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Spiritual Enrichment


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  • 2 months later...

Congratulations to Jose and Terelyn on the baptism of their little angel, Ana Marie, today in San Antonio. (And thank you for inviting the Abrazo staff to participate in your special day. It was a beautiful christening, and I'll never see Our Lady of Guadalupe again without thinking of your precious daughter.) Blessings!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wanted to share a little bit about a conversation I had with Catherine this morning.

She overslept, and did not want to get out of bed for school this morning, so of course we were rushed to get dressed, fix her hair and eat breakfast. She was adament that she did not want to wear tennis shoes, she wanted to wear flip flops! I compromised and let her wear slip on sandals. I rushed her out the door with a Nutri-grain breakfast bar and a juice box. When we got in the van, she told me "You're not my real mother!!"

She continued with "Do you know who my real mother is??" I paused, waiting to hear her say something in relation to her adoption. (Since we just reconnected with her birthmother, I was certain she would say something like "I bet my real mom would let me wear flip flops!") But what she did say next gave me food for thought. She said "My real mother is Mary." (as in Mary, Jesus' mother!)

I relaxed a bit, and explained that, yes, Mary is our Spiritual Mother. She is in Heaven watching over us along with Jesus her son. But since she can't be here on earth, I was given the responsibility to make sure you get to school on time properly dressed!! tongue.gif

Catherine is enrolled in Religious Education (the Catholic equivalent of Sunday School) again this year, and they have been studying the Holy family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) and how they loved and cared for each other, in relation to how we can care for each other within our own families.

If you don't think children benefit from religious education, think again! They are obviously listening and learning more than we realize!!

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Martha,

We believe very strongly in early childhood education. Nathan has been attending "cradle roll" class weekly since he was 5 months old. Mary Alice has attended pretty much since placement. It does not amaze me that they are listening and learning. Their hearts are open and their spirits are unencumbered with the toil of daily living that adults have to deal with.

I am so happy that my son is learning to know and love Jesus Christ. He prays, recites Bible verses, and sings songs. We talk. Mary Alice is exposed to the same as Nathan and she is watching and listening.

Many times it seems easier to stay home and relax but I would not compromise this wonderful early opportunity to give my children the greatest gift of all. smile.gif

pkk

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  • 2 months later...

With the start of a new year, I wanted to share something I received at my Mother's Enrichment Group. It is a calendar, but not for any specific month. It is a calendar of 31 Christian virtues, with a short prayer and supporting scripture reference. You can use this calendar to pray 31 different biblical virtues into your children.

I wanted to share the 7 virtues for the first week (Sunday Jan 1st thru Saturday Jan 7th.) Then each Sunday I will add 7 more for the following week. You can pray each one per day, or just pick the virtue that has the most meaning to you.

Day 1 Prayer for Salvation

Lord, I pray that my child(ren) would obtain the salvation that is in Jesus Christ, with eternal glory. ( ref: 2 Timothy 2:10)

Day 2 Prayer for God's Grace

I pray that my child(ren) may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (ref: 2 Peter 3:18)

Day 3 Prayer for Love

Father, grant that my child(ren) would learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who lives in them. (ref: Ephesians 5:2)

Day 4 Prayer for Integrity

Lord, may integrity and uprightness protect my children because their hope is in you. (ref: Psalm 25:21)

Day 5 Prayer for Self-Control

Father, help my child(ren) not to be like many others, but to be alert and self-controlled in all they do. (ref: 1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Day 6 Prayer for Love for God's Word

Lord, may my child(ren) regard your Word as more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. (ref: Psalm 19:10)

Day 7 Prayer for Justice

God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.

(ref: Psalm 11:7 & Micah 6:8)

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With the start of a new year, I wanted to share something I received at my Mother's Enrichment Group. It is a calendar, but not for any specific month. It is a calendar of 31 Christian virtues, with a short prayer and supporting scripture reference. You can use this calendar to pray 31 different biblical virtues into your children.

I wanted to share the 7 virtues for the first week (Sunday Jan 1st thru Saturday Jan 7th.) Then each Sunday I will add 7 more for the following week. You can pray each one per day, or just pick the virtue that has the most meaning to you.

Day 1 Prayer for Salvation

Lord, I pray that my child(ren) would obtain the salvation that is in Jesus Christ, with eternal glory. ( ref: 2 Timothy 2:10)

Day 2 Prayer for God's Grace

I pray that my child(ren) may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (ref: 2 Peter 3:18)

Day 3 Prayer for Love

Father, grant that my child(ren) would learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who lives in them. (ref: Ephesians 5:2)

Day 4 Prayer for Integrity

Lord, may integrity and uprightness protect my children because their hope is in you. (ref: Psalm 25:21)

Day 5 Prayer for Self-Control

Father, help my child(ren) not be like many others, but to be alert and self-controlled in all they do. (ref: 1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Day 6 Prayer for Love for God's Word

Lord, may my child(ren) regard your Word as more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. (ref: Psalm 19:10)

Day 7 Prayer for Justice

God, help my child(ren) to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.

(ref: Psalm 11:7 & Micah 6:8)

Edited by marthaj
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I love this! Thank you for sharing.

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With the start of a new year, I wanted to share something I received at my Mother's Enrichment Group.  It is a calendar, but not for any specific month.  It is a calendar of 31 Christian virtues, with a short prayer and supporting scripture reference.  You can use this calendar to pray 31 different biblical virtues into your children. 

25336[/snapback]

Here are the 7 virtues for this next week, days 8 thru 14 of our one month of virtues.

Day 8 Prayer for Mercy

Oh Father, grant that my children would be full of mercy and compassion.

(ref: James 5:11)

Day 9 Prayer for Respect

Lord, help my child(ren) to show proper respect to everyone. (ref: 1 Peter 2:17)

Day 10 Prayer for Self-Esteem

God, help my child(ren) develop a strong self-esteem, rooted in the realization that they are Your workmanship. (ref: Ephesians 2:10)

Day 11 Prayer for Faithfulness

Let faithfulness never leave my children, but bind this virtue around their necks.

(ref Proverbs 3:3)

Day 12 Prayer for Courage

Lord, may my children always be strong and courageous in their character and their actions. (ref: Deuteronomy 31:6)

Day 13 Prayer for Purity

Create in my children pure hearts, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their lives. (ref: Psalms 51:10)

Day 14 Prayer for Kindness

Father, I pray that my children would be kind to each other and to everyone else.

(ref: 1 Thessalonians 5:15)

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Thank you for posting these. I was looking forward to them this week! I've pasted them all into a document and have given them to several of my friends! biggrin.gif It's never too young to start teaching them about Jesus and to pray.

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This was printed in my church bulletin today, under "Words for Meditation":

Transitions are almost always signs of growth,

but they can bring feelings of loss. To get somewhere new,

we may have to leave somewhere else behind.

Fred Rogers

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With the start of a new year, I wanted to share...a calendar of 31 Christian virtues, with a short prayer and supporting scripture reference.  You can use this calendar to pray 31 different biblical virtues into your children. 

25336[/snapback]

Here are the next 7 virtues, for day 15 through 21.

Day 15 Generosity

"Lord, I pray my child(ren) would be rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share." (ref: 1 Timothy 6:18)

Day 16 Peace Loving

"Father God, help my children make every effort to do what leads to peace." (ref: Romans 14:19)

Day 17 Joy

"Heavenly Father, grant that my children would be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (ref: 1 Thessalonians 1:6)

Day 18 Perseverance

"Lord, teach my child(ren) to persevere in all they do, and help them run with perseverance the race set before them." (ref: Hebrews 12:1)

Day 19 Humility

"God, please cultivate in my child(ren) the abiltiy to show true humility toward all."

(ref: Titus 3:2)

Day 20 Compassion

"Holy Father, I pray that You would clothe my children with the virtue of compassion." (ref: Colossians 3:12)

Day 21 Responsibility

"Lord, grant that my children would learn to be responsible, for each one should carry his own load." (ref: Galatians 6:5)

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I received this poem from a dear friend today and though I would share it .

It's words speak volumes

Sabrina

Enjoy!

Christians

By Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin.'"

I'm whispering "I was lost,

Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble

and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak

And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed

And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible

But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches

So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner

Who received God's good grace, somehow!

By Maya Angelou

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Sabrina,

What beautiful thoughts!

It's reminds of the saying "I'm not perfect, I'm just forgiven."

Thanks so much for sharing that with us!! smile.gif

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With the start of a new year, I wanted to share...a calendar of 31 Christian virtues, with a short prayer and supporting scripture reference.  You can use this calendar to pray 31 different biblical virtues into your children. 

25336[/snapback]

Here are the next 7 virtues, for days 22 through 28.

Day 22 Contentment

"Father, teach my children the secret of being content in every situation, through Him who gives them strength." (ref: Philippians 4:12-13)

Day 23 Faith

"Lord, help my children to fight the good fight of faith, taking hold of the eternal life to which they were called." (ref: 1 Timothy 6:12)

Day 24 A Servant's Heart

"God, help my children develop servants' hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly." (ref: Ephesians 6:7)

Day 25 Hope

"God of hope, grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit." (ref: Romans 15:13)

Day 26 Patience

"God, strengthen my children with all power, so that they may have great endurance and patience." (ref: Galatians 5:22)

Day 27 Passion for the Lord

"Lord, I pray my children's souls would pant for you as the deer pants for streams of water." (ref: Psalm 42:1)

Day 28 Wisdom

"Father, I pray my children would ask and that you would generously give wisdom to them as you promise." (ref: James 1:5)

Edited by marthaj
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Here the the remaining spiritual virtues for days 29-31.

Day 29 Prayerfulness

I ask that my children would be committed to prayer, and not faint, lose heart or give up. (ref: Luke 18:1)

Day 30 Gratitude

Lord, help my children to live lives that overflow with thankfulness, always giving thanks to You. (ref: Ephesians 5:20)

Day 31 Boldness

I pray that my children would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel of Christ Jesus. (ref: Ephesians 6:19)

I hope that you have gained some insight from these verses.

Even if you don't embrace the Christian faith, there are some universal concepts among these virtues that cross religious differences and boundaries.

Certainly, concepts like integrity, self-control, respect, kindness, compassion, responsibility, wisdom, and perseverance are desirable traits for us all!

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  • 11 months later...

“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace -
only that it meets us where we are
but does not leave us where it found us.”


-Anne Lamott
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  • 5 months later...

A friend sent this to me. . .

Daily Rules from God

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!... To the Lord.

"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path."

Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!... Your Prayers.

"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."

Philippians 4:6

Edited by dnr1021
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  • 4 years later...

I was talking to B tonight and it was an especially solemn call. She was really introspective and she's made some stretches toward some good decisions lately. I'm proud of her each time she does something to better her life and tonight, she said that she'd been thinking a lot about how she needed to go back to church. All signs in her life are pointing for her to seek religion out and find comfort and direction through God. She said she's been reading the bible a lot and has been desperate to find guidance in a few areas: forgiveness of others, forgiveness of yourself, and relationships between men and women (leading to marriage, marriage, commitment, faithfulness, etc).

Can anyone please suggest some especially moving passages I can share with her? She has a lot of hurt and pain to let go of and although forgiveness is a hard thing, she is especially hopeful to find some way to let go of all that anger and hurt and focus on the positive things in life. Thanks to everyone in advance for lending your knowledge.

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Here's a few passages and some quotes that might help! The book listed at the end is one I saw recommended but I have not read it so you might want to before recommending it.

Colossians 3:13

Matthew 18:21-35

Proverbs 20:22

I had the choice to either grow up and find God in the situation or become bitter. I chose to find God. And I experienced freedom like I never knew before.

Heather Mercer - Christian Aid Worker who was imprisoned in Afghanistan, 2001.

Forgiveness doesn't make the other person right, it makes you free.

Stormie Omartian

Forgiveness is God's invention for coming to terms with a world in which people are unfair to each other and hurt each other deeply. He began by forgiving us. And He invites us all to forgive each other.

Lewis B. Smedes

Forgiveness brings freedom - freedom from being controlled by the past, freedom from the emotional ties to the offender, freedom from the continual inner conflicts of bitterness and hate, freedom to become whole and enjoy the fullness of life.

Jeanette Vought

When we choose to forgive the victory is attainable. When bad things happen, good CAN come out of it! Romans 8:28 declares it is so! My life declares it is so and I am not alone in that statement. So many people have looked evil in the face and said, "I will find good in this." Some times the evil and bad things are changed or converted or whatever and sometimes it is US that is changed. But ALL things work for good and can bring about change for the good.

Elizabeth Fabiani

A rattlesnake, if cornered, will sometimes become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is - a biting of oneself. We think that we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves.

Eli E. Stanley

How to Forgive . . . When You Don't Feel Like It

By June Hunt / Harvest House Publishers

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Lord, Heal My Hurt

by Kay Authur

Personally done this Bible Study and it works! It took me awhile though.

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Psalm 32 and 51 are awesome when it comes to talking about forgiveness. Mostly receiving forgiveness from God.

Also, Psalm 30, 31, 34, and 130 are great for encouragement in the midst of trials.

The book of Colossians also might be a good one for her to read from what you're describing. I think it hits most of those topics! :)

VERY cool conversation.

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