Christmas with Autism

Christmas with Autism

For a while now Jacob’s sensitivities to certain sounds have been increasing.  So much so, that we have to leave restaurants and stores when he has an episode.  He covers his ears, lowers his head to his lap, shakes and cries.  Over the holiday I even had to leave in the middle of a nice dinner with my mom and sister and go have dinner in the car with Jacob.  I am so extremely happy and excited because this past week Jacob has finally allowed us to put his headphones on (connected to my itunes) and keep them on, so that he will stay in those places while we are there.  We have been working towards this for a long time and it is a MAJOR accomplishment that he is now able to wear them.  I am so thankful to God for this milestone, as some places are unavoidable and we needed a way to help him when he is having these episodes. Doesn’t he look so cute in those Spiderman headphones?  I sure think so!
 

So Christmas wasn’t the easiest this year.  The twinkling lights on the Christmas tree have always made me feel very nostalgic, I love winter and Christmas, but Christmas time is very different with autism.  Now, those glimmering lights remind me to be careful about where I place them because Jacob will want to grab at them and play with the plug to turn them on.  The once game filled, super fun Christmas Eve party at my family’s house is now my husband and I deciding who will take turns chasing Jacob around the house as he tries to open the front door, jump in the fish tank, and climb on top of furniture.  Staying until game time is definitely out of the question. Christmas Eve service at church is not an option with Jacob, so he must go into the nursery with the little kids and with one of us.  Christmas time is even more of a reminder of Jacob’s limitations.  As I am sure it is for the many parents who have children with autism at home, away from school for the holidays.  What was once a carefree, or mostly carefree holiday, is now a time of careful consideration of each moment...where we go and what we will do and how we will get Jacob through it.  It isn't all bad,  there are wonderful moments, but it can certainly be very difficult at times.
 

So how do you get through it?  How can you remain positive with so many challenges and changes?  My Pastor was describing the door knocker parable from the Bible in Luke 11:5-13 in which a person went next door in the middle of the night to knock on the neighbors’ door for food because they had an unexpected guest that was hungry.  The neighbor only answered after he continued to knock without ceasing.  My Pastor explained that we must pray in this way.  We must pray without ceasing, not for ourselves or desires, but to pursue God and to know Him.  He said that wisdom is not a commodity. Wisdom is a person (GOD).  When we pray to know Him more, we will get what we need: peace, wisdom, hope, patience, understanding, and help.
 

The wisdom of God can give us peace and calm amidst trials and struggles.  God doesn’t promise that we will not endure pain, but that with GOD, we can have REAL TRUE peace and joy.  I was reminded again throughout his sermon that the answer for how I can get through this time is right there in the Bible, the answers are always right there.  Seek and pursue God without ceasing.  Know HIM, love HIM, seek to honor and glorify HIM and he will give you rest and peace.

Christmas isn’t the tree or lights or parties, but a celebration of the one true king, our savior, Jesus, who was sent to us by God to reconcile us to God. 
 

God is perfect.  The Bible calls God holy.  Because He is holy sin cannot exist in His presence. 

We (man) are not perfect. We all sin. I have lied you have lied, I have lusted you have lusted, etc.  God says in the Bible that the punishment for sin is death or separation from God for all of eternity.  So there lies the dilemma between God and man. He is perfect and we are sinful so therefore we are cutoff from God for this life and all of eternity.  But God didn’t leave us there.  God loves us so much that He sent Jesus, his only son, to us to live a perfect (sinless) life so that all of our sins could be placed on him at the cross.  Jesus took the punishment for us that he did not deserve, and through his death on the cross, burial and resurrection, He conquered sin and death forever and paid the penalty for our sins in full in order to reconcile us to the Father if we believe and trust in Jesus.

We are in desperate need of savior to reconcile us to God. The Bible says that if we repent and surrender our lives and heart to Jesus and make Him the Lord of our lives, that we will be completely forgiven of all our sins by God, not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ did for us on the cross.  Have you made this decision?  I urge you to surrender to the one true king.  Open your Bible and read through John.  See why we celebrate Christmas and Easter and why Jesus is so amazing. Pursue God and you will have peace and joy.

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

 

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Romans 10:9

...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

THANK YOU GOD

Sweet little Jakey-poo is really growing up! Man I can't believe how far he has come in such a short time.  When I reflect on what he has learned in the last few years it sounds like he has been in therapy forever and he is only 4! Since I am always in a panic about all the things he still needs to learn, communication areas of need and safety issues I wanted to just stop and write a post to just THANK GOD for all the things God has done in Jacob's life this year. The list could go on for ages, but these are the biggies. This time next year I want to compare yet again how far Jacob has come.

 

Within the last year or so...

 

Jacob has learned how to say "Mommy and Daddy" he also recognizes and can label mostly all of his family members, but he occasionally even requests me or his dad!

 

Jacob looks at us in our eyes when we sing and play.  He is engaged! (Not all the time, but so much more than we could have ever dreamed)

 

Jacob can not only identify all his letters, but he is now reading! WOAH He can read sentences like...

The girl is cooking

and match it with a picture of a girl cooking, even when presented with other similar pictures to distract him.  He has mastered out of his first reading level and about to get past the second level as well.

 

Jacob can follow directions! He has mastered simple 2 step instructions like pushing his chair in and going to the bathroom and is currently do well in his 3 step instructions.

 

Jacob knows how to recite his address and phone number.

 

Jacob can count to 100 and will give you a certain amount of objects you ask for (most of the time, when he is paying attention)

 

Every time Jacob sees the computer he either requests me to play the "Thrive" song from Casting Crowns or another song that's on his mind.

 

Jacob can drink out of a regular cup without pouring the drink all over his body on purpose anymore and he eats with a fork...sometimes.

 

Jacob is pee peeing in the potty! Still working on the rest.

 

Jacob will say, "I love you, too" when Cret and I tell him we love him.

 

Jacob can write his name and other letters and he can draw a car, butterfly, and several other things.

 

Jacob can request certain foods he likes, toys, and to go play outside.  Jacob can ride a bike with training wheels independently. 

Jacob has finally learned how to say "no" and knows the proper time to say it.  Up until a few weeks ago he answered only yes to everything.

Jacob knows over 500 nouns and verbs and can identify them in the real world most of the time if you ask him what that is (still working on asking him what someone is doing or what he is doing). 

Jacob is head over heels in love with Mickey Mouse and he has finally learned how to dance! Here is a video to prove he's got moves...

 

 

These are only some of the simply remarkable things that God has done in Jacob's life.  We are so very thankful and God is so good. 



Fear

This past weekend I was invited to sign books at the Texas Book Festival.  It was lots of fun and I got to tell many people about my book.  It was an awesome experience and I loved hearing encouragement from people agreeing about the importance of teaching their children to value all people. 

On the way home I had a long discussion with my sister-in-law (who so kindly took time out of her busy life with 4 kids to come with me) about Jacob and our lives.  I told her that if I were writing a book about our family life and how autism has impacted us and what God has done for our family, it would include miracle after miracle. God has truly done some amazing things through this autism journey and we aren't even that far along in it. When we reflect on those things, we simply are in awe of HIM.  God is so good.

However, despite all the things God has done, I keep trying to rely on myself.  I always feel like I could be doing more.  Life feels exhausting all the time.  Why?  I just know the root problem is fear.  I am so fearful of losing the ones that I love.  To make matters worse, I have a child who bolts, would run out of the house at full speed into the street, would dive straight in to any body of water, and who doesn't recognize danger.  Not good things for any parent to try and manage, especially me or "safety patrol" as my family calls me. I am overly protective by nature and with Jacob, you could probably say I am simply ridiculous. 

FEAR

Why do I remain so fearful if I trust God?  It really makes me think about my faith and my understanding of who God is.  Often times I read those stories in the Bible: Adam and Eve, the Israelites, and I think, " I would never sin like that or choose to not trust God if I witnessed those miracles".  Yet I am doing it right now in my life.  Instead of trusting in the one who gives life, I am fearful.  And what can my fear accomplish for me?  Let's see...It steels my joy, it makes me anxious, it takes time from my life in which I could be having fun and it hinders my relationship with God. What can't the fear do?  It can't stop God's plan.  It can't help me.  It can't add one day onto my life.  It boils down to another simple choice... Trust God or trust myself.  Fear and a lack of trust cannot accomplish anything good. The Holy Spirit can accomplish much when we live in surrender to Christ.  So I need to surrender myself and rededicate myself to God daily. That means placing my trust in Him through any situation and allowing him to use anything in my life to glorify himself.  How can I be used if I am living in fear?  What witness am I if I am constantly anxious or irritable or stressed?  If we are supposed to do all things for the glory of God, I know that includes my parenting and more specifically how I handle issues in regards to autism. No, I am not perfect.  That makes me laugh to even write that, but I always write my heart and my desire to honor God with everything in me, but man I screw up... However, I will never stop trying to honor God in everything and I need to try to surrender all areas of my life to Christ.  Sometimes I don't even realize that I am relying on myself until the burden is too heavy.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
 
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10
 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7
 
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

     



Trust in Him

I was praying the other day, considering what to tell a friend who was having a hard time in her new journey with autism, and a thought hit me. What if God told me that if I wanted, he would heal Jacob right now so that he could for sure live independently and have a family and children, but if he didn't heal Jacob's autism then God could be glorified in a greater way somehow. How would I respond? 

Is God's glory the inner most desire of my heart?  I cannot honestly say that it ALWAYS is. I hurt, no I ache for Jacob sometimes and I am often praying for healing over other things. 

  It is very hard to think of what to say to a mom with a newly diagnosed child.  The problem is that I don't have great answers.  I can't tell someone why their child is autistic or how to handle it or think about it.  There will be times of great difficulties physically, financially ,and emotionally, more often than I'd like to admit. All I can say is that we have a decision when we get this diagnosis and a decision everyday thereafter.  Will we trust in the sovereignty of God or not?  Will I humble myself before God today and give it to Him? Will I let Him do in our family whatever brings HIM the most glory?  It's a daily decision, not only for my child with autism, but in my whole life. Will I give in to fear, sadness, or defeat, or will I give it all to God and trust him?

I began looking for examples in the Bible of people with disabilities as a start to even trying to comprehend what God would have me say.  I am often so confused about the situation myself. 

John 9:2-12English Standard Version (ESV)

² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Mark 7:32-37English Standard Version (ESV)

³² And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. ³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ And Jesus^[a] charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

What I found was number of instances where Jesus healed people from blindness, lameness, deafness, etc.  Why did this happen? It reveals that God, in His wisdom, can allow things to happen in order to show His mercy or power or He can use our suffering for God to be glorified or to demonstrate our desperate need for a savior. I know that I cannot see the entire picture or purpose that God has laid out for my family, and I am so happy that I can't and that God is bigger, wiser, and more just than I could ever dream. 

 2 Corinthians 12:9English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I then went on to read again about Job and another thing the Lord reminded me of was that we may never know why we are suffering.  We only see a fraction of what God sees in this big picture.  This is encouraging to us to remain faithful, hopeful, and obedient to God amidst trials.

No God isn't asking me whether or not to heal Jacob right now, but I want to know in my heart that I would always choose glorifying God first. 

 How can that apply to my life now?  When I get down and sad, which I will, I have to re-commit and re-submit to God instead of to defeat.  This is something that I probably have to do daily in regards to Jacob.  I need to stay in God's word and not let myself stay down and turn my focus upward.  Also, God has placed our family in this situation, how can it be used for him?  I have to pray for guidance so that God can use autism, or whatever He wants, in a way that can glorify himself. Do I trust God in this? 

This isn't word for word, but my Pastor said today to organize all things according to Christ and it will lead to peace and security. 

I understand that God is not a magical genie waiting to make me rich and heal Jacob, although he could.  What I know is that if the deepest desires of my heart are to bring glory to God, then my life will have real joy and peace despite circumstances.  God will be the source of that joy. 

So I can't tell you why our kids have autism.  I can't tell you why they have struggles that no parent would want for their child.  I can't give you the magic therapies or treatments to help every child.  But what I do know is this:

 Romans 5:2-5English Standard Version (ESV)

² Through him we have also obtained access by faith^[a] into this grace in which we stand, and we^[b] rejoice^[c] in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

  Matthew 6:30-34English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)



The music box

Yesterday my husband sat in my daughter's room watching Jacob. My daughter just got an old music box from her grandma and Jacob is fascinated with it. He was flipping her music box upside down, winding it, and running around in circles while it played. Cret watched Jacob for a long time.  Jakey would listen and know exactly when the music was about to stop and then get really close to the music box, make a funny sound with his lips, and then turn it back over to wind it again. As the music started back up Jacob would look off in the distance with this smile of pure joy and begin running in circles again.  He did this over and over and over. My husband said that it made him tear up a little.  He is not an easy crier. He described this to us and my daughter and I replied, "I do that all the time."

We all watch him as he does these strange things repeatedly and there is something about it that makes us incredibly sad, happy, hopeful, and a little scared all at the same time.

My husband said, "As I sat there I prayed, if it was God's will, one day he will be able to tell us what makes him happy or communicate with us."

I definitely know the feeling. You want your child to be happy and you want them to be able to care for themselves and protect themselves and communicate. It is a heartbreaking thing to see your child suffer or see them have difficulty in life that is unexplained. You feel powerless knowing that there is very little you can do to help them.

It made me wonder how people do this without Christ in their lives. I simply cannot imagine going through this journey without having a relationship with Jesus with whom my hope comes from.

It's not a hope for Jacob to speak or to get better. It's not a hope that relies on my circumstance. In fact, that's the wonderful thing about having Jesus as Lord of your life.  Regardless of bad circumstances, God is faithful and gives His children grace. He isn't a magic genie waiting to grant your wishes or desires, but in HIs loving kindness transforms your heart once you place your faith in Him and that heart change also changes your desires to that of wanting God's will to be done and God to receive all the glory, no matter what that means.  I have faith that God has a perfect plan and that plan is bigger than us.  That is how our family remains joyful in the Lord even in hard times. Having a personal relationship with the Lord gives us the strength to go on, God gives us peace that surpasses understanding. I want that for everyone going through this autism journey.  I want you to see the hope that comes through placing your faith and trust in Jesus.

 

Romans 5:2-5

² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

The Bible tells me that Jacob is made in the image of God. He has a soul and he is made to give God glory.

 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27  So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

  male and female he created them.-Genesis 1:26-27

 

The Bible also tells me that God is trustworthy. I do not need to be angry about Jacob's situation or fearful for his future or feel like I am the only one who can care for him.

 

 

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? -Romans 8:32

 

 

³² “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. -Luke 12:32

 

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. -2 Corinthians 12:9

 

I truly believe that God can work in the life of your child with autism and through their lives for you in ways that can bring God glory if you embrace your situation and trust God in it. He may not work in the way we want, but He can do great things for His kingdom through any situation.

 

 Romans 8:28English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.

God is perfect. The Bible calls this holy. God created man and desired to be in relationship with man, but also gave us free will.

With the choice, we have all decided to sin against God. I have lied, you have lied, I have stolen, you have stolen. Even one sin makes us guilty of being sinners against God. But God still desires to be in relationship with us.
Romans 3:23
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But God is Holy and sinners cannot be in heaven with him or in right relationship with him, our sinfulness separates us from God for all of eternity. God says that the punishment of sin is death  (separation from God for all of eternity). But God still desires a right relationship with us here on earth and in heaven.
Romans 6:23
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But the Bible says God does not just leave us there. God sent a way of redemption for us.  God sent His son, Jesus, to us to live a perfect (sinless) life and to die on the cross for all man's sins and then to rise again on the third day, conquering sin and death forever.
Romans 5:8
⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Bible says that all who believe this and call on Jesus to be the Lord over there life and live in their hearts will be saved and reconciled with the Father. You can live in right relationship with God if you choose to turn away from sin and accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Living in right relationship with God has been the only joy for me in troubled times. God provides me with help in parenting and difficult times and joy and hope in all times.
 

 Romans 10:9-10
⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

 

If you understand your need for a savior and want to be in right relationship with God and reconciled to God you can place your faith and trust in Jesus right now, as you are.  You don't have to do anything or be good enough, all you have to do is surrender and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life.   If you have any questions about Jesus or salvation please feel free to contact me if you want at allisonhill4jesus@yahoo.com and I would be happy to discuss how Jesus has saved my life and how you can come to know Jesus. I would also love to know if you have made the decision to surrender your life to the Lord. My prayer is that you can know a peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what you are going through right now.

 

 Philippians 4:4-9English Standard Version (ESV)
⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

 

 

Today is the day!

I am so very excited to share that today is the release date of my new children's book. 

 Jacob's Special Power is a book that illustrates the value of all people, regardless of their differences.  Wrapped inside an adventure filled with superheroes and aliens is a powerful message about acceptance and appreciating all people.  I truly believe that God has a special purpose for everyone. We should be actively having conversations with our kids about how to show kindness and compassion to those with special needs. 

My hope for this book is that it will be a fun way to help parents and teachers stir up conversations about kids who are different and ways to show them acceptance.  I hope that it will be a book that kids can relate to and see that they are each special no matter what. 

I was very honored to have author and autism activist, Dr. Temple Grandin, and actor, Ed Asner, endorse the book showing their support in this journey of teaching acceptance for those with special needs.

100% of my proceeds from the book will be donated to Autism Speaks and The Dan Marino Foundation.  These organizations are dedicated to research, therapies, advocacy and helping families with autism and other disabilities. 

If you would like to purchase this book please visit www.blackrosewriting.com/childrens-booksya/jacobs-special-power

Thank you for your support and for supporting these special kids

Visit www.facebook.com/jacobsspecialpower 

What If

Imagine yourself in this situation.

 

What if God, the almighty creator of the world, the One who is fully trustworthy, fully just, fully loving, and the ultimate healer, came to you and told you He had a precious gift for you.

His gift was a child.

Imagine He told you that he wanted no one else but you to have this child.

Imagine He told you that this child would change your life in every way, this child would bring such incredible joy to your life.

Imagine that He then told you that your life would not be ordinary, you would not be able to have a life like everyone else, but the reward would be indescribable.

Imagine that God told you that this child would have many challenges and those challenges would make life hard often.

Imagine that God told you that He knew YOU were the perfect parents for this remarkable child.

 

What would you say?

Can you even imagine saying no?

 

Yet sometimes we question God. Why is this happening to my child?  This can't be God's plan.  What if in your sorrow or anger or depression you are missing all the joy that God has for you and for your child through this situation?

 

The fact is, God did give YOU this child as a gift.  He trusted you to care for them and He wants you to trust Him in all things and through all things, even hard times.

 

My mom told me this one day as she described what a blessing Jacob would be to my life. People sometimes lose the big picture as they struggle with deep despair, stress, financial problems, marital problems.  The big picture is that GOD is in complete control. He did give you this child.  Are you embracing your circumstances in a way that honors God and shows Him that you are thankful for His gift? 

 

For me, I find myself sometimes complaining about therapies, speech difficulties, treatment costs, safety issues. I lose the big picture. I get lost in the stress so often. 

 

God, You are holy.  Let your will be done in my life.  Remind me that YOU are in control.  Thank you for my precious gift.  I do not say NO to you, I say YES. Please show me how to use this gift to honor you. Show me how to give glory to you through all the stress or pain or hardships and in the good times and laughter and joy.  Help me in parenting all of my precious children.  Help me to see beyond my life and focus on YOU. What would you would have me do for you and your kingdom? Thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for my sins. 

In JESUS' name,

Amen!

 

 

 

 

Psalm 127:3-5English Standard Version (ESV)

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children^[a] of one's youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.^[b]

 

 

 

Psalm 139:13-16English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.^[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

 

 

 

Proverbs 3:5English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.