Bedtime Prayers

Pillows. Windows. Machines that turn on. Knees. Narwhals. Beds. Clothes. Dogs. Tacos. Baths. Bicycles. Sidewalk chalk. Eyes. Playing. Food. Blankets. Dinosaur. Scooters. This is the list our kiddos provided last night when we asked them what they were thankful for as we were preparing to say our bedtime prayer. Sometimes their thankful list makes perfect […]

Pillows. Windows. Machines that turn on.
Knees. Narwhals. Beds.
Clothes. Dogs. Tacos.
Baths. Bicycles.
Sidewalk chalk. Eyes. Playing. Food.
Blankets. Dinosaur. Scooters.

This is the list our kiddos provided last night when we asked them what they were thankful for as we were preparing to say our bedtime prayer. Sometimes their thankful list makes perfect sense to Leah and I, and other times we have no idea where they come up with their ideas, but it is still important.

And so we pray for it.

Every night a prayer of thanksgiving is led by one of our kids and they are the sweetest prayers. They are prayers filled with giggles and smiles as we reflect on the fun we experienced during the day. They are prayers that also include request and concerns—scratched knees, daddy’s head to feel better, biological family to be ok.

Our kiddos have opened mine and Leah’s eyes to the repetitive, incessant, dependence I have for my Father. In their beautifully, sweet prayers they lay everything before God. They give thanks for EVERYTHING. Nothing is too foolish for my kiddos to pray for. They like narwhals- let’s pray for narwhals. They saw caterpillars- Thank you God for caterpillars!

Today take time to make a list of everything you can think of that is worthy of praise. Allow yourself room for laughter and silliness as you make your list. You may find that you too are thankful for narwhals, dinosaurs, sidewalk chalk, and scooters.
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106: 1

That’s Not a Candle

Several years ago, there was story shared about a woman from Connecticut whose power had gone out during a storm. She left her house to go to a local hardware store to purchase some flashlights, but the store was closed. She returned home and found what she thought...

The Post-Christian Problem

I attended the New Day Conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the end of last week with a small group from Riverchase. It was a good conference and I left encouraged about the opportunities we have to fulfill the call of Christ to make disciples. On Friday evening,...

Josiah’s Reform

In the thirty-one years of his rule, King Josiah proved to be a faithful man of God and a great king of Judah. He served God from the beginning as a young king and grew into a greater understanding of God’s will and a determination to follow that will. He made a...

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” Simply defined, it means that you should eat healthy if you want to be healthy. This phrase can trace its roots back to the early 1800’s. It came from the 1826 work The Physiology of Taste, in which...

It Is Well

Above the piano in our house is a large wood sign with the phrase, “it is well with my soul” on it. Kimberly and I purchased it during a season of our life together where we were not completely sure what the future had in store for our little family. Since then, the...

Do Over

  I messed up on recording my recent radio programs. The sound quality was so bad Mark could not run them on the air. So, I deleted them and recorded them again.   I sure wish I could do that in real life with all the other mistakes I make. Just delete them...

Don’t Believe Your Preacher

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9 ESV) Here is the test. The “teaching of Christ” is, of course, the very word of God. So, if your...

Balloons Belong in Church

I would like to share with you an excerpt from a poem written by Ann Weems. The beginning of it describes a four-year-old child that brought with her a balloon to church one Sunday. When her Sunday school teacher saw the balloon, she mockingly said to the girl, “We...

Faith

Two important verses: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV) 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and...

Abide in the Teachings

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. (Psalms 119:105-106 ESV) Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in...