The Mormance Mix: June 2012

Thursday, June 21, 2012

A Prayer for Anxiety Casting

I came across this prayer recently and have referred back to it often. . . so I thought I would share it with you.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.1 Peter 5:7

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matt. 6:27

Gracious Father, I slept well last night but I awoke restless, fitful, and anxious. I know you tell me not to be anxious about anything (Phil. 4:6), but I am. Sunrise has yet to happen, yet I’m already looking forward to moonrise. Thank you for freeing me from the pressure of pretending otherwise. At least I’m not anxious about surprising, embarrassing, or disappointing you. The gospel has taken care of that old bondage and slavery.

What’s going on inside of me? There’s really nothing enormous looming on the horizon; no one major crisis is staring me down; there’s no boulder I’m assigned to push up a hill like Sisyphus. It’s just one of those Mondays I find myself looking at seventeen little backpacks of needs, issues, and hurting hearts lined up at my front door, waiting to be picked up as I head into the week.

So what will I do with my restless, anxious feelings? Father, I would surely despair if I didn’t really believe you care for us, your children. That would be the one unbearable burden. But please help me know what anxiety casting actually looks like today and this whole week. Help me live this day at the pace of grace—no faster or slower.

Of these things I’m certain: you’re not calling me to be the fourth member of the Trinity; I’m not the whole body of Christ; you do promise sufficient grace; you will give wisdom to those who ask; and your strength is made perfect in weakness—in my weakness.

Show me which of the seventeen little backpacks I’m to pick up first. Which ones don’t really have my name on them at all? Which ones will just have to wait? Today is a good day for me to remember the words of my spiritual father, Jack Miller, “A sign of your maturity in the gospel will be seen in terms of who you’re willing to disappoint.” Free me from the dread of disappointing people, Father.

As you’ve promised, please send your transcendent peace to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ trustworthy and treasured name.

Father's Day

I keep staring at this photo.

When I married Matt I knew I was marrying an incredible man. But I had no idea just how amazing he is. Watching how he fathers these three kids makes me fall in love with him all over again!

This is the "book" Eliana made for Matt for Father's Day.

Matt reading his book.

Matt, you truly are "above and beyond anything I ever hoped or imagined!"

I am so very thankful that I get to do life with you!

Bible Study

The night before I went into the hospital for my c-section we had our last meeting with our Bible Read-Through group.

What better way to celebrate than with a BBQ?!

From the left: Alex, Me, Ana, Petra, Mana, Judita

(Please ignore my lopsided tummy :-)

After dinner we had them get out their reflection sheets.

(Each week we all wrote down one thing that stood out to us, that we felt the Lord was putting on our hearts.

After looking over our reflection sheets we each wrote down on another piece of paper 2 - 5 things/themes/verses that impacted us the most.

Then we handed out these plants and gave them a piece of chalk.

We each wrote on the outside of our pot the theme or verse that had impacted us the most of all. . .

. . . In chalk so that we could change what was written on the pot as the Lord keeps speaking to us through the Word.

And this particular plant for two reasons:

1. Transferable - It is so easy to snip off a stem or two and grow another plant. If they want they can pass along a plant to anyone they do a read-through with in the future.

2. Hard to Kill - I am pretty picky about plants - they have to be hard to kill. . . . probably because I usually forget to water our plants. He he.