This Year's Verses

All at the same time I was reading Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson (loved that book!)  AND one of my favorite blogs (Specific post HERE).

Both of these ideas themed around the fact of praying for your kids.  "Praying" for my children was already a given, but both of these sources gave me the idea to designate Bible verses to each of my guys and pray for them through that verse.

Last year's verse was a shared verse:

"Let them grow in wisdom and stature and in favor of God and man."  (Luke 2:52)

Since this was the first time trying this, I decided to practice with the same verse for each of them.  This allowed me to think over verses all this year for the next year.  Verses that I felt would benefit them personally.  Individually.  Here's what I came up with:

Cameron, my cautious, inquisitive, planner and thinker:

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done."

Tate, my independent, determined, fearless two year old:

Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths."

Here's to another wonderful year that I get to pray for these boys.

Blogger's Block?

Sorry if this is a bit rambly.  Here's a weird irony.

The busier I have been, the less information I feel that I have to share.  I would think that with all of the busy-ness, I would have too much to say with no time to say it.

Here are a couple of things making my heart sing today:

1.  My class is awesome (339).  My co-teacher is awesome (340).  My school is awesome (341).  My curriculum is even awesome (342).  I hope that this momentum can keep going double the time that it normally would.

2.  Why you ask?  Because I only work half day.  I work in a great job share scenario that allows me to work outside of the home, while staying in the county system, making some money, and then going and spending time with my guys and maintaining our lives at home.  It's a wonderful thing.  Really.

3.  Which leads me to this key word, that I have just now decided is the point of this post.  Balance. (343)  My prayer journal has had this word on it for months, it is circled so many times that it looks like it's been outlined with a Sharpie.  I have felt no sense of a routine that made me happy and I was having a hard time prioritizing.  Now, I know it's only been 2 days (plus all of crazy last week), but I feel that balance is one benefit that I am going to receive from this year.  This really makes my heart sing because I feel that this is going to really push me over that good edge.

4.  While we're at it, I am now back to 5k running (starting today).  I maintained 5k until about Maine time.  I'm not going to lie, it's hot.  But along with my balanced routine, comes a running routine that I can dive into!

Promise

In the Circle Maker I learned a new strategy that has really helped me.  (130)  I don't "read" the Bible.  I pray through it.

This has seriously changed my outlook on the Bible.  So here's what I do, I read until something (or few somethings) really jumps out of the page at me.  I circle or underline it and focus on what it is trying to say.  I feel like those points that are jumping out at me are what I need to hear that day, so I pray them.

With this new strategy, I don't just read, put it away and go on with my day.  I focus in on that "prayer" and it has really helped me in my life.  It's become useful and applicable.

For example,

"Keep it up and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you.  I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you."  (Acts 18:8 MSG, paraphrased:  131)

Ever since reading this promise I have been reminding myself of it and have been more courageous.  I have brought up things that were bugging me (and had them resolved like grown ups do), I have stepped out of my comfort zone when it comes to including people in my thoughts.  I have even blogged! (132)

 He is far bigger than my minor social anxieties that I am carrying around and that's a promise! (133)

A picture of a braver me!  Haha.  This isn't really related, I just wanted a picture!

HUGE News 73

I have a slight confession...  I wrote this post on Sunday.  I knew already that it had sold and that it was scheduled to close this week (potentially, you know how these things go).  The house pictured below has SO many reasons for my heart to sing attached to it. 

 Another confession...  My heart has not always sung about this house.  Well, perhaps it was singing, but it was one of those annoying, whiny songs that have way too many long, drawn out notes.  You see, it has been a huge financial burden on our little family for a really long time now, but as you'll see below, it has come full circle.  

Not a photographer.  

This may be longer than my average post, but this is a truly monumental turning point for us.

74.  This was our first home as a young married couple.  When we came home from our Honeymoon, this is where we came.  We're one of those old school couples that didn't live together before getting married so we really started out together right here.

75.  We got to experience that new married couple old house fun, like a broken AC (the first time we turned it on.  After the inspection), a flooded garage (resulting in a new washer and dryer, and a busted dishwasher the first time we used it.  Those seemed stressful, but deep down, I loved every second of it.

76.  We put a lot of love and personal touch into this house and with that came a huge sense of satisfaction and personalization.  The inside was pretty much done (besides issues noted above) when we bought it, but the outside was...  Ugh.  We laid a concrete driveway and patio in the back, we made the little garden, we laid all of the sod (by hand.  the week of our wedding), put in a fence, and put up the pretty front door.

77.  We were privileged to be "landlords" of this house to our besties.  It was so fun to watch another brand newly married couple get off to a great start of their marriage in this little home.  I hope that they will always think of their times under that roof as happy ones and I hope that they can think of this house as a blessing to them also.

78.  This house brought me to a whole new level when it came to praying.  What happened with the sale of this house was completely out of my control.  The Circle Maker  book that I am completely obsessed with talks about praying through...  AKA keep on praying and pray hard.  I had worked like it depended on me and the only thing that I could do after that was to pray like it depended on God.  He came through.  Big time.  Honestly, this is the first time that this control freak was able to step back and let it go.

79.  I think that there might be some kind of theory about needing information and just then the right kind of teacher shows up (I'm really bad at phrases).  I wanted to share this quote that I came across just this week. Coincidence?  Maybe, but how many coincidences does one have to experience before they start thinking that it is coming from elsewhere?

"We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary - we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!"- (Paul, Romans 5:2-5)

Right now, my containers feel pretty over-flowy!  Patience is so hard sometimes, but in the end, it always makes sense!  Even what I considered troubles can make sense now.  Do I like them, no way, but I feel like I "get" them now.

Now I hope that this house can bless it's new homeowner.  It's amazing what it has done for us. 

Farewell to 4348.

Focusing on the ONES

Our church just finished a series on a book called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  One theme of the book talks a lot about goal setting.  The series tagline was "God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God." 

It also talks about setting goals.  I am so, so guilty of setting goals and then expecting to be at the grand end result before doing anything to get there.  I cross the finish line before I even take my first step.  Then I get overwhelmed and don't ever get started. 

Our pastor pointed out to us that we should start focusing on the 1's instead of the 0's when trying to reach our goals.  This is another way of saying to take it one step at a time.  Enjoy every one reason for what it is and let God take control of all of the 0's. 

My goal is to discover and share 10,000 reasons that my heart sings.  10,000 reasons to feel blessed.  10,000 times of focusing on the positive and being happy. 

10,000 is a large number, but like I said before, I am going to take it 1 step at a time and ignore the 0's.  Eventually it will all add up and I can't wait to see the path that this challenge leads to.  Hopefully you'll join me!