Precious & Powerful Prayers

P is for

Precious & Powerful Prayers

ABC Wednesday

Precious Prayer

The Most Important Place on Earth, my parents gave us this book on CD and Josh and I have been listening to it for the past couple of weeks whenever we take the truck. Josh is the one who got me into listening to it. He has already listened to the whole thing! One of the topics he talks about is praying with your child. We have been praying with Annabelle since she was born, but our prayers have changed quite a bit since she's been in her toddler bed and understands so much more.

This past month when we finish praying she'll say, "I pray." Tonight this was her prayer, it was so precious..."I pray Pops feels better, (whispering) I pray... I pray... I pray Daddy....feels better...(normal voice) I pray Daddy feels better, Amen" It was like she was trying to work out the right words..it was so precious!!! I thought the Lord must be smiling down on her precious prayer and I pray that he answers because both of them are sick.
Powerful Prayer

I was able to talk with April this week, the teacher who took the LEP teaching position, which opened my position back up. One thing that we both realized was that about a month ago I had been waking up in the middle of the night with this urge to pray about my job! I didn't know if I was to pray that I would get it back or what but I would just pray. This was at the same time that she was struggling to decide if she should take the job and was prepared with her, "No!" She too was waking up in the middle of the night unsettled about her answer! We were amazed to realize that the Lord was using both of us to pray for his will to be done in both our lives. I am so thankful for her allowing the Lord to guide and direct her in her life and she is now so excited about her new job and I am going to be one of the teachers that works with her next year!

Our Precious Prayer Princess

Only One

O is for
Only One could
Orchestrate this Outcome
ABC Wednesday

This Monday I was called into my principals office and offered my job back! The story he continued to tell me could only come by the hand of such a gracious God! There are so many details that it is incredible how God orchestrated every single one.

The short of it, because it is quite complex, is that an LEP teaching position opened up and I knew I was not qualified for it, but did not realize that someone else in my building was qualified. The principal and superintendent sought her out, but she was content with her current placement in 4th grade. She decided to pray about it and the day she was to give them her answer the Superintendent went into the hospital and was out of work for 2 weeks! So her answer, which was no, was now on hold. During this 2 week period she recieved an email from an ESL student that she had helped when she was in High School and he was in elementary school. The email was simple it basically said, "Thank you!" She took this as God's sign to her that she was to take the LEP position. So when the Superintendent returned to the office, so her answer had also taken a turn.

The teacher replacing me is now taking her 4th grade position and therefore leaving my position open once again. I was the first one to be called back from the RIF list, and therefore offered my job back! There are so many other little details, but the point is that GOD can and WILL do as he chooses in his time if we truly TRUST and belive that he will.

The greatest lesson I have learned through this entire trial is this: Beliving in God/Jesus is one thing, but Trusting in God/Jesus is a completely seperate.

James 2:19 talks about believing, it says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

One verse we have been memorizing with Annabelle that has to do with trusting God is Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

When you are truly trusting in Jesus and his death on the cross we realize we have nothing to fear and no reason to ever be afraid.

I share these things not to boast, but to BOAST in the LORD and his mighty works. I want Him to recieve all the glory for where he has brought me and where he continues to lead me in the future....thank you Lord!

I leave you with this song of praise that we sang in youth group tonight.

Wonderful Wife

I have to start by saying I really do have a wonderful wife, in every way.  I'm very proud of Danielle.  One of the things I love, though, is that she has funny quarks.  Like leaving the keys in the front door, never closing drawers or cabinets, and not (completely) throwing things away, like the picture below.  This is just a small taste of what I get to enjoy, but it was so classic Danielle that I had to post it. Love you BABE ;-).

P.S.  This is the worst I have to deal with, so obviously life is good :-)

P.P.S.  At the bottom are pics of Annie in the dress Grandma and Grandpa got her; she's doing the "happy" and "sad" faces, as usual.

It's more just resting on top of the trash can.

This is a better angle. Maybe it's a hint I should take out the trash.

"HAPPY!"

"sad"

Not a Nickel

N is for Not a Nickel,but a Penny!
ABC Wednesday

It happened around 8:45 Sunday morning while I was changing her diaper and getting her ready for church. I knew she had money in her hand, but all of a sudden she put it in her mouth. I told her to take it out and being the two year old she is, she swallowed it! She choked on it and I tried to do the heimlich maneuver, but by then she started coughing so I knew then that it was officially swallowed.

I called Josh at church. He came home and we went to the ER, where they X-rayed her and it was already in her stomach. At the time she did it I knew she had either a penny or a nickel in her hand. But when they Xrayed the doctor thought it was either a nickel or a quarter because of the size of it! So at the time we figured it must be a nickel, since I knew that was one of the coins she had in her hand.

Well, she finally passed it this morning and it was a penny, NOT a nickel. I've never been so thankful to change a diaper. There was a chance, a very small one, that they would have to surgically remove it if it had gotten stuck. I was kind of glad I had the past two days off to keep an eye on her and her movements. I'd hate for daycare to have to do that!

What I find interesting is that through the digestion process the penny lost most of its copper as you can see.

Here is our precious Piggy Bank!
(Photo credits to my Mom)

Moms

M is for Mom

ABC Wednesday

My Mom with all her girls!
My second Mom, Josh's Mom with her girls!

I think it is often said, or thought that you truly don't appreciate your Mom until you become a Mom. I think growing up I tended to undermind my mom and think that I knew best, yes Mom I am admitting this! I know now that the choices she made were for my good and in my best interest.

My mom gave her life to being a Mom. I read this quote recently that reminded me of my mom and how she has worked as a Mom for the past 36 years!

A hundred years from now...it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort
of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be
different because I was important in the life of a child. --Anonymous

I am also greatful for my Mother-in-law. She has been one of my biggest supporters and encouragers any daughter-in-law could ask for!

You are the mother I received The day I wed your son. And I just want to thank
you, Mom For all the things you've done.
You've given me a gracious man With whom I share my life. You are his loving mother and I his lucky wife.
You used to pat his little head, And now I hold his hand. You raised in love a
little boy And gave to me a man.

Thank you to both my Moms!

Easter

We were so blessed again this year to have the Wilsons come out and visit with us for the Easter weekend. We colored eggs, they came to Annabelle's swim lesson, went out to eat and celebrated Easter with us.

Josh preached at the Easter Sunrise service this morning. I had a few people come up to me afterwards and said, I must be so proud of him, and the answer is of course I am. What I love though about listening to Josh is that I learn from him just like everyone else. Today he had 4 main points.

1. Jesus was buried in the right place. --one thing Josh mentioned that I never thought about before was that the first act of disobedience took place in a garden, and the greatest act of obedience, Christ's burial, also took place at a garden.
   
2. Jesus was buried in the right way.--another great point mentioned was that at his birth myrrh was brought to him and he was wrapped in a swaddling cloth and at this burial part of the procedure required the use of myrrh and swaddling clothes.
   
3. Jesus appeared to the right people.--In Jewish law it took two male witness to testify if something were true, that is why Mary went and got John and Peter to witness that he was missing from the tomb.
   
4. Jesus arose at the right time.--He saved his best miracle for last...his resurrection from the dead!

What I love about teaching social studies is that when I teach about religions I get to say that Christians are the ONLY ones with a risen God! All other religions have gods have died and are still dead or never lived! What a joy it is to know we believe in a God that has not been conquered by the grave, but has overcome it and, therefore, we will too!

Afterward the services, we had Shannon and Harely over for Easter Dinner. Here is a picture of our Easter weekend.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Love and Library

L is for Love and Library

ABC Wednesday

Grandma Wilson sent us this song, I Love you a Bushel and a Peck, via YouTube and Annabelle is memorizing it and we enjoy singing it to her and with her! I couldn't get her to look up in the video but at least I got her singing it!