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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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March 5, 2012

Praying for your kids…a Simply Sunday Series

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My kids have been playing together a lot more lately.
Not in a begrudging, “Mom is making us do this” kind of way.
But in a, “Hey, I’ve finally realized just how much fun we could have together” kind of way.
Now, you may be wondering why that would be such a big deal.
Well, I’ll tell you.
I have been praying for this.
Praying that they would discover the joy of having a sibling.
Praying that their relationship would grow and flourish.
Praying that they would just have fun together!

So, for me this is a BIG deal.
It is an answer to our prayers.
And it has served as a reminder of just how very important it is to be praying for our kids.
Not only for their safety, health, happiness and well-being.
But for so much more!
You see, I truly believe that a big part of the reason why my children have been playing so well together and growing in their relationship is because not only have we prayed for that specific area, we have also been praying for very specific character traits to be developed in them.
Some might even call them “Virtues“.
In the Fall of 2010, we found ourselves squished into those teeny tiny classroom chairs when we attended parent orientation at my son’s school. He was going into the first grade and we knew this was the beginning of a big change since he would be away from home all day long. My heart almost couldn’t bear it!
But knowing the love that his teachers (they job-shared) had for those kids was a huge comfort.
And then one of them handed all the parents a pamphlet entitled:
31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids

She said that she firmly believed in the power of praying for our children and that she hoped this would be a tool for us to use as we prayed for our kiddos.
She also said that she would be praying daily for each and every one of them.
Oh, how I love this school!

We took that little pamphlet and put it in our bathroom where we would see it every morning and say a quick prayer for our kids in one of the areas listed.

As part of the Praying for your Kids series, every Sunday in the month of March we will be providing you a week’s worth of Virtues to pray for your kids with accompanying scripture.

And, we are so thrilled to have some fantastic guests lined up who will share how the power of prayer has impacted their own families.

We hope and pray that this will be an encouragement to you as you navigate the challenging waters of parenting. Isn’t it so wonderful to know that we can look to God’s word for guidance and wisdom?
We are so grateful to not have to go it alone!

So, now let me share with you this week’s Virtues to be praying for your kids.


Week One
Sunday~Salvation: “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (Is. 45:8, 2 Tim. 2:10)
Monday~Growth in grace: “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18)
Tuesday~Love: “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them” (Gal 5:25, Eph. 5:2)
Wednesday~Honesty and Integrity: “May integrity and honesty by their virtue and their protection” 
(Ps. 25:21)
Thursday~Self-Control: “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do” (1 Thess. 5:6)
Friday~Love for God’s Word: “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:10)
Saturday~Justice: “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do” (Ps. 11:7, Mic. 6:8)

Be sure to come back next week when we will have the next set of Virtues AND a special guest sharing from their own experience in praying for their kids!
Thanks so much for joining me for this Simply Sunday at the Fence,

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18 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Praying for your Kids, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    March 4, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    Oh this is so important and it never ends. It is so special that you are raising your children to love the Lord and showing them by your example. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  2. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    March 4, 2012 at 3:23 PM

    What a beautiful way to start the day Vanessa. Thank you for sharing this with us, I look forward to the next set of Virtues!

    Reply
  3. Tanya@takesix says

    March 4, 2012 at 3:25 PM

    Amen Vanessa!!! Thank you for this important reminder!

    Reply
  4. NanaDiana says

    March 4, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    Vanessa- I agree with this so fully. There is nothing more important for a parent to do than to pray over/for their children. When my kids got older and were going out with friends/dating I would always pray that they would be hedged by angels and I always felt some comfort in that act. They all endured the teenage years without a lot of distress. (well, except for having a crazy Mom that insisted their room be clean before they did anything with friends!;>) xo Diana

    Reply
  5. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    March 4, 2012 at 7:29 PM

    What a wonderful series, ladies! There is no greater gift we can give our children and grandchildren (or the neighbor’s children) than to pray for them, asking God to draw them to Him. How perfect that Day One is salvation.

    Reply
  6. Caneel says

    March 4, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    Beautiful post – thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Ramblings of a Southern Girl ~ Rhonda G says

    March 4, 2012 at 9:55 PM

    Great post! I believe in the power of praying for our children! I truly believe it was the founding and foremost reason my daughter got into the college she has, and that we are provided the funds to pay for it! Giving Him all the glory! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and the scriptures accompanying! Thanks so much for sharing this series! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Good Time Charlie says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:01 PM

    So beautiful. I have a firm faith in the importance of praying for our children. I pray for each of my children for different things, but your prayer was so important, and was heard because it brought more love and more harmony to your home. The relationship we forge in our homes and with our siblings shapes us to how we will be as adults. You are doing a great job of making some future amazing adults!

    Reply
  9. Kim | At Home With Kim says

    March 4, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    LOVE this idea! And will be praying these virtues over my children. I will look so forward to all the future posts.

    Reply
  10. Becca says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:56 PM

    Thank you. I am sharing this with a couple of my good girlfriends so we can pray for our grandchildren.

    Reply
  11. Dayle Allen Shockley says

    March 5, 2012 at 12:59 AM

    There’s nothing more important we can do for our children than to pray for them, even when they’re grown, as mine is. I’m so thankful to have praying parents who still pray for me every day.

    Reply
  12. All Things Chic 2 says

    March 5, 2012 at 1:30 AM

    Hi , what an answer to prayer finding your blog has been…Praying for my children is something I do not do enough of…Thanks…I invite you to visit my blog as well…Blessings Lori…Your newest follower!!!

    Reply
  13. Eilis says

    March 5, 2012 at 1:49 AM

    One of the amazing things about watching my “kids” (22,22, and 17)get older has been seeing them really become friends. Now that they have their own lives, they appreciate each other so much more. They actually see the wonderful people that their siblings are growing into. I love that. (It was almost worth all the years of sibling rivalry….)
    Eilis
    my-heart-lives-here

    Reply
  14. Kristin says

    March 5, 2012 at 2:29 AM

    So good.
    So true.
    The power of prayer IS amazing!
    Can’t wait until next week!
    XO

    Reply
  15. Janet says

    March 5, 2012 at 3:42 AM

    Sounds like an awesome private Christian school. If a teacher in a public school did that (at least here in CT) she’d be fired! My son has autism and was in therapeutic day schools that helped tremendously (as did my church family prayers), my daughter went to public until high school. She was so abused, not just bullied, by peers, she was severely depressed. Private Christian high school that was only affordable by God’s grace (we sweated paying pre-school!)was SO different. If you’d like a guest post for a Sunday, email me? SO happy for you all. Janet craftythriftydecoratingwifemom.wordpress.com

    Reply
  16. Christy says

    March 5, 2012 at 5:32 AM

    Oh how I love this!! This came and the right time for our household. Thank you!!

    Reply
  17. Mr. Smith@TheSmithGarage says

    March 4, 2012 at 11:55 PM

    Great post – thanks for inspiring on Sunday.

    Reply
  18. melissa@joyineveryseason says

    March 8, 2012 at 6:15 AM

    I’m praying for my four children from a prayer notebook I made ten years ago … it’s beyond wonderful to see how God has answered so many of the prayers I prayed for them when they were just little guys. I love these virtues & their corresponding Bible verses … I’ll be adding them to my prayer book. Thank you so much!

    Reply

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“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom and the principles upon which our country was founded. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables t I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables to pit next to our outdoor couch and when I spotted these plant stands at @walmart from their @betterhomesandgardens line I knew they would be perfect…and they are!! 👏🏻 This is not a sponsored post. I’m just happily sharing this great find and why we should always be open to thinking outside of the box when it comes finding solutions for our decorating dilemmas.

Now we’re ready to head into this beautiful weekend! ☀️
What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
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If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
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Lilac season is so bittersweet because it’s over way too soon but, fortunately, I’ve figured out how to capture the deliciousness of the fragrance by making my own lilac scented room spray. It’s SO simple!

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.

This sweet little project was first featured in my book Life in Season and is definitely one of my favorites.

Have the lilacs started blooming where you live?
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