Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Twin Tuesday

I've thought about blogging once or twice lately, so I figured, why not give it another whirl?

This morning, I loaded up the twins to drive to the Food Bank in Hampton to pick up 75 bags of food. After the food was loaded, I drove it to Jenkins Elementary where our friend Tim unloaded the food for the students. Our church does this every Wednesday, and I am excited to be a part of it. I don't have to get the kids out of the van- just pick up the food outside & drop it off outside- someone is waiting at both places to help. Basically, I'm just the taxi. I often use my kids as an excuse to not volunteer as much as I'd like (and most of the time it is legit), but this opportunity is awesome!!

Hayden doesn't like to leave the house, so as we were getting shoes on & loading up in the van, he kept yelling, "No give those kids food!" It was funny, but sad. It was funny because he is clueless and was being selfish, but sad because I want to foster giving & grateful hearts in my kids. I love that at 2 1/2, I can talk to the twins about giving food to people who don't have food. I love that I can pray with them for the kids we are feeding while we drive. I love that we can thank God for all he has given us. I love showing them at a young age that there are practical needs that we can fill without very much effort at all! I love showing them that our church is making a difference.

My friend Susan gave me a copy of 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children last month. Each day of the month, you pray the corresponding number over your kids that day. Today's virtue was GRATITUDE! It says, "Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." It then references Ephesians 5:20 and Colossians 2:7. I have been praying that big time over my kids today. Two and half is a tough age at times, filled with selfishness and greed. All my "tricks" and advice don't always work, so I'm counting on prayer.

Side note- we are looking for a few more people to help with this taxi service & to help by meeting us at the school to simply unload the bags! Let me know if you'd like to help! We are also partnering with Jenkins to provide more food bags for kids on the waiting list each week. If you'd like to donate a food bag, simply fill a bag with the following items & get them to me!

*Family sized box of cereal
*1 can spaghetti or ravioli (meal in a can)
*1 can vegetables- something kids might eat, not brussel sprouts
*1 individual portion of applesauce (little plastic cups)
*2 bottles of water or real fruit juice
*1 individual bag of chips
*1 individual portion of cookies (must be store bought)


Here are the virtues if you'd like to copy, paste, print, & pray these over your kids!

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children
by Bob Hostetler

1. Salvation -- “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)

2. Growth in Grace -- “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

3. Love -- “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)

4. Honesty and Integrity -- “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.” (Ps. 25:21)

5. Self-Control -- “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” (1 Thess. 5:6)

6. Love for God’s Word -- “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” (Ps. 19:10)

7. Justice -- “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” (Ps. 11:7; Mic. 6:8)

8. Mercy -- “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

9. Respect (for self, others, and authority) -- “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” (1 Pet. 2:17)

10. Biblical Self-Esteem -- “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God‟s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:10)

11. Faithfulness -- “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.” (Prov. 3:3)

12. Courage -- “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” (Deut. 31:6)

13. Purity -- “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” (Ps. 51:10)

14. Kindness -- “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thess. 5:15)

15. Generosity -- “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Tim. 6:18-19)

16. Peace-Loving -- “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Rom. 14:19)

17. Joy -- “May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thess. 1:6)

18. Perseverance -- “Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.” (Heb. 12:1)

19. Humility -- “God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)

20. Compassion -- “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” (Col. 3:12)

21. Responsibility -- “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” (Gal. 6:5)

22. Contentment -- “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)

23. Faith -- “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children‟s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)

24. A Servant’s Heart -- “God, please help my children develop servant‟s hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.” (Eph. 6:7)

25. Hope -- “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)

26. Willingness and Ability to Work -- “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.” (Col. 3:23)

27. Passion for God -- “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that „followeth hard after thee,‟ one that clings passionately to You.” (Ps. 63:8)

28. Self-Discipline -- “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Prov. 1:3)

29. Prayerfulness -- “Grant, Lord, that my children‟s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.” (1 Thess. 5:17)

30. Gratitude -- “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)

31. A Heart for Missions -- “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples.” (Ps. 96:3)