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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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March 25, 2012

Praying for your Kids series…Part 4 and a Guest!

This is the final week of our series:



We have spent the last four weeks being encouraged by the words of some very special moms as they have shared their wonderful insights into how prayer has impacted their families.


This week we are capping off the series with another very special guest!
Kristin of Sweet Country Life has been a lovely friend to us since even before our Picket Fence days. Her blog is filled with charming, honest and sincere snippets from her Sweet Country Life but more than anything, her love for the Lord and her family shine through in every word. 


Let’s welcome Kristin now as she shares with us from her heart…


 


~Filling In The Gaps~

When Vanessa and I first spoke of her new series. I was so excited to be a part of it!

What a great topic….

Praying for our children.

And right away. I felt and had the need to share that one of the most powerful ways that I can and have prayed for my children is to pray that God will “fill in the gaps.”

What does that mean exactly?

Well, we all know…that the moment they place that new baby in our arms. Whether born to us or adopted. That we are so utterly sure that we will love this child unconditionally. That we will do our best and that we will be the mostperfect parents…Ever.

And as you well know.
Perfection is a myth.
And no matter how much we desire to do our best with the raising of our children. We are human. And so are they. We will stumble and we will fall.
And at times…we will fail.
We will fail them.
We will fail ourselves.
And we will need help.

We will need Him.

And whether you are a seasoned mother.
Or a new mommy.

It’s so very important that you know this.

You are not alone.
And the successes and failures of your children do not rise and fall with you.
Oh yes.
It’s extremely easy to pat ourselves on the back when our children are successful!

But, what about when our children….fail at something?
Do you also feel the failure in your job as parent.
Most likely.
And it can be extremely painful.
However….
You have a very important and much needed tool at your disposal. And my friend, it is the most powerful tool of all.

The power to pray that God will fill in the gaps.
It will change your life.
And that of your children.

Isn’t that amazing?

Many, many times I have asked Him, begged Him, to fill in the gaps of my parenting choices.
To stand in the middle of where I think I may be succeeding or am sure that I am failing.
I pray that He draws them near.
That He lifts them up and pulls them forward.
That it is He who changes their heart.
Who convicts them between right and wrong.
That bathes them in peace.
That shows them the path.
That beckons righteousness and humility.

Despite my most well meaning of intentions.

Oh sure, I may think that I am doing all of the molding and shaping.
Bending their lives in the directions that I think are best with my limited knowledge of the future.
But the truth is…
I have zero knowledge of their future.
And I need Him.
Because He is the one who knows.
He is the only hope and trust that I have, because He loves these children, my children, His children. More that I can ever imagine.

And that is powerful, powerful stuff, isn’t it?
And so freeing.

There is freedom in giving up the control.
Freedom in knowing that although I do my best.
And sometimes not so best.
He is better.
He will see them through.

And so for me, when I think of the way that praying for my children has shaped me, challenged me, and nurtured my heart and soul.
Or my children for that matter.

This is what I wanted to share with all of you.

May God bless you on your journey, with hope and peace.
Be encouraged…
You are doing a wonderful job of loving your children.
God knows our hearts and desires and He will give us the strength, love, tools and help that we need!

Psalm 37: 3-6

Kristin

Wow! We thank you so much Kristin for this wonderfully encouraging and truth-filled message today. What a relief it is to know that God will fill in the gaps for us and for our children if we are willing to trust Him!

picketfence_20010_thumb[18]

And now for the final list of Biblical Virtues to pray for your kids!
Sunday: 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)
Monday: 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)
Tuesday: 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)
Wednesday: 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)
Thursday: 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)
Friday: Passion for God~ “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after thee’ (Psalms 63:8), one that clings passionately to you.”
Saturday: 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)
*adapted from Pray! Magazine*


When we first discussed doing this series, we knew it would never be a blockbuster by “blogging” standards. It wouldn’t receive the most comments, emails, “pins”, etc.
It wasn’t likely to be tweeted about or tagged on Facebook.
But, that’s OK!

Our desire for all of our Simply Sunday posts, is that you might come here and find encouragement, support and maybe even some words of wisdom as you journey through this crazy life.
And, as mothers ourselves, we deeply desire that our children know and feel the love of God from us and through us. We can’t think of any greater legacy we could leave them than an understanding of His love and grace and the sacrifice He made for them…for us…for you!
As we enter into the Holy Season of Good Friday and Easter, we pray that this love would be more real to you than ever and that you will feel it in a new and fresh way.
We are so grateful to all of our Special Guests for being apart of the Praying for Your Kids Series!
If you missed the previous installments you can find them by clicking here.
May your week be richly blessed and thank you so much for joining us on this Simply Sunday,
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7 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Good Thoughts, Guest Posts, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. Sue says

    March 25, 2012 at 1:31 PM

    Wow. I clicked your link from The Polka Dot Closet to find some new DIY ideas and found this post instead. I SO needed this today, not just for my family but for myself. Thank you so much for doing this and to Kristen, your post was amazing and so inspiring to me. He tries so hard to reach us, no matter how many distractions we throw in his path 🙂

    Reply
  2. NanaDiana says

    March 25, 2012 at 1:37 PM

    What a beautiful, eloquent, heart-warming, inspiring (did I miss anything) post! Beautifully said! xo Diana

    Reply
  3. Alicia Robicheaux says

    March 25, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    I had no idea about this. I’m anxious to see the whole series. (hugs)

    Reply
  4. Amit and Heather says

    March 25, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    I loved this series!!! My husband and I don’t have kids yet, but I have saved all the virtues, so I can pray for them when we do! I’m also sending this to a friend who just had a baby – she’ll love it! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  5. White Ironstone Cottage says

    March 25, 2012 at 10:58 PM

    I have enjoyed this so much what a Blessing
    xxoo
    Pam

    Reply
  6. Amy Kinser says

    March 26, 2012 at 5:04 AM

    What a blessing to read this today. I have prayed many times for God’s grace to “catch” my children when they fall because of my mistakes or something I didn’t teach them. Does that make any sense at all? I love praying for God to fill in the gaps.

    blessings to you all…

    Reply
  7. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    April 3, 2012 at 11:48 AM

    Once again, God’s timing is perfect! I’m waaaay behind on blog visiting, but this morning I finally read this post, and Kristin has beautifully written what I have so often prayed and claimed in my heart for my children. They are now in their late 20s, and I still pray that God will fill in the gaps (but I never used those words until now). What wonderful imagery. Thank you Kristin, Heather, and Vanessa — and I wish a blessed celebration of our risen Lord for each of you. Happy Easter!

    Reply

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This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the pa When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the payoff of your investment in your children, it is truly one of the greatest gifts. We had that experience twice this week with our 18 year old son and were overwhelmed by this opportunity we had to watch as he handled two very different situations (one personal and one professional) with grace, maturity, integrity and courage. Those of you mamas of little ones, don't ever minimize the job you are doing in raising this next generation. 

Every story read at bedtime
Every correction made to strengthen character
Every outdoor exploration
Every nose wiped
Every bandaid applied
Every time you say no when the world says yes
Every night of helping with homework
Every difficult conversation
Every prayer uttered

The final pieces of the puzzle of his childhood are falling into place and the picture revealed is one that is more wonderful than we could have imagined. And we know that it is only by God's grace on us as we sought His wisdom and guidance that we have come to this point. We have been FAR from perfect parents, but one of my most sincere prayers for the past 18 years was that the Lord would stand in the gaps that were surely to be revealed by our imperfections. And He has answered those prayers again and again. He's taken my humble petitions and most sincere intentions and knocked our socks off with the young man we are so privileged to call our son. And we can’t wait to watch as his future unfolds!
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