What a year this has been; an engagement, a wedding, and now expecting our first grandchild! That is a lot of change in one year, and a lot for which to be extremely grateful! Many people have kindly expressed their concern for my well being - in how I am handling all the changes coming my way. I want to share of the Lord’s goodness and peace, and the overwhelming sense of joy I feel as I consider His great working in our family, and personally, in my heart.
Soon after my first child was born, I had the privilege to join a “New Mother’s Bible Study” our church sponsored. I gathered with friends, old and new, who were pregnant or holding nursing babes as we listened to older, wiser, moms share their hearts and encourage us from God’s Word. One of the pearls of wisdom I took from that study became a pivotal principle for Mark and me as we raised our children...
My mom is the wisest woman. She has been a teacher all of her life and has been involved in working with and ministering to children for as long as I can remember. One of those valued gems she passed along to me as my children started toddling around, was how to encourage them to pray. She has faithfully used this particular prayer strategy when instructing children in her classes and Bible Studies throughout the years. I am forever grateful that when I became a mom, she shared this and many other insights with me.
One of the disciplines that we, as parents, want to pass on to our children is the “habit” of prayer. This is an area in which I am certainly growing and have, by no means, “arrived”. So in an attempt not to be hypocritical, let me share some ideas we have tried, and are trying in our home which I hope will serve as an encouragement to you and your family.
