Sunday, January 1, 2017

Changes in the New Year

And the winner is ... Kathy Van Wormer. Kathy if you will email me your address, I will mail your copy of With All Due Respect right away.

Since I didn't post last week, I wanted to give away one more book. Please be sure to subscribe by email in the top right hand corner for an opportunity to win this week's offering. 

Perhaps the New Year will bring changes - major changes into your family life. Your child may be going off or returning from college. You may be helping plan a wedding or you may be looking at military deployment in your child's future. When my child graduated from college, she moved 5 hours away to her new job. At least she had a job, but she was out of mom's arm reach. We never want to control our children's lives - just guide them, so we say. 

Guidance for them and us. That's why I want to introduce you to my friend Edie Melson's book, While My Child Is Away. I met Edie at a writing conference several years ago. Her teachings have been an invaluable resource for me. 

Edie says "The most powerful thing you can do for your child is to pray." Edie has prayed for her children through childhood, college, deployment, and now as adults. Her book offers prayers for your children, yourself (we all need prayer), and devotions for parenting. No matter what stage of life your child is in, covering them in prayer releases them from your control into God's care. You will find yourself praying right along with Edie, finding God's peace as you release the care of your child to Him. 

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 
James 5:16

Prayers,
Gail

Hey Kids:

Are you still working on that fruit bowl? This week would be the fruit of peace. 
How can we produce that fruit of peace?
Perhaps it begins with prayer. 

So what do we pray for? This may be your list on the piece of fruit this week.

We could begin by praying for ourselves. 
James 5:16 says confess your faults. Could we confess our faults to Jesus and then ask our friends and family to forgive us? That's tough. That's why we need to pray and confess to Jesus first, so He can give us the courage to ask forgiveness of others. 

We could pray for one another.
Is there someone who is sick or sad that needs your prayers? 

We could pray fervently.
Don't let your prayers be repetition. Talk to God like you talk to a friend. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Pray often.

We could pray for righteousness. 
First, have we confessed to Jesus that we are sinners and asked His forgiveness?
Then we need His help to live like Jesus. You may have heard it called living Christ-like lives. 

Jesus says praying in this way will get a lot accomplished. It will also give you peace of mind that you have done your best in giving yourself and others to Jesus' control. 

Praying for you. Please pray for me.
Gail



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