“Good boy, Mommy.”

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

Moms should definitely keep a journal of all the cute things their kids say. I happened to be writing a lot when our son Kevin was little, recording some of his funny “Kevin-isms.” One time when he was 2 1/2 Kevin asked me to pick up a crayon he had dropped on the floor. After I had returned the crayon to him, Kevin thanked me by saying, “Good boy, Mommy!”

“Good boy, Mommy!” – that is what I hope you hear every day, from your children and from your heavenly Father. I know that sometimes Satan tries to discourage us and tell us we aren’t good at this job called motherhood. He tells us we messed up and should do more, say more, say less, help more, help less…we just can’t win with Satan bringing us down. As we pray for our children each day, we must close our ears to those false words and open our hearts to the life-giving words of Jesus Christ.

Have TEA with Jesus each morning and hear Him say these encouraging words to you, dear daughter of the King:

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Luke 1:28 (NKJV)

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! Luke 1:45 (NIV)

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine. Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Matthew 5:11 (NIV)

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew 15:28 (NIV)

The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48 (NIV)

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

“Good boy, Mommy!”

New International Version (NIV)

My Call to Homeschool

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13 (NKJV)

Our kitchen cupboards are decorated with handwriting verses. The wall by the stove displays a world map. The shelf by my kitchen table overflows with school books and supplies. And I get to see my children all day, every day! I must be a homeschool mom!

One of the things God called me to do 15 years ago was to homeschool our children. I know He doesn’t call everyone to homeschool, but this is God’s call for me. How I came to know His call was quite a prayer process, as I’m sure it is for many moms who wonder if they are supposed to homeschool their children.

My first awareness of homeschool came when I was a child. My aunt was homeschooling two of my cousins. My cousins are really quite brilliant and didn’t fit into the public school setting. I didn’t hear much about homeschooling again until I was grown-up and a teacher, teaching at a Christian school right after we were married. There I met a mom who was considering homeschool for her active son. I couldn’t believe that she would want to take him out of the “perfect” Christian school!

But then we had children! When our daughter was three and our son was an infant we moved to Ohio. Within the first year we were there several random people asked me if we were going to homeschool our children – one from my husband’s work, one from church, one from ballet lessons. Why were all these people asking me about homeschool??? My daughter was only three! Was God trying to send me a message?

Well, it is interesting how time flies quickly when the kids are little. Soon our daughter was almost five and it was time for kindergarten round-up. We hadn’t made a decision yet, so we took her to registration. All that summer we prayed for God to give us a sign of what we were supposed to do. A friend who was praying about a house was encouraged by a rainbow right over the property where they were to build. I kept looking for a rainbow or something to point out what we were supposed to do. Then late in summer, the pastor at our church announced that the new principal at our daughter’s school was a member of our congregation. We took that as the sign that Kallie was supposed to go to school. Just a week after her fifth birthday, I put my daughter on a big yellow school bus and sent her off to kindergarten. Oh, how that broke my heart!

To keep in touch with our daughter’s school, I volunteered every other week. While I was there I discovered she wasn’t doing more than we already were doing at home. For special activities they would bake cookies or watch a movie, activities she already knew well. And for a special guest they invited Kallie’s dad who worked at the Nature Center. With 30 kids in a kindergarten class, we just didn’t see how Kallie was learning more than she already did at home. So, at the end of kindergarten, we decided to homeschool Kallie for first grade. I always wondered why God let us send Kallie to kindergarten, since we had prayed for direction before that. The reason I’ve been able to see over the years is that one year convinced me never to send our kids to public school, whereas I might have been tempted if we hadn’t experienced that year.

I remember my dad asking, “So how long are you planning to do this?’ I didn’t know. We were just going to take it one year at a time. Some of those years were good years and some were struggles. Some days I just wanted to give up. But we persevered, and were constantly encouraged by how much we could positively influence our kids for Jesus Christ. When our daughter graduated high school as a homeschooler in 2008, I thought how fast the time had flown and how thankful I was that we had homeschooled her and had all that time together. I never regret it for a moment. Today I continue to homeschool Kallie’s two younger brothers.

Some of our favorite activities in homeschool over the years have included field trips and family trips, reading stories together, writing stories together, art projects, science with Daddy, playing post office, making scrapbooks, baking, planting gardens, etc. We have also played piano at the nursing home, served at soup kitchens, and been on mission trips as a family.

When Kallie was in second grade, we used the Moore Foundation who encouraged us to write down why we homeschool, so that on days we feel like quitting , we can look back at our reasons. Here is what I wrote then and still believe today:

We homeschool because God called us to homeschool our children.

We homeschool because we love our children.

We homeschool because our children grow up so quickly, we want to be with them as much as possible.

We homeschool because we want our children to have Christian family values.

We homeschool because our children are each unique and learn at their own pace.

We homeschool because we can learn at home or when we travel any time of year.

We homeschool because God called us to homeschool our children.

Over the years there have been many Bible verses God has used to encourage me to keep teaching our children. These verses could also be posted on the walls of your homeschool classroom, as an encouragement to both parents and students…

Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Psalm 119:33 (NIV)

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Psalm 24:4-5 (NKJV)

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13 (NIV)

Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11 (NKJV)

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 (NKJV)

If any of you are praying about homeschooling, some of my favorite resources include…

Pathway Readers for grades 1-8:
http://www.pathwayreaders.com/

A Reason for Handwriting:
https://homeschool.areasonfor.com/collections/handwriting

Saxon Math for grades 4 and up:

https://setonbooks.com/publishers/1-saxon-publishers-inc?page=2

Apologia Science for junior/senior high:
http://www.apologia.com/

The Moore Foundation:
http://www.moorefoundation.com/

The Sycamore Tree Academy:
http://www.sycamoretree.com/

Mary Pride’s Reviews:
http://www.home-school.com/

Home School Legal Defense Association:
http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1/

May God bless and guide your efforts to obey His call and bring up your children in the love of Jesus our Lord!

Mom’s Favorite Prayer Verses

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4 (NKJV)

Each morning I pray for our kids during My TEA CUPP time with Jesus. Here are some of my favorite verses I pray over my children…

Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16 (NKJV)

Keep (Kallie) as the apple of Your eye;
hide (Kallie) in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 17:8 (NIV)

Do not withhold Your mercy from (Jacob), O LORD;
may Your love and Your truth always protect (Jacob). Psalm 40:11 (NIV)

Send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide (Kevin);
let them bring (Kevin) to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You dwell. Psalm 43:3 (NIV)

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart. Proverbs 3:1 (NIV)

Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11 (NKJV)

My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 (NKJV)

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them, for they https://xanaxcost.com will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace.
They keep you safe on your way,
and your feet will not stumble.
You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly.
You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
for the Lord is your security.
He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:21-26 (NLT)

Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.

Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them. Proverbs 4:4-5 (NIV)

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to Your word. Psalm 119:9 (NIV)

You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. Deuteronomy 8:5 (NKJV)

And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40 (NIV)

I underline these verses in my Bible and write my children’s names next to the verses and pray God’s Word for my children. What verses do you pray for your children?

Kevin’s Story

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

“Dear Mom and Dad, I want to be a Christgun,” the crumpled paper proclaimed.

I’m sure many of you praying moms have stories like this one I’m going to share today. I don’t have stories for our older two children, because they became Christians on their own or at youth group. But our youngest child invited us to be part of his journey. I’m so thankful he did, so I can share his story with you…

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory
above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants
You have ordained praise. Psalm 8:1-2 (NIV)

February 25, 2008 was a very special day because on that day Kevin Jon became a Christian!

We had quiche for dinner, one of Kevin’s favorite meals. He served himself a big slice, but then didn’t eat anything. He complained of a tummy ache. We suggested he take a nice hot bath and put on his pajamas.

After his bath, our seven-year-old Kevin sat on the sofa and read Garfield comics while sucking on a popcicle. Soon I saw him with note paper and pencil, writing a message. I asked who he was writing, and Kevin just smiled.

A little while later, Kevin tossed the note to me. I opened it to find the best message ever:
“Dear Mom and Dad, I want to be a Christgun.”

I told Kevin I was so happy and what a happy day this was.
After reading a story, I tucked Kevin into bed. Daddy came, too, and we both listened as Kevin asked Jesus into his heart so he could be a Christian.

While we were waiting for Daddy to join us, I had asked Kevin if there was a verse that made him want to be a Christian (I was thinking of John 3:16 or another verse he had learned at Awana). Kevin surprised me by reciting a verse he wrote for handwriting that week from Matthew: “Come to terms quickly before it is too late.”

Thank you, dear Jesus, for calling Kevin to be Your child. Please help us be good parents for him and continue to teach and guide him. Please fill Kevin with Your Holy Spirit and keep him following You all his days. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way traveling with him, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Matthew 5:25 (AMP)

My TEA CUPP for Moms

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14 (NIV)

Every night I tuck our kids into bed and say a prayer with them. Back when our son Kevin was three years old, I was tucking him in on a Sunday evening. We were singing “Jesus Loves Me,” and Kevin was pondering our Sunday school story about Jesus.

Kevin paused while we were singing and asked, “Mommy, where is heaven?”

“It’s up in the sky in the clouds.”

“I think I’d like to go to heaven, “ Kevin mused.

“You would?” I asked, delighted.

“Yea, I want to see Jesus,” Kevin replied from his pillow.

Oh, my heart just melted, having my 3-year old want to see Jesus. And Jesus told us to come to Him like little children. This must be what He meant!

“I want to go to heaven and see Jesus with you.” I answered, while holding back my tears of joy.

Isn’t this what every Christian mother longs for – to hear her children love Jesus? And it all begins with prayer.

This kicks off our week of My TEA CUPP Prayers for Moms. Please join me each day as we pray for our children and share stories of God’s miracles in their lives.

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Matthew 11:25 (NKJV)

The Lion’s Den

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” Daniel 6:16 (NIV)

Has your husband ever been thrown into the Lion’s Den? Every few months, my husband has to attend a Lion’s Den called board meetings. They are even worse than the seven overflowing toilets he battled in the girls’ dorm last week. From the very first meeting in camping ministry, board meetings have always been one of the thorns in the flesh of our work. My husband has found these to be the most discouraging and disparaging parts of his ministry, with board members shouting and making rash decisions, without a clear understanding of the day-to-day operations of the camp. So for me, sending my husband off to a board meeting, is like sending him into the Lion’s Den. I never know if he will come back alive. Does your husband have something like this that he has to face every so often? If so, I want to encourage you to pray with me.

Today is July 10, 2010 and at this very moment my husband is at a camp board meeting. As I look back in my prayer notes, I can see the dozens of times we have prayed as he went to the Lion’s Den. On January 19, 2002, he had one of these same meetings. On that day in My One Year Bible, I underlined all the verses I could pray for my husband as he endured this trial. God provided these verses for me that day:

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered. Genesis 39:2 (NIV)

O Jesus, be with Kent and help him prosper.

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Matthew 13:12 (NIV)

O Lord, give an abundance for all the needs of this camping ministry.

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:23 (NIV)

O God, help Kent produce a crop 100 times what he has sown!

Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 17:8 (NIV)

Keep Kent as the apple of Your eye. Hide my husband in the shadow of Your wings (away from the mouths of the lions).

The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but He blesses the home of the righteous. Proverbs 3:33 (NIV)

O Jesus, bless our home and family.

Today’s TEA CUPP: My friend, please pray for your husband. Use God’s Word to help you pray. Underline verses in your Bible and write in a prayer journal, so you can look back and see how God is faithful and hears your prayers. An angel will close the lion’s mouth and your marriage will be blessed.

My God sent His angel, and He shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Daniel 6:22 (NIV)

Mighty Man of Valor

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:12 (NKJV)

As Gideon prepared for the battle God called him to fight, an angel appeared to Gideon and encouraged him with these words, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Imagine how uplifting and encouraging this must have been for Gideon on such a terrifying day. Can we use these same words for our husbands to encourage them? I take the verse straight to Jesus and ask Him to be with my husband, and help him to be a mighty man of valor.

Here are some more of my favorite verses to use for conversation starters with Jesus when I pray for my husband. Remember, you can underline verses in your Bible, too, writing your husband’s name right in the Bible, praying over those verses for the one you love.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… Ephesians 3:16-17 (NIV)

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NIV)

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 (NIV)

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25 (NIV)

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17 (NIV)

In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. 1 Samuel 18:14 (NIV)

“Success, success to you,
and success to those who help you,
for your God will help you.” 1 Chronicles 12:18 (NIV)

Favorite Verses for My Husband

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

As I promised, here are some of my favorite Bible verses to pray for my husband. As I sit down with Jesus for TEA each morning, I choose a verse as a conversation starter. And I pray that verse for my husband, asking Jesus to bless him and give his all the strength and courage and wisdom he needs for today.

When a man’s ways please the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 (NKJV)

A man’s heart plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

The righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7 (NKJV)

…he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. Proverbs 28:25 (NKJV)

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) – my husband’s favorite Bible verse 🙂

The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NKJV)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD. Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

I will post more verses tomorrow. God bless and hear and answer your prayers for your husband!

Top of the List

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24:5 (NKJV)

A few weeks ago I talked about having a prayer book mark to remind you of all the people you want to lift up to Jesus. On the very front of the book mark is your daily prayer list, people you want to pray for every day of the week. Now, who is at the top of that daily prayer list? Who is the first person you pray for every day?

If you are a wife, I want to suggest that the one person who should be at the top of your prayer list is your husband. This is the person who we have vowed before God to love and support forever. This is the person who depends on us as a helpmate, more than anyone else in the world. This is the person who needs our prayers, and by praying for our husbands, since we are one in marriage, we are also praying for ourselves and families.

One of the greatest joys in using God’s Word in prayer comes when I petition Jesus for my husband Kent. Sometimes it can be hard to know how or what to pray for the dearest person in my life (or on some days, the person at whom I am most angry). God’s Word gives me conversation starters for prayer, keeps me focused, and even corrects me when I am angry. I pray it is also a blessing to my husband.

I want to encourage you right now, if you haven’t already, to make a prayer book mark, and at the very TOP OF THE LIST, write the name of your husband. And each day when you sit down for your TEA CUPP Prayers with Jesus, mention your husband’s name to Jesus and ask him to give your husband all the strength, wisdom, guidance and grace he needs for that day.

In the next few days I will share some of my favorite Bible verses to use when I am Praying God’s Word for my husband. Here is one to get you started…

…the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in Him. Psalm 32:10 (NIV)

Psalm Countdown

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwellin the house of the LORD
Forever. Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

Speaking of weddings (see yesterday’s post), a missionary once gave me a great idea for couples to count down to their wedding days. The way this great idea came to me was truly another God-incidence.

After graduating from college in December many years ago, I traveled to Colorado to work at a YMCA camp. While there, I sent out applications to various missionary organizations, wondering where God wanted me to be. Many of the missionary organizations didn’t want me because I hadn’t been to Bible college. However, by March I had a few phone calls. I remember taking one phone call in the back of the camp kitchen, with sounds of pots and pans banging in the background. This mission was interested me! But now I wasn’t interested in them. I had met my future husband Kent and we were starting to make plans to get married. The fellow on the phone was so kind. He didn’t https://www.ncmh.info/valium-diazepam/ tell me not to get married, or that I had to come serve his mission, instead he told me this neat idea:

As a countdown to the wedding, read one Psalm together each day, starting with Psalm 150 and working backwards. Like a child counting the days to Christmas, counting down the Psalms helps us to number our days. Sharing God’s Word together daily is such a blessed way to begin a marriage. And if you have to be apart during those 150 days, you can still read the same Psalm, knowing your fiance is also reading it that day.

This Psalm countdown could be used in anticipation of special anniversaries and celebrations, as well. How about counting down to your next big anniversary with your husband? Let God’s Word in the Psalms wash over your souls and knit you together forever.

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3 (NKJV)