Menu Plan Monday & Thoughts on Prayer

Monday: Chicken & White Bean Enchiladas
Tuesday: Frozen Stouffers Lasagne (big group of people over)
Wednesday: Stuffed Zucchini with Roasted Potatoes (Make Fridays Dinner)
Thursday: Greek Shrimp Orzo Dish
Friday: Make Ahead Unstuffed Shells
Saturday: Rice, Turkey & Broccoli Casserole (enough for 2 families to eat, one for us and one for a family at church with a new baby) / Make up overnight meatball casserole to send to the family as well.

All weekend we will be babysitting my two little nephews so my sister and her husband can go and celebrate their 5 year wedding anniversary.

I am excited to hang out with these little boys all weekend:

Connor is 3 and a half. He loves Thomas the Tank Engine and Cars. Right now Cars is winning his affection. He is bouncy, and constantly moving. He is loving and kind. He likes to pray for his baby brother “Jesus thank you that Austin plays with me” So cute!

Austin is 1 and a half (roughly). He is a baby. So I’m sure he loves things but I don’t know what they are. He can’t quite walk yet, but he scoots around like a maniac. He can stand if he’s holding a table. He has a sweet disposition and will happily let you hold him, and sweetly smile at you and be so quiet. It’s wonderful.

As great as they are, I’m always nervous when they come for the weekend. A toddler and a baby are a lot of work! And this will be our first time with them both all weekend. Yikes.

I’ve been trying to make it easier on us – Wednesday night I will make Fridays dinner and Saturday I have an easy dinner prepared. We have no plans while they are with us, so there is no rushing around trying to be places. We will go swimming at the near by pool. We will take walks up to the park.

I think we can handle it. I know we can’t wait for the mornings when Austie and Connor join us in bed for cuddles – oh so lovely.

Thoughts on Prayer:

I’ve been thinking lately about prayer – I’ve been writing a post about it for some time. I haven’t “published” it here yet as it isn’t fully formulated. BUT I will write about something that crossed my mind this morning.

I love prayer. I am a firm believer that God cares, God hears and God acts.

Until recently I always kept a prayer journal – I had done this since becoming a Christian until about last year. I have years of prayers listed. One of my favorite things to do during the devotional time was to go back over previous prayers and see when they were answered. I love seeing the faithfulness of God – and the goodness! Which can mean answered and seemingly unanswered prayers.

I am so thankful that he did not answer my prayers regarding guys I liked that I wanted to marry. Thank you God for saving Paul for me.

I am so thankful that he did not answer my prayers for certain jobs or school acceptances – I am so glad to be here, and I am only here because of the doors God opened and the ones he closed.

I am so glad that he heard my prayers for community, my husband, my family…for giving me the home and community I have always longed for.

I love that I bring him my specifications for a situation, and time and time again he matches and then exceeds my requests.

When I was praying for the job I have now, I prayed it would: pay more, have less hours, have a better boss, and be closer to the sky train. It is all of those things…and more! When I said pay more, I was thinking just a bit more, but this pays more in a way that allows me to work less hours and make the same I made at my last job, and often more! When I prayed for a better boss I just prayed I would not feel bad or suffer anxiety attacks from their management style, instead my boss is amazing and complimentary and kind and gracious. I hoped it would be closer to the sky train, and it is, but God also provided a way for exercise with a bike room and exercise room, and a free bike! My commute is as fast, but is much healthier and cheaper!

How great is that?!

I was just talking with a friend this morning about how interesting it is the things God cares about; Ie. The things we pray to him about. If you look at my prayer list is involves prayer requests that focus on physical and emotional healing, insight for situations, plans for the future, salvation for friends, parking spots, travel plans, weather, fast lines, lost items, etc.

I cannot shake the belief that God would care about all of my life and, like a good father, want to intervene. This just makes sense to me. As a child I would go to my Dad for anything. I would ask him to put a band aid on, to help with a science project, to watch a tv show with me, to make me breakfast, to go out for breakfast, to help me with my car, to talk with me, to tell a joke, to pray with me, to tuck me in, to sit with me and listen while I shared, to laugh at a joke I told…I believed he cared about all of my life and acted accordingly. And he did. This defines my relationship with God.

This is harder for Paul. It is a real choice for him to believe that God hears our prayers when they aren’t giant or earth shattering. He even finds it hard to pray for a job when he is unemployed. It seems like a trivial prayer request to him. He used to find it strange that I would ask him to pray fr the smallest things; I would say, “Paul my tummy feels anxious, can you pray that would stop?” or “Paul we’re running late, can you pray for a lack of traffic and for green lights?”. The first year of our marriage he really struggled to pray those things. He thought it was silly. Then he sees me pray and sees God answer my prayers, and he is reminded that God provides food and covering even for the lilies and the birds, how much more God cares about us. And he begins to pray for things….and it is beautiful.

Today I am praying that it would not rain when my wonderful friend Laura goes to Mexico this week, and that her foot would stop hurting.
Today I am praying for a dear friend who is hurting.
Today I am praying that Life Group would go well this week, and that God would clearly be there.
Today I am praying that my sore tooth would stop aching since I don’t have dental coverage.
Today I am praying that I would have endurance when I hit the Cambie hill on my bike ride home.
Today I am praying for our future: for a home, for jobs, for church, for growth, for our family.
Today (and every day) I am praying that debt will disappear (unlikely).
Today I am praying because the sun is out and I want to thank God for his creation.
Today I am praying because it is the least I can do in response to God’s love.
Today I am His. I get to speak to him. I get to hear from him. This is good.