Parents (March 2nd)

The March 2nd blog topic was: What are some tips you learned from your parents that you want to share with others?

I would say the number one thing I learned from my parents is the power of prayer and the power of scripture - and that is definitely something I want to pass on to the most important people in my life: my family.

Listening to Momma pray and seeing Dad's Bible sitting on the kitchen table was just something you expected when you were growing up.

I remember waking up for school, getting ready, walking down the hallway, and hearing my Mom praying over everyone while she was getting ready for work. She would pray for protection, for us to make good choices, for our other family members. And let me tell you something- even at 30, I can still tell you that my Mom's prayers are powerful. When I need a Word from God.. when I need His hand in a part of our lives-- I text or call her and ask her to pray. I know God hears her- even when I feel like He can't hear me. 

And now it makes me want to be that kind of woman. The kind of woman that my children hears praying over the dishes or laundry or cleaning or while we are getting ready for school. I'm not great at it-- I've been the mom that they hear being anxious or nervous about life, but I want to be the woman full of faith that they hear. 

One way I have tried to instill a prayer life (just like I saw Momma doing) is praying after the kids are dropped off at school. We drop our oldest off every single day, so on days that our younger two are still with me, they say the same prayer with me. We say:

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for everything that You do for us. We ask that You watch over Tayler today. Put angels all around the school and keep everyone safe. Please do not let anyone in that means anyone harm. Let Tayler be loved today, help her to focus, help her to make friends, and help her to keep reaching her goals. In Jesus name, Amen.

If I even veer from that prayer, our middle child says, 'Momma? Did you say a different prayer today?' It comforts me to think she goes to school knowing Momma and baby brother are pleading the blood over her as well.

Dad's Bible sitting on the kitchen table was memorable because I would get up and see what verses he was reading that morning. Sometimes he would underline important passages. I loved seeing that he always started his mornings with the Word of God. It instilled an importance in me that even now-- I will never forget. Our Bible here at home is filled with lots of lines underlining important verses, notes in the margins. Our middle child will even sit down now and say, 'Oh Mom, this is a great verse. Lets underline it.' They are beginning to grasp the importance of His Word... something my dad passed on to us.

I can remember the morning of proficiency tests-- looking through your folder to find a note from Dad with Bible verses on it. Something to encourage you or bless you. He showed me the faith you can find in scripture. 

These are two things I pray I pass on to my family and they can look back and thank Pappy and Gigi for being those pillars for their Momma when she was little. I want them to always remember Momma prayed hard for them... and pleaded scriptures over them. I want that to be one of the things they remember... I pray it is what they remember. 

God, I rebuke the spirit of fear from my life and release the spirit of prayer and strength. Help me to be a light to my family- and let my children see the power of Scripture.. the power of You in my life. I beg You to help me be an example of a strong Momma in the eyes of my children. Amen.