HEAD to TOE Prayer for My Husband and Yours on Father's Day

Father's Day 2019 is almost upon us (June 16). 

One of the greatest joys of life is my husband.  He is far from perfect (likewise).  I pretty much married a man just like my dad.  Whereas my dad's lack of self-control manifested itself very strongly in wagering/gambling, my hubby's weakness is in another area.


How anyone deals with life and marriage's daily battles without the Lord's help is beyond me. How does one fight (invisible) enemies within and without if it were not from above? Each of us needs permanent, super-natural strength and  hope that is other-worldly and will not disappoint. The source of our all in all is found only in God manifest in the flesh:  our mighty-to-save, 3rd-fold cord, whose name is Jesus Christ, the risen-from-the-dead-for-our-sins, Lord. 

As close as my hubby and me have come to divorce (plus, his weakness is a very sore point in our relationship), it is off the table and not an option only because we pray daily and directly to a mighty God who has kept us from choosing that awful option. 

Here is an example on how to pray for your husband according to God's Word:

Dear Lord, I pray for _____________. 

His Mind — That he will have the mind of Christ and think as the Holy Spirit would lead him and not the flesh. (1 Corinthians 2:16) 

His Eyes — That You will keep his eyes from temptation and that he will turn his eyes from sin. (Matthew 6:13; Mark 9:47)

His Ears — That he will hear Your still small voice instructing him. (1 Kings 19:12, Psalm 32:8) 

His Mouth — That his words will be pleasing to You. (Psalm 19:14) 

His Neck — That his decisions will honor You in all regards. (Psalm 25:12) 

In Jesus' name I pray ...

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks.

Here's yet another example of a prayer for your dear husband: 

Father, give my husband a discerning heart to know Your great love for him and the great plans You have for him and our family. Plans to prosper and not to harm, to give us hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, give my husband the mind of Christ, saturate it with godly wisdom. Help him to take every thought captive that is not in obedience to Your Word, and in so doing protect him from pride and temptation. (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Father, open the eyes of my husband’s heart to understand Your Word, so that he won’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of his mind so that he may know Your good, acceptable and perfect will for his life and our marriage. (Romans 12:2)

Father, help my husband to trust in You with all his heart, not depending on his own understanding, but acknowledging You in all his ways, so he knows what direction our family should take. 

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Father, may the favor of the Lord rest on my husband. Bless and establish the work of his hands and his heart. (Psalm 90:17)

Father, help us to live together in perfect unity by loving, honoring and respecting one another and serving each other for Your glory, honor and praise! (1 Thessalonians 5:13

... in Jesus Christ's  name I pray. Amen.

pc: Stop Playing Church

Praying for Your Husband From Head to Toe

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HEAD to TOE Prayer for Husbands on Father's Day

Father's Day 2017 is almost upon us.  One of the greatest joys of my life is my husband.  He is far from perfect (same here).  I pretty much married a man just like my dad.  Whereas my dad's lack of self-control manifested itself very strongly in gambling; my hubby's weakness is in another area (it's in the top 10 list).

How anyone can deal with life and marriage's daily battles without the Lord's help is beyond me. How does one fight (invisible) enemies within and without? Each of us needs permanent, super-natural strength and  hope that is other-worldly and will not disappoint. The source of our all in all is found only in God manifest in the flesh:  our mighty-to-save, 3rd-fold cord, whose name is Jesus Christ, the risen-from-the-dead, Lord.

As close as my hubby and me have come to divorce (plus, his top-10 weakness is a very sore point in our relationship), it is off the table and not an option only because we pray daily and directly to a mighty God who has kept us from choosing that awful option. 

Here is an example on how to pray for your husband according to God's Word:

Dear Lord, I pray for __________. 

His Mind — That he will have the mind of Christ and think as the Holy Spirit would lead him and not the flesh. (1 Corinthians 2:16) 

His Eyes — That You will keep his eyes from temptation and that he will turn his eyes from sin. (Matthew 6:13; Mark 9:47)

His Ears — That he will hear Your still small voice instructing him. (1 Kings 19:12, Psalm 32:8) 

His Mouth — That his words will be pleasing to You. (Psalm 19:14) 

His Neck — That his decisions will honor You in all regards. (Psalm 25:12) 

In Jesus' name I pray ...


Praying for Your Hubby from Head to Toe

Here's another sample of a prayer for your dear husband: 

Father, give my husband a discerning heart to know Your great love for him and the great plans You have for him and our family. Plans to prosper and not to harm, to give us hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Father, give my husband the mind of Christ, saturate it with godly wisdom. Help him to take every thought captive that is not in obedience to Your Word, and in so doing protect him from pride and temptation. (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Father, open the eyes of my husband’s heart to understand Your Word, so that he won’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of his mind so that he may know Your good, acceptable and perfect will for his life and our marriage. (Romans 12:2)

Father, help my husband to trust in You with all his heart, not depending on his own understanding, but acknowledging You in all his ways, so he knows what direction our family should take. 

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Father, may the favor of the Lord rest on my husband. Bless and establish the work of his hands and his heart. (Psalm 90:17)

Father, help us to live together in perfect unity by loving, honoring and respecting one another and serving each other for Your glory, honor and praise! (1 Thessalonians 5:13

... in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

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20.4.17.19

Note to Self, Year 2017

Worth sharing from one of my favorite preachers: 

Where I have my devotions, my wife Leslie "Sugarbabe", has a plaque on the wall that I look at all the time. It reads as follows:

BELIEVE
LEARN FROM YESTERDAY
LIVE FOR TODAY
HOPE FOR TOMORROW
When you are DOWN to NOTHING God is UP to SOMETHING

RUTH 1 #BELIEVEGOD  Maranatha


James Ford, Jr

Jesse B

Our long-time friend passed away suddenly from complications of an  aortic aneurysm that he suffered a week before Christmas. We had had a fun dinner with him just a little over 2 weeks before he suddenly fell ill. Today we say our final goodbyes, and weep with his wife and children.  However,  our sorrow is not without hope. Jesus Christs promises eternal life to all who would believe in Him by faith... not based on: good works, rituals,  prayers to saints, church membership, secret knowledge, reincarnation, and so on. It's all by grace, through faith.  Jesse will be terribly missed -- but he is now absent in the body, and present with the Lord Jesus Christ. No more suffering, pain, worries, tears, or health problems.  

 "... to be with Christ; which is far better"

Philippians 1:23

Jesse Barrera, age 61 of Lansing, IL, formerly of Evanston, IL, passed away on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth Jane (nee Watkinson), children: Jason Barrera and Joanna Barrera; and six siblings: Rick, Charisse, Elizabeth, Aurora, Lucille, and Robert. Jesse was preceded in death by his parents: Vicente and Fernanda Barrera.

Friends are invited to visit with Jesse’s family on Monday, January 2, 2017 from 3:00 – 7:00 PM at the Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home, 3227 Ridge Rd., Lansing, IL. Funeral services for Jesse will be follow at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jesse’s name to the Moody Bible Institute, 820 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60610.

Jesse was employed as a bus driver for PACE and was a member of the Million Miler Club.

J.B. Obituary

Superhero boy

As some of you know, I have gone through every mother's worst fear. On June 2nd, I lost my youngest son in a horrible car accident. I was driving. I had pulled away from a gas station, checking each buckle, and I began to drive the curvy, mountainous road to my family's house. My son was notorious for doing everything he could to unbuckle in the car ("The Flash doesn't wear a seat belt, and I'm the Flash, mama") We tried five point harness seats, boosters, I believe even zip ties at one point (probably not safe either) but he always viewed it as a superhero challenge. He was a superhero because he always succeeded. On average, I would usually pull over three or four times on any given trip to firmly make him buckle up again. We were only five minutes out when a large rock rolled into my lane. I had three choices: try to straddle the rock, move to the oncoming lane which was a double line large curve with an angry river at the other side. Rock, head on collision, river. I chose the rock. I chose wrong. And yes, he had already unbuckled along with his 8 year old brother. (They were switching spots and I didn't know.) The rock hit my axle, and sent us plummeting into the side of a cliff. Our 13 passenger van rolled and my son was instantly gone. Our lives were instantly ripped apart. The little boy who had been my pride and joy was cruelly taken from me in a matter of seconds. I remember being smashed between my console (no airbag engaged) and our three ton van. I had blood everywhere. I fought and fought and then blacked out. When I awoke, I was unbuckling my baby from her car seat (she was upside down) and working to get each child (5 of my children were with me) out of the van. When I came to Titus I worked with all my might to lift the heavy van off his tiny body. My 8 year old son was trying to help me. I could only see the lower half of his body. I rubbed his tummy and tried gentle compressions. But he was already gone. It was instantaneous, which only brings me comfort because I know he felt no pain. What followed was a blur. I refused treatment from the paramedics until they let me hold my dead son. All my children were whipped away and taken to an ambulance to be cared for. I was life flighted and sedated, for the shock made me inconsolable. It was two days later that I saw it all over Facebook. A news report reporting the death of my child as if they were reporting that the weather might change, or a new planet had been discovered. I was thankful they reported that no drugs or alcohol had been a factor. But that's not what hurt. The readers commented the cruelest things about how horrible of a mother I was. How I deserved it. How my children should be taken from me. I wanted to punch them, shake them. Tell them how close we were, how hard I fought to keep him safe. How we had a special good night kiss and a designated McDonald's date each week. I wanted to scream that he always told me he wanted to marry me, that I was the best mama ever. That he built me Lego ships, took naps in my bed while holding my hand with his dimpled little fingers.

But no one would have listened anyway. I feel led to write this to all you Mamas because I have a longing to look each of you in the eyes and tell you this: "Hold your babies tight". That's all I want to shout to the world.

I'm not who I once was; death and loss changes a person from the inside out.

I have held my dead sons body in the middle of a highway while I rocked him and screamed - no ordered God to bring him back.

-I have chosen a funeral plot for my four year old boy as I contemplated jumping from the cliff the cemetery overlooks just so I could be where he is.

-I have purchased a 200 dollars superhero outfit for my son to wear as he decomposes in the earth.

-I have kissed a corpse over and over and wept as I traced over every feature of his ice cold face and held his still dimpled, but lifeless hands.

-I have slept in a cemetery just to try and take one more nap with him. I talk to the dirt. To the ground where he lies with his lovey blanket and his avengers outfit.

And what I want to say (if you've read this far, you're so patient and so kind) is this. And you can share it with any mama you know.

- maybe finishing broccoli at dinner isn't as important as we might think. Watch how your children eat, soak in their hatred for corn (oh how Titus hated corn). Maybe they can still have ice cream - even just sometimes - while those veggies still sit on their plate.

-learn to pretend. Get into their world. Learn to play the Xbox with them. Embrace their beautiful, fleeting imagination. Let them really believe that they are Captain America or Queen Elsa. Get in their mind, see how they tick. The dishes will still be there.

- take every hug and kiss they bring you - even the twenty fifth one they use just to get out of bed at night. And really squeeze them.

-stop and look at the bugs, the rocks, the sticks, the sunset. Slow down mama, slow down.

- tell them you love them. But look in their eyes and say it like you mean it. Tell them they can do anything - anything they set their mind to.

-yes, we must hold them accountable but sometimes- maybe grace is the answer. Maybe, just maybe, they won't end up ruined if we let some things slide.

-never judge another mama. We don't know the whole story, we don't know. We just don't know.

-Go hug your babies right now. Soak in their smell, look at the innocent sparkle in their eyes that is lost somewhere between childhood and adulthood. Really feel how they squeeze you. Set down your phone and see them through the lens of your eyes not only the lens of your camera. Remember the feeling of their head on your shoulder, their hand in yours, their sloppy kisses on your cheeks. Nurse them one more time. Sleep is overrated. Listen five minutes longer about Star Wars, minecraft and Disney princesses. 

Mamas, hold your children tight. How blessed you are to have been entrusted with such unique, beautiful, tiny humans.

From my heart to yours,
Ashley

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He hit the world on the head

....from a man the Media has never been able to throw dirt on... amazing!!  He has certainly hit the "world" on the head!!

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!


'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good', but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. O Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.  Amen!' 


Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story', and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God..'

(From a forwarded email...)

Personal observations on Michelangelo, da Vinci, Flowers & Chanel

Pictures paint a  1000 words + a few more from me :

Dad's coffin that he personally chose: Decorated with Michelangelo's Pieta on the corners; sides decorated with panels of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Great choice, IMO.  My poor Mom on a wheelchair, transported by an ambulance crew plus a CNA & a Caregiver (4 adult people in total), for a private opportunity to say goodbye to Dad at the church.  Thank God for those who coordinated this not-as-easy-as-it-looks event.  My last glimpse of the coffin at the cemetery, its top covered with flowers placed by family and friends plus the white gloves of the pallbearers. Why do I feel sorry for the flowers?! The weather was cold with snow flurries.  The 12 "FREE" folding chairs that no one sat on except for my Chanel bag.  Each of the front row chairs had a bottle of drinking water, a rose, and a pack of tissue.  So grateful to my friend in the purple coat who hooked her arm with mine. My DH had his arm around my waist. I think of it as God's love and support on either side of me.

********

He is not dead

I cannot say, and I will not say

That he is dead.  He is just away.

With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,

He has wandered into an unknown land

And left us dreaming how very fair

It needs must be, since he lingers there.

And you --- oh, you, who the wildest yearn

For an old time step, and the glad return,

Think of him faring on, as dear

In the love of There as the love of Here.

Think of him still as the same.  I say,

He is not dead --- he is just away.

 by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

O death, where is they sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ

~ 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57

My Dad

My beloved ♥ Dad ♥ passed away in the very early morning hours of November 26, 2009.

It was Thanksgiving Day, AND my wedding anniversary, but I choose to remember that day as a day to give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon me by the Lord.  I loved my Dad, and he loved me; and I am grateful to God for the privilege of being his daughter.

I am grateful for the memories: the most recent being the genuine look of joy, happiness, and relief he expressed as he greeted me when I walked into their home through their kitchen door a few days ago. Of course, I got there by driving his beloved Lexus RX 300 that he so generously lent to me.  That same night, he beckoned me over to his room after an awkward time with Mom, to tell me with all the sincerity he could muster -- "Don't worry about it..don't feel bad."  And, he was  grateful when I said a prayer to God above for him and Mom just before I left the next morning. 

My Dad had his faults (just as the rest of us), but I claim the forgiveness that's available throught the Lord Jesus shown in the Word of God: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowsip one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7)

My Dad heard the Good New, the Gospel of Jesus Christ which reconciles us to God through the shedding of His blood on calvary's cross --- a FREE gift to anyone who wants it.  Therefore, God's Word - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10: 17),  brings me hope and comfort during this very difficult time. 

For by grace are you saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2: 8,9

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?  It is God that justifieth. Romans 8:33

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9

Mom & Cancer

My Mom's cancer has indeed metastasized, in spite of some glimmer of hope  last week that it had not. It has spread in her lungs, and to her brain (but not to her bones).  Our hope remains on the Lord God and His Word.  Yes, we pray for her physical healing; but we pray most of all that she would have the ultimate healing - the healing of her soul - available ONLY by faith on the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  It is a free gift available to anyone, anywhere, anytime (while in the land of the living).

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
~ Psalm 66

so beautiful! so smart!