Convicted....and Consecrated

Our amazing pastor, Blake Lorenz, at Encounter gave a great message on Sunday featuring Romans 12:1,2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Of course, I am familiar with this passage, and have studied and prayed on it before. My body is a sacrifice to the Lord. Not only my body, but my entire life. But...am I truly proving the perfect will of God if I hold part of myself back? Always before, I'd dwelt on whether I was treating my body as an acceptable sacrifice. Wondering. Does that mean I should exercise more? Eat less sugar? Get up earlier to read the bible, pray, make the kids breakfast?

Now, on Sunday, I found God convicting me on a different level. Don't get me wrong, He is happy with me. He loves me with a LOVE unbound. Unfathomable. However, He likes to teach me in gentle whispers. He wants me to be aligned to His perfect will. After the birth of our 7th child, I made the decision to have an IUD implanted in my womb. At the time, it made sense. We'd considered tubal ligation, vasectomy, the essure procedure, but figured the IUD worked with the body's natural system best. Plus, it was good for years. I should have known it was a mistake right away. The midwife put the wrong IUD in. She used the Mirena, which uses chemical hormones (like the pill) as well as the IUD technology, and I knew it was wrong. She said to give it a try, and if I didn't like it, they'd take it out. I was 6 weeks post-partum and just wanted my life back to "normal." It seemed to. After a few months, I didn't even have a regular cycle. However, after I stopped nursing when Sabina was just over 1 year old, I started putting on more weight. I hadn't heard that the Mirena did that. Out of laziness, I guess, I never did anything about the thing. It's been 4 years.

Now, God is directing me to think about trusting Him. I need to present my ENTIRE body as a living sacrifice to Him. It's time that I stopped being conformed to the world in this ONE way. Stop holding this part of myself back from Him. God is our provider. He is our caretaker. He hasn't let us down yet! I have to be willing to submit and prove what is good, acceptable and within the perfect will of God.
It's time to consecrate myself, my WHOLE self, to God.

Thanks for listening.

The Truth About the Truth in the Tinsel (Review!)

I'm super excited today. Not only am I blogging again, which has strangely burned within me for the past few months of hiatus, but I'm starting it all off with the beginning of the Holiday Season. As a extra bonus, I've been asked to review the new e-book The Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by the awesome mom-blogger after God's heart, Amanda White, of Impress Your Kids! Click here to visit Impress Your Kids.

It's always on my heart to make the advent season purposeful and focused on Jesus in the midst of the hype. This book is a perfect way to carve out a small part of the day (only about 30 minutes) and create something with your child(ren) that will make it easy to share the birth story of Jesus in a way that will be sticky to their hearts and minds - and maybe even their hands sometimes. What got me truly enthusiastic about The Truth in the Tinsel is this part of the section How to Use This Book: "The key to this entire advent celebration is to have a daily focus and meditation on God’s greatest gift. Your children will learn the ins and outs of the story because you’ve facilitated a time to discuss, play, and create. And in those moments, God will speak to their hearts and yours. 
The little Baby is no longer in the manger but alive and sitting on a throne—waiting to have a relationship with you and your children. Help your children get to know Him this Christmas!"
I almost cried with JOY!

Each day of December preceding Christmas has a small ornament craft planned around scripture verses. The sections on each page "Read it Together", "Make it Together", "Talk About it Together", and "Do More Together" make it easy to glance at and find your place in the midst of artsiness and - let's face it - noise. The accompanying photos show the materials needed, step-by-step shots, and the finished product hanging on a tree branch. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I love the idea of reading the bible together and then talking about it while creating. Amanda White has planned this activity book to reach pre-school through middle elementary aged children, but I'm pretty sure all of my kids will want to make these cute ornaments (with the possible exception of my 13-year-old) and participate in the scripture reading and discussion. For days when we have extra time to spend on this, we will definitely be exploring the activities in the "Do More Together" sections; these can be additional scripture, picture books, singing, play-acting, and bringing others in on the fun!

In the weeks to come, my family and I will be exploring and creating The Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands, so make sure and check back here to see all the fun we're having getting to know the birth story of Jesus a little better. I know you'll love it and TODAY ONLY Amanda is offering this beautiful gem for only $2.99! After today, the e-book will retail for $4.99, so don't wait! GRAB THAT DEAL. Then, you can use the supply list at the beginning of the book and take full advantage of the fabulous coupon you got for Michaels, or Hobby Lobby, or JoAnn's. Make this Christmas season the best ever - be intentional and share God's heart with your little ones. They need know that He loves them than Santa Claus ever could.

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Humility (Day 21)

It's the last day of our journey together in intense prayer for our sons. Yes, I'm a little sad, but a little relieved as well. How do you feel? Of course, I still plan on praying for my sons, but this has been a challenge of organization and purpose! I plan on taking a little break and posting some fun summer pics of things we've been doing as a family. My oldest 5 flew north this evening with Dad. I won't see the kids for over 3 weeks; it's bittersweet because I know they have so much fun and need to keep those ties to family, but I miss them SO! I'm also working on plans for a similar prayer challenge centered on daughters. Let me know how many of you are interested in participating!

Anyway, as most of you know because you have the ebook Warrior Prayers, there are actually 22 sections of prayers. I encourage you to go ahead and pray through the Honesty prayers when you get the chance, but Brooke wanted to end the 21-Day Challenge with Humility because, as she says, "I chose humility as our last day's topic because it is such an amazing posture of the heart. Scripture just seems to scream God's favor over those who are humble in heart." I have to agree with her, and my sons definitely could use prayers in this direction. Like most boys, they are loud, boastful, and always think their point of view is RIGHT! However, it takes a humble heart for true salvation. We have to admit that we are sinners. We have to ask for forgiveness. We have to put our lives into the hands of our Savior. We have to thank Jesus, praise His name only, and love Him above all others!

Another part of this challenge is modeling humility before our sons. Pray and ask God for ways you can show humility today, and then your sons will know what to do when their time comes. So much of this job of parenting comes not in the "do what I say" but in the "do what I do."

What are some specific ways this challenge has been meaningful for you? Please leave a comment and share with all of us! As a result of this journey, as God to show you three specific ways you can pray for your sons every day.

Congratulations!!! Keep praying, Warrior Mamas! 

Humility

May__________humble himself before the Lord, and be exalted (James 4:10) 

May__________humble himself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt him (1 Peter 5:6)

May God give grace to__________as he humbles himself (James 4:6) 

If__________who is called by My Name humbles himself, and prays and seeks My Face and turns from his wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive this sin and heal his land (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Lord, lead the humble in what is right, and teach__________Your way. (Psalm 25:9) 

May__________have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8)

May__________take God's yoke upon him, and learn from Him, for He is gentle and lowly in heart, and__________will find rest for his soul (Matthew 11:29)

May the LORD take pleasure in__________, and adorn the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4)

May__________have all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with others in love (Ephesians 4:2)

May__________be subject to the elders. May he clothe himself with humility toward others, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Heart Change (Day 20)

In Matthew 23: 25-26, Jesus preaches, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." It's not good enough to look pious or righteous. We don't want our sons just to "act good," we want them to truly be good! For example, a lot of times my boys get in trouble for over-reacting to something that another sibling did to them. "She hit me!" "He was making fun of me." "He did it first!" When they try to give me those excuses, I try to explain, "You are responsible for your own actions. You have a choice in how you react to them." I also sometimes throw in, "You're going to let them control you?"
I help them see a way out of those situations, "You can ignore them. Just walk away." Or, maybe, "If you start feeling mad, go in your room and pound a pillow!"

But, what I'm truly hoping for is when they are clean on the inside. They will forgive and let it go even as it's happening. They will truly turn the other cheek. Instead of reacting in anger, they will reach out in love. They will shine inside and out!

Oh, Lord,  cleanse their hearts! Let my sons truly die to themselves and let You live through them. God, guide my own responses to my children, as they are watching and learning from me day by day!

Keep it up, mighty warrior moms! This prayer journey is almost complete. I am rooting for you and your sons!

Heart Change

May__________first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean (Matthew 23:26)

Give__________a new heart, and a new spirit put within him. Remove the heart of stone from his flesh and give him a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) 

May__________honor God with his heart, and not just his lips (Isaiah 29:13) 

May__________out of the good treasure of his heart produce good, for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45)

May__________heart cry be, "not my will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42) 

May__________draw near to God, and He will draw near to him. May he cleanse his hands and purify his heart (James 4:8)

Create in__________a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10) 

May__________be like the wise man, whose heart inclines him to the right.(Ecclesiastes 10:2) 

May__________not take idols into his heart, and set the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face (Ezekiel 14:3)

When he hears the word of the Lord, may__________be cut to the heart (Acts 2:37)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Salvation (Day 19)

Antonio prayer-leading at OHOP

Today's prayer focus is the key for the entire challenge. To quote from the eBook: "Day after day you will parent, intentionally seeking the heart of your son. But until the King of kings and Lord of lords turns his heart of stone to a heart of flesh, your son's actions will be motivated by what is pleasing to him, rather than what is pleasing to the Lord."

We can spend our formative years parenting with pure hearts, great intentions, and our eyes set on Jesus, but if the stone doesn't turn to flesh it's a losing battle! I don't know how you feel about it, but I'm willing to put up with a pig-sty room and wet towels on the bathroom floor as long as my child turns to me with shining eyes asking, "Can I pray, Mom?" Talk about moving hearts!

Take a moment and look around your home, think about your days, consider whether the life you and your family leads is truly Gospel-centered. Do you talk to your children about Jesus? Do you TALK to Jesus in front of your children? Do you allow them a chance to ask questions, to lead prayers, to learn about God's Word? I know I need to better in all of these areas. 

Pray hard today - there is nothing so important as your son's salvation!

Salvation

May __________ confess with his mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in his heart that God raised him from the dead, and be saved (Romans 10:9) 

May__________be saved by grace through faith. Not of his own doing; but the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8)

May__________believe in the God who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:9)

May__________fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for him today (Exodus 14:13)

May the LORD be__________light and his salvation; whom shall he fear? May the LORD be the stronghold of his life; of whom shall he be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) 

May__________take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)

May__________work out his own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) 

May__________be guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5)

Lord, make Your face shine on__________; save him in Your steadfast love (Psalm 31:16) 

Lord, save__________to the uttermost as he draws near to God through him (Hebrews 7:25)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Anger (Day 18)

"So much of the Christian life is a choice. Every day (multiple times a day) we're presented with a choice to choose God or choose ourselves. Anger is a perfect example."(from the Leader's Guide by Brook Mcglothlin) This is so true. I often have to "counsel" my children to choose not to get angry with their siblings, or at least not act in anger. How often do we all get in trouble by acting out in anger? Wouldn't things be smoother if we chose to turn the other cheek, forgive and move on? 
Yesterday afternoon, shortly after we got home from VBS, the kids were supposed to be getting themselves sandwiches for lunch and I went upstairs to the bathroom. During the following 5 minutes, I heard yelling, scuffling, the front door slamming shut, and then a little knock at the door and Luca's plaintive voice. When I opened the bathroom door, there was Luca, in tears, telling me about Rocky and Antonio's fight. "Are you okay, are you hurt?" I asked him. "No, it's Rocky, my buddy. He's bleeding." "You weren't in the fight?" "No, it's Rocky my buddy."
I was moved by his concern for his big brother and buddy. I've never seen him like that. In a fleeting moment, I rejoiced that he was showing maturity in his feelings of concern for someone else.
Anyway, there was Rocky on my bed: upset, still angry, tears in his eyes. The whole story tumbled out. He was in the kitchen making a sandwich for Luca and himself and Sabina was trying to open the dishwasher to get a plate. "The dishes are dirty." "I need a plate," Sabina said. "They're dirty." "I need a plate!" "These plates are dirty. Cecelia! Get a plate for your buddy!" Sabina, enraged, yelled,"AAH! Stupid Rocky!" So, yes, already the anger had begun. Out of frustration with the rising level of noise and craziness, Rocky vented, "Everybody SHUT UP!" Then, Antonio felt that he had to step in and control the situation AKA put his hand on Rocky and control HIM. This turned into one of the epic physical fights that they've been getting into since they were 1 and 2. Nobody was hurt, but Antonio stormed out of the house and took off on his bike. I didn't even get a chance to talk to him. Luca and Sabina were watching Rocky as he told me the story. I looked at the three of them, my own anger rising up that I couldn't even go to the bathroom without this happening. I noticed Luca still had tears next to his eyes and pointed it out to Rocky that he was so concerned for him. Rocky didn't actually have any blood, but a scab on his shoulder had partially ripped off earlier in the day and I told Luca that's what it was. Then, I turned to Sabina because I saw how it all had stemmed from her fit of anger. She is little (only 3) and angelically cute; she needed to know how her anger affected her brother. I told her that she needs to listen to what Rocky says to her and told her she needed to apologize for the mean words she said to him. Now, as God's child (we dubbed her thus while I was pregnant with her), she seems unnaturally capable of understanding when she needs to apologize and go all the way with it. She sweetly said sorry to Rocky for the way she treated him and they hugged. Then I wanted Rocky to comfort Luca and the other way around. I tried to explain how when we show love toward one another it can diffuse anger. They ended up hugging too. 
I spoke to Rocky, "I know you feel upset when things are noisy and crazy sometimes, but you have to use your self-control and calm down. Remove yourself from the situation so you don't get angry." He agreed and then left to find Antonio. At the park nearby, he found him to apologize. It took another half-hour for Antonio to come home. The anger was still all over him. Some of the kids had said to him, "It's better when you're gone." (He'd spent the night at a friend's house the night before.) His feelings were hurt and he was in the middle of a "poor me. No one understands or likes me anymore because I'm a teen now, but I'm the same kid." adolescent mood swing. I had to choose to step away from my own anger at him for treating his brother badly and then taking off. I saw how hurt he was, and took a moment to pray and hug him after cracking through his anger shell. This motherhood business is a constant challenge.
I had the other kids apologize to him for saying that. I think they understood that it was pretty mean. I also think Antonio grew to understand that they only said it to hurt him, just like he sometimes says mean things out of anger. This was a pretty big lesson for me in how one little seed of temper/anger can grow into a storm of junk for the whole family. We have a choice in how to react to others' anger. Do we let them affect us? Do we let them control our emotions and actions? No, we use our fruits to love, to be patient, to use self-control, to be kind. We let God, and sometimes Mom, handle the situation.
 

Anger

May all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from __________, along with all malice (Ephesians 4:31)

May__________ put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from his mouth (Colossians 3:8)

May__________ give a soft answer, which turns away wrath, and avoid harsh words which stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1)

May__________ not be quick in his spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

May__________ never avenge himself, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19) 

May__________ know that God himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) 

May__________ make peace, and so have a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18) 

And let the peace of Christ rule in __________ heart, to which indeed he was called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15)

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard __________ heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)

May__________turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Self-Control (Day 17)

I have to apologize for posting this a day late. Yesterday was the last day of our VBS, it was exciting, rewarding, and absolutely BLESSING! It was also exhausting. Due to overwhelming drama in our life on Thursday, I didn't get to prepare for things on Friday morning. I stayed up till 3 in the morning getting things done I should have done in the afternoon. I spent Friday afternoon laying around and parenting from the couch. Not too pretty. When I went to bed, extremely early last night, I felt a twinge of guilt for not posting the Day 17 entry, but there was no way I could have stayed awake to write. I actually fell asleep praying for my sons last night.

This fruit of the Spirit has been in MUCH discussion in my family of late. In my mind, it's the fruit of ANTI-SELFISHNESS. I love this quote from Brooke in the Leader's Guide: "The choice to love Him more begins from the beginning... hearts made to worship Him...choose Him. Hearts that left to themselves will choose our own way every time. How many times have I chosen my own way when I knew the consequences? How many times have I forfeited the sweet, peaceful blessings of obedience in order to stamp my feet, cross my arms, dig in my stubborn three-year-old-like heels and have my own way?" We all struggle to put Jesus first in our lives, to make the choice to turn away from our own desires and set our eyes on Christ. That's why it's so important to grow and mature in the Spirit, to bring forth that fruit of self-control. That's why it's vital to pray over our sons to grow likewise; so that fruit can get them out of sticky situations. I was so moved to pray these 10 prayers over my boys. I hope that you are blessed likewise.

Self-Control

May__________know that he is God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in him (1 Corinthians 3:16)

May__________not let sin therefore reign in his mortal body, to make him obey its passions. May he not present his members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present himself to God as one who has been brought from death to life, and his members to God as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:12-13)

May__________present his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is his spiritual worship. May he not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of his mind, that by testing he may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2)

May__________discipline his body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others he himself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Whether__________eats or drinks, or whatever he does, may he do it all to the glory of God (Ephesians 5:15)

Let not__________heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day (Proverbs 23:17)

Remove far from__________falsehood and lying; give him neither poverty nor riches; feed him with the food that is needful for him (Proverbs 30:8) 

Let the words of__________mouth and the meditation of his heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, his rock and his redeemer (Psalm 19:14)

May__________have a tranquil heart that gives life to the flesh (Proverbs 14:30) 

May__________be wise in doing right and stay innocent of any wrong (Romans 16:19)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Faithfulness (Day 15)

"Mature Christians are keenly aware that they can't raise their kids. It's a no-brainer. Even if they are perfect parents, they still can't get inside their kids' hearts. That's why strong Christians pray more." (from Paul E. Miller's A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World)

I don't think I can add much more to that. What we really want, when it comes down to it, is for our sons to be faithful to God. Everything else falls under that. Therefore, my main prayer is for my sons to love the Lord, their God, with all their hearts minds, souls and strength. 

This is what we're fighting for. God's children. 

Faithfulness

May__________fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness (Joshua 24:14) 

May__________fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all his heart, considering what great things He has done for him (1 Samuel 12:24)

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness for__________as he keeps His covenant and His testimonies (Psalm 25:10)

May God's steadfast love be before__________eyes, as he walks in His faithfulness (Psalm 26:3)

May__________trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness (Psalm 37:3)

May the Lord never remove from__________His steadfast love or be false to His faithfulness (Psalm 89:33)

May the Lord cover__________with His pinions, and under His wings may he find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckle to__________(Psalm 91:4) 

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake__________; may he bind them around his neck; write them on the tablet of his heart (Proverbs 3:3) 

May__________call this to mind and therefore have hope: Because of the Lord's great love he is not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. May__________say to himself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." (Lamentations 3:21-24)

No temptation has overtaken__________that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let him be tempted beyond his ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that he may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Goodness (Day 14)

I've really been blessed by praying the daily prayers over my sons right before I go to sleep. It calms my mind and my heart. I end the day thinking good thoughts toward them and focusing on God. How has it been going for you? What works best in your daily routine to pray?

Today's focus of goodness strikes home for me. I am having a difficult time with Luca right now (age 5). It's not the typical "boy stuff" of running around and being loud that bothers me, it's the defiance and anger directed at me for daring to challenge his behavior. I've had to take a lot of time-outs for myself. I think the biggest challenge for me is that I don't necessarily expect them to act perfect or even "good" all the time, but I DO expect them to have a good HEART all the time. I know, I know, I can't change their heart. But, GOD CAN! That's why this prayer challenge is SO good! This battle will be won on my knees.

To close, I want to challenge you with these questions originally posted by Brooke on the M.O.B. Society blog:

• What parenting tools have I been using that only focus on changing behavior and not the heart? Am I willing to lay them down even if they produce what looks like a good child?
• Reaching a child's heart takes time. Behavior modification is much faster! Am I willing to change things about my life so that I have the time to invest in the hearts of my children?
• Most importantly: Am I willing to submit my own heart to God and allow Him to mold me from the inside out?

Goodness

May__________be glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to his people (1Kings 8:66)

May goodness and mercy follow__________all the days of his life, and may he dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6)

Remember not the sins of__________youth or his transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember__________, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD (Psalm 25:7) 

May__________believe that he shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13)

How abundant is Your goodness, which you have stored up for__________and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind (Psalm 31:19) 

May__________be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple (Psalm 65:4)

May__________taste the goodness of the word of God (Hebrews 6:5) 

It is not good that__________should be alone; Lord, make him a helper fit for him (Genesis 2:18)

May__________do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with him (Deuteronomy 6:18)

May__________go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD his God has given to him (Deuteronomy 26:11)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Patience (Day 12)

I want to start off today by wishing my wonderful husband, Nick, a Happy Father's Day. It seems that more often than not, I get caught up in the responsibilities and challenges of being a mom and don't give enough thought or credit to him as the father of these seven amazing, smart, creative children of ours. He has been patient with me through most of it and I am so grateful to him for sticking with me through all of the craziness. I am blessed by Nick daily, and my kids are so lucky.

I also want to apologize for getting to this so late. I have been praying for you all and your families. My own sons seem to be getting some benefit from my time in prayer the past 12 days. How has it been for you?

I want to share this great jewel that Brooke included in the Leader's Guide for today. It really touched my heart because it's what God's been speaking to me about in the past few months as well. Be blessed. "I'm convinced that God cares less about how much I accomplish in life...the "great things" I do in His Name...than He does about how I respond to the things He allows into my life on the daily. Some of the most accomplished in the Kingdom of Christ are those whose names you and I will never know this side of heaven. And greatness is only measured by how well we respond to Christ in the little things. Being patient for what God's plan is and not necessarily pursuing our own dreams."

Hold on to that when your patience is being tested. May the fruit of the Spirit grow large and ripe for you!

Patience

May__________be an example of suffering and patience (James 5:10) 

May__________be strengthened with all power, according to God?s glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy (Colossians 1:11)

May__________prove himself by his purity, understanding, patience, kindness, by the Holy Spirit within him, and by his sincere love (2 Corinthians 6:6) 

May__________preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and ex-hort, with complete patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2) 

May__________not presume on the riches of God?s kindness and forbearance and patience, knowing that God?s kindness is meant to lead him to repentance (Romans 2:4) 

May__________put on then, as God?s chosen one, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12) 

May__________be patient, for the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

May__________have good sense making him slow to anger, for it is his glory to overlook an of-fense (Proverbs 19:11)

May__________make every effort to add to his faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love (2 Peter 1:5-7) 

May__________be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness (Titus 2:2)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Peace (Day 11)

Because this has been a busy, stressful day and I still have a lot to do this evening, I am going to keep it short and sweet. Lord knows we all need peace — I am so thankful Holy Spirit provides it! This is pretty much a daily prayer in my house "God give us peace!" I don't mean just quiet, that's almost impossible with 7 children aged 3 to 13, but peace in our hearts. Peace in our minds. Peace in our bodies. Peace in our home.

Laura Lee Groves, author of  I'm Outnumbered! One Mom's Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys, gave some simple tips that we can use to "Help Ourselves" when we feel the need for peace in the midst of the mothering.

• Find someone to confide in
• If at all possible, step away from the demands (even for a little while)
• You can help yourself by shifting your perspective as your son grows
• Pray for him and for your relationship

Peace

Let__________turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11) 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give__________peace at all times in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Peace God leaves with__________; His peace He gives to__________. Not as the world gives does God give. Let not__________heart be troubled, neither let him be afraid (John 14:27) 

May__________be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage others. Live in harmony and peace.Then the God of love and peace will be with him (2 Corinthians 13:11) 

May__________sow a harvest of righteousness by making peace (James 3:18) 

And let the peace of Christ rule in__________heart, to which indeed he was called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15)

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to__________(Jude 1:2) 

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard__________heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)

May__________be justified by faith, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify__________completely, and may his whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Love (Day 9)

Luca showing his Love ;)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." ~Galatians 5: 22
Today, we're getting into the first part of praying the fruits of the Spirit for our sons. In reality, praying for the fruit of Love is asking to know God in a new way. There are so many facets to God's personality that it we will not hesitate to spend eternity seeking more of Him. 1 John 4:8 says "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." God = Love. This is truly heartening because it means that anyone who loves, either in their actions or their hearts, knows God in some way. I believe that this is a major part of how we are made in His image; how we love.

So, if you're ever frustrated in reaching your son's heart, or frightened that maybe he doesn't even know God at all, do not fear. You will see God in how he loves to hug you, helps his little sister tie her shoe, spends time talking to his grandparents on the phone. As Brooke wrote in the Leader's Guide for this challenge, "There is no real love apart from God, and God is behind all real and genuine acts of love."

To get real for a minute, while writing this post, I've had to discipline Carlo and Luca for fighting - saying mean things, grabbing arms, even biting. This is frustrating to me after faithfully praying scripture into their lives all week. But, my heart is encouraged when they are so quick to forgive each other and make up with hugs. I just need to keep sowing those seeds of LOVE into their hearts, it has taken root and will grow as they do, eventually into a fruit-bearing tree.

Love

May__________ not love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15) 

May our sons love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7)

May our sons love one another earnestly from a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22) 

May our sons, when they become husbands, love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself (Ephesians 5:28)

May the Lord make__________increase and abound in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12) 

May__________know that this is love, that we walk according to His commandments... (2 John 1:6)

May__________not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18) May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to __________ (Jude 1:2) 

May __________ love the LORD his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might (Deuteronomy 6:5)

May__________know that this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - A Servant's Heart (Day 7)

Confession: a few days ago I had a moment in the flesh and snapped, "what am I, your servant?" to one of my kids. It didn't take very long at all for God to deal with that. He whispered kindly in my ear, "Don't you see that you're not serving them? You're serving ME." Let's face it, mothering is the hidden ministry. We are pouring ourselves out into raising Godly children with little accolades, acknowledgement, or even thanks. The Lord sees all those moments or servanthood. He keeps count of the choices we make in the hidden place. He will reward us accordingly.

How do you model a "servant's heart" for your son? As moms we HAVE to resolve ourselves to servanthood at the birth of our children. They are helpless and need us to do everything for them - even push them into the world. As they grow into independence, however, we expect them to do more and more for themselves - it's what we're training them for. But, you and I know that there is still plenty of serving going on. The meals you shop for and prepare; the clothes you buy, wash, and fold; the wounds you mend; the precautions you take; the sleep you lose to help finish a school assignment. Count it all Christ.

Jesus, the King of Kings, humbled Himself for us. He illustrated it so beautifully on the evening of the last supper when He disrobed, draped a towel over His middle, and washed the feet of His disciples- wiping them with that same towel. As Brooke wrote in the leader's guide for this prayer challenge, "He didn't have to serve anyone. Neither do we. We don't have to serve others. But Jesus did. And He said that if we want to be first, we'll need to be last. He said that loving others, serving them, was serving Him--loving Him."

I want to encourage you to find ways of serving as a family to show the "how to" of having a servant's heart. Ask them if they have any ideas of ways to serve in the community. You could take meals to people in your church who need help, participate in a Walk for Life, serve as a family in a local food bank or soup kitchen, or maybe volunteer to clean bathrooms at church together. Find something that works for you and remember Jesus' words, "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11,12)

A Servant's Heart

May__________ be a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1) 

May__________follow Christ; and where He is, may__________be also. If anyone serves Christ, the Father will honor him (John 12:26)

May__________be like Moses, faithful in all God?s house as a servant (Hebrews 3:5) 

As the Lord's servant, may__________not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil (2 Timothy 2:24)

May__________not use his freedom to satisfy his sinful nature. Instead, may he use his freedom to serve others in love (Galatians 5:13)

May__________use his spiritual gifts to serve others, as good stewards of God's varied grace (1Peter 4:10)

May__________serve wholeheartedly, as if he were serving the Lord, not men (Ephesians 6:7) 

Let__________be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let him offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28) 

May__________be a servant, for the greatest among us shall be servants (Matthew 23:11) 

May__________fear the LORD his God and serve him only Deuteronomy 6:13)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Purity (Day 6)

"And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure." ~1 John 3:3

Is there anything more beautiful, more pure than your newborn baby son, just placed in your arms for the first time? I remember gazing at each perfect, God-created boy in complete awe. At that moment, you can't imagine the days ahead in which he will defy you, he will lie to you, he will hide things from you, he will react in anger to your most innocent inquiries into his life. It just doesn't seem possible, in that moment, that this pure little one will be a person who struggles with sin.  That is why we're doing this. God is equipping us and we are calling on Him to equip and arm our sons in righteousness.

Hal and Melanie Young, authors of Raising Real Men, write that in addition to being open and honest with our sons about body and purity issues, "We need to prepare them to look for the snares our enemy lays for them, give them tools to help them fight temptation, and make sure they have accountability that helps them stand firm. Too many mothers we talk to are in denial that their sons are old enough or sinful enough (hint: we all are) to face these temptations. That's sad, because their sons need their help!" We need to lay a groundwork of communication and frankness from the toddler years; explaining and answering all their questions and putting it in biblical perspective. The Youngs also write, "We can help them, too, by praying for them. We need to pray for protection for them and pray they'll be strong enough to flee temptation - and pray for the princesses they will one day claim!"

These days,we can not live in denial. You've heard the expression "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail;" I think this holds true in the area of purity for our sons as well. PRAY and PLAN. Equip your sons to deal with the evil they will encounter. Train them to come to you with honesty in the issues they're dealing with. These precious boys are worth the uncomfortable moments, the struggles with our own pasts, the hours spent on our knees before the Lord.

 
These are the sons we are praying for - our baby boys, our terrific toddlers, our wonderful kids, our growing teens, young men:
Deanna has Todd (14) and Tanner (9)
Bluecottonmemory has 5 sons ages 11 to 25
Megin has Kaiden (5) and Tairen (4)
Kristine has Nathan (2.5) and Matthew (1)
Karen has Paul (14), Peter  and Carl
Dixie (me) has Antonio (13), Rocky (11), Carlo (6) and Luca (5)
Plus, the sons of the moms who are joining us on facebook and in the Spirit!

Purity

May__________have love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5)

May__________hope in God and thus purify himself (1 John 3:3)

May__________have religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unstained from the world (James 1:27) 

May__________think on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, may he think about these things (Philippians 4:8) 

May__________be like the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8) 

May there be no violence in__________hands, and his prayer be pure (Job 16:17) 

May__________be pure, because even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright (Proverbs 20:11)

May__________love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that he may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10)

How can__________keep his way pure? By guarding it according to God's word (Psalm 119:9) 

May__________be blameless and innocent, a child of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Philippians 2:15)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Pride (Day 5)

I wanted to share a golden tidbit from the Leader's Guide for Warrior Prayers. Brooke just knows how to be real, to speak to the heart and be an encourager. This part deals with the pride we may have in our sons. "We take such pride in our sons, don't we? When we see one with a natural bent toward academics we call him gifted. When we see one who excels in sports we call him an exceptional athlete — bound for the pros. Sometimes we even place pressure on our sons to be who we wish we could've been. And this can be a form of pride. Sometimes, we have to let go of our dreams for our sons, and deliberately choose to pick up God's dreams for them instead." 

When it comes down to it, we have to put our hopes and dreams in what God has for our boys. We are after all just "foster" parents in the greater scheme of things. God is their Heavenly Father, the One who will be with them after they leave home, with them when they make choices without us, with them when they are to confused or afraid to come to us. Melissa Smallwood from Multitasking Mama reminds us that "Prayers for our sons must be individual to that child, and sensitive to the one of a kind man God has designed each of them to be. Whether my boys grow to be doctors, pastors, or drive a milk truck, as long as they are living their lives for God's glory, my mama heart should be pleased and satisfied."

I have been encouraged by the Lord to "keep up the good work" I've begun this week on this prayer journey. He's been reminding me of how certain prayers mean more in regards to Carlo or Rocky. God's been showing how Antonio or Luca will benefit from the prayers. What has the Lord been speaking to you this week? I am lifting you all up in prayer - don't forget to leave a comment hear so we can pray specifically for you and your sons or celebrate victories with you!

Can I add an additional challenge to your plate? I want to ask you to remember the single moms you know in your prayers. Please pray that God will bring a godly man into her son's life to show him what a holy laying down of pride looks like. Thank you!

I am so happy to be doing this with all of you! This has been exciting, uplifting and convicting. My sons deserve the seeds I'm sowing for them. They need me to be a praying mom. Lord, give me Your heart for my sons! 

Pride

May__________not have a haughty spirit, for pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

May__________be lowly in spirit and obtain honor, for one's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor (Proverbs 29:23

Lord, make__________turn from doing wrong and keep him from pride (Job 33:17) 

Lord, please break__________'s proud spirit (Leviticus 26:19) 

May__________take advice and gain wisdom, for with insolence comes nothing but strife (Proverbs 13:10)

May__________not be a "Scoffer"- the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride (Proverbs 21:24)

Lord, give us the pleasure of taking great pride in__________, being filled with comfort (2 Corinthians 7:4)

Let__________test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor (Galatians 6:4)

Let not the foot of arrogance come upon__________, nor the hand of the wicked drive him away (Psalm 36:11)

Let__________talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from his mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:3)