Prayers for my daughters-in-law

I have 3 kids. They are wonderful, amazing adults that I am soooo proud of. One of my objectives of this blog is giving hope to young mothers in the midst of growing amazing kids into amazing adults.
I was thinking this morning about something I've done for years that I want to share.....praying for my kids' spouses.
I heard a long time ago when my kids were toddlers that we should start praying early for the people that our kids will marry. So I did. I can't say I prayed fervently every day but I have been praying for the people my kids will marry off and on for 22, 24 and 26 years.
So far, we have one in-law - our son-in-law. Our daughter married her wonderful husband 2 1/2 years ago. He is an amazing man of God. I couldn't have picked him better myself, but fortunately I didn't have to, I had the Lord working on it for years.
When I think about how he grew up, I am amazed. I'm so glad I had been praying for him all his life. He grew up in St. Louis (we are more rural MO folks). He grew up the baby of 7 kids in a blended family....yours, mine and ours. We have been married 30 years. He grew up in a family that didn't really go to church. My husband has been a pastor for 20 years, so our kids grew up literally IN the church. He went to a different college and out of the blue God had his path collide with our daughter's at just the perfect time. Isn't that just like God?
I'm so glad God brought him into our family. He loves the Lord and works to serve Him. He adores our daughter and is the perfect mate for her. They pray for God's guidance in their life and their marriage. They attend and are active in church and bible studies. Thank you God.
Now, neither of our sons has a mate. They're not ready and apparently neither is the woman God has for them. But I continue to pray for Godly women for them at the perfect time.
I pray that God is with these women, growing them, protecting them and making them the perfect women for my sons and our family.
My older son and I have a joke between us. He is very laid back, calm, easy-going and never worries about anything. We joke that his wife will be just the opposite.....in a not-so-easy=to-be-around way. But that is just a joke, because God has it all under control.
So, if you've never thought about it before, start praying now for the perfect Godly person for your children. It can happen!

Hope for the world

This week I have been following several things.....the Health Care Reform Bill, March Madness and my Beth Moore bible study on Daniel, to name a few things....



Sometimes I get pretty down looking at this world and the state it is in. I'm not a fan of this particular government leadership and state of affairs. However, I truly pray for our President and leaders daily. I believe in prayer and power of our Almighty God. But sometimes this world can overshadow my hope.



I occasionally start thinking that this world is turning so dark that there is no hope. I remind myself some of the scripture that supports this; John 15:18 and John 16:33. This world is not our home, and in this world, we will have TROUBLE! I start thinking that there is no hope for this world and that our only hope is in the Lord, in Heaven. I remind myself daily that as believing Christians, we have another world we are heading to that is wonderful and perfect and lovely, but we live in a God-forsaken world.



This week in my bible study of Daniel, Beth Moore, mentioned some things that gave me more hope, hope for this world. She mentioned that this world is NOT God-forsaken. That God LOVES this world and He is still in this world. In fact, that God so loves this world he sent Jesus Christ to us that we might have hope!! (John 3:16) I love it when God uses something to speak just to me....just to us, especially something that was recorded a couple of years ago.,.,..but He used it this week. That is a living God.



So even though I know this world is not my home, that I'm just passing through, that I have eternal hope in Christ in Heaven, I cannot forget that God LOVES this world - this dark world we live in.



There is hope. But let's keep praying for our world, our leaders, our communities and our families anyway!

And by the way, I'm still at 50% in my March Madness bracket!! Not bad for a football fan.

Insecurities

This is my second post, but I haven't told anyone I have a blog yet, so no one has read it. Why? Because I'm insecure about others reading what I'm writing. Why? I have no idea. Probably because I'm a recovering perfectionist. I think it is like any other addiction; you are never cured, just better and continually working on it.

Speaking of insecurities I'm reading a wonderful book that I think all women should read...."So Long Insecurities....You've Been a Bad Friend to Us." by Beth Moore. Beth Moore is a long-lost friend of mine that I haven't met yet. She knows my inner thoughts and my soul. I love her bible studies and her books. Thank you Beth for writing just what I need to hear.

As I had 3 children, I gave up trying to be the perfect super-mom...perfectly clean house, perfect meals on the table, perfectly dressed children (I gave up and let Peter wear his shorts and cowboy boots everywhere.) Perfection is one of the best things I ever gave up. And gave up, and gave up. I don't have to work on it as much any more. I credit that on being over 50.

If had one piece of advice to young mothers, young women, it is stop trying to make everything perfect and enjoy the imperfect moments. Also....laugh more.

So here I am, posting imperfect posts and writing imperfectly.
I hope some young woman/mom can learn from me.
Enjoy more, laugh more and perfect less.

Writing a blog?

Through the years I've thought about writing a book. I've started a couple of outlines, thoughts, ideas and those are still floating around in my mind. What I keep going back to is a book about being a Christian woman that encourages younger Christian women through the life of being a Christian woman and mother. Thus the title "Life Beyond Diapers and Bleachers."

When I was younger (which is kind of a blur) I can remember the business of life, growing kids and wondering if I would make it through it, not wanting it to go too fast, yet, wondering if I would survive. I heard a quote the other day that I can really relate to. "While raising children, the minutes go very slowly, but the years speed by." That is exactly how I feel. While I was in the moment, I wasn't sure how to make it through to the next minute, but looking back, boy did those years fly. I did survive and even thrive through raising kids....3 great kids, as a matter of fact.

I want to give hope to those in the middle of diapers, bleachers, mealtimes, bath times, bed times, laundry, life, that there is life after diapers - a great life - but not the life I expected. I thought that I'd be old, feel old, be like old people I saw. But lo and behold, I got here and I'm not as old as I thought I'd be. I still have a long life to do some things.

I don't even have grandchildren yet. I'm that career woman that I thought I'd missed out on by having kids. I'm reading things I want to read, learning things I want to learn and surviving quite well on this side of kids.

Don't get me wrong; I'm looking forward to the next stage of grandkids, but there is some fun at this inbetween time. There are still so many things I want to do, be, become....and I have so much more to learn about God, life, living....

I look forward to the next thing God has in mind. In the mean time, I think I'll enjoy today while I can.