Children.....Sweet Ones!

Relaxing......not a care in the world....purple and pink flip flop kind of day!

Over the summer months life has been very full for us with our children and their families!  A few weekends were quiet, but not too many. Life has a way of always changing for us.  We try to be together as a family as often as we can but our adult children now have jobs that have relocated a few of them over the summer and I am so happy they are all settled and prospering and yes...happy!  One of the benefits are the joy that our grandchildren bring into our lives.  It is my privilege to pray for them each day.  "Prayer is a strong wall and fortress...it is a goodly Christian weapon."  Martin Luther spoke those wise words regarding the importance of prayer.  Praying for another is a responsibility when asked to pray.  I wonder what importance, if any, our world today devotes to prayer.  Oh we say, "I will pray for you."  But real prayer is focused on the Heavenly Father, drawing near to Him so He will draw near to us.  It is trusting Him with our lives, our needs, our concerns, our joys and our trials.  It is having the willingness to be considerate of the needs of others.  "Lord I pray that you would give me a sensitive heart in regard to my friends need and really desire to build he or she up in the Lord."  May I encourage you to encourage and love those around you.  Convey to your loved ones the importance of their lives to your life and give thought to the opportunities that God might give you to be a part of their spiritual growth and development.  Time spent with Almighty God, whether in the comfort of your home or on a walk in the woods, or better yet a day at the seashore......will be time well spent if we are determined to take the wisdom that God gives us and then use that wisdom for His glory and honor and influence in the life of a child or a loved one. 

The beautiful words of Psalm 139 assure us that every life is thought about by God.  "How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!"  Bless you today dear friend, bless you and those you love.  To bless, to thank, to praise, to congratulate, to kneel down.....giving words of blessing is an honorable privilege!  The Heavens offer us BLESSINGS everyday from God's side!  He is the Blesser, the One who gives the capacity for living a full, rich life.  Yes....blessed is HE!  Enjoy your weekend with those you love and create some beautiful and lasting memories!