Ten Years of (Wonder)Boy Joy!!

May 1st, 2011 WonderBoy turned 10 years old. We were without power due to the storms that came through our area April 27th. For that reason and lack of a properly functioning computer, I was not able to do a post for his birthday as I would have like to, so this is that post....Happy Belated Birthday Sweetie!!
The words whirlwind, wow!!,tornado, one man show and full steam ahead all parade across my mind when describing my sweet boy. He is FULL to overflowing with life, energy, curiosity and a live life large spirit! I was recently blessed by my sweet husband with a new laptop for Mother's Day and in the process of going through files on the old laptop and transferring and cleaning out files I had a very teary eyed stroll down memory lane. The 21 Days of Prayer for Our Sons is just about halfway completed now and I thought this was an ideal time to share with you some of the moments from the last 10 years that will be forever etched in my mother's heart of the gifts that WonderBoy has brought to my life. I am so grateful to Brooke for this prayer challenge by the way - it has given me new vision and perspective that I knew I needed just wasn't great at getting in my own efforts.
Everyday as I pray, I see new ways to pray, new areas that would benefit from prayer and even where prayers of the past and been answered and where God is moving in WonderBoy's heart. Beginning with Day 1 I prayed that God would give me His eyes to see my son through - what an amazing view and perspective I am seeing emerging, my heart is being softened and I find I am not as quick to pounce on some things as I may have been in the past - just being real ;-) I pray that God will continue to work in me as I lift WonderBoy to Him in prayer, afterall a learning, growing and healing mom is a blessing to any son!
Take a minute with me if you will and allow me to share some of my favorite moments from the 10 years that have moved as he does - in a flash!
Dear God, Thank You for these 1o years of motherhood, these 10 years of love, laughter, tears, craziness, confusion, struggles and triumphs.
Thank You Father for guiding us through the dark places when our flashlights were out of batteries.
Thank You for the heart of joy that you have given this child. Thank You for his good health and for his infectious smile!I pray Lord that he will know you and seek you all the days of his life.I pray that your ways will become his ways.I pray that Your approval will be the only approval he will come to seek in this world.I pray that he will know and hear Your voice and allow it to be his guide all the days of his life Father.
I pray he would honor you in word and deed and seek to be a man of honor always.
Thank You God for my son - Bless him today and always in the name of your precious son I pray.Amen.

I'm linking up with other 21 Days of Prayers for Our Sons moms here, take a minute and visit some of them if you can!

What's a Mom to Pray For?

So I decided to let WonderBoy in on what I was doing in participating the 21 Days of Prayers for Sons. Truthfully, he didn't seem too impressed, not nearly as impressed as I would be if someone was praying for me for 21 days straight - such is my lot to bear....anyway, I thought perhaps it would be interesting to ask him what he might like me to be praying about. So here in no particular order is WonderBoy's Top 10 Prayer Requests

1. His relationship with his dad (not The Principal)
2. His self worth (a direct result of #1 - again not The Principal)
3. His writing (he is a creative sort...hmm wonder where that comes from?)
4. His time with God (this one makes my mommy heart smile)
5. His relationship with The Principal (see #1..are you seeing a pattern here?)
6. His creative pursuits and abilities.(this is where his passions are no question)
7. His ability to start and finish things.
8. His ability to choose good friends.
9. His pen pals. (he really has a tender heart - makes a mom proud)
10. His desire to learn and enjoy homeschooling.

What a marvelous start! Some of these were certainly on my mental check list, but it is interesting to see where he feels a need for prayer. I am honored to be able to take these requests before our Amazing God on behalf of the precious son He has given into my care. How can we not be driven to worship and praise when we have such joy and abundance of blessings in the treasures our Heavenly Father gives us?
Are you thinking about special prayers for the boys in your lives yet?

Calling All Mothers of Sons......

As mothers of sons we have a life long job and joy that comes with the birth of these amazing gifts that God entrusts to us. It is a big job that brings with it big joys. I recently in my borderline blog addiction, came across a wonderful resource to assist in the big job of being a boy mom.



Brooke at Warrior Prayers has begun something and some place wonderful to gather with other mothers of sons to support and gird our boys in prayer. Brooke has a book available to serve as a guide for a 21 day prayer journey for our sons which we do with other mothers around the country and world via the Internet - what a fantastic idea!! We all need encouragement from time to time! This is a marvelous way to do a few pretty spectacular things in my humble opinion....
#1 find accountability to pray fervently for your son(s)
#2 connect with other mothers who share your joys/challenges
#3 pray for your boys futures in a deeper more focused way
#4 grow closer to God while interceding for your son(s)
......and those are just random and off the top of my head - of course there are many more. What if you have only daughters? Well, they are likely to marry boys right? So.. pray for the men who will be in their lives, the men who will provide for and care for not only them but your grandchildren! Everyone can do this, grandmothers, aunts, teachers, all women have a boy or know a boy somewhere in their lives I would venture to say. If you have no children of your own, commit to a young man you know and pray for him, a neighbor boy, a boy from a family at church, or even a child who has touched your heart through a news story or magazine article - he and his family will be blessed by your prayers.
This event begins June 8th and you can read about how to get involved here. The cost of the book is minimal at $5.97, skip a coffee or 2 and invest in the lives of the generation of men who we will hand things over to....seems like a no brainer to me at $5.97!
I have my book, have signed up to join an online group and I will be posting about the process throughout the 21 days of prayer for WonderBoy, I hope you will consider joining me by committing to pray for someone special over the 21 days starting June 8th, or at the very least, check in and see what God does in our family.
My prayer is that this be used of God to encourage us in our higher calling as mothers!

A Mother's Prayer.....

I have not forgotten I have a blog, computer issues continue to keep me from posting....good news to follow....
Mother's Day is probably one of the most difficult and happiest days of the year for me.....I don't even know where my Mother is if I wanted to send a card or make a phone call I could not - that of course is the difficult part. The other side is the joy and blessing that comes when I reflect on the gift that God has given me in Wonder Boy. My Mother's heart is easily overwhelmed!! I wanted to share this with you and wish you all a gloriously Happy Mother's Day.......you might want to have a tissue near by - I'm just saying ;-)

A new laptop is on the way as I type for Mother's Day......be advised .....I'll be back!!

Builders, Take Heart!

I was taking a few minutes to go through old emails in my inbox this morning when I came across this gem and realized quickly why it remained there almost a year later....

If I remember the story correctly, a friend gave a mother the gift of a book on the cathedrals of Europe with this inscription:
"To _______, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
The book pointed out how the craftsmen who built these great edifices usually didn't see them completed in their lifetime.
And there is the story of one craftsman who was carving a bird on top of a beam and was asked why, because no one would see it.
He replied that God would. Wow!


It was almost as if the woman heard God whispering to her, "I see you, ________. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
"I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder."
"As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right, and one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."
Have realistic expectations of yourself. Instead of comparing yourself…, recognize your own gifts and talents, your limitations, your specific family circumstances. It's no mistake that your children got you as a parent – it's by God's design!
Recognize spiritual warfare for what it is. The mind is the enemy's battlefield. I had to be reminded to take captive every harsh thought about my children, every selfish thought about my own entitlements in life, every self-pitying thought about being a less-than-perfect homeschool mom. I learned that the enemy really can't take away my joy, but he sure can influence me to give it up! If you are committed to raising warriors for God, your family is a target for battle, and you may want to take inventory of your Ephesians 6 armor.

Recognize the source of true joy. When I am spending time in God's presence, I can choose to be joyful, to speak gently and cheerfully, and to recognize that I am blessed to have this season with my children.

Be encouraged by this today Dear Sister Friends!

Challenging Moms in May

In my continuing adventures poking around blog land, I found recently discovered a wonderful blog Extravagant Grace. eLisa is hosting a 28 day challenge this month for us Moms, based on The Love Dare principles to do a dare a day for 28 days challenging us to love our children in ways that bring the glory to our Father. I know I can benefit from the challenge and I am sure Wonder Boy (if he knew about it) would agree whole heartedly!! I am a few days last getting started, but I am operating on the premise that everything comes right on time - so join me won't you ? I dare you!!

Learning as I go,

Leisha

Mothers .........Be Encouraged

In my inbox this morning was a wonderful message of encouragement from Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies - a message I felt led to share with you here. If you are not familiar with this ministry - I would strongly suggest that you visit their site and look at the wealth of information and resources they offer. This ministry has been an enormous blessing to me in the years that I have been home with Wonder Boy and learning to follow and answer the call that God has placed in my heart. Above Rubies publishes a wonderful magazine which you can request via their website as well - it is free and you can request additonal copies to share with others - I cannot tell you how I delight in a new issue and how many times I return to old ones to look up something I have read or refer back to for one reason or another.

HOLD ON TO YOUR CROWN

By Nancy Campbell

Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

When God appeared to Moses as I AM THAT I AM out in the backside of the desert, He commissioned him to deliver the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt . But Moses was fearful to take on such a task. He had no strength of his own to accomplish it. God then said to him, "What is that in thine hand, Moses?" (Exodus 4:2).

What was in his hand? A shepherd's rod. Nothing fancy. Nothing powerful. Just a simple rod he used each day to guide, prod and protect his flock. God took that plain shepherd's rod and made it a mighty weapon in Moses' hand. Whenever he stretched forth the rod mighty miracles happened. It released the plagues upon the Egyptians. It showed forth God's mighty power.

Sometimes you wonder what you are doing in your home. Your friends have high-powered careers and are raking in the money. You are trying to make ends meet from day to day. Your family remind you that you are wasting your life and your education.

But what is in your hand? It is the rod of motherhood. It may look insignificant, as Moses' rod did, but it wields a mighty power. Motherhood is the most powerful career in the nation. As a mother, you determine the course of the nation. You are in God's hands preparing your children for the purposes God has laid out for them before the foundation of the world. This is a top notch job. It is high powered!

Mothering is your crown. It has been invested in you by God himself. It is your anointing of womanhood. It is your authority. Do not take off your beautiful crown of motherhood to allow someone else to mother the children God has given you. Never let your crown go. Hold on to it. Lift your head high and be proud of your divine calling.

You may be going through circumstances that cause you to feel like giving up. You feel an utter failure. This mothering business is not working out. Your children are giving you heartache. Do not give up. Do not take off your crown. Rise up in the anointing and authority that God has given you as a mother. Do not let your circumstances rob you of your crown.

Do not let other people rob you either. Do you notice that this Scripture says that man will try to take it from you? Those who are ignorant of God's heart for children will speak negative things into your life. Those who are deceived by this world's philosophy will try to lure you away from your high calling. Do not be swayed by what people say. Do not let them take your crown. Hold on to it tightly.

Do not for a moment be intimidated by your antagonists! (Philippians 1:28)

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Lord, I thank you that you have given me the crown of mothering. Help me to see that it is a crown to wear and be proud of. When I wear this crown I am walking in your perfect will. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

Mothering is a crown I wear with dignity.

Ladies,
I pray that this message encourages and blesses you today as you answer God's call for your life and continue to grow into everything He created you to be !!

Much Love,

Leisha