Praying for our Boys

It has been a little while since I last wrote.  We haven't been that busy, but Oakley has recently been sick with a mild fever  and some congestion.  We have been treating him with lots of TLC and homeopathics.  We pray that he will be back to his very spirited self soon.  As we lay low in our home I've had more time to pray and read from God's word.  I receive a monthly newsletter from our former church in Illinois and the main topic this month was the "31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Kids".  I have really enjoyed reading the scriptures and praying specifically for these virtures for Oakley and Baron.  I thought I would begin praying specifically on one virtue per month and studying the scripture with it the entire month as well during my quite time with the Lord.  It can be hard just praying for one at a time because they all are desires of my heart for our boys, but I'm hoping if I focus on just one I can also work on teaching these virtues to our boys by leading by example in my own life.  I have cut and pasted these virtues to share with you.  I hope they bless you and your family. 

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Kids:

1.Salvation. "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they mayb obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (Isaiah 45:8, 2Timothy 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" (2Peter 3:18).
3.Love. "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them"(Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 5:2).
4. Honesty and integrity. "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 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" (1Thessalonians 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" (Psalm 19:10).
7.Justice. "God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).
8.Mercy. "May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36)
9.Respect (for self, others, authority). "Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as your Word commands"(1Peter 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" (Ephesians 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" (Proverbs 3:3).
12.Courage. "May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions" (Deuternonomy 31:6).
13.Purity. "Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).
14.Kindness. "Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1Thessalonians 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" (1Timothy 6:28-29).
16.Peace-loving. "Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace" (Romans 14:19).
17.Joy. "May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit" (1Thessalonians 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" (Hebrews 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" (Colossians 3:12).
21.Responsibility. "Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each should carry his own load" (Galatians 6:5).
22.Contentment. "Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength"(Philippians 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, Hebrews 11:1-40).
24.A servant's heart. "God, please help my children develop servants' hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men" (Ephesians 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" (Romans 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, not for men" (Colossians 3:23).
27.Passion for God. "Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee'(Psalm 63:8, KJV), one that clings passionately to you."
28.Self-discipline. "Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair" (Proverbs 1:3).
29.Prayerfulness. "Grant, Lord, that y 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 and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).
30.Gratitude. "Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfullness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 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 all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).

By: Bob Hostetler
www.praymag.com

"Siesta Time"

 Everyone was correct on there guesses of who's who.  I guess the new sling made it too easy.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

For the past month or so we have been keeping Friday nights free so we can spend the evening at our local public beach, Siesta Key, with each other and our good friends.  We really have enjoyed this as a family.  I seem to have a hard time relaxing at home.  I like to work in the house and stay busy, but by Friday I am ready for some fun family time at the beach.  Siesta Key is a beautiful beach that has sand as white as snow and as fine as sugar.  It is even rated one of the top ten beaches in the country and it is only 10 minutes from our house.  We are truly blessed to live so close.  We try to keep it simple when we go just bringing the essentials like a chair, towel, and cold beverage to drink.  We love when our friends come and join us.  We watch the kids play and enjoy the beautiful place in which we live.  Here are some pictures of some of our Friday nights at the key.  How does your family spend "siesta time"?  Please share.

 


 

Oakley or Baron?

I was browsing through my pictures and found these two similar pictures of the boys around the same age.  Many people comment the first time they see Baron on how much he looks like his big brother Oakley.  These two pictures side by side really show how much they look alike. Which one is is Oakley and which one is Baron?  They are in different slings which may give it away to you, but both are wearing the same hat.  Leave your guess in the comments section and I will let you know who is who tomorrow in my post.