Prayer Card Time

It's that time of year again. Time for me to evaluate the needs of my husband and children and create prayer cards that will help guide my prayer time. Many times I would feel overwhelmed at the amount of prayer needs all around. So I began using index cards to help organize my prayer life.

I use 9 4x6 index card with holes punched in the corner and then they are placed on a ring.

Card 1: Title Page; It simply says Prayer Cards, with some pretty flowers drawn on it.
Card 2: Praise and Thanksgiving -this page has some blessings that I am so thankful for. I use this page to guide my praise time.
Cards 3-9: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

The day of the week heads up each card and just below the day, I have a meaningful scripture verse for each day. Listed below that in a column on the left-hand side are Chris, Jeb, Caleb, Lora and myself. These names appear on each day of the week. I took the time to reflect on areas that I want to have specific prayer focus in: health, purity, wisdom/guidance, friends for the children, discipline and I divided these areas so that I focus on one each day.

So here's an example:

Monday

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us

yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalms 90:17

Chris-vision for the week, priorities, blessing on the work of his hands

Jeb-a heart that heeds instruction, obedient spirit, focus on attaining habits that will enrich his life

Caleb-obedient spirit, resist rebellion, frustration with things that don't go his way would be eased.

Lora-obedient spirit, loving spirit

Myself- focus on areas of change: 1. welcoming Chris home with love

2. kneeling down and touching the children when I speak

3. a spirit of self-less-ness

I always have room to add on a few extra requests on the bottom. On this particular card I have:

Lost-opportunities to share of God's love and faithfulness.

On some of the others I pray for our church body, my parents, my brothers, my marriage, the nation, etc.

These cards have been a big help in my feeling more organized during prayer time. It is not at all rigid because if something else is on my heart I pray about it also. And after the initial prayer time as I read God's word, I am quiet and allow him to speak to me. I feel like these are areas where we need God's specific guidance and blessing.

Please Pray

Please pray for the Burgess family in the loss of their 2 year old son in a tragic drowning accident. Visit this site and hear Rick's (the father) powerful message at the celebration service for his son.

Snowy Gifts

57. Jeb trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue.
58. Jeb and Caleb's delighted giggles as snowflakes land on my eyelashes.
59. Tricycle tracks in the snow.
60. Our first snowman to build together.

On Wednesday afternoon we had a dusting of wet, yucky snow. But this was the first snow that my boys had ever seen and Jeb is almost 4yo. It was an exciting afternoon! There is a possibility of more snow tonight and tomorrow. What will we do with an inch?

I hope to learn how to post pictures soon!

A few more gifts...

53. A pot of chunky vegetable soup cooking on the stove.
54. Baked cranberries and apples
55. An overwhelming immediate answer to a prayer!
56. Homemade yogurt


Randa,
In response to your comment on how to make yogurt, I did not forget to answer, I was waiting until I had an answer! I take a half gallon of milk and gently heat in on the stove until it is warm to the touch. I mix it with a half cup of starter yogurt (yogurt from the store that has live cultures). I have my oven pre-heated to lowest temp 170 and then I let it cool down a little from there. Place the bowl in a warm oven with the light on and leave overnight. It was more like 9:00 one night until lunch the next day. The yogurt is down when you can tilt the bowl and it pulls away from the sides. I'm still working on flavoring it!

Established

May the favor of the Lord our God

rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us-

yes, establish the work of our

hands.

Psalms 90:17

As I read this verse, God revealed to me that I can strive all day to implement this system of discipline or that system of home school or work on a home based business; but for anything to be established in my life, that is God's responsibility. I feel a sense of freedom in having realized this. My job is to seek God and be obedient and his job is to establish the work of my hands.

The Piles

Thank you God for the piles. -Caleb 2 years

It's strange how a simple prayer from my two year old son could pierce my heart and be on my mind all day. But, I am compelled to pray as well...

Lord, thank you for the piles!

46. The pile of food on our plates (to which Caleb was referring)means healthy, nourished bodies.

47. The pile of dishes in the sink mean well fed children and time spent cooking together.

48. The piles of laundry remind me of exploring, active children making messes.

49. The pile of books remind me that I have so much to learn and an eagerness to learn it.

50. The pile of rocks in the swing remind me of my inventive, eager boys building a boat.

51. The pile of toys at the gate (to which Caleb was also referring) remind me of cooperating boys building a house for me.

52. The pile of giggling bodies on the floor mean daddy is home and we are so Happy to see him!

Gifts and Time Alone

41. Jeb's tummy shaking laughter
42. Jeb and Chris skipping rocks in the creek.
43. Time alone in the quietness of the morning
44. God's word piercing my heart.
45. Watching the boys play on the apple tree that was blown over during the storm.

I have decided that in order to have a smoother day, I must get up by 5:00. I tried it this morning and I must say the few minutes with Chris and Christ were very refreshing. Lora usually gets restless between 4:45 and 5:30 and I usually try to settle her back down and sleep a few more minutes, but its never good sleep anyway. So I've decided to quit fighting it and get up! I read a very inspirational post about it yesterday here.

I read Psalms 113 this morning using the ideas I found here. I also finished my Prayer Cards for the year yesterday and begin using them this morning. As I read Psalms 113 I was reminded of the theme verse for this blog.

"He settles the barren woman

in her home,

as the happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord!"

The word happy jumped out at me today. Some versions use the word joyful. The truth is I haven't seemed very happy with my children lately. I am happy, but I'm afraid that the frustrations and exasperation of having a 3 year old, 2 year old and an infant have gotten the better of me. That's why I needed this time alone this morning. When your 3 year old asks you why your looking at him like that a couple times a day, its time to check up. That's what I did this morning! I checked up!

I want a servant's heart toward my children. I want to love them with Christ's love. I want to be patient with them because God is patient with me. I want to delight in them because God delights in me. I want to lovingly guide them because God lovingly guides me. I am depending on you today God because I can't do it on my own.

New Habits for a New Year

As the new year begins, I really want to implement some elements of our future home school.
I have been tossing these ideas around in my mind, but I haven't written anything out yet.

As the reading this week in The Original Homeschooling Series is about habit, I plan to start working on one habit per month that will make our life easier when we begin our official Year 1 with Bo.

"Wherefore, it is as much the parent's duty to educate his child into moral strength and purpose and intellectual activity as it is to feed him and clothe him; and that in spite of his nature, if it must be so.

Nature then, strong as she is, is not invincible; and, at her best, Nature is not to be permitted to ride rampant. Bit and bridle, hand and voice, will get the utmost of endeavour out of her if her training be taken in hand in time; but let Nature run wild, like the forest ponies, and not spur nor whip will break her in.

It was new to me, for instance, to perceive that it rests with parents and teachers to lay down lines of habit on which the life of the child may run henceforth with little jolting or miscarriage, and may advance in the right direction with the minimum of effort."

So for this month. I would like to begin working with Bo and Boo on being helpers. I am planning on making a small pocket chart for the frig with clip art or pictures illustrating the jobs I want them to help me with each day.

This will be a big change for me, because I usually cleaning the house while the boys are playing. I really want them to be involved in helping care for our home. I want to make it an enjoyable thing to do together. I do not want to always clean the house myself and then suddenly, ask them to take on a job when they get to be a certain age. I want to make contributing to our home something they have always done.

So here's what I had in mind:

Daily

Bo: dress(he already does this)

brush teeth

help prepare breakfast (Bo is usually my early riser)

help wash dishes after lunch

sweep under table after lunch

pick-up toys as needed (this is the one that always causes controversy)

*Tuesday-bring garbage cans back to house

unload and put away groceries/house items as needed

Weekly Home Blessing Hour ( flylady ): help change sheets, wash windows

Boo: dress(we are working on this)

brush teeth

help prepare supper (this can be a time of conflict between the boys at the end of

the day, so separating them may prove beneficial)

help wash dishes after breakfast

sweep under table after breakfast

pick-up toys as needed (controversy as well)

*Tuesday-garbage cans back to the house

unload and put away groceries/house items as needed

Weekly Home Blessing Hour:change sheets/wash windows

I tried to think of jobs that I think the boys will enjoy. It's a lot of fun for a 2 and 3 year old to wash dishes as well as cook. Boo loves to find his broom and help sweep anytime I am sweeping. I am sure I can convince the boys to help unload and put things away if I tell them I need help from some boys with big muscles.

I want to work on conveying a servant's heart as I care for the children daily.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Gifts to Begin the Year

36. The boy's excitement as we arrived at our creek property.
37. Watching the boys walk down the trail to the creek
38. The view as I sat upon a rock near the creekbank.
39. Chris and the boys cutting down cane poles to "fish" with.
40. Wearing Lora in the sling as she napped.