Set A Watch Over Your Children

http://www.tommynelson.com/school-day-prayers/

I really love this little chart I found on Pinterest!  I often pray with Sarah before she leaves the house for school, particularly on days when she seems to be having a bad morning. I'm sorry I didn't do that with my boys. I've learned a lot since then but I did pray for them. In hindsight, maybe not enough. I've made a point to pray with Sarah before she leaves for school.

Why pray for your children before they leave for school? School, particularly in the 21st century is a hard place for children and they need a lot of help to get through it. If you are too old to remember how hard it was for you, something is wrong.  It is also no longer a place where wholesome and ethical values are likely to be taught. Rather the reverse is more likely. In fact, it is a place that your child could die.

Certainly, today our children need a prayer covering more than any generation ever has before. The spiritual attack on them is designed to corrupt every area of their lives: mental, emotional, spiritual. They face stress, anger, low self-esteem, resentment, jealousy, hatred, malice, and even sexual attacks both physical and mental. Bullying is clearly spiritual in nature for both the bully and the person bullied. Every area of their life is under attack in a school environment, particularly if they are attempting to live as a Christian. They are a target.

It is your responsibility to protect your children from any attack on them from any source. So, if you aren't praying for your children before they walk out that door, remember you are sending them into the lion's den. You are leaving them defenseless against attacks from all areas of their life. The stress will affect performance. Sometimes, the stress kills them.

The above chart is a really good guide to what kind of things to pray about and really, you don't have to have an hour-long prayer to cover these things. Read it with your child, let them know why you're going to pray about these things for them and follow the KISS method. Keep it simple, silly. Every point can be prayed for in a few words before they go out the door. You can add any points that you think need to be added.

Also, let them know that you will be praying for them during the day. Later, when you have prayer time you can expand on it but the important thing at this point is to let your children know that you are sending them out with a prayer covering and that you will continue to pray for them while they are at school. I promise you, the benefits to your children are enormous. The faith of children is legendary and if you've raised them to believe in prayer, the comfort they get from knowing you've prayed for them is huge.

Here is the link to School Day Prayer  blog where you can print this chart off for yourself and read the blog post about it. The site has other great items you might be interested in.

It is Never Better Late Than Never

Notice anything interesting about that sign? If you came across that what would you do? I mean, one of them must be left. Right?

Sometimes we're faced with two perfectly good paths, going in different directions. We have to decide which is right. The path we don't take is the one that is left.

Decisions are not my strong point. I will gnaw them until they're ground as fine as flour. I try to see every angle, determine the every pitfall, every turn in the road. Of course, it is impossible. I've walked dark paths, terrified and trembling every step of the way. Others I've taken with my head high, my smile bright, and my eyes devouring the scenery. The decision to take those paths was equally difficult.

You can't see around the bend in the road, over the hill, or through the forest. You must choose and go blindly forward, either anticipating the journey or dreading it. The way you approach the path will most likely determine the quality of the trip. And timing is everything.

Most days my journey is fraught with pain and despair. I get so tired of hurting and I don't understand why I can't be the person I was before RA. I really don't understand. Medicines designed to control the symptoms of the beast eating my joints don't work.

Days go by and I can't leave home because to walk hurts, exhaustion threatens my concentration, and depression saps the joy out of everything I contemplate doing. I've gained nearly 30 pounds as a result of steroid use. Because steroids work. I have to make a choice in damaging organs with steroids or damaging joints without it. What to do? Decisions. Decision.

Recently I made a major decision to attend a church closer to home. I have missed so much church in the last several years, too much. I reached a place where I was staying home more than I was going. Since Sarah lives with me, she also missed too much and the guilt became heavy. After months of struggling with the decision, I surrendered.

Now, a month later, I realize that I should have made the change after Jerry died. All the signs were there and I can see now that I stayed for all the wrong reasons. It was a decision that cost me.

Some decisions are harder than others, even when we know which is right. The spiritual and emotional relief I feel now, tells me that I made the right choice, although later than I should have and I see that the need to move was for my benefit.

How many times have we heard "better late than never"? Recently, I read that "to obey God late is the same as disobedience". We all know that disobedience has a price. I will never know what I missed by not acting when the promptings began. My only defense is that emotionally I was a train wreck as a result of Jerry's death. I can't be sure that it is an adequate defense. I have to trust God on that. I just don't want to make a habit of ignoring the signs.

If you find yourself with an urgency to do something but you resist it because you think the status quo is where you need to be, check the signs. Don't risk missing something that God has for you just because you think you're right. You don't know what you will miss. Make sure that where you are is really where God wants you. Don't be left.

The Things You Find

I ran across this post this morning written by a witty, intelligent, and enlightened woman and thought I'd share it. Amazing what you find on the Web.

https://dixiegirlramblings.blogspot.com/2008/05/praise-break.html