I do that is by letting my children see that God is still working on me, just as he will be working on them their whole life through.

To all the youth staff and youth group, 

thank you for a very special evening!

We won't forget it!

   

Failure, success, and double chocolate biscotti

This post was supposed to contain lovely pictures of the special "Valentine's" cookies we made.  Pink, heart-shaped cookies that looked positively perfect on someone else's website.  

They didn't look so perfect in my kitchen.  

Their shape more closely resembled blobs.  Pink blobs.  So, although my kids thought they were delicious, I had no desire to take the pictures that I thought I would.  But that's ok.  Another baking opportunity presented itself.

I made biscotti several years ago and it did not turn out well.  I always knew I'd try it again someday.  Especially since I consider a yummy piece of biscotti dipped in my coffee to be quite the treat.  After making a batch of these and ending up with about 20 cookies, I'm feeling much less inclined to purchase biscotti from the grocer's shelf.  

By the way, Joelle and Brienne helped make these and they really like the turn out.  They like to dip biscotti in their hot cocoa for a yummy treat!

Double Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 (one ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the cocoa and baking powder, beat for 2 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in the flour by hand.

Mix in both of the chocolates.  

Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet.

After 10 minutes, divide the dough in half.  Form each half into a 9 inch long log.  (This was a lot like playing with Playdo, I did this right on top of the cookie sheet.)

Place them on the cookie sheet about 4 inches apart and flatten them slightly.

Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack and cool for one hour.

Now we come to part two of this process.  After all biscotti is a "twice-baked biscuit".

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Cut each loaf into 1/2 inch wide diagonal slices.  Place the slices on the cookie sheet you used before, only this time you don't want to grease it.

Bake the biscotti for 7-9 minutes.

Pull them out, turn each one over and bake for an additional 7 to 9 minutes.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container until you are ready to enjoy!

   

Sixteen already?!

   Our oldest daughter Amera has just recently turned sixteen.  Her and I spent one afternoon going to get our ears pierced together.  It was a neat experience.  Mine were being re-pierced, but this was her first time.  It only hurt a little bit, it ended up costing way more than I thought it would (I think my jaw dropped when I heard the total), but it was all worth it!  We have really enjoyed having earrings and my husband continues to comment on how much he likes mine.  (That makes it a good investment doesn't it?)  I'm also glad that Amera and I got to do it together and enjoy a special lunch afterwards.  

   Jav and I also enjoyed taking Amera out to lunch Saturday afternoon.  She loves Italian food so we decided to take her to Carrabbas for a special treat.  Since we got there thirty minutes before they opened we decided to see what Trader Joe's was like.  We had never been there before but I knew that they carry some unique foods.  In fact, I have been hunting for some cinnamon chips for a scone recipe and haven't been able to find them anywhere.  We actually found some cinnamon chip scones in their baked goods section.  Too bad they didn't have any cinnamon chips for sale.  Anybody know where to get those?!

{My husband is getting very used to me whipping out my camera at random moments! 

 I'm glad I did because I really like this picture!}

   I felt like I should take something from this "experience".  Honestly, I will probably not make it a point to go back.  So I brought home a little something I knew the kids would enjoy.  Although I do kind of wonder if I should have gotten the scones!  ;)

   It was an afternoon full of fun and hearty laughs.  We were all in a cheerful mood and enjoying each others company.  

  I have been to this restaurant a couple of times before and I always get the "Chicken Bryan".  I decided to stick with what I know I like really like.  The goat cheese, the sun-dried tomatoes...it's delicious!  Our waiter was very friendly and thought for sure that he knew Javier from somewhere.  Javier gets that a lot.  Our waiter also found it amusing that I was taking pictures of my food.  What can I say?  I guess I really am a blogger at heart!

   Yes, I whip out my camera quite a bit.  I'm really glad that I brought it along on our date with Amera though.  These pictures remind me of our time together.  Times like these cannot always be described in many words, but I will remember them with a happy heart.  

   It's hard to believe that our little girl with the pigtails is so close to being an adult.   How quickly time seems to fly.  I am so thankful for all sixteen years!

Whenever the doors are open...we make a decision

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

   What is your philosophy when it comes to attending church?  Do you ever question what, if anything, should trump attending church?  Are there things in your life that are more important than being there when your church family is there?

   I've been considering these questions in my own mind.  Especially since lately I have had circumstances that have posed some challenges for me.  Do you ever face a challenge with going to church?  I'm pretty sure we all do at one time or another.  Our mindset will determine our actions.  Especially when the choice to go to church makes things harder on us.  

   Speaking from my own experience, sometimes I have allowed inconveniences, sometimes major, sometimes minor, to sway my decision.  And sadly, seeking God on the matter ends up being an afterthought if I consider his thoughts on the matter at all.

   Maybe you've faced similar challenges to these...

"Do I really want to go this time?  After all, we're having a business meeting anyway and my kids will be bored to tears."

Or maybe you've thought,

"I'm going through all the trouble to get there only to spend the whole time in a nursery feeding the baby, I'd rather just do that at home.  I can listen to the sermon online later."

Or, 

"I just figure it's going to stress me out to rush around in my attempts to get there.  It won't be a very "spiritual" experience for me or the kids if I am losing my patience.  It would just be better to stay home."

   In each of these situations we are allowing a selfish, personal inconvenience to keep us from something that God clearly wants us to do.  That thing is to gather together with God's people.

   To my shame, my selfishness came to the forefront recently, when I felt the "feeding the baby in the nursery" challenge.  I think especially because it was a Wednesday evening.  Sometimes when life gets challenging I feel as though I am jumping through hoops on Wednesday just to get to church.  With one vehicle and my husband working second shift, Wednesday night prayer meeting requires some extra effort for me.  And I confess, not having my husband with me makes it a little more challenging to maintain a "We will do this! No matter what!" attitude.  

   Recently, I was questioning whether or not I should go.  My concern?  The being stuck in the nursery thing. After all the traveling back in forth, the gas money, the effort to make it happen...ending up in a nursery and feeding my baby.  Can't I just do that at home?  I brought my concerns up to my husband.  I will never forget his response.  

"Marisha, if this were all about you-that would be one thing...

but it's not."

 Those words, spoken in love, sunk in deep.  

 So true.  He was right.  It's not about me.  It's about God.

Does he want me there?  That is the question we should be asking.

   I understand things come up.  Recently, I spent almost the entire Sunday afternoon being unsure as to what I was going to do in the evening.  Facing a challenge and questioning "Should we go?"

   When facing a challenge, our first inclination can often be to just conclude that we shouldn't.  But I think the more we consider God and what he would have us do, and the more we pray, the more we see that we can work through the challenge and set personal inconvenience and preferences aside.

   We also have to consider how our decision to stay home affects our children.  Do they see us being prayerful about any challenges we are facing or do we easily cave in at the slightest inconvenience?  Are we showing them that something we need to accomplish at home or for work is more important?  I'm not saying that we should never, ever miss a church service.  I'm just saying we should take it very seriously, being prayerful and seeking God on it as challenging circumstances present themselves.  And when it comes to our children and even our church family, what message are we sending if we are not willing to face our challenges head on and do what it takes to go to church?  More importantly, what does God think about it?

   One of my children has recently began complaining of a tummy ache on Sunday afternoon.  I am really questioning the validity of this tummy ache since it is only complained about as the evening service approaches.  And on top of that, my child states "I don't think I should go to church."  I am suspecting that my child is not too keen on sitting through an evening service in the sanctuary.  No children's church.  Hmmmm...is it any wonder that it is not my child's personal preference to sit through the service?

   What attitude are we promoting in our homes?

An attitude of "I am most important" or "God is most important"?

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging

one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25

something "new"

   Recently we bade farewell to two toddler beds and welcomed a bunk bed into our home.  Our boys were quite excited about this change in sleeping arrangements.  I shared in their excitement.  I remember how exciting it was when my sisters and I would change things around in our rooms.  We had bunk beds that could become single beds and then back to bunk beds again.  And I remember when I was about eleven years old and I got a waterbed of all things!  That was an interesting experience.  I love changing things around once in a while.  A couple weekends ago we spent an entire afternoon making this change.  Javi was ecstatic.  He helped dad put it together.

Amera took a few pictures for me.  I held Isabel and looked out the window to see the children happily throwing leaves up into the air.  They all laughed as the leaves came raining down over their heads. 

   It was such a beautiful, sunny afternoon.  T-shirt weather in January!  We have been amazed with the weather we are having.  It was the perfect opportunity for our kids to get to know the little girl who recently moved in next door.  As Amera cleaned out the van, an old umbrella was pulled out and the kids thought it made for fun, even in the sun.

   I was busy going back and forth from helping out in the boy's room with the bunk bed project to checking on the kids outside.  Isabel was content to hang out in her crib while we got much of the busy work accomplished.  I'm trying to get her more and more accustomed to her crib.  She sleeps more often in her bouncer.  I think she feels cozier in there.  

The boys were all giggles as they tried out their "new" bed.

sweet brothers

It was a special Saturday together as a family.  A great combination of work and play.  Just the way I like it.

{We're thankful to the friends who passed on the bunk bed they no longer needed.
Perhaps our boys will grow up with it too!}   

Seeing the King

   "...for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

   Have you ever thought something was just fine until you compared it to something else?  And it wasn't until then that you saw the other thing was far better?

   One day, several years ago, we agreed to have a vacuum salesman come into our home and show us what his very expensive high quality vacuum could do.  He asked us if we would use the vacuum that we normally used and vacuum the carpet.  After we did that he went around the room, vacuuming with his fancy vacuum and when he was finished we were appalled at what we could clearly see on a little swatch of black cloth.  Our vacuum was not doing a very good job at sucking things up!  We were now seeing the ugly truth.  Our vacuum was leaving much filth behind.  Sad but true.

   In the same way, we often think we are getting along just fine, until we get a glimpse of something better and we see that our condition is not as good as we once thought.  

   The nearer we come to God, the closer the view we get of him, the more we see our own sinfulness.  Isaiah saw an awesome vision of God in Isaiah chapter 6.  He saw him sitting upon a throne as King.  He saw him high and lifted up, the train of his majestic royal robe filling the temple.  He saw the angels of God, even they covered their faces and feet with their wings.  Do we have this kind of humility in his presence?  

   He heard them saying "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil 

and cannot look at wrong...Habakkuk 1:13

   Consider the purity, the holiness, and the goodness of our God.  He sees all of our sin, he knows everything that is happening, but think of how horrible sin is in his sight.  There is far too much that we tolerate.  Far too much that we are not ashamed of.  Yet even with all the "little" sins we tolerate, there are horrible things that we could say "I cannot even look at that!  It's so wrong!"  And to think that God thinks (feels) that way even about the sins that we take lightly.  God give us grace to see our sin as he does.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one

who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice,

O righteous, and shout for joy, 

all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32:10-11

   Isaiah's response to seeing the King was the right one.  He recognized his sin.  He saw it clearly, especially when compared to the purity of God's holiness.  There was no pretending that he was going to be fine.  No deceiving himself into thinking that he could be "good enough" for God to accept him into his presence.

"Woe is me! For I am lost;

for I am a man of unclean lips,

and I dwell in the midst of a people 

of unclean lips; for my eyes have

seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Isaiah 6:5

   Though our condition seems hopeless, there is hope for us all.  Though is looks grim, God's love has made a way for the wrong to be made right.  There is cleansing for the one who recognizes their filth.  There is healing for the one who admits their illness.  

For godly grief produces a repentance

that leads to salvation without regret,

whereas worldly grief produces death.

1 Corinthians 7:10

  In Matthew 9:10-13, Jesus was reclining at a table eating with some very sinful people.  We are all sinful in God's sight, but these were people whose sins were well known among other people.  When the religious leaders of the day saw this going on, they asked the disciples of Jesus "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  Notice how Jesus responded to them.  He said,

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'

For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him

should not perish but have

eternal life.

For God did not send his Son

into the world to condemn 

the world, but in order

that the world might be saved

through him.

John 3:16-17

   

   

Loving books from head to toe!

I love seeing this little guy on the floor looking through books.  Such a quiet and peaceful time.

I love it especially when we return home from the library and the kids eagerly pull all of the stories out of the backpack.  And our whole living room floor is covered with children who are engrossed in their books.  

Not much is heard...just the sound of pages turning.

When I saw Manny's chunky little feet happily going up and down while he looked at a book, I had to try and capture the cuteness in a video.  I love this little guy!

Communication is key

   "Father, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come."

   It is an encouragement to me that one of the disciples said "Lord, teach us to pray."  Prayer can be learned!  That is good news.  The question is who are we learning from?  Whose example do we follow?  

   It's interesting to note that in Luke 11:1 Jesus was praying.  And when he was finished, one of the disciples wanted to learn from him.  There is so much we can learn from our Lord's example.  

   In the context of family, communication is key.  We learn how to communicate well.  It takes time and effort on the human level.  Should we be surprised that we have much to learn about communicating well with God?  There is much growing to do.  There is often a right focus that we are lacking.  Someone once said that 

"Prayer isn't to get our will done in heaven, but to get God's will done on earth."

Are we praying for his kingdom to come?  Do we want him to rule as king in our hearts and in the hearts of others?

God has amazed me time and time again when I have asked him to do what seemed impossible.

And then I have seen and heard testimony of the wonderful things he has done when I wasn't even asking.

Sometimes this is cause for rejoicing, and sadly, sometimes I feel rebuked.

   Maybe, like me, you have heard someone share an amazing testimony of God's work in their life and all you can think is "I am so glad that no one else (except God) knows how little I have prayed for them."?  Or someone might say "Thank you for your prayers."  And you feel ashamed as you realize that you've been too consumed with your own affairs to be praying for anyone else?

   As a mother, I am leading my children.  Day in and day out, they are observing the way I live.  

Are they seeing that prayer is as important to me as the disciples saw it was to Jesus?

  Many attempts have been made to make prayer an integral part of our family life.  Why does it keep slipping?  Why does it get overlooked?  Forgotten?

   The busyness of life seems to squelch it.  Even if I am finding the time on my own, sometimes in the morning, or throughout the day...

What about my children?

They might not come to God on their own.  Shouldn't I be teaching them how to communicate with God?

If all I teach them is how to thank God for their food three times a day, or if all they hear is short prayer after a Bible lesson, we are seriously lacking.  

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5: 16b

Will they know this, observe this, and not doubt this?  And not only that, do I believe this?

   I'm not saying that I want to put on a show of display for them.  It's not about that.  But just think about all the things we teach our children.  

Will they learn more from me about how to knead dough and clean a kitchen than they will learn about prayer?  

Will they learn more about ironing and folding laundry than they do about prayer?  

   I've been thinking about these things long and hard and asking God what we could do to make prayer an even greater, more integral part of our family life.  I know it's not happening enough.  The whole bedtime prayer thing just doesn't work in my context.  At the end of a long day, I don't have much energy left.  In fact, sometimes I'm going the extra mile if I give hugs and kisses to everyone right before they go to bed.  We are doing that all day long and by the end of the day I am pretty spent.

   I sat and thought about it for a while and I got the idea of using a journal for our family.  I couldn't wait to go and pick one out.  I actually found the one I wanted at Walmart.  It's hardbound and has large pages.  Plenty of room to jot down the things we are praying about.  I started on the first page by writing down the amazing answers to prayer that have happened recently.  God is drawing people to himself and lives are being dramatically changed.  We are in awe.  We are sharing these things with the children and we are learning to include them more.  Not just in sharing the good news when God has worked in amazing ways, but including them in asking God to work in hearts.  

   Each week, probably on Thursday morning (after prayer meeting) I plan to write in things that we will be praying over that week.  I am also leaving a little space in between so that we can note how God has worked in that particular situation.  I don't want to forget what he has done and I don't want to overlook what he is doing.  I want to be a part of it, engaged in it and thanking him for it.  

   Every evening that we are home, right after dinner, I teach them from the Bible and we open our prayer book and choose a few people to pray for.  It doesn't have to be lengthy.  You don't have to go through an entire list.  I would rather fervently pray for two people than go through a list naming names.  

   There is so much more I could write about this.  For now, I'll just say this experience hasn't been perfect.  Children have much to be taught.  Prayer is a joy, it's talking to God, but children have to learn to take it seriously.  I have dealt with silliness, irreverence and uncontrollable giggling.  It's been discouraging at times.  I want my children to learn to respect God, he is holy.  But I also want them approach him as a loving heavenly Father who delights in their laughter.  I need wisdom as a mom to teach them what is appropriate and what is not.  It is such a privilege to serve the living God and I look forward to the ways in which his "kingdom will come."  I desire that with all my heart.