20 hours ago
I don't know about you, but it is easy for me to fall into a prayer rut - where I find myself using the same 'ole words, to pray the same 'ole things, from day to day. I do this when I am praying by myself, but also when I am praying for my kids at night.
I don't like getting into my prayer ruts when I pray with the kids at night, because I don't want them to get bored hearing me pray in the same way every night - and I don't like it when my own prayers start to feel stale, because then it is so much easier for my mind to wander.
I think the reason I do that is because there are a few core things that I want to pray for each night when we say our bedtime prayers, and it's hard to think of new ways to say it! To me, it's a constant battle to keep my personal prayer time, and prayers with the kids, interesting and fresh (I hope I'm not the only one who has trouble with this).
I think this is something that is worth paying attention to, because being able to come near to God in prayer is a huge privilege - and we can come boldly because of what Christ did for us on the cross! Something like that should never become boring, and it's something I want to work on.
I listened to a Focus On The Family broadcast the other day, and the speaker recommended trying to put theology into our daily, habitual prayers. I try to do that when I pray with the kids, but I realized that I could do a better job of it. I have been challenged lately to try to re-word things, and sneak more theology into my prayers with the kids.
So instead of "Please protect us while we sleep", it could be "Thank you, Lord, that you are so powerful, and in control of everything, and that You are always with us - thank you that you are able to protect us while we sleep, and we pray that You would." Or instead of "Bless this food to our bodies", it could be "God, we know that you have made everything, including out food, and we thank you that you have provided this meal for us. Thank you for the way you have wonderfully made our bodies to use this food for energy, and please protect us from any germs we might not know about."
Something like that. Those are kind of long examples, but you get the idea.
Another fun resource for ideas on changing up day-today prayers is Max Lucado's "Treasury of Bedtime Prayers". Don't let the title fool you, because there are prayers for every time of day in this book! As I was reading through it I was gathering ideas for changing up some of my wording when I pray with the kids.
The kids have also really enjoyed sitting and listening to the poems, Bible verses, and prayers in this book. Gwen has especially liked it - this book is just her speed, I think. I think she likes the rhythm of some of the poems, and the pictures are adorable - lots of cute woodland creatures and outdoor scenes. I think the illustrations are what make this book special to me - these are the kind of pictures I loved to look at in books when I was a girl!
We haven't read through all the prayers yet, because this book has a lot of them, but I have loved every one I have read so far! I think it is a great tool to focus the kids (and myself) on God's goodness right before bed.
I love the idea of focusing on theology and who God is during prayer, for a couple reasons - first it's a good way to sneak biblical truths into the kids brains without lecturing. And second, when you remember how great is the God to whom we pray, it is hard to stay bored! It is amazing that such an incredible God takes the time to listen to us. It reminds me of Psalms 144:3 - what are we that God pays attention to us? Prayer is something special, and I don't want to forget that.
Am I the only one who gets stuck in "prayer ruts"? What do you do to keep your prayer time fresh?
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Note: I received a copy of :Treasury Of Bedtime Prayers" for free from Tommy Nelson in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
"Betting On Hope" by Debra Clopton is a novel about Maggie Hope, and advice columnist who finds herself roped into interviewing a famous cowboy, Tru Manahan. After an accidental bet is made on whether Tru can teach Maggie to ride a horse, the two find themselves thrown together as Maggie moves to Wishing Springs to write about her journey to learning to ride.
This book was a cute romance novel. The characters had some obstacles to finding true love, but nothing too deep or dark. I find it frustrating when characters let their secrets keep them apart in some Christian romance novels, because it often seems like the difficulties are ridiculously exaggerated. I am happy to report that this was not the case with "Betting On Hope". The characters themselves didn't overreact to the drama of it all, and their internal struggles seemed appropriately proportionate to the obstacles they faced, which I appreciated.
I loved the secondary characters in this book. All the typical small-town nosiness was present in the story, and I loved it. It made the story more fun and charming. I actually wish the author had intertwined some of the secondary characters who were a part of the town into more of the book, but I liked the side-plot with Jenna, a pregnant teenager who finds herself at a home for teen mothers in Wishing Springs.
While I appreciated that the drama in this book wasn't over-played, I did feel like too much of the book was focused on the two main characters internal reactions and feelings - I would have liked more light-hearted banter, or town events, or something to break up all the self-reflections.
The main characters were likable though, and I thought the ending was fun. If you want a light Christian romance read, this was an enjoyable one.
Note: I received a copy of this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
You can also enter to win a Kindle Fire to celebrate the book's release by clicking here!
This book was a cute romance novel. The characters had some obstacles to finding true love, but nothing too deep or dark. I find it frustrating when characters let their secrets keep them apart in some Christian romance novels, because it often seems like the difficulties are ridiculously exaggerated. I am happy to report that this was not the case with "Betting On Hope". The characters themselves didn't overreact to the drama of it all, and their internal struggles seemed appropriately proportionate to the obstacles they faced, which I appreciated.
I loved the secondary characters in this book. All the typical small-town nosiness was present in the story, and I loved it. It made the story more fun and charming. I actually wish the author had intertwined some of the secondary characters who were a part of the town into more of the book, but I liked the side-plot with Jenna, a pregnant teenager who finds herself at a home for teen mothers in Wishing Springs.
While I appreciated that the drama in this book wasn't over-played, I did feel like too much of the book was focused on the two main characters internal reactions and feelings - I would have liked more light-hearted banter, or town events, or something to break up all the self-reflections.
The main characters were likable though, and I thought the ending was fun. If you want a light Christian romance read, this was an enjoyable one.
Note: I received a copy of this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
You can also enter to win a Kindle Fire to celebrate the book's release by clicking here!
I have a book for you to read.
I recently finished reading "Killing Christians" by Tom Doyle, and I have to tell you guys, this book might make my top ten list for the year. It's still early, but this book was so good.
I picked up this book thinking it would be like a different book I read a couple years ago that gave a lot of stats and facts about persecution of Christians around the world, and it was totally different than what I was expecting, in a good way! This book has eight main chapters, and each chapter reads like a chapter of a fiction book - except the stories that are told are not fiction, they are real. These stories are specifically focused on Christians in the middle east, so it is especially applicable to what is happening today.
I'm not going to sugar-coat it - these stories are brutal. The types of suffering that are described in these pages are horrific, and in a lot of ways it was difficult for me to read. I can't imagine going through what Christians in the middle east (especially converts from Islam) endure, and the way they endure it with such courage and faith is inspiring.
It may not be easy to read, but it is so important to be aware of what our brothers and sisters are suffering so we can pray for them! I especially loved one line at the end of the book.
"Even though personal hostility, danger, and martyrdom may not be present in your life, there is something else you are experiencing: you are suffering. Did you know that? . . . Your connection to those living in persecution is stronger than you may think - if one suffers, we all suffer. That is why you recently may have felt unsettled, angry, or disoriented by the pervasive evil in the world and overwhelmed at the bombardment of Christians globally as you view it on television or read about it online or in print media. You should feel this way. After all, it is an attack on your family."
That so perfectly describes how I have been feeling lately every time I hear about Christian kidnappings or executions in the news - it is almost a physical pain, and it finally makes sense to me why it makes me feel that way. We are the body of Christ. We are more connected than we realize.
I think it is so important as Christians to not forget those of our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and killed. It is tempting to turn off the news, close the windows on our computer and not think about it, but we can't do that. Our family needs us. They need our prayers, every single day. We should be petitioning our Heavenly Father on their behalf. We shouldn't let them suffer and die with no notice.
I just wanted to close this post with a resource that was shared at the end of this book, called 8thirty8. This is a challenge to set your phone for 8:38 PM each day, and when the alarm goes off, take a minute to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted. There is also an 8thirty8 Facebook page that will give you specific updates and situations to pray for.
It hurts to feel so helpless, but there is always something we can do - we can pray. And "Killing Christians" and 8thirty8 are great inspiration for doing just that.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
We are adding one more little arrow to our quiver! Baby #4 coming September 2015!
Check back soon for more details!
Hey guys! Well, the last couple weeks have been weird to say the least. Just lots of unexpected things that are totally throwing my blogging schedule. Normally I would have some nice accompanying post, but today I have nothing, so I'm just going to point you over to my post on Tommy Nelson today!
I wrote about separation anxiety, which I feel is ironic, because I would not consider myself an expert at handling it - however, we have found ways to cope. And when I say we, I am not just talking about the kids, I am including myself! I hope I am not the only mom who gets anxious for her kids sometimes.
A verse that my mom taught us in childhood reminds me that I need to point my kids to the One who will always be with them if they put their trust in Him. And sometimes I need that reminder too!
To read all about my separation anxiety story and verse, head on over to Tommy Nelson's blog!
"Remember The Lilies" by Liz Tolsma is a story set in Santo Tomas, a prison camp in the Philippines during World War II. Many Americans find themselves in this Japanese prison camp, including Irene Reynolds, a woman who grew up with her missionary aunt int he jungle after her parents abandoned her, and Rand Sterling, a nightclub owner who dreams about returning to his easy pre-war life. Irene and Rand meet when Irene tries to deliver a confidential message to Rand just as he is attempting a dangerous escape from the camp. Plans foiled, Rand and Irene find themselves thrown together more and more, and an unlikely romance blooms.
I thought the characters in this story were sweet, and I liked their simple romance, which was a little complicated but not so complicated that it makes you cringe. I felt like I would have liked some of the characters to have a little more depth, particularly a couple of the secondary characters, but I thought they were all likable.
I thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving spiritual lessons into this story without it seeming unnatural. Maybe part of it was the setting of the book, because when put through such hard experiences, I think it is common for people to think more about spiritual things. I especially liked how she wove the gospel into this story. I think it takes skill to make a fictional conversion seem natural, and she did it well.
This story was a sweet romance, amidst conditions that were not ideal - sickness, starvation, and poor treatment by the Japanese in the prison camp. I have not researched prison camps during World War II, but the author seemed to have done her research thoroughly, and I thought this book gave a glimpse into what life must have been life for those who found themselves in one of these camps. Conditions continued to worsen throughout the story, and I thought the author ended the story very well.
Note: I received a copy of this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
You also have two more days to enter the Kindle Fire giveaway as part of the "Remember the Lilies blog tour! Check it out!
Last weekend we had Wyatt's 4th birthday party! I should clarify that this was less of a "party", and more of a family gathering. I just like doing themes for the kids' birthdays for fun. When I asked Wyatt what he wanted to do for his party this year, he said he wanted a race car party, so that is what we did!
Everything was pretty easy to throw together for this party.
I bought some checked and red paper and used it to make the birthday banner and signs. I also wrapped some of the checked paper around the "coolant" water bottles, and used the extra paper for a runner on our "pit stop" table.
I added red streamers and black and white balloons to fit with our race car color scheme.
Bought some "spare tire" chocolate donuts, and some red Kool-aid for the "transmission fluid" (which is actually red in real life too). I originally wasn't going to label everything, but I asked Derek what car fluid was red, and he talked me into making the labels last minute - and I think they ended up tying the theme together really well!
I washed some of Wyatt's Hot Wheels cars and put them on top of some red cupcakes. If you bought some new Hot Wheels cars this would be a fun way to give out favors to the kids who come to the party too!
And that was it! It was a really simple theme to put together, and we had fun with it!
For more pictures of Wyatt at his party, you can check my family photo blog, or sign up for my newsletter and I will send out the link!
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