Praying God's Word for Your Life: A book review

 

Recently I had the opportunity to review Kathi Lipp’s most recent book, “Praying God’s Word for Your Life.”  This is the first time I have read one of Kathi’s books, though I have heard nothing but great things about her!

I’ll be honest, I generally steer clear from books that seem to border too much on the “how to” side of things.  I find myself feeling like the author doesn’t “get” me or that their approach just simply wouldn’t work in my life.  I was afraid this book might fall into the “how to pray in three easy steps” group, but it certainly did not!

From the back cover of the book: “You pray for others---but are you forgetting to pray for yourself?”  My current prayer life is a struggle.  I like to write it off as a “season of life”, but that’s just a pathetic excuse.  Lipp’s focus on praying through biblical passages is easy to understand and simple to put into practice.  I felt that she didn’t carry a narrow focus when talking to her audience----she could have been speaking to a young mother, a single college student or a retired professional---the approach is applicable to us all. 

In the first few chapters of “Praying God’s Word for YourLife,” Lipp spends time talking about preparing for prayer & gives some guidance on how to use her book as a guide.  What I appreciated most is that in part 2 of the book, each chapter is broken down into topical arrangements as in “when you feel inadequate” or “parenthood.”  These topics than highlight passages of scripture to use as a guide when praying through that particular issue—so helpful!  By arranging this book in this manner, I felt free to jump around the different sections to where I felt I needed the most guidance.  Lipp also lists practical steps to achieving a more disciplined prayer life focused on scripture.

This book was packed full of honesty of her own struggles to maintain a disciplined prayer life.  She mentions at a point in the beginning of the book in the chapter “Preparing for Prayer”, “…sometimes we look at praying as a magic cure-all to all of life’s woes.  Then when life doesn’t turn out exactly like we planned it, we get mad at God.  And we stop praying…” She goes on from there, but the beginning of the quote left me pretty speechless.

Prayer is vital.  Growing in my relationship with Lord should be my number one priority.  I’m so thankful for another guide to help center and focus my prayer time a bit more each day.

 

**I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review**

 

 

Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Artist's Daughter: A Memoir (a book review)

 

 

 

 

There is nothing that fascinates me more than when someone is willing to share their story with vulnerability, grace & humility.  Alexandra Kuykendall's memoir, 'The Artist's Daughter",  challenged me in so many ways and impressed me with the candid approach she takes while sharing her journey.  I found myself gripped to her story, relating in so many ways. We each had vastly different backgrounds, and yet I felt as if she was confessing some of my own insecurities and challenges.

 

Kuykendall honestly shares the journey of growing up without a father and how that impacts her stages in life: childhood, marriage & motherhood.  Throughout the book, she tackles three life-defining questions: Am I lovable?  Am I loved?  Am I loving?  Despite having a different background than the author, I believe her struggles can resonate with many women.  From battles with perfectionism to a recognition that marriage, motherhood or a career will not bring us perfect satisfaction, she traces through the struggles and focuses on grace, trust & faith.

 

MOPS International has chosen this as their 2013 theme book and I am so excited for it to be in the hands of so many mothers.  She shares stories from leading her own MOPS group and shares milestones, joys & heartaches with those women.  Moms will find this book encouraging & challenging.  Throughout the book, I found myself shaking my head in agreement, as if to say, "oh!  Someone else struggled with this?"  And perhaps my favorite part is her journey in her prayer life---the challenge of switching from prayers focused on asking God to change her circumstances to a focus on asking God to change her.

 

The end of this book comes with a list of prepared discussion questions that would greatly benefit a book club, mom's group or even for personal self reflection.

 

 

**I was given this book from Revell  in exchange for my honest review**

 

 

 

 

 

Available May 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

new year, same stage.

I like setting goals.  I enjoy writing to-do lists.  Fresh starts make me feel like I can do anything.  In the past I've been a bit ambitious when it comes to talking about the "new year"--last year was no different.  In many ways, I was quite successful with the the ambitious list.  I set out to focus on my priorities first and line up goals from that---and I loved thinking about goals from that perspective.  I stayed on top of bible reading for several months, finished more than the 12 books I hoped to read, completed many DIY recipes, and managed to get out of the home at least once a month for a date with my husband.

But somewhere in the midst of 2012, my husband landed a new job, we took a huge leap and decided to become foster parents, we took in a 17 year old who was months away from being on her own and in need of a LOT of independent living skills...and, we found out we were pregnant with baby #3.

This year, while still setting some ambitious goals...I'm also working really hard to be realistic about our stage of life.  In a few short months I'll have 3 children under the age of 4, and while we aren't planning to do any more long-term foster care placements---that could change and we are planning on doing respite placements in the meantime.  I've also fought really hard against playing the comparison game...or letting things like facebook and pinterest define me.  It's easy to see a facebook status or a pinterest pin and think "wow, I'm a terrible mom...I didn't send Christmas cards/sew my child's dress/schedule a play date/make playdough from scratch."  It's a terrible process, and I'm hoping to continue to focus on MY priorities and MY roles, it'll help keep me from comparing myself to others.

I thought about a few words to define 2013 and came up with: be intentional. less, less, less. good enough. create margin.  I want to be intentional in my relationships with others; specifically with my husband, children & whatever children stay in our homes temporarily.  I want less stuff, less TV, less computer, less of myself.  I want to be able to say "good enough."  I want margin...room to breathe, time to rest, evenings free from stuff and noise.

As I thought about the upcoming year, I really enjoyed some thoughts from Tell Your Time.  She has a few exercises throughout the book, but what I appreciated most was "identifying my roles".  She takes you through a process of asking  What are your roles?  What kind of person do you want to be in those roles?  And what steps do you need to take on a daily/monthly basis to get closer to being that kind of person?  I haven't finished the book---but I HIGHLY recommend it!

Right now, my 4 roles that are the most significant are:
-I'm a person
-I'm a wife
-I'm a mother
-I'm a homemaker

As a person, I want to be authentic, compassionate, informed, aware & full of grace.  Some of the activities that help get me there are daily bible reading, additional reading, being active in our church, and taking care of myself.

As a wife, I want to have a growing relationship.  I want a strong friendship.  I want to respect and encourage my husband.  Some activities that help get me there are daily one-on-one time with my husband, monthly dates out of the home, reading marriage books together, etc.

As a mom, I want to be present, intentional, encouraging, creative, life-giving, consistent, fun, and full of grace.  Some activities that help get me there are planned "school" time, intentional 1-1 time with each child, working to develop habits with each child, special monthly outings, visiting the library regularly, saying "yes" more often, etc...

And as a homemaker, I want to be "good enough".  While I enjoy a tidy home, I want my family to be able to live and play freely.  I want to strive to grow in organization.  I want to continue to try new things & always be on the lookout for saving my family money.  Some activities that help get me there are returning to coupons and deal shopping, re-assessing our budget & looking for more ways to cut costs, continuing to DIY cleaning supplies and misc., etc.

So yeah, there is a loose set of goals---some I hope to share.  I'm planning to read at least 15 books this year, continue with the monthly date nights & return to coupon shopping after taking a several month hiatus.  But most of all I just want to enjoy time with my children and husband.  That's what I want 2013 to be about.

Where I've been...

I’ve been…absent.

Truth be told, it’s been an interesting and life-changing few months.  While I desperately wanted to blog and share our journey, the right words never seem to fit.  You’ll remember this post when I shared how we were translating the “love others” message into our own lives.  Shortly thereafter we received a call.  We were not ready to be called (quite literally---we hadn’t finished our paperwork even & our spare room was still very much a storage closet)  Yet, three days later we welcomed a new friend into our home & became parents to a 17 year old, a few months away from being out on her own.  It felt crazy…I’m sure it appears crazy…and yet, it also felt like this is EXACTLY what we were supposed to be doing. 

“The room isn’t ready, we don’t have a mattress, our bank account is already empty, she’s seventeen, I don’t feel well…”

(I suppose it’s also worth mentioning that I found out I was pregnant the morning we picked our new friend up. )

But, we still said yes.  We rented a storage unit and emptied her room in rapid speed.  We had a mattress within hours of posting the need on facebook.  We stepped out in faith.

With a preschooler & toddler at home & a baby in the belly---we’ve been on the fastest learning curve ever for raising a teenager.  We navigated school, relationship issues, behaviors, planning for the future—and have moved on to helping her find an apartment, furnish it & enroll in college.  To say it’s been a whirlwind few months is an understatement.  To say it’s been easy & fun would be a lie.

She has been a great addition to our family---our children adore her and she is sweet & kind.  And yet, there are frustrations, and differences in personalities & history that we didn’t create & cannot fix.  There is a future we must help prepare her for & so little time to feel like we can adequately equip her the way we were equipped by our parents.  And so again, we step out in faith…and pray a lot.  At the end of the day, we have to trust that somewhere down the road something we have said will have stuck---and not because they are words of our mouth, but that they are God’s truth. 

I’m a parent of 2 (almost 3) & yet I feel like I’ve “grown up” in the last few months.  A few years ago I was touring apartments & learning about lease terms & deposits with my mom by my side and now I’m in the driver’s seat at these appointments asking the questions a parent asks.  And it stings.  Things are not as they ought to be.

And yet, in the midst of the pain & frustration we have seen beauty like never before.  Our church community and friends have blessed us (really our new friend) in ways that have humbled me and brought me to tears.  When I mentioned a need for clothing we had bags of nice clothing immediately brought to us.  When I put out a request to help furnish an apartment, many came forward with items they no longer needed.  When a friend asked me in a parking lot one night how things were going---she blessed me in a way I don’t think she even could have realized…allowing me to share what it has really been like.  When my husband’s car bit the dust for good, a family in our church loaned us a car as we work to make other arrangements.  And when we had a new family member, they were greeted as if they had always been a part of our family….and that was perhaps the biggest blessing of all.

As I mentioned earlier, we discovered we were pregnant a few hours before we met our new friend.  I’ve been sick, tired, moody x 3.  Part of it is third pregnancy, part of it is added stress, part of it is no real time to rest with two little ones and a bigger kiddo with a full schedule.  We are about out of the first trimester and I’m hoping to feel much better in a few weeks.  I’m taking B-6 3x a day & Zofran as a back-up.  Things could be much worse & we are so thankful for this sweet baby that we will meet in June.

There have been many times in the last few months that I have questioned why God would bring this opportunity before us.  And then I ask why things continue to go wrong (broken car, dryer, messed up bills, etc..)   Why?  Why now?  Why us?  I don’t have answers…though some of it is pretty straightforward.  Kids need homes.  While we don’t have excess income & each month is a bit of a struggle---we DO have an extra bedroom & the knowledge to care for another child.  Why now?  Because there is never going to be a perfect time--we will likely never have “enough” money, “enough” time, “enough” energy.  The “why us?”---I’ll never have an answer there.  I feel so ill-equipped to be a parent and handle raising my biological children that I will never understand why we feel so strongly that God has asked us to do this right now.  All I know is there is no way we would have made it this far if operating under our own strength.

There can be beauty in the brokenness…. And if our new friend only leaves with learning one thing from us, I hope that is it.

preschool at home?

We're busy.  Just like everyone else out there.  I'm gearing up for the start of MOPS, amongst other activities we are involved in.  We're plugging away to prepare our home for the final step in the process of receiving our license to do foster care.  Oh yeah....and we're rasising two active kids.

And for one of those kiddos, we'll be "officially" starting preschool at home in less than two weeks.  I say officially because, really, we've been doing a lot of activities that would fall into "preschool at home"---we're just going to be even more intentional in a few weeks. 



She is humming into the water bottle
while banging the pop bottles together

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the International MOPS Convention in Dallas, TX.  I left feeling so rejuvenated & so excited to be more purposeful in my time with my children.  The days are looooooooooong, but the years are short.  A mentor mom shared this a few years back when I just had one baby---and I felt in over my head at that point.  "yeah, the days ARE long," I thought to myself.  Now there are two precious kiddos making messes in our home---and I see just how true that is.  Whoa, I have a three year old?





Doing preschool at home really wasn't my first choice, I'll be honest.  Due to a series of events--preschool or Parent's day out options, were just not...options. I found myself in the position of wanting to be really purposeful in my time at home with both my kids, but especially with Lucy.  She has such a curious personality & creative imagination.  I want to help her explore that.  I want to provide opportunities for her to ask questions, figure out her world & develop new skills---all while learning her abc's and 123's.  (which, she already knows...some in spanish... thanks to a spunky little girl with an adorable backpack ;)

picking tomatoes in a
ballet costume

  We are using the "Before Five in a Row" model. Lucy has become such a lover of books---and I want to embrace that and encourage it as MUCH as I can. I love that this isn't a "typical" way to do pre-school...and I love that it's all about laying the foundation for a love of learning. There are so many ideas online to go with each of the books they suggest and it has helped me think outside of the box in terms of other books we read and how to integrate fun activities with them.   I plan to do a lot more hands on activities with her because it suits her style of learning so much better. 

We are setting some goals to help us have some good direction (like, we want to read 50 new books between now and the end of the 2012, we want to officially potty-train, we want to finish the first book in the "Little House" series, etc..we have about 15 on our list for these first few months)

The point is, I'm trying to tap into the way SHE learns. I want it to be FUN. She's three, so if we're not feeling a particular activity that day, we'll move on. And I think the Before Five in a Row---along with lots of other activities and some parks & rec activities, will make for a really fun year of "preschool at home"

 
 
 
 
 
I hope to blog about our journey, but I'm not so good at keeping promises in that department.  we'll see...



shopping at wal-mart

a dog balloon, of course!

We've been testing the potty-training waters for a few months now.  Lucy is a trooper.  When we first tested her for readiness, she did really awesome.  Then I came down sick and the hard work went out the window.  Rinse & repeat circumstances for the subsequent months, only replace the situation with "Jack came down sick", "husband started new job", "daughter developed strong will".

I've never been one to be too concerned about it, honestly.  As my mother in law would say, "she won't go to Kindergarten in diapers."  Anyways, while we have mostly mastered #1, #2 is elusive...it seeems.  We've tried offering every type of reward known...and I do mean EVERYTHING.  Last I checked we were working on earning a princess watch---next thing I knew, she really wanted a "doggy balloon".  Sure, who doesn't?

So, while out shopping with my mom and sister yesterday, an excited little girl got to call me "mommy!  I poo-poo in potty!  Get me doggy balloon?????"  Sure, kid....we've all earned it.

don't tell Lucy, we've told her the balloon says "congrats on going poo-poo in the potty like a big girl!"

The First Four Years.

"there are several newlyweds headed off for their honeymoon here today."

I smiled. 

"that was us almost four years ago."

we both smiled.

I had just returned home from a weekend away in Dallas.  My husband with our two kids in tow was anxiously awaiting my arrival---complete with "Welcome Home Mommy" signs.  I bolted off the plane, just as anxious to see the two kids I had left---and perhaps moreso---the husband I hadn't spent more than a night apart from in four years.

Four years ago we were one of those starry-eyed couples preparing for our departure to our honeymoon destination.  Now here he was picking me up with two children....and we were the ones noticing the enormous amounts of couples departing to the many tropical locations, dreaming big of their future to come.

Four years.  FOUR YEARS.  We spent our anniversary night strolling around a school supply store and the library (don't worry, we'll celebrate when we have a babysitter this weekend)---four years.

Two babies, a new home, new job, new struggles, new successes...

We aren't the starry-eyed couple we were that day in the airport.  We're aware of struggle, hardship & what it means to make marriage work... (to the extent that we can at our young marriage age...)  But I am more in love with the man that God blessed me with than I was that day I committed myself to him forever.  (And, for the record I always thought that was so cliche....and now....now I know better). 

This weekend when I was away I was reminded of just how thankful I am for my husband.  It feels rare in this day to hear women share positive stories of their husbands and I count myself lucky to be able to be one of those women. 

Happy Anniversary, my love.