How to Pray

I am on January 11, of Jesus Calling.
Today it talked about praying.
I was never taught how to pray.  I was always told that I can and should take everything to the cross and leave it there.  I was just never shown how to do that.  I would just pray and *hope* things would get better.  I would *hope* God would hear my plea.  Today I am so thankful that I have it laid out in front of me.  How I can take my burdens, lay them at the feet of Jesus and walk away!  Here is what I took away from today's reading on how to pray...

1. Speak candidly - Really, God already knows everything that is in your heart and on your mind.  You are not going to shock Him by telling him your secrets, your wants or desires.  He is there.  He already knows.
2. Pour out your heart. - Let Him know what you want.  Let Him know what is bothering you, what you desire.  Again, you are not going to shock Him.  He already knows!
3. THANK GOD for answering your prayers before worrying about the answer. - I have always heard to pray with thanksgiving.  I never really thought about it.  I just thought it meant to thank God for what he has given us.  I am learning now that it really means to thanks Him for what he has done and what he WILL do. (Yeah, that was a HUGE eye opener for me!)
4. When you think back on the things you have prayed for, thank God for answering them and move on. - This is the whole "leave it at the cross" part that was so foreign to me.  I always wondered how we could just lay down our burdens and walk away.  We are only human and tend to dwell on things (or is that just me?!).  This is the part that is so great!  This is the part where we can sigh and move on with life.  This part is called FAITH!  We have called upon the name of the Lord.  We have showed him the desires of our heart.  We have thanked him for answering our prayers.  We have been waiting.  We think back on those unanswered prayers but instead of worrying over the outcome and dwelling on the "what if's" we offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for what the Lord is doing in that prayer already and we leave it there.
5. Ask for all things in His Heavenly Name.

I am not a new Christian.  I was saved at 14.  But I am just now learning how to pray and turn my troubles over to the Lord.  I no longer have to hope that things are going to fall into place.  I can now have peace in my heart knowing that God has already been here.  He has already seen what is about to happen and has already prepared a way for me.  He has already answered my prayers I just have to wait on His timing.

Maybe this will help you.  I know it sure has helped me!

God Whispers...

I pray for God to speak to me.  To guide me and show me how to live my life according the purpose he made me for.  In the last several years I have been rather upset that my life hasn't gone according to my plans.  I want and long for things that are just out of reach and it makes me sad and sometimes you can find me hosting my very own pity-party.  I know - it isn't healthy!  Last night while I was praying about our circumstances I told God that I know he has me where He wants me and that I know I should bloom where I am planted I am just not sure how.  My heart was heavy and burdened.  I felt as though I was letting God down because I wasn't blooming here.  Then he whispered deep in my soul... "before you bloom, you have to grow."  WOW!  Maybe these pity-party sessions, depression, and loneliness isn't against where he has planted me.  Maybe it is a part of the growing process that I have to go through in order to bloom.  In order for me to reach out to others and share with them what God has done for me in my life.  Maybe the trials I am facing are not about me, maybe they are a tool for others.  I felt God's presence with me so deeply.  I felt him comfort me and be with me.  It was a wonderful moment.  I truly feel better about my situation and where I am planted.  I may not be blooming yet but I am growing!

This is what I am learning...

I am just now learning that I MUST be thankful in all circumstances.  I used to read this verse and think that "for this is God's will for you" meant that He willed me to be thankful.  Today, however, it was placed on my heart that "for this is God's will for you" lead back to the circumstances that I am to be thankful for.  He lead me to where I am and placed me in that circumstance and it is up to me to be thankful for those things no matter how much joy or sorrow they bring.

*Photo taken and edited by me.  

Reading Inspiration

S is not a huge fan of reading.  She is getting very good at it she just doesn't want to practice.  I have been looking for things to do to help her get more into it.  The past few weeks she has been really into tea parties. That gave me an idea!  She has a reader called Howies Tea Party.  This is what I did...

I added a note to the front cover telling her that if she finishes the book she and I will have a tea party together!

We do not start back with school until tomorrow but I am sure this will have the desired effect.  

I also bought some fun stickers to add to the back of each of the books she finishes reading.  I found them in the $1 bin at the Dollar Store.

I would love to hear if you have any other creative ideas.  We have tried reading logs and rewards.  So far they haven't really helped.

Let the reading begin...

I really want to try to read more in 2013.  I am starting with a few devotionals and time management books and hopefully a novel or two.  Here are a few...

Jesus Calling - I want to use this as a daily devotional.

Where is God When It Hurts - I have been going through a season of depression and our country is becoming a darker place to live in each day.  I think this book may just help me out!

Unglued - I bought the paper back of this book on the day it released.  I hope to go through it again with the devotional that was just released and deal with a lot of those raw emotions.

Tell Your Time - Who doesn't need better time management?  Right?!

These are just a few of the selections I have right now.  I hope to start more novels and deeper reading as I can.  I would love to know what you plan to read in 2013.  I will add to this list as I can!

PS these are not affiliate links.  Just where I bought my books.

Mr. Poppers Penguins

The kids and I will be hitting the books again come next Monday.  I have been making some plans.  I have decided that we will start reading Mr. Poppers Penguins and work on penguin crafts {PINTEREST BOARD HERE} and do penguin study for science!

 I still have to get things laid out and get our time frame down but I am excited to have a start of a game plan!

This is the plan, Stan!

In case you are unaware it is 2013!  It is the beginning of a new year.  A new chapter in my book is ready to be written and boy am I ever glad that it is.  You see, last year was not a great year for me.  I suffered through a serious season of depression through most of the fall.  Depression is no stranger to me.  I have battled through it on and off most of my life.  I try to make it no secret that I suffer with depression.  I know some who do.  The reason I put it out there is because I feel that there is no shame in depression.  It is a real, raw emotion that, I am guessing, most mothers live through at one stage of their life or another.  It is hard.  It is sometimes all you can do to stand to be around yourself.  I know there are days when I feel like the worlds worst mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, etc...  I am making plans.  BIG plans for 2013.  I have been a lot of soul searching.  I have been doing a lot of praying.  The Lord has opened my eyes to some areas of my life that need changing.  The biggest one being the clutter in my life.  I am not just talking the paper that is taking up residence on every horizontal surface of my home, I am talking about the emotional clutter that is taking up residence in my heart and mind.  It is keeping me from being me.  I like me!  I haven't been that "me" that I like in a long time though.  I think she ran away and hid during this dark time.  Hey, who blames her?!  So I declare 2013 - Cut the Clutter - for me and my home and my family!  This is not a resolution.  This is a life change.  This is the plan to finding "me" again.  The me that I know and love and miss.

What are your plans for 2013?