My prayer for our church...

Lord, I pray that we as a church would praise and honor you above anything or anyone. I pray that out of that praise to you, you would pour out your overwhelming love. So much so that it is impossible for us to keep to ourselves. I pray that love would begin to flow freely from one to another. I pray that we would put others above and before ourselves. I pray that we would rejoice in seeing another used even if it means that we ourselves are not being used. I pray that you would make us so secure in who you've called us to be that nothing would rock our world. I pray that our one desire would be to make your name great (and not our own). I pray that pure joy would result from our brother or sister being used in a mighty way by you. I pray that when we see another that has been gifted, we would immediately thank you and praise you for what you've done in them. There is no place for jealousy or envy. There is no place for fear or insecurity. I pray for your perfect peace and your astounding, uncontainable love. May your love abound! I pray that you would renew our minds...make our passions your passions; make our focus your focus; make our desires your desires. Give us eyes to see the hurting and needy and do something about it. Help us to make the most of every opportunity given us and Lord, expand our reach. I pray for heaven on earth. Let your kingdom come and your will be done. You are our God and we are your people.
Amen.

Lord, let me never forget the ultimate sacrifice you made on the cross. When my mind drifts throughout the day, let it always rest upon the cross and the price you paid, this act of love, the greatest gift, resulting in your death and ultimately your life resurrected and mine with yours. Too much to comprehend. So as I meditate on you, I pray that you would reveal in an even deeper way that which you have done for me and for all of humanity. It all points back to you.

2012 Goals and Aspirations...

Read the bible in a year. Not just read it but study it. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach me, guide me, speak to me in every quiet time I have with the Lord. Grow closer to the Lord and know Him better. Live out my faith. Reach out to people. Help the poor in spirit and the needy within my reach. Experience a new level of worship with the Lord. Get in His presence daily. Be present where I am. Live and make the most of every opportunity.

Be a great wife. Be off the phone when Matt gets home from work and greet him. Read the word of God with Matt. Pray with him daily. Pray for him daily. Put my complete focus on him for at least fifteen minutes a day. Go on a date with Matt at least once a month. Plan ahead. Meals made. Shirts ironed. Find activities for us to do together. Listen to him when he's talking. Don't put him down or make him feel inadequate in any way. Be respectful. Choose battles. Let things go. Thank God for him daily.

Be a great Mom. Pray about the decision to homeschool and follow the Lord. Do a special project with my kids weekly. Daily sit with them and have my complete attention on them individually. Pray with them daily. Help Henry memorize a scripture a month and put it in a book for him to keep. Teach my kids. Be patient with my kids. Write down their strengths and weaknesses. Pray about their strengths and weaknesses. Ask for God's wisdom on how to parent them. Read Shepherding a Child's Heart and one other parenting book. Spend time with them individually. Take them to be with other children or have other children come over at least once a week. Thank God for them daily.

Be a great worship team leader. Plan at least one worship night a month. Make time for each person on the team to talk and hear their hearts. Pray for current members of the team and their families. Pray for future members of the team, the one's God has not brought us quite yet. Put together teachings for the team and only present with the prompting of the Lord. Obey the Lord. Write down each one's strenths and weaknesses. Pray for each one's strengths and weaknesses. Ask God to show me how to encourage them in their weaknesses and let them flourish in their strengths. Submit to the Lord completely. Be humble. Thank God for this privilege daily.

Be a great steward. Continue to tithe. Continue to give to KLove and Wheeler. Pray for mine and Matt's heart when it comes to giving above and beyond. Be frugal with our spending so we can be extravagant with our giving. Care about where each dollar is going. Be obedient with our finances. Pray about vehicle situation and make a move before the end of the year. Get new flooring upstairs. Landscape our patio in the spring. Paint the outside trim. Thank God for every dollar that is placed in our hand and pray that every dollar that goes out is used effectively.

Be a great friend. Ask my dear friends about their lives. Learn new things about them when I am with them. Consider each one better than myself. Put their needs above my own. Help when I can. Listen. Pray for them and their families. Be thoughtful and give. Be detailed. Thank God for them.

Do and say nothing more or nothing less than God asks me to. I pray that I would be obedient in all things and walk humbly in the time given to me in 2012. I pray that I would live a life worthy of the calling of the gospel. And I pray that in all things, I would bring glory to the mighty name of Jesus. Love God, love people, live powerfully, live honorably.

Father, I pray that you would hear the cry of my heart and help me to live according to your will and your word. Order my steps and give me strength for today.

A Higher Standard: Do Not Give Up

It is entirely too easy to retreat to a place of safety at the slightest hint of rejection.  One thing I've noticed about myself is my tendency to give up-not just on goals or ideas that I have but on people.  I will admit, my expectations are extremely too high for other people.  If you know me and you are reading this, please forgive me for revealing these ridiculous expectations and I pray that you won't feel pressure about having to fulfill them (because probably only God can!)


My expectations are for people to: notice me; respond when I say something; listen when I talk; try to at least pretend to care about what I say; consider ideas that I reveal and not necessarily use them, but at least tell me an opinion; call me/text me back in a reasonable time frame; and to be completely frank...READ MY MIND.  I hope you know that I do realize that these expectations are totally self-centered and egotistical.  But it helps to see these in writing so that when a situation arises and I am taking things to an extreme (as I sometimes do), I can see how ridiculous my expectations truly are.
I believe that most people, whether they care to admit it or not, have some fairly high expectations in their relationships.  And when they are not fulfilled, a wall as high as the Empire State Building goes up not only for one person but EVERYONE in their lives.  Unfortunately, this leads most people to experience ONLY superficial relationships.  This is a lonely, self-defeated life.  


A calling and a challenge: Can we fight?  Can we assume goodwill?  Can we give each other the benefit of the doubt? Can we be transparent and have the courage to share our feelings with our fellow man?  Can we forgive?  Can we allow others to share their disappointments in us?  Can we reach out to someone who has offended us? Can we recover?  Can we continue to put ourselves out there?  Can we withstand rejection, knowing that we are ALWAYS accepted by Christ? Can we give ourselves and allow God to completely restore us?  Can we fight the tendency to hate and love instead?  Can we do what it says in Romans 12:2 and transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds-think and speak positively?  Can we think and act in ways that are not simple but that require effort?


Lord, let me live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.


Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that your are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Philippians 1:27


However, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.  Philippians 3:16

Psalm 62 Prayer

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.  He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense  and  my Fortress, I shall not be moved.  With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and  impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!  Trust in, lean on, rely on,  and  have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!  Men of low degree [in the social scale] are emptiness (futility, a breath)  and  men of high degree [in the same scale] are a lie  and  a delusion. In the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.  God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God.  Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy  and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work. (Psalm 62:5-9, 11, 12 AMP)

Listen to me, self. Wait and hear what God says about you and the matter at hand. Ask Him and wait for His answer in every circumstance. Because my final say comes from the Lord. Without Him, there is no wind in my sail. He is my hope. I expect in Him only.  I will not be moved and I will continue on a straight path with my head held high looking to Him who gives me strength, who is my shield, my defender. My happy ending in the arms of my Savior rests on God. Whatever glory I get to receive will be placed in me by my God who gives according to His good pleasure and according to His will.
The confidence that I have will not come from whether I can complete a task or whether I can do something perfect or even well. My confidence will not be birthed from the praises of another man. My confidence will not come from my competency at all.  My confidence will come from the unyielding strength and matchless power of My great God.  I will trust entirely  in Him who is fully capable of anything and everything. I will trust in, rely on and lean on God. If I fall, He will catch me. If I am lost, He will show me the way. If I am lonely, he will surround me. If I am forgotten, He will always remember me. I will completely and honestly pour out my heart before Him. I can always run to Him. 
Every single man on the earth, even those of authority, those seemingly powerful-every single life is but a vapor. No man can stop his own death. No man can stop aging. No man has power over God. He is highly to be praised. All power belongs to Him. He has power to change or direct any circumstance. He sees everything on earth in full and knows the outcome of every situation.
You could squash me and all of humanity like a bug, Lord. But instead you see me as a daughter and not only do you love me but you are proud of me when I succeed at something. You are proud of me even when I have a right attitude of heart. Mercy and loving-kindness belong to you. You provide to each man as you see fit. I will receive as you allow. 
Thank you Lord for the truth of your word.

Necessary endings lead to new beginnings.

Father, give me wisdom and strength to do what you ask me to do.  Give me an ear to hear your voice and make me sensitive to the longings of your heart.  Transform me to be more and more like you, Jesus.  I do not want to take even one step more until you've said go.  I don't want to voice even a single word unless you've asked me to.  I do not want to take on another thing, unless it is your will.  I want to rest in you, Lord.  To know that your grace covers ALL my mistakes.  I want to minister out of the overflow so please fill me up with more of you.  There is no peace apart from you.

I wilt without your living waters.  I stumble unless your mighty hand upholds me.  I am lost at sea without you as an anchor for my soul.  Help me see that I am safe and secure inside your arms.  Help me to see myself the way that you see me.  Help me to stop comparing my relationship with you and my gifts and talents and to just BE who you have called me to be.  I want to not only be satisfied but delighted with who you have made me to be.

My hopes and dreams rest in your hands.  You are my Lord, my Savior, my King, my Friend, my greatest Love, my Rock, my Refuge, my Help, my Protector, my Provider, my Father, my comforter, and my Creator.  I love you Jesus!