PRAYER

Praise God for who he is; exalt and adore him. Give him glory all you people.

Rest in God; find peace and calm in him. Be directed and fixed in your Lord, find rest for your souls.

Anoint your life for God; set it apart as holy unto him. Devote all you have and all you are to him. Dedicate yourself to his service and purpose.

Yearn for God; be filled with desire for him and his will. Long to love the Lord and be in close relationship with him. Then desire these things for those around you.

Examine your life; look critically at yourself to see your condition. Inspect your habits and beliefs, scrutinize your practices and thoughts, investigate your actions and words. Bring all under the Lordship of Jesus.

Renew your commitment to God and allow him to revive you. Begin again, each day with God. Ask him to make you strong. Anticipate and accept a refreshing of your spirit and a refilling of his.

-AH

March is Over!

Can you believe that March is over and April is here tomorrow??? More and more I find myself seeing time flash more quickly! My kids are growing so fast. I'm astounded at how much they change in a short period of time. God, teach me to teach them. Amen.

TEST

I wanted to see how to see Microsoft Office to post blogs.

Creative Cropping

Here's my entry in the i heart faces creative cropping contest! Check out their web site for lots of great ideas on cropping and other photo techniques.

This first one is the original photo.








This photo is the new and improved one. My son loves to say "cheeeeeeeeese"

Messy Face

This is my entry this week (week 8 for the kids category) in the i heart faces photo blog. Check out their web site it's fun and I've already gotten some great ideas for my photos. Thanks!

I took this when my daughter turned 1.

March Madness Indeed!

There is something incredibly humbling in realizing that you sometimes treat God the same way that your children sometimes treat you! I am often reminded that I have ignored God’s instruction and commands the way my children ignore mine. I am faced with the task of training my children to follow God’s instruction and I often fail to do the same in my own life.

How am I to do this?

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 5.1-2 as dearly loved children! Wow! I know that most of us have been told that “we are God’s children” but how many of us actually consider ourselves his children? Furthermore, how many of us consider ourselves as dearly loved?

Dictionary.com defines dear as: beloved or loved; precious in one's regard; cherished; heartfelt; earnest; high-priced; expensive; an affectionate or familiar term of address; fondness; a beloved one! You are precious in God’s regard! Not only that, but he considers you to be high-priced! You are worth a great deal to him. Let that fact sink over you for a moment.

It’s been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I would say it’s the ultimate response we can give to God for his love toward us. He loves us and we should reciprocate by loving others (including our children), in the same manner.

As I think about these things, I am reminded of how God’s forgiveness continues to wash over me and how I must continue to extend that same forgiveness to my children when they just seem to not “get it”. They are learning, as am I, to follow closely the One who “gave himself up for [me] as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

How can I not imitate that love for my own children? Even when I am ready to pull my hair out from the insanity and frustration!

Put your name in the blank and remember it as often as your children disobey:

Be an imitator of God’s love, _____________, because you are a dearly cherished and valued daughter of the king!

101 Ways to Praise...Part 4

16. 5 minuets per day - get a timer and use it to pray for 5 minuets for your family, spouse, kids, work, church, President, Congressmen, etc. This can be a time packed with powerful prayer.

17. 7 x 7 - this one comes from the National day of Prayer Task Force: Set aside time in your day, everyday, to pray for the 7 seats of power and influence in our nation. They are, government, military, media, business, education, church, and family. Visit www.ndptf.org for more information, tips, and scriptures for participating in 7 x 7.

18. Sing - this sounds elementary and even silly, but go with me for a second. When you're praying (for most of us it's silent prayer, right?) do songs or choruses ever come to mind? The next time that happens, sing it out. Allow God's Spirit to lead you in your prayer time, and just see what he brings to your mind.

19. Sing a new Song! - God's word often encourages us to sing to him a new song. After you're tried singing songs that come to mind try allowing God to lead you in a new song of praise to him. Open up your heart to him and just let it out.

101 Ways to Pray & Praise...Part 3

11. Pray with your children. Children are so open spiritually. Teach and guide them into a life of prayer and praise.

12. Silence. Listen for and to God. This can be very difficult but very rewarding. Try to spend an hour or more in silence and contemplation. See how God will bless you.

13. Meet with a prayer partner and share your joys and sorrows. Remember where two or three are gathered the Lord is there!

14. Pray your schedule. Give God your past week, month, quarter and ask for his perspective and comments. Do the same with your coming day and week. Ask him for insight into the things he wants you to do and not to do, accomplish, pray for, and people to meet with. Ask him to permeate your plans.

15. Minister to God. God is seeking worshipers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. In stead of asking for anything give him worship. Praise him for who he is and what he has done for you.

What are you waiting for?

From the One-Minuet Writer

I would like to say that I am waiting on the Lord. Hoping in his salvation and eternal life. There are days when I forget to do this, days when I forget that this physical world I see is not all there is to reality. And I must say that those days are the ones when I am most frustrated with my kids, others, and myself. I would rather spend my time basking in the peace that surpasses all understanding than running in "the rat race". Amen

If you could live for a year at a different time in history, what time would you choose?

From the One-Minuet Writer

Definitely, 1950s! This one's easy for me because I've always loved the fifties: the music, the cars, the saddle shoes and poodle skirts. I love it all. I think it was also a time before things really started to change for the worse in our country. With all of our amenities and affluence I thin we've gotten worse at treating each other with respect and concern. You know the things you see in the old movies. A time when people were courteous to each other for no reason at all just because they respected each other as human beings. I'm not saying things were perfect just better in that regard.