Pray for Your Children

From the day we found out we were pregnant, I have been praying for Emmalyn. But recently, I have been thinking...how can I pray more effectively for her? How can I pray more specifically for her? John 16:23-24 says "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

So, asked my dear friends over at Titus Two how they pray for their children. I got a lot of great responses from these wonderful, Godly women! One of my favorite responses was this list from my friend "Momma5." This list gives you a Godly characteristic to pray for each day of the month, and better yet...the scripture to pray! This is such a wonderful list, I wanted to share it with my mommy friends!!!


*Daily, pray for their physical protection, purity, a close walk with Christ, their future mates, their testimony in the world, but you can also use this list to remind you of other things.

1 salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2 growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'" (2 Peter 3:18).

3 love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4 honesty and integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5 self-control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6 a love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Psalm 19:10).

7 justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8 mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).

9 respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).

10 strong, 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'" (Ephesians 2:10).

11 faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Proverbs 3:3).

12 courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

13 purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).

14 kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

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'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16 peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).

17 joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18 perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).

19 humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).

20 compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).

21 responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).

22 contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).

23 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" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24 a servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25 hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

26 the willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).

27 a passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28 self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).

29 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" (Ephesians 6:18).

30 gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31 a heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).

I finally made it to the gym! :)

I have been talking about it for months, and I finally joined the YMCA and had my first workout this morning! I mainly joined b/c my back surgeon suggested pool therapy and exercises, and they have a great pool.

But since today was the first time for Emmalyn to be in the nursery there, I didn't want to be "unaccessible" in the water. So, I kept it short, and just rode the bicycle (I couldn't think of anything else to do that would be no-impact for my back). But, I rode 3 miles!!! I only "worked out" for 17 minutes, but I feel great about it! And Emmalyn did great! She didn't fuss at all, and apparently played well! So, tomorrow, I will go to the water aerobics class that is an hour long...I am excited!

Just for your amusement... :) :) :)

Needed something to post...

I have been feeling, well...uninspired recently. I haven't posted much this month, and felt I needed to post something. Well, most of you have probably already seen this, but if not, enjoy!!! (Even if you have...it is still funny!!! I laugh out loud every time!)

It is called The Mom Song, by Anita Renfroe...sung to the tune of the William Tell Overture.

Miss Independent

Please click on "Miss Independent," by Kelly Clarkson on my plalylist , make sure you have the volume up, and enjoy Baby Girl's Theme Song playing while you read!:) :) :)

Emmalyn has 2 stubborn parents. We knew we would have a stubborn child. We used to say, "poor kid" will have to deal with this. Now, we say "POOR US!!!" We did not know, however, how fast we would learn how independent she would be!!! She is only 15 months, and already exerting her own opinion daily! She does NOT want to hold your hand walking down the sidewalk...she wants to "do it herself!" She does NOT want you to feed her...she wants to "do it herself!" She does NOT want you to show her how to get up into her rocking chair or riding toy...she wants to "do it herself!" I could go on! It is cute to see how she is learning how to do these things, but frustrating when I truly know she can't, but won't let me help her! This is the cause of most of her fits these days, and the poor thing is so frustrated! Hopefully, she won't give us TOO much trouble when she is 2! Ha ha ha ha!!!

Just so you get a visual for this little tirade...this is what happened when I would not allow her to go to the water "by herself" at the beach! pitiful, isn't it?

Update on Jessica

If you will remember, I posted a prayer request for my dear friend Jessica a little while back. A few prayer warrior friends have asked me how she is doing. Well, she is doing well! The prognosis has not changed for the baby, but God's unsurpassed peace and grace has truly been lavished upon her! What an amazing God we serve! She has started a blog, and you will find a link to it on the right hand side of my blog, entitled Surrender: Jessica's Journey . I hope you will take time to read her story, prayer requests, and praises...and please keep her and her precious baby and family in your prayers!

Here is a quote from her blog:
"To all you prayer warriors out there we thank you for standing in the gap for us. I pray and thank God for you daily. I have prayed that God will bless you for your faithfulness. In James he says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16b. It also says, "the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." James 5:15aRemember this though, God is at work and has his hand on this situation no matter what the outcome is."

What a treasure we have that some of us have not even met each other, but we share our struggles and praises because we are all children of God! What a wonderful sisterhood this is! I am so very thankful God called each of you and me to His heart, so that we may share this life on earth together!

Ephesians 3:14-19
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

You NEED to see this movie!

Kris and I went to see Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Friday night, and it was WELL worth the time and money! It is a documentary about the way anyone in the world of science, especially Academia, is ostracized and often, well...expelled, from their positions if they give ANY regard to Intelligent Design. This does not even mean creation, just any form of intelligent design. The film really opened my eyes to greater implications of believing in evolution...such as loss of human purpose, free will, and the like. It also discussed how Hitler used the Holocaust to try to further human evolution and "natural selection." And if we are to try to do this on our own...that leads the way for abortion and many other catastrophes!

Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis says this:
"Although Stein is not a biblical creationist and comes from a Jewish background, we have found some common ground with him, as he does a masterful job of exposing the scientific problems with Darwinian evolution as well as the ruthlessness of its defenders in suppressing academic freedom. It’s not a Christian film, but it is very much worth your time because you will get a better understanding of the creation/evolution battle and how it is on the front lines of the culture war. Plus, you will see compelling evidence for design in the universe."

The movie was a documentary, but it is Ben Stein, and he is just funny. He uses black and white movie clips and music tracts for the transitions that make this film actually pretty funny in parts! It is about an hour and a half, but feels like 30 minutes...very informative, very entertaining!

If you would like to find more information, follow these links:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/enterflash.php

http://www.getexpelled.com/

http://www.wingclips.com/cart.php?page=expelled

I Have a New Niece!!!

One of my very best friends, Pennie, who is more like a sister than a friend, had her first baby last week!!! I have been dying to share this with all of you, but wanted to wait until she could send me a picture! :) Well, the newborn days are still exhausting and hectic, but she has found a little time to send me some pictures! I won't share her name b/c I haven't cleared that with Pennie, but I assure you it is beautiful! Baby Girl entered the world at 5:17p.m. on April 17th, 2008, weighing 6lbs, 15 oz, and measuring 19 inches long. Pennie had a GREAT natural birth, that even she called a "perfect" experience. Pennie and Will are exceedingly proud, as they should be, and very excited!!! They will be great parents! So, without any further ado...here she is!
Pennie looks great!!!!!!!!!! :
Is this a proud papa, or what?! :)

LOOK AT THOSE CHEEKS!!! HOW ADORABLE IS SHE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see this little bundle of joy in person! Oh, how I wish I wasn't 5 hours away!!!

A Little Feeling of Accomplishment, Part Two

So, this is the other part of the house I have managed to organize. I feel like finishing smaller projects might help me get motivated to move on to the office! Here is the (very scary) before of the closet, with Emmalyn acting as Vanna! :)

I did manage to get rid of some things, adding them to the garage sale pile out in the garage. Here is Emmalyn deciding she needed to help me carry things out. (Mikasa candle holders I never liked...wedding gift.)
And, TADA, here is the after! :) :) Much easier on the eyes, and MUCH easier to find what I need WHEN I need it! :)
The next is a close up, showing my husband's worse nightmare coming true. I am going crazy with my label maker! :) [When he gave it to me, he claimed it was ONLY from Emmalyn...that he would not be a part of something where everything in his house becomes labeled!:) ]

..if you click the picture, you can actually read the labels. Because I'm sure that will be the highlight of your day, right?!

Okay...so now...I MUST move on to the office!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHGGGGG!!!!!

A Little Feeling of Accomplishment

So, I have a house with WAY too much stuff...and that creates chaos, right?!?! Tell me I am not alone! So, I have set out recently to at least TRY to organize and get rid of some stuff. I started with Emmalyn's closet, which has WAY too many items for a 14 month old!!! (Can we tell she is the first grandbaby on the daddy's side?!) We are clearly not getting rid of anything...since we would like another kid or two eventually, so I sorted and organized by size and put it all into nice little clear rubbermaid containers. And my handy-dandy label maker proved to be VERY useful!!! :)

Here are the BEFORE photos:


Scary, huh? Notice the plethora of stuff just piled on the top shelf. That is the stuff she has already outgrown! Oh, how the time flies by! ***sigh***

Anyways... Here are the AFTER photos:

The top shelf is outgrown clothes, the top hanging bar is stuff that currently fits, and the bottom bar is stuff that she will not fit for a while. [Again...grandparents of first grandbabies can be very generous! :) :) :)] Oh, and she has a dresser of pajamas and more casual clothes that I did organize, but it would not have been near as exciting to photograph! :)

btw...Have I mentioned I LOVE MY LABEL MAKER!!!!!!!!!!!

So, this is the first project of 2 that I have actually finished. I know you will be DYING to see the rest of my amazingly exciting daily activities, so I will share more later! :) And more as I complete them. :)

Her First Word is DOG!

I think it is apparent that she is her mother's daughter!! :)

Well, it sounds more like "Da,"...dog, without the g at the end. But it is the first real word, obviously identifying something. She constantly points to dogs and exclaims "DA!" She absolutely loves these animals! She does not smile at me when I enter her room to pick her up in the mornings, but she squeals with excitement if the dogs are clicking around on the hardwood behind me! She loves to chase the dogs, hugging their necks and petting their backs...it is really precious! We have been very lucky to have great dogs that allow her to do all of this, usually licking her arm or leaning into her in response.

Here she is at only 10 months giving Bella a belly rub. [Bella now has a new family in Louisianna. :)] Lounging on Mocha, apparently aware of how cute she is!
Petting Spencer at only 6 months old:
He was very sweet when she would pet him...but didn't like being chased and hugged like the other dogs. He would just get up and walk away. :)
Giving hugs to Shiloh, my dad's dog while he was here with us. So sweet!
hhmmmm...maybe she thinks she is a dog?
Before you call CPS...let me assure you I DID NOT put her in this cage, nor would I or have I ...ever! :) :) :)

And here is a video of her giggles at Mocha:

A Natural Beach Bum

Is this not the most adorable photo?!?!

I took Emmalyn to the beach for the first time yesterday, with my friend Jessica and her two children, Luke and Raylen. We had such a great time! Jana, we missed you...you'll have to come with next time!

I didn't quite know how Baby Girl would like this. Well, from the moment I put Emmalyn on the sand in her little bare feet, she was smiling! She absolutely LOVED it! When I took her to the water, I assumed it might frighten her a little. Nope. She giggled when the waves swished across her feet. Then she sat in the water. The water came up a little high, and again, I thought she would be a little scared. Nope again. She laughed hystercially! She thought this was the best time ever! I let her play and splash for a while, but when it got a little too cold, and she was shivering a bit, I took her back to the sand to play. She was SOOO MAD at me! But, she got over it as she sat down with her bff, Raylen to play in the sand. :-)

The day was a success, and all of the kids (and mommies) had a wonderful afternoon! We stayed for about 2 hours (covered in sunscreen and a hat of course), and boy, was she tired after all that great playing. She was asleep in the car within 5 minutes!

Daddy HATES the beach, so any more beach trips for us will probably be with our beach-loving friends again! :) The sand is annoying, but oh the fun we had!

Here are a few photos of the day, but for more, go here! :-)

Ready to go, isn't the cover-up, cute?

A smile from the minute I put her down:
Aren't they adorable together?!:
Playing with the sand...

Spencer

Well, yesterday, I had to let go of Spencer.
He truly was the best dog anyone could EVER ask for! He was my cuddly, loyal, loving, sweet baby boy. I miss him terribly already. Here is a video montage I made of him. Notice lots of pictures are of him on a bed...he was spoiled rotten! He had a very good life, just way too short. Through tears, I would like to share this with you...
(You have to click on the picture to see the montage.)


Spencer

Cletus, Take the Reel

This is so funny, I nearly cried! The guy singing is Christian Comedian Tim Hawkins, and his website is here if you would like to check out some more of his stuff.

This is interesting...

This is a "Visual Profile" I took, and thought it was interesting. It got just about everything right. The link to check out my page is: http://friends.imagini.net/Heather78/profile/9 Again, I tried to post a widget the website created, but to no avail. You'll just have to click the link. :)

Pretty cool, huh? I'd love for you to do one now, and share it with me!!!

This little girl is too adorable!!!

There is a little girl on YouTube singing The Lord's Prayer, and it is just too cute!!! For some reason, I can't get the embed code to paste properly, so please just click on this link to watch her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk

Isn't She Lovely?!

So, Kris and I are watching that silly show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" the other night, and we hear the song "Isn't She Lovely," by Stevie Wonder. OH MY! Have you ever really listened to the lyrics? Maybe Kris and I are the only ones that have never realized...it is about his daughter! It was so beautiful...I teared up pretty quick! :) So, here are the lyrics, aren't they beautiful?!

Isnt she lovely
Isnt she wonderfull
Isnt she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love wed be
Making one as lovely as she
But isnt she lovely made from love

Isnt she pretty
Truly the angels best
Boy, Im so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I cant believe what God has done
Through us hes given life to one
But isnt she lovely made from love

Isnt she lovely
Life and love are the same
Life is aisha
The meaning of her name
Londie, it could have not been done
Without you who conceived the one
Thats so very lovely made from love

This song is currently first in my playlist, and I took it off "shuffle," so you should be hearing it as you read this! :)

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

a few days late...but, Happy Easter to you! Poor Emmalyn has been really sick since last Wednesday/Thursday, so I have been unable to blog much recently. Poor thing...she has never had a cough, and this is a doozey! Her fever is finally down, but the cough in lingering. We had to do a breathing treatment this evening...Not Fun!

But, we did manage to have a little fun on Sunday! We went to church all dressed in pretty new clothes (the first time I bought myself an Easter dress in YEARS!), and heard a GREAT message by our pastor. We love our home church, it is such a wonderful Christian family. The message was about how Christ doesn't just want part of you, He wants all of you! Isn't that true?! How often do we manage to go to church on Sunday and Wednesday, talk in our Christian lingo, and pray for each other, but manage to forget to spend time with Him DAILY?! I know I do. I was convicted of my lack of daily time with the Lord, and am grateful for days like these where God gently reaches down and reminds me to come to Him! I renewed my promise to spend more of my energy and time DAILY to grow in the Lord.

We also spent time with Kris' family here in town. We went to his Grandmother and Grandfather's house, where we met up with his mom, dad, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a lot of fun, and boy, does Grandma know how to feed a crowd! The food was delicious! Emmalyn enjoyed all the attention and loving she received, but was awfully tired by the time it was all said and done! Here is the happy little family, with Emmalyn's first Easter basket. (She was only 5 weeks old last year, we didn't really put together a basket.)

She was excited about her basket of goodies! Especially the little plastic eggs! :)
The toy cell phone was a hit! (Maybe now she will leave Mommy's alone...yeah right! ) And here she is with a very proud Grandma, in her cute little bunny ears! (It's a real challenge to get this little girl to look at the camera AND smile these days!)
Her Aunt Kelli (aka, Nanny) also gave her the MOST ADORABLE tutu! But, we lost the energy to change and photograph that treat! More pictures to come soon!!!

(I know you will all be dying with anticipation, right?!)

Family Fun

Well, this weekend, we loaded up and went to Austin to see my sister and her 5 beautiful children. Kim has been redecorating the house, and we just had to see it all! She is doing a great job...it is beautiful! (If you'd like...you can check her progress at her blog.) We also got to see my Dad who came down Saturday afternoon from Temple to visit with us. We had a great time! I love spending time with my family...it refreshes me and reminds me just how awesome they all really are! We missed my brother, though. :( He is going to Croatia in a week, and had a lot to do to get ready for that! What an opportunity!

So, we had a wonderful dinner that my sister cooked Friday night of Pork Tenderloin and yummy veggies, an awesome cinnamon roll and sauasage/egg caserole breakfast, oh...and THE BEST barbeque I have EVER had, cooked by a friend of Kim's. (He owns a B-B-Q business called Eddie B's B-B-Q...you should definitely check it out! He ships FREE anywhere in Texas, but will also ship anywhere in the US!) It was so yummy, the brisket and ribs were incredible! No sauce even needed!

So, enough about the food we ate...:)...

Kris and our oldest nephew, B, went to a beautiful golf course to play 18 Saturday morning, and they had a great time. We then went to the park and hung out with Dad for the afternoon. Church came EARLY Sunday morning [we are not early risers around here...could you tell? :)], but we really enjoyed the Palm Sunday service. Then lunch at CiCi's pizza, and off we went. It was all too short...I sure wish it wasn't a 5 hour drive to see all these wonderful people!

On the way home, we got to stop by my friend Pennie's house. She is expecting her first little bundle of joy on April 12th...a girl who will be named Emma Suzanne. Her and her hubby are VERY excited, and we got to check out the adorable nursery and baby clothes. Too fun!!! It makes me want to do it all again! We had a great time visiting with them, they too are awesome people!

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend! Emmalyn did pretty good on the way home, only fussing a little in the last hour. (The trip there wasn't quite as pleasant...babies are so unpredictable!)

Here are a few pictures of the trip:

Saturday's yummy breakfast:
At the Park:

Grandaddy watching from the shade:)


She thought she was big stuff...

But gravity sure is frustrating....
but that caused her discovery of the rocks...
uh oh...she discovered the stairs
(Don't worry, that is Daddy right behind her!)
*sigh*...she is so much fun!!!

Before I was a Mom

I received this email from my husband's aunt recently, and just thought it was all too true. How special is it to be a mom?!!! What an amazing blessing!!! I just thought I would share...

Before I was a Mom -

I never thought about immunizations.

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down. [See picture below. :) ]

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom (Well, this I knew...but I love it even MORE than I imagined!!)

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Just A Little Update

Well, Spencer started eating again on Tuesday, and he seems to be feeling better. He is back to following me around and acting pretty normal. Last night I got to play with him a little and he chose to "talk" to me a LOT! [Those of you who personally know him know the little growl/bark/talking noise I am referring to! So funny! :) ] I thought to myself one night last weekend that I would never get to hear that funny little noise again...it thrilled my soul, and I cried!
Anyways...I know I will have to let go eventually, much sooner than I would like, but for now, he seems okay. As the cancer spreads, he will get weaker and be in pain, and I will not let him suffer. I love him too much. But I cannot justify putting him down right now, when it doesn't seem like I would really be "helping" him.
So, please continue to pray for wisdom and strength, as I never know exactly how soon it will be. For now, I am enjoying every minute I have with him!!!

By the way...thank you for your encouraging comments about the life he has had. Those did make me feel a little better, I know he has been spoiled to the best of my ability! :) He has had it pretty good, huh?


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