I Pick the Bird

This is my team of choice.

I am a Cardinals fan. 

Actually, I am a Kurt Warner fan. Therefore, I am a Cardinals fan.

I'm not sure that they will win, but this is who I am cheering for. 

Who is your pick?

Steelers? Cardinals?

Neither?

Would you rather watch HGTV? 

I might tell you...

If I were to post something today, I might tell you that one year ago yesterday was my first blog post.

I might tell you that I am having a rough time adjusting back to a normal schedule. 

I might tell you that my kids both have a yucky cough and are on steroids.

I might tell you that the steroid has made both of them wire-y. 

I might tell you that neither napped yesterday.

I might tell you that my mom is coming to visit this weekend and I am really excited to see her.

I might tell you that I am looking forward to hanging out with our friends while we watch the Superbowl.

I might tell you that I am also really excited about making food for the Superbowl, even though I don't know what I will make.

I might ask you for suggestions on what to make.

I might tell you that I feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of housework I have to do and all the things I need to get caught up on.

I might tell you that I need a hair cut something terrible.

I might also tell you that I cannot decide whether to grow my hair out or cut it off again.

I might tell you that Noah is in three weddings in the next two months.

I might tell you that I am considering buying my little man a tuxedo rather than renting one over and over and over again.

I might tell you that I want the henna to come off of my hand and arm.  

I might also tell you that Brad's grandpa is in the hospital and it was really hard for me to see him there.

I might also tell you that Noah and I have had several conversations in the last two days about why it is polite to keep our 'business' in our pants and keep our pants pulled up at all times. 

I might tell you that my body does not handle carbonation well.

I might tell you that I did not have that many carbonated beverages in India, but none the less, I am on a cranberry juice diet right now. 

I might tell you that I pouted today when Brad did not bring me the Starbucks I was hoping for this morning.

I might remind you that I have been out of the country for twelve days, missing my husband terribly.

I might also add that the country I visited has nothing by our standards, including no Starbucks. And that many of the inhabitants live on monthly wages less than the cost of one latte.

I might tell you that I was more than disappointed in myself for feeling the need to pout about not getting my morning coffee. 

But, this is just if I were to post something today.

A Picture is Worth...

...One Thousand Rupees

A few pictures of India. I did not take many pictures and after I was home there are several things I wish that I had photographed in order to give you a better picture of what we encountered. I wish I could show you the train station and train that we traveled on. I wish I could show you the traffic. I wish I could show you a picture of what I saw when looking out the window of the train. I wish I could show you the market and the stores. I wish I could show you the faces of the children. I wish I could show you the flags the women carried from each state represented at the seminar. There are so many things I wish I could show you, but I will settle for the few pictures I took. 

The Taj Mahal is incredible. Honestly, it is very surreal to look at the pictures knowing that I took them myself. It is such a beautiful masterpiece. The precision and detail are magnificant and there are no words or pictures that can capture seeing such a site. 

All of the images in the white marble are made of semi-precious stone. They replaced the precious stones after many of them were stolen. The black Hindi writing in the picture below is Onyx. 

I am so grateful that my dear friend, Lezlie, took this journey with me. Without her, I would have been so lonely. :)

When entering the Taj Mahal, you see room after room like this one. Each was used as a guest room for the king's guests. 

We went to the back side of the Taj Mahal at sunrise to see the sun come over the water. It was a little too overcast to get a great picture with the sun rising, but as soon as we drove away the sun peaked through the clouds. It would have been a perfect picture. 

Henna and the Taj.

I loved these birds. They are something common, you will probably know the name, but I don't remember. I'm not a bird watcher. 

Feisty Cobra

Khjaruraho Temples

Nasty. Yes.

Red Bull--my lifeline for a few days.

Home Sweet Home

I am home! And more grateful than ever to be here. I got home about 1:30 this afternoon and have spent the day kissing my beloved family members.

I cannot wait to show pictures and fill you in on the trip, but right now I am going to enjoy making up missed time with my husband and kids...and sleeping. 

Thank you for praying!

In case you have nothing better to do...

...you can read what is taking place in my life. 

I had a bit of free time this afternoon and just wanted to give more detail on what we have been up to in India.

India is really a beautiful country. It is winter here and the temperature is perfect (mid 70's). Everything is green and lush and I love looking at the country side. We spent the first few days traveling quite a bit, but the last four (or so...I've lost count) days in the same location. We will be here two more days before we take an overnight train ride to visit the Taj Mahal and then onto Deli. Honestly, I have lost count of days. I am not even sure what day of the week it is. I try to keep up with what day it is here, what time it is here, what day it is at home and what time it is at home. My brain is on overload. India is eleven and a half hours ahead of Texas. Confusing! And don't ask me where the half hour came from?!?

We have visited a girl's orphanage and three villages. The girls at the orphanage were amazing. I wanted to bring all forty home! Each village was very different from the other. The first village was very tribal. They live in a very remote location and when monsoons occur, they are cut off from the rest of society. We were the first white people they had ever seen. The adults thought we were gods and the children were terrified. It was an odd mix of welcomes!

Yesterday we spent the day traveling and visited Kama Sutra temples. It is one of the wonders of the world. It was really beautiful and intricate. The craftsmanship would be difficult to accomplish today, much less 1100 years ago.

Today was the first day of the Women's Seminar. It went really well. There are hundreds of beautiful women who have come to the first women's event of their life. First thing tomorrow morning, I will have the chance to speak to them. I am really excited. I think I am going to speak on 'moments'. As you well know, I am a procrastinator. This too, will be decided at the last minute. 

We also did a bit of shopping today. I LOVE shopping in India, it is the best! It is a bargainers dream. 

I don't want to bore you too much. I know how hard it is to understand or be interested in a journey that you have not experienced. I want to be sensitive to that. Plus, I don't have any pictures to share. Maybe I will steal more from Lezlie  :)

I will just tell you this...

India is a non-linear country. Meaning, they do not use a system of lines like we are accustomed to using. They do not have driving lanes. If there is a line painted, which is VERY uncommon, they don't stay in the lines. You do not have to stop at a traffic light (we have yet to stop for a red light) or a stop sign. There is no speed limit. In fact, there are no rules. And even if there were, there is no way to enforce them with contestant mass chaos.  It is so odd to me. 

Drivers stop to let herds of cattle, a goat, a pig or a dog cross the road. They will not stop for a human unless it is a child. Children of age two or three freely walk on the road with no supervision. 

People are everywhere. There are more people than you can image. Everyone should visit India at least once in their life. It is hard to put into words. 

I am missing my family so much, but they are doing well. The kids are having so much fun with their daddy and the rest of our family. Kayt rode a horse for the first time today and I missed it. I can't lie, I started tearing up when I heard what she did, but apparently she loved it. I wish I could have seen that little munchkin on a horse. Soon enough. 

Earlier, I had a little time to catch up with some friend's blogs. I remembered that Kelly was supposed to have her baby soon after I left. I was so excited to see her beautiful little girl, but was soon saddened by the complications Harper is having. Please pray for this sweet baby girl and her parents. I believe God is going to provide healing to her!

I love you Brad, Noah and Kayt! Watch the video I left for you on the computer. :)

Hugs everyone!

~Okay, this is funny...as I was finishing this up, I was just told that my speaking time had been moved to  tonight. Like in 1 hour. Remember that I told you I wasn't prepared? Haha. Gotta run figure out what God wants me to share :)

If you read this soon, pray that God speaks to and through me!

Sweet India

A people full of life, a culture abouding in tradition and a God full of majesty working in the midst....welcome to India.

I am watching the pages of National Geographic come to life before my eyes as I learn of the stories behind the people. Most stories tell of hands that labor with no end, feet the have traveled hundreds of miles to meet life's most basic needs and spirits that are continually joyful. Looking into the dark eyes of a child allows one to see directly into a heart that God is after. 

I have seen God in power through the worship of seventy five grown men who secretly worship together and then return to villages where they presume the role of church leader in a culture that makes outcasts of Christians. 

I have seen God's love for his people as I held a new born child who wore clothing of rags while his parents lovingly adored him from across a room of concrete walls and floor.

I have seen the mercy of God in the smiles of mentally challenged children taken in by strangers who understand that they are worthy of love and attention. 

I have watched the serenity of God in the swaying fields of grain that sprout mustard plants with tiny seeds. 

I have experienced the blessing of God when we are welcomed as royalty to a people who have never seen a white man. 

I have seen the creativity of God in a culture full of color, dance, and music. 

Things are great in India. I had a hard day yesterday missing my family, but today was wonderful and such a blessing to me. I am already really thankful for the things I have witnessed and the images ingrained in my mind. I know one reason for having such great days is because there are so many of you praying for our journey, thank you. 

Saying that I have experienced culture shock would be an understatement...geckos in the toilet, goats wearing clothing with children running around naked, and three year olds walking alone in a street with cars, motor scooters and buses swerving are only a few of the fascinating sights I have seen. 

Much love everyone,

Ash

See more pictures and updates on Lezlie's blog or here.

From the oposite side of the world...

Greetings from India! 

We arrived safely and I am having a great time. I have been overwhelmed and awestruck by the country of India. I am hoping I will have time to paint a mental picture for you of our encounters, but for now, you can see a bit of the beauty that God created in India. My internal clock is still a bit off, but I am slowly adjusting. An eleven and a half hour time difference makes a body confused. 

Check out Lezlie's blog.

Thank you for praying.

For my prayer warriors.

Tomorrow is the big day. For months, I have been anticipating January 15th, with a mix of emotions. Now, the time has arrived and God has already been doing a tremendous work in my heart. 

I wish I could tell you the amount of phone calls, letters, gifts, emails and encouragement that I have been given over the past week. I started weeping on the phone to Brad this morning at the though of how much the Lord has been loving on me as I prepare to leave. All I could ask Brad was why do people care so much? Why have so many people taken the time to be so good to me over the past week? I am doing nothing extravagant. I am going on a small trip to share Jesus and his love. People do this all the time. 

Yet, I know the answer. God has prompted them to do so because he has known just what my torn heart needed. 

One friend, that I barely know, brought by the a sweet card full of prophecies and symbolic gifts that will mean so much to me on my journey. I want to tell you all about her gift, but for sake of time, I will save the story. 

We have been taken to dinner, cooked for and prayed over. 

My beloved friends, gave me a bouquet of envelopes pouring with words of love and encouragement. I cannot wait to open one on each day of my trip. Thank you girls, so much!

Enough about that, but know that God is so good to meet all of us where we need to be met. 

Here is what I promised, a prayer assignment and specific ways you can be praying. My friend, Lezlie, is also going on the trip. Be sure to take her name to the Lord, too. 

I had asked the Lord for three people per day to pray. For our twelve day journey, that would be 36 people. Between the comments I received and the emails, guess how many people committed to pray? THIRTY SIX.  

For the sake of making this easier to read, I am going to do an assignment part and then a list of specific prayers for each day.  I put a few of you who I knew wouldn't mind on there twice since we will be finishing our travel home on the 27th. :)

Thursday 1/15- Tara, Kari, Sarah B.

Friday 1/16- Jessica V, Lindsey H, Jill

Saturday 1/17- Tessa,  Lindsay S., Taylor F. 

Sunday 1/18- Brittani, Katie, Donna G. 

Monday 1/19- Texas4Ever, Kristin, Nina

Tuesday 1/20- Sarah W., Ashley, Amber S. 

Wednesday 1/21-Amber D, Amy K, Kenzie

Thursday 1/22-Magen, Mandy, Megan

Friday 1/23-Amy B, Lindsey P, Kelly

Saturday 1/24-Robin, Tyler, Lauren

Sunday 1/25- Brenda, Taylor C, Heather

Monday 1/26- Denise, Avrie, Brooke S.

Tuesday 1/27-Sarah B., Magen, Amber D. 

Clear as mudd?

Now, this has been the kicker for me. I wanted people to be able to pray for the things we will do before we actually do them. With the time change, it has taken me a while to figure out how to best work this out. I believe this is correct...

Th 1/15- travel

F 1/16- travel, visit girls orphanage, visit house church

S 1/17- travel, half day vbs

Su 1/18- half day vbs

M 1/19- half day vbs

T 1/20- travel

W 1/21- Womens Retreat

Th 1/22- Women's Retreat (this is the day I will speak)

F 1/23- Women's Retreat 

S 1/24- travel, sight seeing

Su 1/25- travel, safety, independence parade

M 1/26- travel, flight from India to Chicago

T 1/27- travel, Chicago to home!

Daily ways to pray: 

My family at home. 

My husband as he cares for our angles. 

My heart to be focused on what God has called me to do. 

That God would protect my heart and mind from the desire to focus on 'home'. 

That the Lord would use me to minister.

Work in the hearts of those we encounter. 

Provision.

Favor.

Safety. 

Protection.

Other than what I have listed, I will just let the Lord direct you in specific ways to pray. 

Again, thank you so much. 

I will try to update the blog when I can, but you can also follow the trip here. 

This is what big brothers are for...

I would also like for you to notice Noah's clothing choices. Only on church days and 'school' days do I pick out his clothing. All other times, he's the clothing boss. 

And I am not sure why I take pictures of many of my kids messes. It's just something I do. I cannot seem to take pictures on Christmas, yet I have tons of pictures like this. Doesn't make any sense, does it?

Future. TYMTJ-Day 10

We shall finish up by looking forward. 

Press into praying for your man's future; everything God has in store after this very minute. So many things that will happen for you and your man will be far greater than you can currently conjure up. We serve a God that does not have his hands tied. He is mighty!

Our focus:

Protect him.

Bless his health.

Guard his mind.

Hold fast to his heart.

Go before him.

Be his counselor, his confidante, his help and his refuge.

Surround him with people who will speak life into him.

Be his shield and his firm foundation. 

Light his way and give him hope. 

_______________________________

Thank you, friends,  for joining my on this journey; we made it! Way to be a faithful mate. You have also helped hold me accountable to doing what God called me to do. I can almost guarantee that I would have weaseled my way out early, if not for you. Gracias!

I have had calls and emails from people wanting to start the journey late or print and keep the posts as references. This was never my goal, but for anyone who would like them, I have put an easily accessible links on the right side. Happy Monday!

 

Jesus Time. TYMTJ-Day 9

Anyone still trucking with me? When you say pray for ten days, it seems a small feat. Yet, when you put ten days of hard-core praying to the test, it doesn't seem so small does it? I am confident that our dudes will reap from our diligent, loving efforts. 

On the first Sunday of our journey, we prayed for our man's worship. Now, here we are back to Sunday and I just cannot get away from the fact that this is a day in which most of us take our worship public. So let us focus on his Jesus time today. 

Spending time with the Lord. A statement, a question, a request....

Whether or not you know that your husband spends daily, quality time with the Lord or not, let's seek this for him.  Now, don't you start judging your man. What does your time with the Lord look like? Yeah. That's what I thought. 

I kid, I kid.

As we go through our day today, let us really just press into this topic for our man. Pray for your future husband, that God would do these things in his heart this very day and that God would develop discipline in him now, rather than later. May we all step closer to the Lord as we take this cry of our heart to Him. 

Our focus:

Draw him into an intimate time of worship.

Call him away to a quiet place.

Drown out life. 

Speak with clarity.

Reveal yourself.

Love him.

Give life to your Word.

Pour out revelation.

Grant him accountability in his journey of following Christ.

Shape him into a man of integrity, character and self-discipline. 

The Past. TYMTJ-Day8

Long before you knew your man and even early on in your relationship, there were many events and much life that took place. Just as our past has much responsibility for determining who we are on this day, so does our mans. 

Let's pray for our guys life, before today. We want life before today to be an encouragement for his present and his future. Though we cannot change the past, we can learn from it, grow through it and become mature because of it. When our man may not think to pray for his past, let us take that responsibility on ourselves. As we pray for his past, let us ask Jesus to reconcile it. May we also thank the Lord for developing him into the man he is today.

Our focus:

Seek forgiveness for yourself if there are any areas in his past that you have yet to forgive or have developed bitter roots. 

Ask that he would have full forgiveness of himself for who he used to be.

Allow his past to be used to encourage him in his future.

May he learn from past triumphs, successes, failures, and sins.

Would he be able to use each part of who he is as a testimony to Christ and his faithfulness. 

Pray that his past is not where his thoughts dwell.

Give him eyes to see that you are doing a new thing. 

Reveal yourself faithful in the past, giving the promise of being faithful in the present and the hope of being faithful in the future.

His family. TYMTJ-Day 7

I am a little behind in posting this. I got so caught up in the game last night and my girl-time with Sarah that I neglected to pre-post. 

Onto day seven...

I really think it would be meaningful to spend one day focused on your husband's family. If you are married, this is now your family as well, but these are the people that knew him and loved him long before you did. 

I realize that families can be a very 'sticky' situation in some cases. I ask you to put opinions, disagreements and past hurts aside today. No matter the family circumstance, the Lord used family blessings and trials in your man's life to develop him into the guy you are so crazy about. As easy or difficult as it may be, spend today focused on your man's family, taking them before the Lord. 

Our focus: 

Thank Jesus for a family that brought such a wonderful man into the world.

Pray for mended family relationships (if needed).

Petition that Jesus would make himself real and known to his family; call each person out by name. 

Ask for protection to surround his family members. 

Pray for the health of family.

Give wisdom to family members.

Pray that your husband would be quick to honor his family. 

Seek out wisdom so that both you, and your man may know and agree on what family legacies to pass along and what God desires to break and rebuild in your family. 

A Ginormous Favor

One week from today, I will be boarding an airplane to fly half way across the world. As I have told you before, I am part of a team of people going to India to minister in a Hindu culture. We will be ministering to children, visiting girl's orphanages and holding a women's conference for pastors wives. 

What I would like to ask of you is a big favor and I grasp that fully, so please do not feel pressured to participate if you are too busy, just don't think that it will fit into your schedule, or just are not up for it. Trust me, I am not up for a lot of things. I won't hold it against you. 

But, for those of you who are willing, I would love to ask you to pray for our journey. In fact, I want to take it one step further. In the midst of my journey, I would love to know that I have one, two or even three people going to the Lord on our behalf each day. If you would like to volunteer to spend one day in prayer for our team, please leave a comment with your name. After I have received comments, I will make a prayer assignment and give you one day to pray and let you know what will be taking place on that particular day so that you can pray specifically. 

Like I said before, I realize this is asking a lot of you so please feel no pressure to participate. But if the Lord lays it on your heart, I would be honored for you to pray for our journey. Even if you have never left a comment or do not have a blog, you can still comment and leave your name and I will add you in (ahem, mom). 

I just know that this will bring so much comfort to my spirit. 

I cannot thank you enough...

To participate:

Leave a comment

I will make an assignment

You will be given ONE day to pray. 

That is it!

Friendship. TYMTJ-Day 6

We have completed half of our ten-day, focused prayer time for you man. I just want to encourage you to stay strong in your commitment. I am great at starting tasks, but stink at finishing strong. I do not want this to happen to me, nor you. Really commit to disciplining yourself over the next few days to finish strong in your prayer journey. 

Friendship. A word my man knows so, so well. I am ashamed to admit, but I am not always gun hoe when Brad wants to spend time with friends. I have been known to feel that they are competing for my quality time. I rarely take the time to acknowledge how beneficial Brad's quality friend-time can be, nor do I give thanks for the great friends that my husband has. Maybe some of you are on the opposite end of the spectrum, you desire for your husband to develop more friendships. If so, spend today requesting this from the Lord.  

If your husband has many friends or few, let us be thankful for all of the men in his life whom he can be 'real' around. Be thankful if he returns home refreshed and a better husband and father after being around his friends. 

Our focus:

Give him wisdom in choosing men worthy of honest friendship. 

Thank Jesus for the friends that he has been given.

Be specific, thank Jesus for each friend that comes to mind. Call them out by name. 

Ask that he would be vulnerable with his friends.

Pray that the vulnerability would grow to true accountability.

Develop him into an authentic, giving, approachable friend. 

Increase integrity in friendships, making him worthy of great friends, in return.

Maybe he should get a guys night soon, away from the stresses of a job, the demands of a family, the requests of a wife and the expectations of those he leads. Just a thought...

Daddy. TYMTJ-Day 5

If your man is already a daddy, this is a prayer that is probably constantly on your heart. I know that it is for me. If you do not yet have children, this is the perfect time to start praying for them, by praying for their daddy.

I love my husband ten-fold after watching him become a daddy. Amen?

Our Focus:

Teach him to train his children up in godliness.

May his time with his children be increased.

Grant him wisdom, patience and endless love.

Grow his children up to always bring joy to their daddy.

Prepare him to use 'life' as a teacher for his children.

Inspire him through his offspring.

May he always see the wonders of the Lord in his children.

You love my...what?

Oh, my blog. 

A friend, Tiffany, gave me this award. Nice of her, isn't it?

 Along with the award, there is a set of questions to answer. Each question can only have a one-word answer. Yikes. I am not really a 'one word' type of girl. Does it count as one word if you just run all of the words together?

1. Where is your cell phone? Who.knows

2. Where is your significant other? gym

3. Your hair color? blonde  

4. Your mother? giving

5. Your father? successful

6. Your favorite thing? beautiful.days

7. Your dream last night? unmemorable

8. Your goal? packing

9. The room you are in? clean

10. Your hobby? this

11. Your fear? not.seeing.my.kids.grow.up

12. Where do you want to be in six years? no.plans

13. Where were you last night? hosting.friends

14. What you are not? boy

15. One of your wish list items? kenmore

16. Where you grew up? Tejas

17. The last thing you did? nighttime.kisses

18. What you are wearing? new.jeans

19. Your TV? scrubs

20. Your pet? nada

21. Your computer? b.f.f.

22. Your mood? stable

23. Missing someone? nah

24. Your car? gone

25. Something you are not wearing? suspenders

26. Favorite story? love.you.forever

27. Your Summer? busy

28. Love someone? lots

29. Your favorite color? changes

30. When was the last time you laughed? when.noah.thought.he.met.the.man.Jesus

31. Last time you cried? felt.better

I told you I wasn't a one-word girl. 

I pass this kindness along to:

Megan

Mandy

Sarah

Magen

Darci

Ashley

Husband. TYMTJ-Day 4

God has been doing some good things in my heart as I've put much time and focus on the spiritual well-being of my husband. Anyone else?

Today, let's focus on our husbands as just that, a husband. If you are not yet married, pray for your guy as he steps into the role of husband.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. Your husband, my husband, is the leader. Already. It's settled. You don't have to negotiate it or loose sleep over it, they are the head of the home. Christ appointed them to that role. 

In thinking about praying for this role,  it was hard for me to stripe this roll from the other rolls he fulfills. Yet, it is the one role that is solely created for me. Funny, isn't it?

Our focus:

Encourage him in his leadership of me, his wife. 

Continue to develop him into a man that always makes marriage a priority

Give him a deep love for me, his spouse.

Give him new revelation into your heart for marriage.

Guard his eyes from Satan's attempts to steal his affection from me. 

May he be a model of submission as he submits to the Lord.

Give him wisdom in leadership.

The Job. TYMTJ-Day 3

To start off this work week right, let's pray for our dude's job. Whatever it is that he does to 'bring home the bacon,' let's ask that Jesus meet him there today.

We all know our husband's jobs well, so spend some time today personalizing your prayer in the way your husband needs them most. Try to take yourself out of the prayers. Don't pray for what you would be pleased to see happen, but rather things that would bring growth to your dude.

Our focus:

May his workplace be/become a place where he has freedom show his creativity and use his gifts.

That he would gain encouragement, specifically today, from his co-workers.

That he would be effective.

A thankful heart for a job that provides.

Give clarity to any callings that the Lord may be placing in his heart. 

Professional growth.

Take a few extra moments to thank Jesus for giving your husband a job. For those of you who have the joy of staying at home with your kids make sure you have your heart right. Rather than comparing your life to the lives of others or wishing you had more to "show" for your life or sulking in the career you used to have, give thanks for a man who works so hard so that you can be a full-time mommy. 

Let us all make a noticeable effort today to show our gratitude for our husbands when he enters the doors of his home at five or six or seven o'clock in the evening.

One of the most applicable pieces of advice I have ever heard is this:

When your husband comes home from a long day at work, you and all of your children should go to the door to greet him, showing him how thankful you are that he has come home to you. A man who comes home with no one to greet him, feels as though no one notices his presence. If his presence is not noticed, he will start to pull away. Make a conscious effort to greet your husband today. And have your children or pets or make believe friends do the same thing. It will make him feel loved. That is our goal!

 

Worship. TYMTJ-Day2

It seemed only fitting that on the first Sunday of our focused prayer time, that we pray for our man's worship. 

Worship, as you know, is a matter of the heart. So, let's begin by praying for his heart. I know what it feels like to have a heavy or burdened or uneasy heart. Don't you? Let's come together against this for our guys. 

 

Our focus:

Take the burdens from the heart of my husband.

Replace them with freedom.

In that freedom, begin to teach my husband what it truly means to worship You in spirit and in truth.

Come and meet my husband where he is. 

Allow him to find rest in his home and in his current circumstances.

Begin to lay new words and encouragement on the heart of my husband.

Develop him into a man who is capable of being in a constant spirit of worship. 

Leadership. Take Your Man to Jesus (TYMTJ)-Day 1

disclaimer: Before I begin, I want to let you know that I will, most often, be referring to  that special man in your life as "husband." If the guy you are praying for is not your husband, please still participate and know that when I say husband I actually mean: husband, fiance, boyfriend or future husband. One of my favorite things is the journal of prayers I kept for my future husband, long before I knew who he would be. What a sweet time.

Also, though my husband is in the ministry, I know most husbands are not full time pastors. Not only that, but I am sure many women are married to men who are not Christ followers. Rather than comparing your husband to any other man, use this as a time to focus on all that God HAS given to you through your spouse. Pray for him intently and intensely.

Let's begin by praying for our husbands as leaders. 

All of our men are leaders in one way or another and most of them lead in multiple areas. They are all the leaders in our relationships and homes. Many of them lead multiple people in their place of work. And whether you realize it or not, many of your husband's friends look to your husband as a leader in their friendship. For those of you who have been in leadership roles yourselves, you know the burden and pressure that can come from such roles. Recognize that your husband is a leader to many people, even in situations that you may be unaware of. Let's ask the Lord to bless them in this role, to teach them through leadership and to use them to influence others. 

Our focus:

Increase his wisdom in making decisions for those he leads.

God would give him confidence as a leader.

Call him to step out in his role and calling. 

Give him influence in the lives of others.

That he would view his leadership as a way to lead as the Lord has lead him. 

Teach him through leading others. 

A teachable spirit. 

Use the next twenty-four hours to focus on your husband's roles in leadership. Take him before the Lord, specifically as a leader.

Take Your Man to Jesus

Praying for my husband....

It is one of the biggest callings and blessing the Lord has bestowed upon me as a wife. 

Yet, I fail. 

I am so thankful for my husband, I want only the best for him and I know the Lord has brought me into his life to enrich it, not to deplete life from him.

Tonight, the Lord put this little call on my heart to spend ten days intensely focused on praying for my husband. 

Does anyone want to join me?

If so, leave a comment and let me know you are on board.

What I will do is give one topic for prayer per day, for the next ten days, directing us in how to pray specifically for our husbands. 

This isn't a Love Dare or a lengthy challenge, just a way that one gal can encourage another gal in praying for her husband or boyfriend or fiance or special someone. And in return, you will be giving me accountability in what the Lord has laid on my heart. I want my hubby to have a great start to 2009. 

I will put up the first short prayer direction sometime tomorrow for those who want to participate. 

Reflecting...does a soul good

Looking back over a year brings a mix of emotions. As I think back on 2008, my first realization is how quickly one year passes. It seems like just weeks ago that Brad and I were talking about our goals and prayers for 2008. God has been so faithful to answer our cries. 

Growing up, I remember my mom saying that no matter how old she was, she still felt 16. 

Now, I can understand what she was saying. 

Time passes, things change, kids grow and responsibilities pile up, yet I still feel like I am 16 years old living under my parents roof.

Thankfully, I am not 16 anymore. 

Gosh, I was awkward. 

And my husband would have never given me the time-of-day at 16. 

Trust me, I wanted him to. 

Thankfully, baby fat disappears, braces come off, bangs go out of style and hormones regulate. 

In years to come, the things I want to remember from my life in 2008 include:

Spending countless hours at the park.

Watching every air plane that flew overhead. 

Sitting and not being able speak as I watched my very own children play together and love on one another.

Kayt's sqeals of glee as Noah chases her around the house. 

Laying in our bed on Friday and Saturday mornings as we all four snuggle together.

Date nights with my husband.

Our small group.

Finding out my husband was whisking me away for a romantic adventure for my birthday.

Girls weekend with my college friends and the countless pictures we took on the Tech campus.

The beginning of my new job.

Dudes and Donuts.

Noah's second birthday and his joy at watching Jody play the guitar and sing happy birthday.

Kayt's first birthday and how she loved her cupcake. She moaned and grunted until she had seconds.

Brad's Ordination.

Kayt blowing kisses.

Noah's reaction to his new guitar and drum set and the number of drum sticks he has broken in one year's time. 

Teaching at the Women's retreat and the timidity I felt. God used that to teach me.

The way the Lord provided for our family. 

Moving Noah into a big boy bed and how much he loves to show his room off, even months later.

Watching Kayt walk. And run. And the way she lights up when I walk into the room.

Hearing Noah say, "sure, Mom" when I ask him to do anything. His cheerful spirit and the joy he finds in everything. He is such a thankful little guy.

Spending three months not pregnant and not nursing. It feels liberating.

The overwhelming and all-encompassing love I feel for my husband and children. Sometimes I think about my life and cannot help but cry at the contentment and joy I feel during this season. 

I'm getting carried away. 

I am so thankful for the memories, moments and milestones that the Lord brought to my life in 2008. Thank you, Lord for years and months and days and ways to measure your goodness!