Prayer

Random Tips and Clips From This Week

December 17, 2010 by Courtney 27 Comments

Here’s a few random happenings in our house this week:

Lexi sweeping with her new broom! What a blessing she is!

I LOVE getting the mail every single day! It’s like hitting the jackpot every time I open a Christmas card from family or friends!

Here’s what we do with our Christmas cards… (and I know some of you are already doing this!) We have placed all the cards in a fish bowl (you could use a basket)and at every meal the kids each pick a card out of the bowl and we pray for the two families who are chosen. We will continue to do this into the month of January! This is a fun and easy way to remember to keep family and friends in our prayers and to teach our children to pray for others.

Secondly, we had turbo amounts of snow this week, which meant lots of wet clothes and hot chocolate! So here’s a tip my big sister taught me a few years ago, duct tape your children’s coat to their gloves so snow cannot seep into their sleeves.

The warmer they stay, the longer they play lol!! (Only do this when you are out with them or keeping a close eye on them…)

And finally, this week my children sat down and watched sweet little Vivi from 10 Million Miles make Pebble Snacks. (Laura will be a speaker with me at the Relevant 11 Conference! Woohoo!) Here’s the clip:

Then we made them!

They were SO easy (the recipe is here) and we can’t wait to serve them to Grandpa today when he comes over to do some history and science with the kids!

So this is what we have been up to this week! Hope you have a great weekend! Just 7 days until Christmas!!! Oh my!!! Keep lighting your candles and covering your homes in prayer for peace. And don’t forget to take care of yourself by taking a bubble bath, getting to bed early and reading God’s word!

Walk with the King!

I am linked up to Raising Homemakers and Works for me Wednesdays at We Are That Family.

Filed Under: Christmas, Homemaking, Prayer

I Wish I Had a Counseling Degree

August 5, 2010 by Courtney 12 Comments

There are times I receive emails from my dear readers that contain questions far too difficult for me to answer. When the questions are beyond my experience or studies I often say “I’m sorry I am not a counselor. You need to seek out a pastor, trusted Godly friend or call Focus on the Family’s 1-800 number (1-800-232-6459). I deeply regret this is beyond my expertise.”

There are moments I feel inept to write on this blog because I am not a counselor – I just don’t know all the answers and I so wish I did!~

Thankfully there is a counsellor all believers have access to who supersedes all counseling degrees – the Holy Spirit! Jesus says in John 14: 16-17 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.”

Anne Graham Lotz says:

“Jesus described the Holy Spirit as “Another.” The Greek word actually means “another who is exactly the same.” So although the Holy Spirit is a distinct person, He is exactly the same as Jesus, but without the physical body. He has been described as Jesus without skin. Or, like an FBI agent, He is Jesus undercover.”

Dear hurting Christian sister, you may feel all alone in your trials and difficulties. But you are not. Jesus has sent “another” counselor with the same mind, emotions, intellect and wisdom into our hearts to guide, comfort, direct, and help us manage our way through life.

Have you yielded to this Counselor the Holy Spirit? You must first be in his word, in prayer and in stillness – to sense his clear leading, comfort and guidance.

If you are hurting today – practice the presence of God in your life. Psalm 139:7-10 says:

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

Know that he is always with you. Surrender your will to him. Be still – listen – move forward in peace.

Walk with the King!

If anyone knows of any other organizations with toll free numbers for readers who need a counselor can you please leave it in the comment section. I will use it as a resource for ladies who are hurting. Thank you for your help.

Filed Under: Depression, Fruit of the Spirit, Peace, Prayer, Quiet Times, Silence, Trials

My Heart Is About To Burst!

June 29, 2010 by Courtney 18 Comments

As I clicked through yesterday’s marriage challenge link-ups, my heart was overwhelmed with joy! My eyes teared up and I felt like my heart was going to burst – burst with excitement for your marriages!!!

Ladies who linked up – you are BEAUTIFUL! The world has failed to praise you for your inner beauty – but I will not miss this opportunity!

I learned a lot from you all yesterday – at one point I had to pull out my journal and start writing! I think it was the transparency of those who admitted that they had never thought to ask their husband how they could pray for him or were too busy to simply pray – that touched me. It showed me growth is happening!

One woman shared how she asked her husband in the morning how she could pray for him and then he called from work and thanked her for asking! Hooray!

Another shared how her husband leaves early in the morning, but before he leaves he always covers her in bed and says a prayer over her. Beautiful!

Another has been praying for her husband since she was 12 – at the time she was just praying for the man God would bring into her life. And now she is reaping the answers to those prayers. Teach your daughters to pray now for their future husbands!

Many shared great verses. Some have the book “The Power of a Praying Wife” but have never used it and now they are pulling it out and praying! While others said they had been through the book multiple times praying for their husband. Beautiful!

One wife shared how she had given up on prayer since God seemed to be saying “no” – then she realized that God was not trying to change her husband instead he changed her!

Another reflected on how her husband is the leader of their home and the toll leadership takes on a man. The devil seeks to see him fall and if he is led astray so is the rest of the family – she motivated me to pray right that minute AGAIN for my husband!

I recommended you say a sentence prayer for your husband every time you see your wedding ring on your finger. A bunch of wives adopted other little symbols to remind them to pray such as a bicycle, Starbucks cup, ambulance, their shoes, while ironing their clothes or a black Ford F150! Some of you have committed to fast! I am doing a cartwheel inside for you!

Oh ladies – I am just so excited and so blessed and I know your marriages and homes will be too. I want to close this post with what one wife wrote at the end of her post…”please say a sentence prayer for my marriage.” What a wise woman she is to know that she needs the prayer of others for her marriage also.

Ladies – do not be afraid to ask others to pray with you for your marriage. We all need prayer. I have prayed for your marriages – so I humbly ask – will you please say a sentence prayer for mine? Thank you and you are truly beautiful! Keep on praying and don’t forget to ask your husband today how you can pray for him!

Walk with the King!

Filed Under: Marriage, Prayer

Book Review: The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory

March 25, 2010 by Courtney 7 Comments

Fasting is a Christian discipline that is rarely talked about in the Christian church, so I found the book, The Daniel Fast by Susan Gregory, to be refreshing and enlightening. America has been plagued by an epidemic of obesity – we love our food -and for some they love their food more than they love their God! Fasting was a part of the Jewish culture and great men and women of God through out the Bible, participated in fasting and prayer. Our ultimate example is Jesus our Savior, who went into the wilderness for 40 days to fast and pray.

Have you ever gone on a fast? In the last few years I have begun to practice this spiritual discipline. Sometimes it’s been with my Good Morning Girls group, often it’s with my husband and once with an old friend from high school who now lives in Texas! The support through out the day of emails, texts and prayers has gotten me through some rough days of fasting – (I do love my Diet Coke! I know for others giving up coffee is a struggle!)

What is so great about this book is it provides a step by step plan – including how to prepare, some recipes that follow the restrictions and daily devotions for doing a 21 day Daniel Fast. I have not done a fast that included food so this sparked my interest – maybe I can do this!

Susan Gregory says in The Daniel Fast, “The definition of a biblical fast is to restrict food for a spiritual purpose.” Susan explains there are three types of fasts – an absolute fast, a normal fast, and a partial fast. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast – abstaining from some foods but not all. Daniel abstained from all foods except foods from the seed and water. So this book explains how to follow his example.

Do you wish you had the deep faith of Daniel? One that could lock the jaws of lions in a den? I think we all wish we could have that type of walk with God and yet are we willing to do what Daniel did in order to have what Daniel had? Fasting is not so you can impress God with your “super” Christian ways – but it is for you. It is done to draw us nearer to God and without the aspect of extra prayer and time in the word – it is just a diet.

Fasting was created by God as a tool to bring us into closer relationship with Him. If you are interested in doing a 1 day, 3 day, 7 day, 10 day or 21 day fast – go to Susan Gregory’s website to learn more about the Daniel Fast here. You can also read a past post I wrote on fasting here.