Day 24

Day 24
Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52; Prov. 13:15)
Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Proverbs 13:15 Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.-Gosh, isn't that so true that a lot of times we lead ourselves to destruction? There are plenty of people to "point the finger" at but I would agree that mostly it stems from ourselves. Aaron has taken a path that has led himself to total destruction (as have I). I pray that he has the awareness and courage to not let that happen again. We all make mistakes but the magnitude of our mistakes can define who we are if we aren't careful. I pray that you would be our strength, Lord, our refuge that saves us from our own destruction.

Successful Parenting

#1) I'm joking. Well, I got Brooklyn to eat some green beans...by teaching her that holding your nose helps the flavor go away. :) At least I'm trying...a little! She cracks me up.

Bananas Foster

Obsessed with this delicious comfort food dessert! The original recipe is from 1951-Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans. I made it (minus the rum) and with just a little brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.

Roasted Salmon

Bought some stuff for the JM diet and tried to get back into eating/cooking healthy. This salmon is made by brushing with plain Greek yogurt then sprinkling a mixture of pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds), cardamom, cumin seeds, and salt. Sear in pre warmed coconut oil and then bake at 475 for about 3-5min. I'm not really a fish fan but Aaron said it was good. 200 calories, 1.5g carbs and 24g protein.

Tea Party for Aliah!

Anisa is having a baby girl! Anisa and I worked together on night shift in Tulsa. We always got coo coo about 2am and cracked jokes that weren't funny at all. However, we seemed to think we were hilarious. We also tried to not be zombies the next day and go to the gym. Anisa is so kind and I really miss her. I was excited when her baby shower invitation was forwarded from my old address and had a blast at the beautiful tea party her mother, Kathy put together at a local bed and breakfast. We felt like princesses and ate way too many sweets. I especially enjoyed the hot tea with cream. Yummy! Congratulations Paul and Anisa!!!

Day 23

Day 23
Pray that your husband will be a good father—disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
Eph. 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.
I pray that Aaron and I would seek guidance from The Lord in parenting. Help us mostly to have patience to do the right thing and not act out of anger or disappointment.

Day 22

Gosh, I need to look back and see when I started this "30 days" of prayer. I bet it has taken me 2 months! It's crazy how hard it is to do something for 30 days consistently. Once, I didn't have caffeine or chocolate for 40 days-not sure how I'm alive after that one. ;) anyway, I shall push forward and complete this!!! Day 22
Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15) Eph 4:32 "Be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." I think I struggle with this more than Aaron! Not only in my marriage, but in all my relationships I struggle with forgiveness. Hebrews 12:15
"Look after each other so that none of you fails to see the grace of God. Watch out that no root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Sometimes I feel like I am the root of bitterness. Past experiences engulf me with sadness and despair. I hope I can someday find a way to not let those feelings define who I am. I pray Aaron will always support me through these rough times and I pray my bitterness decreases over the years.

Ice skating princess

Brooklyn's first time ice skating was fun and interesting. She put on her mini skates and just took off walking. It wasn't too cold but it was busy. She had to hold 2 people's hands and loved every minute of it. We kept wanting to take breaks because our feet hurt-not Brooklyn! So, we just took turns going around and around.

Day 21/30

Day 21
Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress, find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord. (Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)
"Go and feast and share with those who have nothing prepared...the joy of The Lord is your strength." "A cheerful heart is good medicine but a broken spirit saps a persons strength." "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasure of living with you forever."