In Everything, give...

"In every thing, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: nonobobo pixabay

These last few days have been a much needed pause in what has turned out to be the craziest start to the school year yet.  Our kids are enjoying a few days of fall break, and my husband and I are enjoying at least a temporary pause in our normally busy schedule of work, ministry, chauffering and homework duty.

Who says that vacation is only for the kids?

I think my brain just gets tired sometimes.  My children will come to me with a seemingly simple request, and I will stare at them blankly.  "What's for snack?" "Can we play outside?" "What's for lunch?" "Can we have...?" "What's for dinner?"

(Yes, most of their requests are about food, especially my 12-year-old-Timothy.  Teenager-in-training.)

I think I am all requested-out.  Even simple decisions require mental gymnastics on my part.  Can't I just be the child for a moment, shrug my shoulders, and grunt, "Idunno?"

I'm so glad that God is not this way with His children.

It was on one of these occasions a few days ago, that I had to stop myself from lashing out at my kids.  Am I  not more than a source of food for them?  Is it only when they need things, that they come and "pester" me?  Don't they realize that I would love to have a conversation with them, that did not start with the famous, "Mommy can I...?"

And then, I realized that I was doing the same thing with God.

God cares about my burdens.  He cares about meeting my needs.  He cares about my desire for His help, His wisdom, His strength.  He loves meeting all those things, but I think He desires so much more.

Just like I crave real, meaningful conversation with my kids, I think God longs for real, meaningful communication with His children.

How sad is my relationship with the Lord, when it becomes so very one-sided.  My prayers were missing out on another key ingredient:  thankfulness.

In meaningful conversation, there is exchange.  One person talks, one person listens.  Thinks.  Feels.  Then, there is exchange.  The other person talks, and then listens, feels, and then responds.  There is real frustration when only one party talks, asks, and then ignores the other person.

Thankfulness keeps me on the listening side.  It balances out my requesting and talking with God.  I talk to Him, and humbly ask for my needs.  Then, I listen to Him in my Bible reading, in my daily living.  I learn to watch for His goodness in my day.  It is my way of listening to Him.  Then, when the answers to prayer become plain to my eyes, I thank Him for meeting this request.  Then, there is meaningful conversation with Him.

And then, I spend my day looking for things in which to be thankful.  Thankfulness begets thankfulness. The more I see God at work in and through me, the more things I find in which I can be thankful.  No wonder that God reminds me in I Thessalonians 5:18..." for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you..." I cannot choose my circumstances or how others treat me, but I can choose my attitude.

This is the work in progress in my life:  that God will cultivate an attitude of thankfulness toward Him in my day-to-day living.  How much stronger my faith in Him would be, if I would recognize His loving hand in every area of my life.

On that note, I know that Thanksgiving month is just around the corner.  I have created a Bible memory schedule for the month of November, 30 verses about Thanks-living.  If you do not have a memory plan for November, let me challenge you to memorize and meditate on God's goodness to us. (There is also room to add a fitness challenge in each square, if you are so inclined, and a day of fasting.)

Happy Thanks-living in advance!

  

Into the Woods

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Good morning, dear friends,

It's fall, y'all!

I'm so thankful that God called me to a country with SEASONS.  There may be times when I wish for 70 degree weather year round, but I am so glad that here in Amiens, we have winter (cold rain), spring (warmer rain with flowers), summer (rain with some dazzling days thrown in), and fall (beautiful days like yesterday, with cooling rains.)

Yes, it does rain quite a bit here, but never for very long, and not usually for days on end.  It's just an ongoing joke where we live:  If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.

Yesterday was one of those dazzling fall days that had me itching to go...to the woods.  In our village, there are two large forests that have walking trails, near the horseback riding school and stables.  (There were even horses out on the trail yesterday.)  I enjoyed our family trip so much, I just wanted to share some of these moments with you.


My family knows my obsession with LEAVES!  I can't bear to pass by a pile of freshly blown leaves, and crunch my feet through them!  I think growing up in southeast Virginia and living on five-acres of forestland did me in as a kid.  Now, whenever the weather turns cooler, I beg to get OUT into the woods, and stomp, scuff, and drag my feet through piles of leaves.

By the way, the boot picture is for a friend of mine, who shares my love for fall boots...practical and stylish, even with skirts!

My favorite fall walking friends have to be my family (minus Juliana, who was away playing ping pong for the day.)  I'm so thankful for a family who loves to walk, and be outdoors.  The hardest part?  Getting my explorer boys to stay on the path!

I don't know if you noticed or not, but I mentioned WALKING!  I was able to walk the entire time, barely limping at the end of our time because of the uphill/downhill and uneven ground of the trail.  I'm very thankful that the treatments for my knee have started to have their effects!  Just a couple of months ago, I wondered if I would be able to enjoy jaunts like this again without surgery!  Thankful also for the patience of my family (especially my hubby) during this recovery time.

Hope you enjoyed this traipse through the woods with us.  I needed to be reminded of God's love and care in every season of life, and the beauty of His creation.

Pray without...

"Pray without ceasing." I Thessalonians 5:17

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo: alexas photos pixabay

One of the most used appliances in my kitchen, especially this time of year, is my Crock Pot.

I must confess, that it took me a while to get to this place, but now that I have discovered the joys of "fix it and leave it," I wonder why it took me so long.  My favorites?  Homemade apple cider, and chili.  I can't think of too many more dishes that spell "fall" to me, than those, simmering low on a brisk day, waiting for the first taste test.  YUM.

Most of all, I enjoy the convenience of the Crock Pot. My Crock Pot has freed me to be able to visit with folks all morning, and come home to a delicious meal. My Crock Pot has fed the masses (or, at least the Bible Institute where my husband ministers.) It is my go-to for busy days, or relaxing days, or days where I have to be gone at lunchtime, but my family is at home.  No matter what I am personally involved in, my Crock Pot does its job when I am at my busiest, and later on, I, my whole family and the people around me, can reap its benefits.

As I was re-evaluating the important aspects of my prayer life, I revisited many familiar verses on prayer.  The verse quoted at the top of this blog has always inspired me, and been just a little bit daunting at the same time.  One book on prayer that I finished recently, asked the same question that I have pondered many times after reading this verse:

Is it really possible to pray without ceasing?

There are very few things that I do all day long, although sometimes housework feels unending.  (Didn't I just wash this?  How did this laundry basket get filled up again--wasn't it empty five minutes ago?)

Things that I do all day, every day, never ceasing?

Breathing.  My heart beating.  Thinking.

Praying?

That one's a little harder.

One morning as I was preparing a Crock Pot meal, my mind was wandering, and I thought about this passage.  And the Lord showed me some similarities between the two.

When I got up that morning, knowing I was going to be gone that day, I started with a specific plan.  I had to get the food ready.  So, even though Crock-Pots do the cooking, I still have to prepare the food.  (Last time I checked, the ingredients don't just jump in there on their own. So much for the theory of evolution.)  If I want to eat the food, I have to do the preparing.  Many times, I prepare the food early in the morning, so that it will have the chance to be ready when we are ready to eat.

One of the biggest challenges for me in starting off with a "pray without ceasing" mentality for the day, is that I don't start off my morning right.  I don't take the time to prepare my heart with time spent with the Lord.  I flutter about, doing useful things, but not the best thing.  If I don't take the time to give my day to the Lord, how can I expect Him to bless it?  I need to confess sin, read His Word, and pray for myself and for others.  If I take the time to prepare, my best efforts will be HIS best efforts. Without Him, I can do nothing.

I can turn on the Crock Pot, but if nothing is in it, then I won't be eating anything later.

Once the Crock Pot is prepared, then comes my favorite part:  the simmering, the slow cooking, that turns a tough piece of meat into a roast that is fall-apart tender.  The longer something cooks in the Crock Pot, the more time the flavors develop, the meat breaks down, the juices flow, and the taste is improved.  The meal cooks all day (or several hours) without me thinking about it.  And the longer it goes, usually the better off are the results.

I want my prayer life to be like that.  "Pray without ceasing" should be for me like turning on the Crock Pot.  My day becomes a continuous conversation with God.

OK, I have a confession to make:  I talk to myself.  All the time. I can't tell you the number of times that I have berated myself, laughed at myself, and most importantly, encouraged myself, in a one-sided conversation, that was not meant for another's ears (although my children and husband laugh at my outbursts constantly.)

What about this:  if instead of carrying on a running monologue, I set myself up for an exchange with God, all day long?

What if, instead of meaningless outbursts on my part, toward myself, I spent my day with God?  Praising Him spontaneously?  Asking for His help and wisdom as I worked, with every task?  Opening my mouth to bless others?  Humbling myself to His instruction?  Meditating His Word?

What a difference that would make in my life, and the others around me. Then, when my husband and children laugh at me for talking to myself, I can say, "Nope, talking to God."

Like a meal that has spent all day in the Crock Pot, how much richer my "spiritual flavor" would be.  How much more "tender" my heart would be to the Lord.  How much more a blessing I would be to others, if I spent my days meditating on God and His goodness to me.

May God help me today and all my days, to spend them in constant conversation with Him....

Lord, Teach Us...

"Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1)

Hello, my dear friends in Christ,

Photo: godsgirl pixabay

Hard to believe that October is almost gone, isn't it?  I'm still enjoying our warmer than usual days, and the crisp fall colors, and the sweater weather, and wearing boots without slogging through the mud...yet.  I know that our pretty days like this will be ending soon, but I am so glad for a REAL autumn this year.

One of my favorite things about fall?  Fall recipes.  I love apple pies, apple crisps, soups, casseroles, and all the warmer, comfort foods that cooler weather brings.  Baked breads, fresh from the oven, Crock-pot favorites, simmering all day and giving the house a nice, "homey" feel.

When I first arrived in France, I can safely say that I didn't know how to cook.  I knew how to open a can, open a box, and follow directions on a package, but not to cook.  If you gave me a whole chicken, I had no idea how to cut it up.  I loved lasagne, but how did you transform ground beef, noodles, tomatoes, cheese and spices into that wonderful, tempting dish?

No clue.  Since France is known for its gourmet, from-scratch cooking, I had everything to learn.

I decided early on that my children would not suffer the same fate, especially my daughter.  Like my missionary mother-in-love did for me, I started her from the beginning, knowing how to do everything, from scratch.

The first lesson:  Before starting a recipe, any recipe, make sure you have ALL the ingredients.

There is nothing more frustrating in cooking, than dumping half of the ingredients for brownies for example, in the bowl, only to discover that you are out of cocoa powder.  Brownies without cocoa are not brownies.  It might be a cake or a sweet gooey mess, but not brownies.

Before we start cooking, we go through the recipe, ingredient by ingredient, and check to make sure that everything is there.

Earlier this year, I did the same thing with my spiritual life.  At the wise counsel from a close friend, I did an inventory of my spiritual ingredients.  What does God desire of me, in my day-to-day walk with Him?  What are some areas that I have allowed to slip away?  What are the matters of the heart that I have allowed to "grow cold" in my walk with the Lord?  What are the key ingredients that I am missing, or need to improve?

It has been a humbling, needful introspection.  Many of the blog posts from this year are gleanings from this conversation with a friend.

More recently, the Lord has been speaking to me about prayer.  As I was reading through the New Testament earlier this year, I was struck by the conversation of the disciples, toward Jesus:  "Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1)

I have often wondered at this statement.  After all, the disciples were with Jesus constantly.  I am sure that they had prayed many times with Jesus, and had been witness to many prayers offered up by Him to the Father.  Surely, if anyone could say that they knew about prayer and how it worked, it would be the disciples.

Perhaps, after spending time with Jesus and observing His relationship with His heavenly Father, they realized that they did not understand this key ingredient as much as they thought.

This phrase has become a rallying cry for me this past month:  "Teach me to pray."  These four words have given me pause as I want to understand more about prayer.  The disciples did not ask, "Lord, teach us to do," or "Lord, teach us to be..." followed by a list of accomplishments or attributes, but simply, "Lord, teach us to pray."

I cannot think of a request that the disciples could have asked Jesus, that would have pleased Him more:  "Jesus, we want to be closer to the Father, to talk with Him, and see Him work in and through us, the way He does with you.  Teach us to pray."

May God help me, as I continue day by day walking with the Lord, that He would give me this same desire for instruction, and close fellowship with the Father.  Over the next few days, I would like to share some simple truths that I have "rediscovered," that might help someone else to get closer to God, as well.

Journeying with Pilgrim: Children's Club October 2015

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..." Ephesians 2:8

Good morning, dear friends!

I can't believe two weeks has passed already since our last club!  Time certainly does fly when you're, well, doing all the usual things that we do here!  Life certainly has a way of keeping us on our toes, doesn't it?

It is fall break for our kids here, so we didn't have as many children as we usually might, but we are thankful to see the same, faithful faces as we continue on our journey with Christian and the story of Pilgrim's Progress.




What would club be without our snacktime?  I'm thankful that Juliana loves making desserts, because she has taken over the responsability of making our treats.  Today was chocolate cake with Nutella frosting...hungry yet?



Today Damaris taught the lesson about "One Way," and that there are no shortcuts to get to heaven:  not by good works or human reasoning.  Timothy, even though he is sick with a pretty bad chest cold, enjoyed playing the part of Christian with his heavy burden.  The children are very attentive and seem to enjoy this "new" story.

Even though the kids enjoy the story, they need to move as well.  What better way to get everyone up and moving again but by a rousing rendition of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes...in English?  By the time we sang it several times, each time getting faster, even the kids were worn out!

Our club finished today with Chinese Whispers, a favorite review game.  Ever played telephone relay, where a whispered message gets passed around the group, just to see if the final message is the same as the original?  The kids had to make their own sentences, reviewing the lesson.  Some games never get old.

Thanks again for praying and stopping by our club!  See you again in two weeks!

Don't Quit

"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Galatians 5:7

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo:  eva castro, pixabay

Yesterday our family attended a France-wide pastors' fellowship in the Paris area.

(Before I continue, may I just add an aside?  For those of you reading "Paris-area" and conjuring up a leisurely stroll down the Champs-Elysées with the Eiffel Tower in the background, think again.  We left ourselves an hour and a half margin to get there, and were still late for the meeting. Love Paris, hate Paris traffic.  Enough said.)

This annual meeting was started many years ago with my husband's father, and several other missionary and French national pastors, seeing the need for fellowship with other French pastors.  It has grown over the years, and each year the Lord blesses the meeting as pastors are strengthened and encouraged.  

My favorite part is the sharing time, where each pastor stands up and shares their ministries and how the Lord is blessing and working, and also their burdens in the work.  It always encourages me to see how the Lord is working around France, even in places where it seems the darkest:  God's light is shining brightly all over this country.  We may not always see His work, but He is working.

The theme was pressures and depression in the ministry.  Two things struck me as I was observing the meetings and the pastors there.  The first, was that the majority of the men present had grey hair.  Only a handful of the men and pastors' wives were under 60 years old.  Many of them were over 60.  While this is a blessed tribute to those men who have weathered the course and remained faithful to the Lord after so many years, it was also very telling.  The age of pastors and missionaries in France is aging, and there is not a replacement force coming up behind.

The other fact that struck me, was that my husband and I were the only couple represented near our age group.  The other pastors were either much older, or much younger.  A whole generation of missionaries, pastors and leadership was absent.  Where were the 40-somethings?

It was a moment of pause for our family, and struck me for the overwhelming need of France, and many other countries:  Where is the next generation of leaders?  Our Bible institutes in France are not full.  

If the Lord tarries, and He allows us to remain in France, even another 20+ years when we hit the 60-something age bracket, who will be with us, in the work here?  At those pastors' fellowships, when we sit among the other grey-haired men and women, will there be a force coming up behind us?

It was a sobering time for me.

One of the verses that the Lord impressed on my heart yesterday was Galatians 5:7: "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"  As this pastor (who was preaching faithfully through great physical pain yesterday) reminded me, it takes so little for us to get discouraged, and quit.  How many times has Satan whispered his lies to me, encouraging me to stop, even for a little while, and lose sight of the work God is doing in my own home, in my own backyard?

During another message, a pastor was sharing about 30 year prayers for salvation for an individual to whom he had been witnessing.  30 years.  If, as is so tempting at times, we quit and move on before God is done with us, will we see the fruits of long-term investments in the Lord's work?  

Lots of food for thought after yesterday's meetings.

May the Lord help me to stay faithful to Him.  May He help me to see the work He is doing in my own life, and in my own backyard.  May He help me to trust Him for the results in the work here.  

Thank you for praying and sharing with us!  Please keep praying for us here in France  God is working here, even when we do not always see the result.

Children's Discovery Bible Club October 2015

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12

Good morning, dear friends,

Yesterday was our first Bible club for the 2015-2016 school year.  It was a false-start kind of beginning, since our first official club was cancelled, so it was good to see the kids again and to get started after a very busy back to school.  We are so thankful that some of the kids who faithfully attended last year came back for another start with us!






This year we are going through the story of Pilgrim's Progress with them, using materials that I developed for Family Camp this summer.  For my kids, who already did the lessons with me, this is more a revision for them, so I am having my sons help me act out the story time by playing the roles of Christian, and the others Christian meets in his journey!  They did great and had a great time helping out.

Our faithful coworker Damaris is such a blessing in the work here.  This week she prepared the snack (homemade apple cupcakes from the apples from her yard--yummy) and led the singing.  Afterwards, she taught the children one of our favorite games here--SPOONS.  If you've never played, it's a lot of fun and really gets the kids moving.

As always, our time goes by too quickly as we realize that there is so much for these children to learn about God, and so little time in which to do it.  We are very thankful for each opportunity to share God's truths with these little ones.  As we journey with Christian during this school year, our prayer is that other children will see the need to begin their journey with God as well.

Thanks for being our faithful prayer warriors!  See you in two weeks!

In the Family...

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven..." Matthew 19:14

Good morning, dear friends!

When you support a missionary family, you are not just supporting a couple, but a FAMILY. Even though the Lord called my husband and me to the field, and the children came along afterwards, they are as much a part of the ministry here in France.

We have tried to ensure that our children are our number one ministry.  If we gain the entire country of France for the Lord (wouldn't that be wonderful?) but lose our own children in the process, how awful that would be!

Our children however also play a vital role IN the ministry here.  They are faithful to invite their friends to our Bible club, and share God's love with their friends as well.

Yesterday, our youngest son got to see some of the "fruit" of his labours for the Lord.

In the picture at the top of the this blog, you can see our boys on the trampoline with their friend, Enzo.  Enzo had come a few times to  our Bible club, and Joshua talks to him a lot at school.

Earlier this week, Enzo talked to Joshua about how to go to heaven.  Joshua explained it to him, and Enzo prayed and trusted Christ.

Yesterday at the house, he talked again with my husband, and Carey walked him through the plan of salvation, and when it came time to pray, Enzo said that he already had, with Joshua.

As you can imagine, this momma heart is rejoicing...not only for a new brother in Christ, but of the tenderness of my son's heart in reaching out to his friend.

Thank you so much for all of you who pray faithfully for our family here in France.  We are a missionary family who loves, cries, shares, hurts, and rejoices together.  Our children's sacrifices for their parents' obedience are big ones as well, and often go unnoticed.  It is encouraging to me, to see them get encouraged by seeing the Lord work in their lives.

May God help us to be faithful in reaching out to all those that God puts in our path today.  You never know, whom you may touch, in ways you can't possibly imagine....but God does.

Stepping Out

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

Good morning, dear friends!

Source:  freewallpaper

I love fall.  It is probably one of my favorite seasons (along with spring, summer and winter).

I think one of the reasons that I love fall is the beauty of the changing colors.  I know that doesn't sound very original, but I love that fact that even though the seasons change because of man's disobedience to God, He could have left every horribly ugly as the leaves fall from the trees.  Instead, He left us great beauty to enjoy.

That is just like my God.

And yes, I am enough of a child to LOVE, and I mean LOVE, walking through crunchy piles of leaves. Only a cold, hard-hearted person could walk through a patch of dries leaves and not desire to stir up a few.

I recently put on the wallpaper of the desktop where I work on lessons, the wallpaper on the top of this blog.  I just thought it was a pretty scene, and reminds me of all that I enjoy about this time of year.  I can very easily put myself in this scene and imagine the crisp air, the smell of the earth and the sounds of the crunch under my feet.  This is definitely a scene where I wish I could be.

As I was having my quiet time this morning, I was moved by yet another devotion on prayer.  This morning's theme is on taking a step of faith, and moving from the prayer time, to the living out time.  I had been reading about George Muller and the thousands of prayers that he had offered, and seen His God answer, during His lifetime.  I am also reading in the book of Acts, and reliving again that exciting time in the early church when God's Word was proclaimed and Christ was revealed to thousands of people.

When I was done praying, I looked up, and saw this picture on my desktop.  My eyes were drawn to the other end of the tunnel of trees, to the clearing on the other side.  I had been so caught up in the beauty of the fall colors and the beauty of the scene, that I failed to realize, that this was a path.  There is a starting point, and there is a destination in this picture.

For the first time, I wished that I could travel through that tunnel, to the clearing on the other side.  To do that, however, would mean that I would have to take the first step.

I heard the nudge from the Lord this morning.  That is the step of faith.  If all I do in my life is stand around as a spectator in this world, I will never know the joys of journeying through it.  If all I do is pray about my needs, and then leave my prayer time unchanged by my moment with the Lord, I am like the person standing in this picture, taking the photograph, but never really entering into the scene.

How that needs to change in my life.

A verse stood out in Acts this week as I was reading through chapter four.  It was talking about the religious leaders confronting Peter and John for their teachings.  This is was what their detractors had to say about them:

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

The time these men had spent with Jesus impacted every aspect of their lives.  Their boldness and stand for the Lord came from their time with Jesus, and the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

They had the faith, to take the steps, to be faithful to the Lord and His calling in their lives.  Even the naysayers were forced to admit there was a difference in their lives.

That is what I want my life to reflect:  my time with the Lord.

May I be faithful as well, today, to live out my time with the Lord, and walk boldly for Him.  The path is unknown, and many dangers may lie ahead, but I want to take that first step.

Here goes everything...

A Story with a Familiar Ring

"Pray without ceasing..." I Thessalonians 5:17

Good morning, dear friends!

It seems like forever since I have written, and it has been!  Since school started, I have been feeling a little like a Momwich--squished together a little from all sides.  I know things will even out and calm down, but right now I'm hanging on to the roller coaster, and trying to enjoy the ride.

And I don't even like roller coasters!

Can I share a special story with you?  Actually, it starts off like a horror story and ends like a fairy tale.

This past year I have been really trying to lose weight. Anyone who has lost weight realizes that it doesn't always come off the places in our bodies that we would like.  Long story short, my wedding ring was loose. Very loose.

Cue the scary music...you know where this is headed.

As I was getting ready for bed Thursday night, I looked down and my wedding ring was gone.

I panicked.  I was devastated.  How could I have let it out of my sight?  How could I not have noticed it?

My husband and I searched through the bed, the trashcan, even the ziploc bagged frozen chicken that I had separated from the ginormous packaging from the store.

Nope. Gone.

I went to bed feeling horrible.  I knew that Friday was a big homeschool morning with my daughter, and that I wouldn't have much time to look for it.   I just assumed that it would turn up sooner or later, or maybe never.

I cried myself to sleep.

Sometime in the night I woke up and was still praying about the ring. But, my prayers had a different "ring" to them.

Since the beginning of September, I have been doing some Bible studies on prayer and reading through a devotional book on prayer that had been on my shelf for a while.  Someday maybe some of what I am learning will make it here on the blog, but right now the lessons have been very personal and humbling.

(Praying about being closer to the Lord in prayer amounts to the same results as praying for patience.  Hang on to your seats--things start to get interesting. I can't share some of what we have been going through, but just wow.)

Two very interesting quotes from the book that I have been reading jumped into my mind.  The first: "Sometimes we pray so hard to get out of a situation that we don't GET anything out of the situation." What lesson was the Lord trying to teach me through losing my ring?  The second, "Instead of praying ASAP prayers, I should pray ALAT--as long as it takes."

I had no idea how long I would be in this situation with my ring, but it became clear to me:  Instead of just praying for finding my wedding ring, I needed to pray that I would have the right attitude during this test.  I didn't know how long it would take, and I needed to be ready to pray and pray again, as long as it takes.

I woke up the next morning determined to have the right attitude.  Don't get me wrong, I looked everywhere in the house.  My husband drove back to the grocery store where we had shopped the day before in hopes that someone had turned in the ring.  I put out a prayer APB and many ladies responded.

God gave me grace through homeschooling and time with my kiddos on Friday morning.  I cleaned out my kitchen cabinets before lunch, and was back at it after lunch.

Guess where my ring was? Kitchen cabinet, bottom shelf, where I had gotten out the Stevia to make some ice cream the night before.

Like the woman with the lost coin, I was shouting and crying and rejoicing.  I took the picture at the top of the blog and sent it off to my prayer warrior ladies.

Most importantly, I thanked God for returning my ring to me, and so quickly.  He didn't have to, but He did.

And it made me stop and think:  The way I prayed for my ring, needs to be the way I pray through all the situations that I face everyday. God may not answer as quickly as He did with my ring, but I need to be ready to pray as long as it takes, and with the right attitude.

I have always looked down at my wedding ring and been reminded about my husband's amazing love for me.  Now, when I look down (as I have many times since yesterday), I am also reminded of my Father's amazing love for me.

And may I remember to continue to pray without ceasing...

P.S.  I made a very important purchase on Amazon yesterday: