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!