My Daughter's Story - a mommy's perspective

It was January of 2015. Time to Revive was in town and Derek was ALL in. He'll tell you that he doesn't know why exactly except that he didn't want to miss out on what felt like something HUGE.

And he was right. It was HUGE.

The hugest part for us started during the prayer week of ReviveINDIANA.

Marie was having a massive angry tantrum. She had been sent to her room to finish it out there. But she just wasn't calming down. It was very unsettling.

Derek finally went in and climbed into bed with her. And started praying.

I wasn't in there. I didn't hear his prayer. I was busy distracting myself from her screams. But the tantrum finally subsided.

As Derek prayed, he said her angry screams turned to sad sobs. Something changed. Something clicked. Something was happening.

A few days later at breakfast, I was reading the Bible per our usual routine. Marie interrupted and declared,

"I believe in Jesus!"

I'll be honest, I didn't think much of it. She had always claimed to believe.

Every day of my kids' lives I have prayed for their salvation. My prayers for Marie were becoming more and more... well, desperate. There was a growing urgency.

But after this particular morning when she "confessed with her mouth that Jesus is Lord," (Romans 10:9) the sense of urgency disappeared.

Over the next several months, Derek and I both were noticing fruit in her life. She wanted to grow and change. She wanted to please Jesus. She wanted to share Jesus with everyone! And her prayers... oh the power of her prayers! She is a Spirit-led prayer warrior!

In October we were reading her devotions together:

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Mark 16:16

She stopped and said,

"Mom, I need to get bathtized." 

I'll be honest, I didn't think much of it.

But she wouldn't let it go. She was excited about it! She told anyone who would listen that she was going to get bathtized. She even wrote a note to Pastor Phil in Sunday School.

I was hesitant because we had never sat down and "prayed the prayer." It bothered me that she didn't have that story that you would expect a 7 year old to have about coming to mommy and daddy and asking Jesus into her heart. But there was no denying, Jesus lives in that girl's heart. So on October 23, 2015 at the breakfast table, we "prayed the prayer" and wrote the date down in her Bible so she could have a date to refer to. But really, her name was written with blood in the Lamb's Book of Life way back in January.

On December 27, 2015, my Sweet Baby Girl was baptized (along side of me!). When asked if she thought she needed to be baptized to be saved she said, "No,

"I'm already saved!"

Faith of a child. Obedience of a Spirit-led Believer.

Marie Love,

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

Prayers for My Girl: Wisdom

Day 6 and final day of focused prayer for my Girl.

I had a couple ideas for what to pray for this day but they just didn't seem Spirit-led. What the Spirit did seem to be saying is that I should ask Derek. So that I did.

It only took a moment of thought before he said:

Wisdom

Lord, grow Marie in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). I pray that you will bless her with wisdom in all things as You did for Solomon (1 Kings 4:29) and Daniel (Daniel 1:7). Give her a love for learning, first about You, then about the world You created. 
Help her to not be bitter, jealous, or selfish, but instead clothe her with Your wisdom which is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere (James 3:16-18).
Most of all, I pray that she will never conform to the world. Transform her mind so she will never settle for less than Your perfect will (Romans 12:2).

…God is able to do whatever He promises. Romans 4:21

Prayers for My Girl: Honesty

Day 5 of prayers for my Girl.

Honesty and transparency are very important to me. The first time Marie lied, I felt like I was a complete failure as a parent and her life was headed straight down a nasty path. Not only do I hate lying, the ugliness it causes makes me irrational, obviously. So once I calmed down from that, I remembered that while Satan is the Father of Lies, Jesus is the Victor! So I started praying. And praying. And disciplining. And praying. And I will continue to do so.

Honesty

Father, help Marie to be honest; a woman of integrity whose yes is yes and whose no is no (Matthew 5:37). May she always be quick to confess so that she can experience Your grace and mercy (Proverbs 28:13). Remind her that the truth will always set her free, and that Truth is found in Your Word. Give her passion for Your Truth. Sanctify her in Your Truth because You are Truth (John 8).

Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

Day 4: Witness
Day 3: Purity
Day 2: Attitude
Day 1: Friendships

Prayers for My Girl: Witness

Day 4 of prayers for my girl.

There is only one good thing we can do on earth that we cannot do in heaven. Have you ever thought about that? It never occurred to me until my freshmen year of college when the author, Mark Cahill, came to IWU and talked about his book, One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven. 

The one thing we cannot do is witness. We cannot lead others to the Lord. Everyone in heaven will already be in heaven! So what greater purpose do we have on this earth than to be a light in this ever darkening world??

Let me be real with you here… I fail fail fail at this. FAIL. But that doesn't mean I get to quit. And it's most definitely not going to stop me from praying that Marie is a shining light for her Savior.

I promise Jack was having as much fun as his sister, ha!

Witness

Thank You, Jesus, for pulling my girl out of the darkness and being the light that leads to life! (John 8:14). Let Your light shine so brightly through Marie that people cannot help but see You (Matthew 5:16). Be so very real in her life that she needs to talk about You. May she never for even a moment be ashamed of the Good News. Help her to love others too much to keep from sharing with them the peace, the freedom, the joy that comes from knowing You! Lord, make her dangerous for Your purpose. So, when You usher her home, You can say to her, "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:23).

Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Day 3: Purity
Day 2: Attitude
Day 1: Friendships

Prayers for My Girl: Purity

Day 3 of Prayers for My Girl.

This subject of purity scares the living daylights out of me. We live out in the country without TV. We are very sheltered. So stepping out into the world is like a blow to the gut. It's ugly out there! That's expected, of course, as things will only get worse until Jesus comes in on His white horse. But the ugly doesn't stop at the church doors. We Believers have let impurity creep in and take over. Not only behind closed doors and in secret, but even outwardly choosing to join in with what the world has decided is acceptable. I feel so defeated sometimes because I can't imagine how my kids will survive this world and stay pure. On different levels, neither Derek nor I stayed pure.

But THANKS BE TO GOD! He gives us the victory over sin and death through Jesus! 1 Corinthians 15:57.

And I believe -with everything that I have- in miracles. Let's move mountains with our prayers!

Purity

Father, by Your mercy, give her the strength to offer her body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to You (Romans 12:1). Guard her heart as it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). I pray that she will always remember that her body is a gift to her husband. Please make that truth real in her life so she clings to it- guarding her heart, her mind, her emotions until the time You have for her and her husband to become one. I pray the same for the man you have for her. May his love for You and for Marie, even before he knows her, compel him to flee temptation and live with integrity and purity. And Lord, if there is failure in their lives, give them great victory in You! (1 Corinthians 15:57). Please bless Marie with a marriage overflowing with passion, faithfulness, and unwavering love. But no matter what, may her happiness only ever be tied to You. (John 15:11)

Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him in prayer, pleading for your children. Lamentations 2:19

Day 2: Attitude
Day 1: Friendships

Prayers for My Girl: Attitude

Day 2 of my week of focused prayer for my Girl.

This is a prayer directly from a passage that I have circled for Marie. God laid this passage on my heart for her. The thing is, I desperately need this prayer, too. Create in us grateful hearts, Oh God!

Her Attitude

Oh Lord, fill her with joy. Help her to be considerate. Overcome her worry and lead her to pray. Create in her a grateful heart. I pray that she will experience Your peace as You guard her heart and mind. Focus her thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:4-8)

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

Day 1: Friendships

Prayers for My Girl: Friendships

In light of the month of thanksgiving, I've decided to spend focused time praying circles around 4 of my greatest blessings: my babes.

I pray for them every single day and have all sorts of prayers for each of them written on my War Room wall, but deciding to really hone in on one kid has already pushed me to pray more often throughout the day.

This week I am focusing on my Goob. I want to share these prayers, and the verses God has used to bring them about, to encourage you in your prayers for any girls in your life.

Marie Love

Her Friendships

Lord, thank You for the gift of friendship. Thank You for blessing Marie with friends. You have gifted her with friends who love You and uplift her. Please bless these friendships and grow them (1 John 1:7). Make them as iron that sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). I pray that they will be unified by Your love, in Your Spirit, for Your purpose (Philippians 2:2). Thank You also for the friends who challenge her faith, who provide opportunity to deal with conflict. Help her to be cautious in choosing her friends (Proverbs 12:26) as "bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33). And, Lord, may You be her greatest Friend of all.

As Mark Batterson says in his book, The Circle Maker, "God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God."

So let us come boldly before the throne of our gracious God (Hebrews 4:16) and watch what He will do!

Now She's Excited to Read!

Got this idea from a super clever fellow homeschool mom. It's definitely blogpost-worthy! It's been working wonderfully!

We have a basket of books that Marie can read mostly by herself. She can read one at any time to anyone.

She gets to put a sticker on her sheet every book she reads. (The sheet below I just found online. We don't do it by the week).

Find HERE

Once she's read 10 books, she gets to pick a reward from the box.

Can you tell she picked them all out? Thank you, Target.

She hasn't earned her first reward yet, but she's working hard on it! It's so cool to hear her gradually get a little faster and use expression. She's starting to recognize more words so she doesn't have to sound them all out. She still has a ways to go ((I suspect slight dyslexia)) but she's well on her way and I am one proud momma!

Marie's Dance!

This girl absolutely loves to dance.

Of course I made some matching earrings :)

This year she and her class danced to a Russian song.

The lighting was horrible so we didn't get very many pictures of the actual dance. But I did manage to get an okay video!

It's such a joy to see the joy on her face.

Looks like this dance thing might not be just a phase!

Happy 5th Birthday, Marie Love!

Dear Sweet Goob,

You're 5. I'm having trouble grasping that.

July 2012

July 2012

You claim that you aren't growing up but every day you get a little bit taller, a little bit smarter, a little bit more beautiful. I couldn't be more proud of you.

August 2012

Your current loves are princesses, playing outside, dancing and singing, and being a big sis.

September 2012

September 2012

I love you're girly-ness. You sometimes introduce yourself as "Marie Repunzel." You love to wear dresses and headbands and bows. You hate when I brush your hair but love when I braid it.

December 2012

You had your first year of dance class and absolutely loved it. Your face was painted with pure joy during every class. And we were overwhelmed with pride watching you perform. Throughout the year we were able to see you gradually pull out of your shell. You learned confidence and listening to instruction. And it seemed to bring out your hidden athletic ability.

January 2013

February 2013

We are working on being grateful so that we don't whine quite so much. We'll get there. What is most important is that you recognize that you are a sinner and you need the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. There are some days that I just cannot wait until the Spirit lives in your heart for so many reasons!

March 2013

April 2013

I love you more than life, Sweet Girl, and will continue to pray for you every single day of my life. I know God has some amazing plans for your life. I can't wait to watch you grow, just please do it slowly!

April 2013

May 2013

I love you, Goob!

July 2013

Spring is here!

It has been gorgeous this week! Which means...

A. Very little housework was accomplished

B. The garden is in full swing!

My amazing man spent his last couple of days of spring break working very hard on the Jacobs Family Garden:

This year has been my most organized year, which is a very good thing given the fact that our garden is approximately 1,100 square feet! I keep running out of seeds.

So far we have planted...

• Yellow Onions
• Green Onions
• Red Onions
• Peas
• Strawberries
• Potatoes
• Spinach

Next up...

• More Onions
• More Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Raspberries 

Marie is very excited about her first garden! (She is not big on getting her hands dirty, though!) She has a strawberry plant in her garden so far. I asked her what else she wanted to plant and she said peas because she remembers eating them without cooking them last summer. But given the fact that there is a 25 foot row of peas right next to her little corner, I suggested flowers, and she loves the idea! So as of right now, that is the plan. Any flower suggestions?

What are you planting? 

Queen Esther

The other day I asked Marie what she wanted to learn about in school, and she said princesses.

I know Esther wasn't ever a princess, but she came to my mind first. And she got to wear a crown so I figured that would satisfy Marie. So I set to work to find some fun ways to learn about Esther (in addition to our normal K4 work)

Here is a quick list of some fun ideas I found online. Some of which we enjoyed doing last week!

This first one was by far my favorite...

Source: alphamom.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

I printed, laminated, cut out, and taped on a large craft stick. Marie loved them! It was fun telling the story with these.

What little girl wouldn't love this activity? You could also use any paper dolls or magnet dolls you already have. Use this after talking about how Esther had to get all dressed up to go before the king. You could also play dress-up with your girl!

Source: jesus-without-language.net via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

I've just started using "Find the Difference" worksheets with Marie. It took her a little time, but she did so well with this one!

Source: biblewise.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

I have so many fond memories of my Maw-Maw when I think of flannel board stories. I haven't done any with Marie yet, but I plan to! Here's a printable for your flannel board Esther story.

Source: chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

Our school week is never complete without a coloring page or 4.

Source: colorigx.com via Missy on Pinterest

And finally a craft...

Source: sturdyforcommonthings.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

I'm sad we didn't get to making these. Life got in the way. I'm sure I can think of another reason to make them!

The biblical theme I chose to pull out of Esther's story is to pray, then listen and obey God. We learned about when we listen and obey God, He works all things for good. We got to learn in real life when a certain little girl did not listen and obey her momma and everything went awry!

For the slightly younger babes, there are plenty of "Q is for Queen" printables...
The Schoolhouse
Confessions of a Slacker Mom
First School
...to name a few.

I am SO grateful to all of you out there who use your gifts of creating printables and of coming up with crafts/activities, and sharing them for free! I am a better homeschool mom because of you. Thank you.

I'm always on the lookout for themed preschool/K4 packets, so please share any you've made or know of!

Linking up HERE.

Hearts, hearts, everywhere!

Valentine's Day never meant a whole lot to me. But now that I have kids and am homeschooling, I can't get enough of it! So if you're like me and trying to stuff in as many hearts as possible before the big day (tomorrow for those who weren't sure!), here's some ideas.

Craft:

Paper heart necklaces.

Perfect for today or tomorrow because you probably have all the supplies that you need already. Excellent way to work on fine motor skills and sorting/patterns. Find the directions HERE.

((Refer to THIS post to find a quick list of other Valentine's crafts))

Verse:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

If you go to my church (First Baptist of Elkhart), your kid is either learning or has learned this verse. Set the verse to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat and he/she will have it down in no time! Make sure to spend some time talking to your babies about how much you love them, and how God loves them even more!

School:

Just today I found these two pins on Pinterest...

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Rachael on Pinterest

(Thanks, Rachel!)

Of course I immediately printed out a handful of must-do activities and put the kids to work. I saved some for tomorrow.

Most of this stuff was a little easy for Marie but she still enjoyed the review. It was perfect for Jack. I'm so proud of these babies!!

Read:

This is Derek and my all-time favorite book. The first time we read it, we were just dating and we were in a library in New York City. We sat down against some book shelves and read it aloud.

One of those memories I hope never fades.

We've been reading this to our babies since Marie was still in the womb.

Bake:

Does puppy chow count as baking? I don't care. This picture has been taunting me for days. Unfortunately (read: fortunately), I don't have all I need to make this so we won't be making this. But I had to share so someone out there can enjoy this whilst I only dream.

Source: lifeloveandsugar.com via Derek Lindsay on Pinterest

There, I just planned your Valentine's Day with your kids. You're welcome.

Happy Valentine's Day!