How Prayer, Fun Tee Shirts....

....and declaring your Christian Faith are all connected.

A little over a year ago I started praying for a little boy named Noah who I didn't know, but came across on homeschool blogger. Since I began prayng for him, I have, in some way or another, come across many other children in need of prayer. Easily over a dozen. Mostly they have cancer, but some have heart problems, immune system disorders, or leukemia. Of those I have been praying for, sadly many have died. In fact, several of them died within just a few weeks of each other - in April and May of this year.

It really has been a blessing to me to pray for these precious children and their families. It has helped me to keep the right perspective on things in my life and cherish my children even more. For as the Bible says in Proverbs 27 , "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." I was just reading this with Savannah and Amaris Wednesday night (I have been trying to read a Proverb a day with them based on what day of the month it is.) It is such a simple reminder that God is in control of our lives. It is ALL in His hands. Wow! That is very comforting and a little scary at the same time.

At one point, I was overwhelmed by the pain and loss these families were going through. I would burst into tears just thinking about it. It was actually making me somewhat depressed. Especially when I would think about how it could easily be my family going through it. Andy thought I shouldn't be going to people's Carepages anymore because of the effect it was having on me. Thankfully, I have gotten better at coping with it. I think the Lord has just helped me to see that it IS in His hands. My being depressed over it isn't going to help or change the situation. BUT, prayer can. So....I keep praying. Lifting these precious families up to my Heavenly Father and trusting His plan and purpose for their life. And although I am still saddened and grieved by what they are going through, I am more at peace and don't dwell on the tragedy of it as much anymore.

Ok, where am I going with all of this? I don't know if you have noticed or not, but on my sidebar (scroll to the top of my blog and look on either side) are two of the children I am praying for - Luke and Stellan. If you click on their picture you can read their story. I urge you to do so and be in prayer for them and their family. It truly is a blessing to pray for others - a blessing for you and them.

Well, the other day when I was checking out Stellan's Mom's Blog (she seems like such an awesome lady with lots of talents and a BEAUTIFUL family) she had posted that a company called Wild Olive Tees had designed a t-shirt for her because of Stellan. And that part of the profit would go to a charity that she (Stellan's Mom) had chosen. Well, the shirt was so neat that I had to check out the Wild Olive Tees website. Let me tell you that I LOVE their shirts and the purpose behind them. They are so neat. Basically, they have one word or a phrase on the front, and then a scripture that relates to it on the back. As soon as I saw them my mind was in a constant spin with ideas for shirts. It was pretty funny how I couldn't stop thinking of ideas. I think I'm going to ask them for a job! (Just Kidding)

If you want to see some fun shirts that boldly declare God's Word, go check out Wild Olive Tees and if you want to see the shirt they designed for Stellan's mom and the story behind it, click HERE. And don't forget, if you purchase the shirt they designed for Stellan's mom, part of the profits are going to the charity that Stellan's mom chose - Until Journey's End.

So, here's how it is all connected - I've been praying for these children and was led to Stellan. While checking up on Stellan I learned about a neat tshirt that I really liked. My curiosity about the tshirt led me to Wild Olive Tees which is a company that isn't ashamed to declare their faith and uses tshirts as a tool to do just that. So there you have it. (Boy did that take a while!) :)

Love you all. Thanks for listening to my rambling and don't forget to pray for someone today!

AWANA Award Night, Graduation, Gardening.....

.........Mother's Day, Sunday School Fellowship, and Cornhole......In no particular order. So, we've been pretty busy over the last month. Here's a little (or big) update about what's been going on.

I came across this picture of Bethany from her Birthday I have to share. She got the tutu from my mom and the fish was part of her present from us. She danced around the room in her tutu holding her fish. It was so cute.


AWANA Award night was on May 13th. That was a lot of fun. Jadon got a participation certificate for Puggles and Savannah and Amaris each got awards for Sparks. I can't believe ALL my little ones will be in AWANA next year. Bethany in Puggles, Jadon is moving up to Cubbies, Amaris will be in her 2nd year of Sparks, and Savannah will be in her 3rd and last year of Sparks. They are growing too fast. Sometimes it's overwhelming to think about. Sorry, no pictures. None of them turned out very well. :(

The Saturday before Mother's Day our church had a Mother's Day Celebration called "Fashions to Follow". It was really neat. Savannah and Amaris were part of it. Lots of young girls from the church dressed up as different women from the Bible. As they came out, a biograhpy was read about that woman. After the "Fashion Show", there was a wonderful luncheon for everyone.

Savannah was Rahab - Rahab is the model of courage. A woman of Jericho, she dared to hide on her roof the spies of the people whom her city dreaded. The king of Jericho ordered her to send the spies to him. He sent men to her house to take them, but she sent them on a false chase. When she let the spies go, advising them of the safest way, she made sure that when her town was destroyed her own family would be saved. The Hebrew letter commends Rahab for her faith, believing that the Lord had given Israel the land. It took courage to rely on them – one woman against her own city. Rahab, a truly outstanding model of courage.

Amaris was Mary Magdalene - Mary Magdalene models dedication. The depth of Mary Magdalene’s love for Jesus was unsurpassed. After He restored her from her affliction, she lived for Him. She followed Jesus, ministered to Him and held nothing back in her love and service. She was totally dedicated. Mary Magdalene, our choice for the fashion of dedication.

Savannah as Rahab (middle in orange)

Amaris as Mary Magdeline (right in hot pink)

For Mother's Day Andy surprised me with a Hammock. I've been wanting one for YEARS. I love it! Now, to find an opportunity to use it. Hmmm....maybe I could sedate the kids and sneak out for a little while and relax!

Me and the kids on Mother's Day*

*Yes, those are HOLES in Jadon's pants. For some reason he is obsessed with those pants. I'm counting the days until they completely dissenagrate in the washer! :)

Now to Cornhole. Some of you may be wondering, "What on earth is cornhole?". Well, it's a game we learned last year when we were visiting Andy's family in MN for 4th of July. We had so much fun that we've been wanting to build ourselves a cornhole set ever since. And that also brings us to our Sunday School Fellowship. We invited our Sunday School Class over last weekend for a get together (lots of fun!) and it spurred us to finally build our very own cornhole game. Andy was very excited and proud of the results.

What a proud Pappa!

If you really want to know more about the game, just Google "cornhole" and you'll find all the info. you need!

Speaking of corn, we have always wanted a big vegetable garden and have planted a small one twice since we have lived here. This year, although a little late, we managed to get a garden planted. We didn't get everything planted that we were hoping for, but we did manage to plant tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, green beans, cantalope, and rosemary. It's doing pretty well so far. We have already picked a few tomatoes and our squash, green beans, and bell peppers have tons of blooms. We've been praying it will be "fruitful". So far it's looking good. Yeah! Here is a picture of the sunset from last night as we were coming in from checking out the progress of the garden. Not sure what the little rounds spots are from.

Drumroll......We have Graduates! Our first year of homeschooling went really well and I can't believe it's already over. Our last day was May 7th. We had a little graduation ceremony for the girls and then all went out to eat at Red Robin. It was so cute to see the proud look on their faces when the principal (Dad) presented them with their certificates.

Amaris and Savannah with their graduation certificates.

Awesome Song....

Here is an awesome song by Todd Agnew. Listen to the words, they are powerful.

Don't you just love it.....

when God reveals something to you about himself in a new way. I know that God will and does meet my every need...Philippians 4:19 (King James Version) "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus", but sometimes as I get wrapped up in the busyness of life I forget that truth.

Well, everyday I get an email from KLOVE (the radio station) with the verse of the day. Today's verse was Revelation 3:20, which is a verse I've known since a child. As I was reading it, it spoke to me in a way it hasn't before.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." What this verse is referring to is how Jesus wants to be a part of our life (I stand at the door and knock) and if we will ask Jesus into our heart (open the door) then He will come in. And not only will He come in, but when he does "we will share a meal together as friends." That was so neat to me.

Think about it. When we eat a meal, the nutritonal needs of our bodies are being met. And what is it like to share a meal with friends?.......fun, entertaining, full of good laughs, shared hearts, etc. Well, when we ask Jesus into our hearts, not only does he come in, but he is there to meet our needs physically, emotionally, spiritually and be there for us no matter what the situation. How awesome!

Something I already knew, but thank you Lord for reminding me!

Why is it so hard?

Spending time in God's Word daily is something I think is very important to your relationship with Jesus. But to be honest, it's something that doesn't always happen for me. It just seems so hard to find the time, or more likely it's because I haven't made it a priority, and I haven't incorporated it into my day. It's easy to get wrapped up in all the "have to's" like laundry, vacuuming, meals, etc. and before I know it the day is done and I haven't spent any time with God. And then if I try, I fall asleep.

As I'm writing this at 7:34 am, Amaris just came in and I hear little Bethany stirring. And that's typically how my day starts, being woke up by one of my kids. And it doesn't slow down until they are put to bed at night. And for some reason, I always feel like the kids have to be asleep in order for me to spend time with the Lord. But, in my heart I know that's not true. Yes, it is good to have quiet, meaningful time with the Lord, but reading God's Word where our children can see us is a wonderful way to set an example of it's importance. Even if we aren't able to absorb all we've read because of the noise around us, above all else we are practicing what we preach. How can my children believe me when I tell them how important it is to spend time with God when they never see me do it?

Well, I did manage to get a little bit of quiet time in this morning before the kids started waking up. I spent some time in prayer and then read Psalm 37 which is where I got the name for my blog. It was a nice way to start my day and is something I REALLY need to try and make a habit of. That means waking up pretty early, which is not easy for me. I always feel so much better when I do though. It's kind of funny how I ALWAYS regret sleeping in and NEVER regret waking up early, but sleeping in is the one that usually wins.

I think I've probably rambled enough. I just felt compelled to share my thoughts this morning. I plan on updating soon with what's been going on with us lately and share some pictures, so check back soon.

If you have the time please keep reading. Hopefully it will bless you like it did me!

Pslams 37

1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow to bring down the poor
and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.