Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Goodbye, July!…and Grace and Truth Link Up

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I still have a vacation with my best friend’s family to look forward to.  Otherwise, I might feel like our summer is practically over.  I can’t believe how quickly my kids will return to academia.  So before it gets away from me, I’m thinking back on our July.

 

A wedding in Austin, Texas kicked off the festivities.  A dear friend married off her last kiddo at a beautiful resort with a scrumptious dinner and fun DJ.  I enjoyed getting all dressed up with the hubs.  It’s been a while.  The next morning we stopped at a hole in the wall donut shop on our way back home.  We met Vanilla Ice there.  And no, we did not stop, collaborate, or listen!  We also saw this homespun motorcycle  (below) at a gas station.

You can’t make this stuff up!

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On Independence Day, we went to church with Chuck’s brother and family to witness my niece’s baptism.  Then spent the afternoon eating and visiting.  No fireworks or cookouts, but I got to stay in air conditioned comfort the entire time.  That’s how this avid indoorsman prefers to celebrate.

 

Shelby went to her 2nd summer camp while her sister stayed with my parents and served in their church for the week.  So proud of Allie giving away 3 weeks of her summer (between my parents’ church and ours) to serve children and tell them about Jesus.

 

While the kids were away, the adults did a lazy version of play.  We treated ourselves to a couples massage and two trips to the movie theater.  We saw 12 Mighty Orphans and Black Widow – both of which we really enjoyed!  The biggest splurge of all?  We ate every meal out.  I didn’t cook or do dishes one single time.

 

For my Shelby girl’s 21st birthday, we took her and a few of her fans to a Texas Ranger baseball game.  The Rangers aren’t any good, but I still enjoyed my first visit to their new indoor ballpark.  It was 72 degrees the entire time.  (See above avid indoorsman comment).

 

As a newly coerced (I mean recruited) member of the school choir booster board, we got invited to meet Allie’s soon-to-be new choir director at one of my fave Mexican restaurants.  As much as I resisted volunteering in this way, I think I may enjoy it after all.  Kudos to all of you parents that jump at the chance to bless your local school.

 

The last big hoorah of July was a little camping trip with my husband’s side of the family.  The campsite had swimming, a water park, petting zoo, crafts and a fire truck ride for the kids and grandkids.  And plenty of Texas heat.

 

With an empty house for several days, we watched quite a bit of TV.  Mike Tyson:  The Knockout documentary series was more interesting than I imagined as was the movie The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise.  The Summer of Soul (…or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) and The Legacy of Black Wall Street immersed us in two very different time periods of black American history.  We revisited some old favorites with Back in Scrubs:  Reunion Road Trip (I loved that quirky show.) and Field of Dreams:  25 Years Later -which is already a few years old.  Golden:  The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts fed our anticipation for the summer Olympics and we restarted season one of The Chosen.  Not sure why we abandoned it the first time, as we are now firmly into season 2.

 

I read The Masterpiece by one of my faves – Francine Rivers and Home Fire:  A Novel by Kamila Shamsie.  I can’t remember where the recommendation for the later came from, but I would recommend the former.

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

As a voracious reader, Linda Stoll gave me a lot to think about with What’s Your Bookish Life Looking Like?  She stated that our reading life is a vital component of who we are ANd who we hope to be.  I have honestly never given my reading choices that much thought before.  But this year more than ever, I have been very intentional.  I feel the needs to do some reading and studying on a topic that’s very hard for me.  I know it’s important, but because it’s so emotionally hard, I intersperse it with books that are just for fun.  My mental health demands it.  Read Linda’s post and see what you learn about yourself.

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

 

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We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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Praying God’s Word Wednesday #17

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A few weeks ago, my blogger friend Patsy Burnette posted about her new resource Hey Mama!  Pray:  Praying Proverbs Over Your Child.  I couldn’t believe how perfectly this complements our Wednesday prayer series.  And I know Patsy puts out quality content (see this book I got to contribute to).  So I asked her to share about this prayer aid here for you, my praying friends.

 

Welcome our guest blogger today!

 

3 Ways We Can Effectively Pray For Our Children

 

Even when I know the importance of praying for my children, I often become distracted from the task. Sometimes, I become discouraged when I don’t see answers to my prayers. Do you ever feel that way, friend?

 

  • I want to be a mama that prays with effectiveness.
  • I want the next generation to be transformed by the power of prayer.
  • I want to make a difference in the lives of my children by lifting them up in prayer.

 

You surely want those same things for your children. Whether they are still toddling around at home or adults out on their own, we can pray for them effectively. We can pray for them with the transforming power of prayer and make a difference in their lives!

 

Let me share with you today 3 ways we can effectively pray for our children:

 

  1. Remember Who they belong to.  Your children first belong to God and they are on loan to you, placed in your care. In fact, it may be difficult to believe, but God’s love for them is far greater even than your love for them. Remember, the Holy Spirit has a significant influence over your children. His influence is much more than you will ever have. Remember your own dependence on God to fulfill the calling He has given you as a Christian parent. (John 15:5)
  2. Let them know you are praying for them. Be an example of godly parenting to your children by allowing them to see and know you are praying for them. Make yourself available to pray with them as well. Be what you desire them to be – a model of Christ-likeness. Remember, Paul tells us to be imitators of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
  3. Pray without ceasing! Consistency in any part of parenting is key. Be consistent in your prayer life as well. Don’t give in and don’t give up! Allow your consistency to characterize your prayers for them as well as your love and care of them. Consider journaling your prayers. I love writing my request out because then it is easier for me to see answers to specific requests. Don’t allow the behavior of your children to draw you away from praying. They will see and feel your consistency, or lack of consistency, in your prayers for them. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

 

YES! We need to trust Him.

YES! We need to rely on Him.

YES! We need to acknowledge Him.

YES! He will make our paths straight!

How do we do those things? Through prayer. We show our trust by remembering Who our children belong to. We don’t rely on our own understanding and let our children know we’re praying for them. Acknowledge Him by praying without ceasing.

 

And what does this passage say He will do when we do those things? “…He will make straight your paths.” (3:6)

 

It’s really just that simple!

Remember Who they belong to. Let them know you are praying for them, and pray without ceasing. Sounds easy enough, right? Simple and yet at the same time I find it so very challenging.

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Parenting can be so complicated.  How sad it is to know so many have forgotten the simple blessing of prayer. As we pursue effective parenting techniques, we must remember the basic call to pray.

 

Check out this resource for effectively praying for our children!

 

As Christian parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children to be more like Christ. We need help with this daunting task. We need a resource for effectively praying for them!

 

There are a lot of books written on child-rearing. Let me introduce you to the best child-rearing book ever written—the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is God’s textbook for raising children that become adults who strive to be more like Him. Read it, study it, meditate on it, teach it to your children, and PRAY IT OVER THEM!

 

There is no greater calling or obligation given to us as parents than that of raising godly children. You will find that the book of Proverbs covers almost every situation that could arise in your child’s life.

 

As I wrote Hey Mama! PRAY, I found that many of the topics covered in the Bible study pertained as much to me, personally, as they did to my children. I often found myself not only praying over my children but also praying for myself.

 

In Hey Mama! PRAY, you’ll find spaces to write out Scripture, create prayer lists, and journal your prayers.

 

Patsy is a wife, mother of four, and grandmother. She is a Christian lifestyle blogger and content manager at InstaEncouragements.com. She has a heart for encouraging women to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. She drinks more coffee and eats more dark chocolate than the average person. Patsy lives in Atlanta, Georgia USA with her husband and Ellie the cat.

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