A Praying Life

Was listening to a CD today "Power Praying" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean she says this:

The enemy wants you to think God is grading you on prayer and you are just barely passing.

He wants you to feel discouraged and guilty so that you then find 100 other “religious” things to do so that you don’t have to do the thing you feel such a failure at.

Prayer is not a group of words you sandwich between “Dear God” and "Amen". Prayer is not an activity in which you engage with a stop and end, that the "religious" do for 1 hour and the "not so religious" for 10 minutes. You don’t have a “prayer life” – like you may say you have a "home life", "work life", etc.

You have a praying life. A praying life is not me going to get His attention to impress upon Him what is on my heart. It is God coming to me to impress upon me what is on His heart. He instigates it. The living Jesus is praying in me, reproducing in me His very own heart, His very own desires.

I'm telling you - this "Live a Praying Life" Bible Study just keeps getting better and better. I'm going to have to do it several times to get it to all sink in though!

Off to the Boy's East Coast Volleyball Championship in Richmond, VA this weekend. Eldest is big into playing Boy's volleyball - which is tough in North Carolina - because there is very little boy's volleyball going on there. But we've found a great club and he gets to play and travel to tournaments.

Check out Shannon's blog if you want some food for thought/controversy.

Have a safe weekend!

3rdchild of the Family

My third child was a huge surprise. He's also been a huge blessing. I got married to HWH when I was 20. We had our first child when I was 23, our second (we had just decided we would only have 1 - but whoops! actions didn't correspond with decision) when I was 25, and our third when I was 30. Third child was never supposed to happen, we were done after 1 after all! But, the Lord had different plans! I am a better parent now, at this age then when I had the first two. I am a better parent now, after having experience. I can't imagine my life without any of them. But this post is about 3rd child. Here are some recent things he's said or done that have melted my heart.

1. He just recently lost his first tooth. I told him he could call the tooth fairy (919-846-6011). I didn't mention to him it was a recording, so he thought he was actually talking TO the tooth fairy. When I had him the phone he says "I lost a tooth". She kept talking. "Hello, I lost a tooth!" She kept talking. "HELLO! I TOLD YOU I LOST A TOOTH!" To me (who is about to die laughing) "Mom, she's not listening, I think she's talking to her Dad." Wish I had this on video!

2. For the past two weeks after I get the kids to bed, I've had to go back to the office for another 4 hours or so, to get ready for a huge event I am in charge of. Last Saturday evening as I was tucking 3rdchild in, he was laying under me, I was propped on my elbows over him. He put his arms around my neck and looked at me and with the most sincere, sweet voice said "Mommy. I don't want you to EVER. LEAVE. AGAIN!" I bust out crying. I don't wanna leave honey. Really, I don't. Ohhhh, to know that feeling of always wanting me won't be around forever breaks my heart.

3. Made the mistake of letting him watch ET. (When I look back at the movies I was allowed to watch when I was a kid - I'm like - well that explains a lot. No wonder I turned out this way!) Besides the bad language at the beginning (which he did not notice), the first part is ok. It's when ET gets sick, and so does Elliott that the movie gets too much for him. "Why is Elliott sick?" "Well honey, they are connected, when one feels something, so does the other. When one hurts, so does the other." "Oh" he replies.

Then, out of nowhere, three days later, he weaves his fingers together as says to me "I just don't get how they were connected". And lifts up his fingers all woven together. Ahhh, the mind of a child! I should have used this as a discussion of how we are connected to God, but absent-mindedly replied "it was a strange thing, wasn't it". "Remember, it's just a movie, not real, there are not really any aliens like ET." "Good" he said. Yet, for a week he insisted on sleeping with his door open.

Not to leave out my other 2 wonderful kids:

The 2ndchild turns 10 this week - trying to decide what to get her besides the coveted Webkinz.

Pop got her Heelies. Any suggestions?

The 1stchild is the one I would have to say I'm closest to. They are all special and the relationship with each is special and different. I love them all equally and abundantly. Is it wrong that I say that I'm "closest to" him? Perhaps it's just his age, perhaps it's because he's so like me. Perhaps it's because he's so laid back and easy going, not high-maintance and emotional like 2ndchild. Regardless - they are all my light and joy.

Lastly, let me not forget my HWH - he is my treasure on Earth. That God chose to give me such a wonderful reward before getting to Heaven blows my mind, but I thank Him every day for it. (Though HWH may not feel the love and thankfullness everyday - it's always there!) Here he is with his precious hunting buddy - who will soon have one of her half-brothers living with her!