Just a Daisy in the Meadow

Praying for my children is something I haven’t done enough of, in fact if I’m honest I will have to admit it has been sorely neglected  . . . So many times I’m just trying to keep my head above water in the basics of feeding, clothing, training adnd schooling them . . . Why have I not put the most important part first?!? . . . So  God is changing that in my life . . . He’s teaching me how to pray . . . and when . . .

Anyway, I’ve been blessed by Kirsten Wertz’s list so here it is below for you . . .

The Gift of Prayer – By Kirsten Wertz

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray Over Your Children

Salvation.  “Lord, let salvations spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (Is. 45:8, IITim. 2:10)

Growth in grace.  “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 3:18)

Love.  “Grant, Lord that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.  (Gal. 5:25, Eph. 5:2)

Honesty and Integrity.  “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and protection.” (Ps.25:21)

Self-Control.  “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all that they do.” (I Thes. 5:6)

Love for God’s Word.  “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.”  (Ps.19:10)

Justice.  “God help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” (Ps. 11:9, Mic.6:8)

Mercy.  “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

Respect (For self, others, authority).  “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” (I Peter 2:17)

Biblical Self-Esteem  “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:10)

Faithfulness.  “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.”  (Prov. 3:3)

Courage.  “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.”  (Dt.31:6)

Purity.  “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” (Ps. 51:10)

Kindness.  “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”  (I Thes. 5:15)

Generosity.  “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”  (I Tim. 6:18-19)

Peace-loving.  “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Rom. 14:19)

Joy.  “May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”  (I Thes. 1:6)

Perseverance. “Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do and help them especially to run with perserverance  the race marked out for them.”  (Heb. 12:1)

Humility.  “God please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”  (Titus 3:2)

Compassion.  “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion”  (Col.3:12)

Responsibility.  “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.”  (Gal.6:5)

Contentment.  “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.”  (Phil. 4:12, 13)

Faith.  “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith, they may gain, what has been promised to them.” (Lk. 17:5-6, Heb. 11:1-40)

A servant’s heart.  “God, please help my children develop servants hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”  (Eph. 6:7)

Hope.  “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Ro.15:13)

Willingness and ability to work.  “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.”  (Col. 3:23)

Passion for God.  “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after Thee’ (Ps. 63:8). One that clings passionately to You.”

Self-discipline.  “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.  (Prov. 1:3)

Prayerfulness,  “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”  (Eph. 6:18)

Gratitude. “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ .”  (Eph. 5:20), Col. 2:7)

A heart for missions.  “Lord, please  help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples.”  (Ps. 96:3)

God is worthy to be praised!

Oh, the beauty and joy he provides!!!  It’s unequaled!

Love those Texas wildflowers!

Bluebonnets.

. . . and wild roses

Love how God created us to be “two by two” or two blended together to make one!

. . . Though sometimes the process is a bit painful.  God uses us to file off some of the rough edges of each other

But He also uses marriage to show me more of how I can be one with Him . . .

The weather was absolutely gorgeous!  . . . Perfect in my book.

And the fresh morning air with the heavenly scent of flowers everywhere . . . Well, that’s hard to beat!!!

We’d be missin’ somethin’ if God left out the color and shades of pink. I’m tellin’ ya!!!

I was expecting this Arboretum to be more staunchly perfect, if you know what I mean,  not sure the right words to describe some of the flower gardens I’ve seen, but I LOVED this place!  All the roses were the old-fashioned kind that smell outa this world.

Cascading down over trellises . . .

and over arbors . . .

and benches . . .

A special day . . . with a very special guy!

What a joy to travel through life with your best friend on earth!

. . . and be soul mates . . t o be able to share in walking with God, and share about the things He’s doing in your own heart and in the heart of family and loved ones.

With open faces . . . keeping nothing back . . . comfortable and happy, totally satisfied in each others presence.

Purple tulips, pansies, and cream tulips, stone wall, singing birds, fresh air . . .

All some of the best physical gifts in this world!

But the best is . . . being together!

God, I don’t deserve all these wondrous gifts . . . A faithful loving husband, friend to hold my hand through thick and thin,  a great father to all my little people, one who delights them by love and attention, a father who is by far more patient and tender  in love and discipline,  all the heavenly scents and fragrances that delight my heart, the beauty and loveliness of  a soft, velvety petal, the 3-Dness of life, the freshness of each morning, with dewdrops and mistiness, with twitterings  and twills of songbirds, watching the butterflies hover over a blossom, the expanse of water rippling in the sun, and I could go on . . . but I haven’t the time right now.

But God you’ve blessed me beyond measure . . . and I know you are good, even when I don’t feel blessed and when despair and hard times hit . . . You are good nonetheless!!!

But today, I just want to say, thank-YOU!

And today THANK-YOU for this guy you brought into my life,

for the almost ten years that I’ve known him,

For the times good and hard, we’ve had together.

For creating the ability to feel love

. . . and sorrow

For sharing Yourself, creating us in Your image,

Showing you Great Love, by sending your precious love, your Son,

Loving us enough to let Him suffer for us . . .

Such love . . . No other love,

God,

can be compared

to

the

love

with what

You

love

us!!!

“By the Word of the Lord

Were the heavens made.

Their starry host

by

the

breath

of

His

mouth.”

- Psalm 33:6

Yeah, I know I’m talking about the heavens and the stars . . . but I just don’t have any pictures that can do it justice (well I can’t do the flowers justice either, but . . .)

I’ve been inspired with these verses after seeing Louie Giglio’s “How Great Is Our God”.  And his one on hope . . .   I can’t remember all the details about the planets,our solar system, all the millions of galaxies, and the greatness and the magnificence of the stars . . . He compares the earth as a golf ball and one of the stars as the Golden Gate Bridge twice (the distance), and then us on that golf ball . . . Imagine . . . And a even bigger star as Mt. Everest and down on the bottom the golf ball and then find yourself on that tiny golf ball . . . and that is just not even a drop in the bucket!  How great IS our GOD?!?!?!?!?!??!

“For He spoke and it came to be

He commanded and it stood firm . . .

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees . . .

But the eyes of the Lord are on those

who fear Him

on whose HOPE

is

in

His

unfailing

Word . . .

to deliver them

from death

and keep them

alive

in famine . . .”

God can keep our foot from slipping . . . God can move mountains in our lives . . . God can renew our strength . . . God can make us soar on eagles wings . . . God can give us hope for the future . . . . God can _____________  When you look at His splendor in the heavens, it just makes praise well up in your heart and burst through your lips!

. . . These flowers – they just look like regular stems of grass,  that blooms!

In heaven – the streets mind you are made of gold.

Boy, I can’t wait to stroll all over Heaven’s meadows and God’s Flower Park (or God’s Arboretum).  The Bible says He’s up there preparing mansions . . . I’m sure He’s working on the landscaping too!!! (That’s what I’m interested in. )

But no, the best part of all is the Everlasting God who does not grow tired or weary . . . Who loves me and cares about my life and daily and even every moment happenings and spiritual growth or my  stagnant complacent heart chosing once again to take the wrong path.  The best is . . . He helps me and lifts me up! . . .  He gives me strength to go on . . . He gives me power to say no to the devil, power to make those “small” daily choices of following God’s way . . . The best is – I can hear His still small voice in my heart . . . The best is – He’s with me each step of the way, enabling me to make the stones, stepping stones and not stumbling blocks.  The best is – He increases my poor, weak efforts . . . He increases my strength.  The best is HE and I can connect and be one in body, soul and spirit( in a earthly way).  . .

And yet the best is . . . the BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Do you not know? . . .

Have you not heard? . . .

The Lord is the Everlasting God

The Creator of the ends of the earth

He will not grow tired or weary

And His understanding NO ONE CAN FATHOM!

HE gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak . . .” – Isaiah 40

“If I ask to be delivered from the trial rather than for deliverance out of it, to the praise of His glory;  if I forget that the way of the Cross leads to the Cross and not to a bank of flowers;  if I regulate my life on these lines, or een unconsciously my thinking so that I am surprised when the way is rough, and think it strange, though the Word is ‘Think it not strange . . . Count it all joy . . . ‘) then I know nothing of Calvary love.”

Been reading Amy Carmichael’s “IF” . . . if you wondered.

Jaden turns four today!

Stayed home with FIVE sick children Sunday . . . not really my idea of a special Easter . . . but did have a special time “Alone” (as a mother can be)  with the Lord . . . God is good . . . He is faithful . . . He is powerful . . . He’s not dead, but more alive than you or I can ever be!

Finally got the stroller out of the garage.  It was a job just getting it out!!!

The boys had some help last week on their little log cabin in the woods.  They love working out there cuttin’ logs and such though they have been banned from having a fire out there for awhile due to not taking proper precautions against forest fires.

Japheth and Jeremiah are the younger boys on this pic.  Neighbors are wonderful people . . . at least if you have the kind we do!!!