squeezing

it is spring break for the district i am on leave from - that means i get to see a couple of students this week!

sweet pea is excited :)

I am going to share a prayer from Paul to the Philippians today, which I also wish to pray for myself and for you:

Philippians 1:9-11

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation - the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ - for this will bring much glory and praise to God."
another thought from Paul that I wish to share with you:

Philippians 1:30

"We are in this struggle together.  You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it."

My thoughts are centered around prayer lately, and how God wants us to pray.
Today I am going to share one scripture with you regarding what the Lord says about prayer, as he speaks to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14:  "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their lands.  My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place."

A prayer that many of you probably know is The Lord's Prayer, or The Our Father.  This comes out of the Bible, woohoo!  It is not just something someone made up along the way...
It can be found in Matthew 6:9-13, and with the help of my new book, Prayer Vitals (Sumner, 2011), I'm going to pick it apart, line by line.  If you have been saying this since you were little, did you know what the words meant?  I ask you to reflect on this prayer and the meanings of each line.

Our Father who art in heaven

This acknowledges God's true place while at the same time addressing Him as a personal heavenly Father.

hallowed be thy name.

This refers to the praise and worship that is due to Him.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done - on earth, as it is in heaven.

This is a prayer of dependency and of submission to the will of God.

Give us this day our daily bread

We are to make our requests known to God and ask for daily provision.

and forgive us our trespasses 

Confession of sin should be a part of any effective prayer to God.

as we forgive those who trespass against us

It is important to God that His people forgive one another for any wrongs done.

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We are to pray for help in facing up to the trials and temptations that the devil and the world bring our way.
Amen!

10.1.2010  |  Quonset for Bob's birthday party

Oh how I miss those silly faces and the tight arm around me, squeezing me, comforting me.  Did I ever mention that I always worried about his safety on the snowmobile?  I had an extensive conversation about it with my psychologist back in October.  Crazy.  this picture is so him - the eyebrow, the smile, and of course the crooked nose.  wow would it be amazing if little sweet pea's nose was crooked :)  she is almost here, and i have a big job of telling her all about her two wonderful men - daddy that already loved her and grandpa that would have loved her so much... i will have help though :) l u joe, miss ur hugs.