On Miscarriage

--DISCLAIMER--I share the following words with love, after prayer; however, my words are not grounded in scripture, which--so far as I know--does not specifically address the topic of miscarriage.  If you find my offering contradictory to your belief system or offensive in any way, I ask that you extend grace, also the benefit of any doubt: I mean only to help with my words, never ever to hurt.

I don't care for the term "miscarriage" but find myself using it, here, because I don't know of--and can't find--a better or more recognizable term for the loss of an unborn child.  Until this evening, I knew nothing of the etymology of the word and found myself wondering: did the word develop its current connotation based upon "miscarriage of justice?"  Because I could imagine how that might happen: how a woman might refer to the loss of her unborn child as a miscarriage of justice and come, over time, to refer to her loss as, simply, a miscarriage. 

Then I thought: maybe a woman--having suffered the loss of her unborn child--developed the term based upon her miss of carriage: her missing of carrying her child.

As it turns out, "miscarriage of justice" grew out of that other, sad, meaning.  And my "missing carrying" theory?  Nothing but sympathetic musing.  Note my word choice: sympathetic, not empathetic.  I have never miscarried and will not pretend to fully comprehend the suffering involved; however, some of my closest friends have miscarried, and my heart has ached for them.  I have prayed for them.  I have said, on many occasions (and for reasons besides miscarriage): one day I'm going to ask God to explain the distribution of children.

I would imagine that you, reading this, have either suffered a miscarriage or know and love someone who has.  According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, "anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage" (American Pregnancy Association).  So I want to share with you some new (to me) thoughts that I find healing, in the realm of miscarriage.  I pray that you, too, will find them healing. 

In early July, I picked up a book at a Good Will called Expectations: 30 Women Talk about Becoming a Mother.  It caught my attention because of its beautiful cover photo, and--since it's a hardback in excellent condition--I was happy to pay a dollar or two to take it with me.  Turns out, the book's thirteen years old (much older than it appears), and I had to laugh at some of the fashion, references, etc; still, motherhood is timeless in so many respects, and I loved reading the interviews with all (and I do mean all) kinds of mothers.

But my favorite interview is with Maria Xochitl Martinez, who worked with agencies for six years before adopting a daughter at birth. She talks about the challenges (internal and external) of such a long wait, and it cracked my heart open to read: she kept a candle burning the entire six years.  She talks about sitting in the nursery (ready for the last four years of her wait), imagining holding her child, trying to picture her baby's face, and singing the lullaby her mother sang to her.  And just when I thought I couldn't be more undone, she says this:

"I talked to my child every day, because I believe that we choose our parents, and I wanted to find out why she wasn't coming to me" (emphasis mine).

Now, I'd heard people suggest that God pairs children with their mothers, and I'd often wondered: if that's truly the case, how does His logic work?  But I'd never before heard anyone suggest that children might choose their mothers.  Toward the end of the interview, Martinez adds: "I don't feel like the lesson of waiting, or the reason that I didn't get [my daughter] Paloma until now, is my lesson.  I think it may have something to do with Paloma.  Maybe she wasn't ready.  Maybe she had other journeys to make."

And look: I realize full well that I'm opening a can of worms...that a million more questions accompany this possible, and very problematic answer.

 But...what if?

Wouldn't it make sense of some of what--from our human perspective--appears so nonsensical, at times, regarding the distribution of children?  (That little humans make these calls, and not God?)

And let me just say: if you've ever suffered a miscarriage, I'm choosing to believe this.  I choose to believe this!  Your baby in heaven loves you so much that--even if (s)he couldn't live on the outside of your womb, even if (s)he only had a few days or weeks or months of beating heart--that beating heart chose YOU as mother, and that soul loves you entirely, still, from his or her home, in heaven.   

Moment with Clementine

Moment with Clementine

She shuffles into my shadowy bedroom, her hair wild as Einstein's,
and she climbs up next to me, where--even in low light, I can see--
she's brown as a berry from all our days at this lake, and that.
I ask her to lie still, but she can't: she's all magic crystals a l'James:
wiggly-growing a small orange, this time, instead of a giant peach.

And she glows.

Our noses nearly touch, and she scrunches hers as part of a grin:

the rest in upturned mouth n half-moon eyes turned crescent slivers. 

She smells like shea and cocoa butter, and her giant can of OFF!,

and she's warm and restless, with next-to-no regard for "Shhhh!,"

so of course she wakes the baby.  But before I tear away to reach,

I study her little face and think:

I have learned the secret to loving a thousand children, and it is this:
just really seeing, just really taking each precious moment as it comes.

Suffering. Joy.

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Pastor David was out of town, Sunday, and our sermon was delivered by Mike Drewry, whom I'll admit to liking, in part, because he reminds me of my brother.  His mannerisms aren't quite as similar to my brother's as the Peter Krause "Adam" character on Parenthood, but Mike looks more like my brother than Peter Krause, and--since NBC doesn't bring Peter Krause to me in the summertime--I was happy enough to have my brother's lookalike.

Not to mention: Mike Drewry can come on with the Word!  He preached, once, on the scene in which Jesus flips over the moneychangers' tables, but--instead of focusing on Jesus's righteous anger, as most are wont to do--Mike brought out Jesus's words: "My house shall be a house of prayer," and how no other activity within the church surpasses prayer in importance.  He went on to remind us: our very bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that, as such, we should make ourselves houses of prayer.  It was a beautiful sermon; I didn't take notes that day, but I don't think I'll ever forget it.

Anyway, this past Sunday, Mike preached out of Hebrews 10:32-36.  Now, Jim's and my small group recently studied Hebrews, and--as stoked as I was, going into the study--I didn't really enjoy Hebrews until the end (Chapters 11-13).  Most of Hebrews is repetitive...and not particularly "feel good."  Mike's sermon wasn't feel good, either, but I knew it wouldn't be (coming out of Hebrews 10), and he gave us fair warning.

Mike preached about suffering and how we should "be willing and ready to let it all go for the sake of Christ and His Word."  He talked about how we tend to embrace Christianity only so far as it improves our lives.  For example, he noted that giving up illicit sex and alcohol in excess makes our lives better.  Being thrifty and kind makes our lives better.

But we tend to pause when living out our faith brings about affliction, pain, loss, suffering.  Death.

I wish I'd been quick enough--with the stubby, eraserless pencil I borrowed from the pew--to jot down all of Mike's scripture references and quotes  ('Twas a very meaty sermon!), but I got the main idea, I think.  Mike said he found jolting the joy of those losing their property in Hebrews 10:34, and he talked about affliction as being the means to working out joy because we know something better awaits.  He reminded us: Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).  Mike also shared a meaningful quote from Christian martyr Jim Elliot: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Not a feel-good sermon, but a call for action, and God had prepared my heart and mind to respond.  I'm in the questioning stage, now, and spending some time in the Word.  My kicking off point?  Nehemiah 8:10b: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."  I'm looking forward to sharing with you, later, some of what I learn.  Pray for me, as I pray for you.

Jesus Hid My Glasses

Jesus hid my glasses.

Ok, maybe He did, and maybe He didn't, but they seem to have been raptured.  Or some such.

In all fairness to Jesus, I'm a disorganized mess, and I misplace things very often.  Just not my glasses.  I put my glasses on first thing in the morning, and I take them off last thing at night. 

My night, last, was especially early because I was lake tired.  (You know what I mean: the kind of tired you become only in summer, and only when you've been in sunshine and water all day.) 

I woke up especially early this morning, just as I did yesterday morning, because my talking scale said, the other day, that I weighed 199.8 pounds, and I decided that was as close to 200 as I was willing to get unpregnant, especially considering I'm still breastfeeding Baby Charleigh and there should be some kind of slenderizing perk to calorie-sharing, so I gave up regular Dr. Pepper, and I hate diet soda and won't drink much of it, so I've been waking up around 6 AM, hungry, with a headache from caffeine deprivation. 

Anyway.  I said all that to say: I went to bed, last night, after Clementine, and I woke up, this morning, before Clementine, so she can't be blamed for the rapture of my glasses.

I asked all 422 of my facebook friends to pray I'd find my glasses.  I can only surmise that they haven't prayed hard enough; Jesus doesn't listen to them; or Jesus thinks it best that my glasses remain missing for the time being.  I suspect the third option, and I'm about to tell you why.

I have five less piles in the main living area of my house.  This is a miracle of God.  Nothing short of my searching desperately for my glasses could have propelled me into such action.

Here's another cool, nearly unbelievable thing that happened today.  The babies were napping at the same time (Hey!  Wait!  That's a miracle, too!), and Cade asked: "What game are we gonna play today, Mama?"

And, look: I can't think where this idea might've come from other than God.  I told Cade: "Today, we're going to play Pilebusters."

"What's that?" he asked, and I proceeded to explain: we were going to disassemble piles and dust the negected surfaces beneath, all the while looking for my glasses.  "That doesn't sound like much fun," he said.

"Well, there's fifty cents a pile in it for you, Brother," I said.  His eyebrows shot up; he became agreeable, suddenly; and we proceeded to work together (joking and laughing the whole time) for something like two hours.

It was the best two dollars and fifty cents I've ever spent.  The mantle, the stovetop in the midst of my stone hearth, the magazine rack in my bathroom, my (huge) countertop, and my sink are entirely free of clutter.  And check this: when it was all said and done, Cade look at me out of his large, greenish-grayish eyes and remarked: "Pilebusters is kind of fun!"

Still no glasses.  I guess we'll have to keep pilebusting until we find them.

But not tomorrow.  Tomorrow, my helper and I are going back to the lake.  (I found an old pair of glasses, so I should be able to see well enough to drive.)

Now, look: I know there's nothing particularly pretty about this post (other than my son).  But I'm linking up with Emily, anyway, because her community appreciates stories like about how I'm loving summer for the first time in well over a decade; how I can't stay out of the lake even though the fish see my fat, white thighs and think: "Buffet!"; and how I'm dieting and pilebusting.  And there's more (much more!) I can't share in this forum (or at all), but the Lord is at work within my family and home, and He loves the imperfect, too.

I Live in an Antbed Guest Post

I am thrilled to welcome Anne Conder of I Live in an Antbed here, to my space.  She moved into my heart some time ago, and I can tell you, honestly: she's been a true friend to me.  I'd been following her blog for awhile when, one day, I found myself teetering on the edge of the pit.  I looked at her beautiful face, smiling out from her blog, and I thought: I bet she'd pray for me.  I e-mailed her my prayer request, and she responded with lightning speed by e-mailing a beautiful prayer.  Later, she followed up to make sure things had worked out and that I was feeling better. 

Recently, as part of my preparation in teaching a couple of workshops, I asked two people to read over what I'd written: Pastor David, and Anne.  Even though she was vacationing, Anne took time to read, encourage, and, again, to follow up.  I could easily write an entire post on how much I appreciate and love her, and why.  Y'all!  She's so wise!  I asked her to write a post on growing children (She has seven!  And she homeschools!) into the people God would have them be (both as His followers, and as individuals); please enjoy her words, below.  And please visit I Live in an Antbed to read more of Anne's thoughts on faith and family!  Without further ado, here's Anne...

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As parents who love the Lord, we all desire our children to grow up into godly men and women who will honor Him and bring Him great Glory through the way they walk this earth. Admittedly, that goal is a lofty one. In fact, it can seem completely unattainable as we wrestle with the sin nature that rears its ugly head sooner than we could have ever dreamed possible in our precious little darlings. 

And yet, as we read biographies of great men and women of God, we have testimony that it is indeed possible for these little "sinners" to grow up to be true reflections of Christ. But, how do we get there from here??! 

I must confess right up here at the front that I DON'T KNOW! I am still learning so much! But He has taught me so much! And some of that is what I hope to share here.

I remember going through LaMaze classes while expecting our first born. The labor and delivery went so fast! And there she was! Our precious Hannah, sent to us from above. I was in Love. And as the adrenaline continued to course through my veins, I remember walking around my hospital room unpacking and straightening things up after they brought me back to my room, while awaiting her arrival from the nursery where they were doing their initial screenings, etc.  And when the door swung open, an older nurse wheeled the little bassinet into my room while I beamed. 

Then the nurse spoke, "Honey, you are gonna have to sit on this child!"

To say I was a little taken aback would be a major understatement. I was outright offended. How dare she! 

Hahaha! I was so naive!! She knew exactly what she was talking about!! That very experienced nurse had seen enough babies that she pegged mine as incredibly strong willed from her first appearance in the hospital nursery. I had NO idea what I was in for! As we arrived at home, unlocked the door and made our way inside, we set her little carseat down in the middle of the living room floor. 

It was at that exact moment I had this overwhelming sense of panic well up inside me as my heart was screaming, "WHAT NOW??!!! WHAT ON EARTH DO I DO WITH HER NOW?" They had taught me all about birthing her, which seemed at the time so very important. But now what?? No one told me what to do next?

Well, I am happy to say that the Lord was and is Faithful! He took us from that point and Faithfully walked by our side, teaching us how to raise our children. I truly mean it when I say that I have probably gotten more wrong than right since that September day in 1987. And the reason I say that is not to be self deprecating, but to testify to His Sufficiency. I, who knew NOTHING about how to raise children, now have children who love the Lord and seek to spend their lives serving Him. So be assured that you, too, can reach your goal of having godly children. 

When Brandee asked me to write this post, she said she was looking for words that focused specifically on training our children to follow His Principles, and in so doing, becoming what they were Designed to become. That spoke to my heart because it is exactly the journey the Lord has guided us on. And is still guiding us on! Remember, I have 6 children who are still living here!!! :)

I think the foundational Truth that has impacted our parenting is that:

Every thought, word, and action reveals the heart. 

Understanding that gives a framework for our method of raising children. We deal with things in terms of character. That may sound simplistic, but Truth is quite simple. And so, when a child became old enough to understand right from wrong (which, by the way, is very young for many of them), we began to require obedience from them. Even before a child turns one, they may exhibit defiance or compliance. And from the time your will as a parent is challenged, you must engage the battle. 

The willingness to do this depends on our understanding that these precious little ones are born with a sin nature. They do not learn it "after the fact." Man is not inherently good. Man is inherently evil. Our children come to us with the seeds of sin in their hearts, and depending on the child and how God "wired" them, that sin nature may make itself known pretty early. Are they guilty of sin at that young age? No. But the makings are there and so the training begins from the earliest opportunity.

As soon as they are able to understand your words, talk to them about the "whys." When you talk to your children, discuss character qualities. Even toddlers can understand concepts like patience and kindness and service. And when you start from the beginning, or wherever you are in the parenting journey when the Lord reveals these things to you, they learn quickly what these traits look like. Instead of saying something like, "No, no. We don't do that," say instead, "It was unkind of you to take that toy away from your brother. You are being selfish. To be like Jesus, we are supposed to be generous with our things and share." By naming the character qualities, good and bad, children learn to look deeper than just the "surface" of their actions. They learn to label the motives of their own hearts.

In the same way, when I become impatient or grumpy in front of the kids, I need to confess in specific terms to them, labeling the character qualities by name, all the while pointing to the Lord as the One to whom we are responsible. When our children see us being accountable to the Lord, they learn that these are not just "Mom & Dad's Rules." It's much more serious than that. They see us taking our character seriously and they learn to take it seriously. 

When things in the family are dealt with on this level, it provides a strong framework for us to build into our children an understanding of God's Plan and Purposes for each individual. When we consistently point them to the fact that we are accountable and responsible for our choices before the Lord, it is an easy connection for them to see that He has Plans for them. 

The talents, giftings, and abilities He Designed into their beings help reveal what He desires to accomplish through them. Those unique aspects of their created beings are specially crafted by their Loving Father so that they may use them for His Glory. And when they are trained up from a young age to look deeply into the motives of their hearts, revealed by their character and seen through their choices, they learn how important it is for them to yield all to Him so that they can walk in the fullness of His Purpose for their lives. 

Every parent knows that each of their children is naturally gifted in certain ways. One of your children may be very creative, expressed through artistic talents, while another may show no artistic bent at all. That simply means their gifts lie in another area. When your child shows an interest in a specific area, encourage it. Feed the flame. Help them sate their curiosity in productive, meaningful ways, always pointing them to the Lord and His Design for their lives. Help them understand that the things they are good at are an indication of the direction He would like them to pursue in their service to Him. Give them a Big Picture view by telling them that you want to help them learn what He Designed them to become. Help them understand that they have an important role to fulfill in the Body of Christ and their giftings meet a specific need for the Body's role in the world. Pray with your child for discernment in what He Designed them to become. Model for them the seeking of His Face for direction and insight.

As a parent, you want to commission your child to accomplish his/her "mission" for Him. A sense of their Purpose, a Vision for their lives will give them a mighty defense against the lies and schemes of the enemy. That enemy will try to convince our children that they are worthless instead of priceless, incompetent instead of gifted, aimless instead of filled with purpose. By building into their spirits the Truth of who they are, they will more readily recognize these lies. By helping them walk in Purpose, they will be able to choose activities and friends that will help them accomplish that Purpose. By training them to recognize the motives of their own hearts through instruction in character qualities, they will learn to love Truth. They will learn to desire Truth in the innermost places of the heart. They will learn to accept responsibility for each of their choices and the consequences they set in motion, for good or evil, when they make a decision. 

So much of parenting in our nation over the last generation has not been based on Truth. It has been based on relativism and humanistic principles. Even those called by His Name have been deceived. As parents, cry out to Him for Wisdom and Discernment. He will supply it in abundance. He is the answer to whatever your question is in how to train your child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ask Him to help you. Pray for your children everyday. Many times everyday. Ask the Lord to help you see who He Designed them to be, He knows them perfectly. Ask Him to help you touch their hearts and stir up in them a love of Truth that will stand against all the onslaughts of the enemy. Beg Him for Wisdom to teach your children that their own worst enemy is not the evil one, but it is their own sin nature. 

And ask Him to help you live a life worthy of your calling to parent. Sit before Him and allow Him to show you the areas in your life that are in conflict with His Will. We cannot do our very best to train our children when we are not walking in the center of His Will, dependent on His Wisdom. 

If all of this sounds a little overwhelming, start simply by praying everyday for Wisdom and Discernment. Ask Him to help you desire Truth in the innermost places. Then know that He WILL answer! He WILL move on your behalf!! He WILL show you how to be a better parent tomorrow than you have been today. Trust Him. For He IS Trustworthy. He will bless us as we seek to honor Him through the raising of these children.

I Collect People

"Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, and the other's gold."

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I've always been a people person: outgoing, gregarious.  I love a good story, and I believe everyone has at least one to share.  Also, I believe people are like books in that one can never it's difficult for one to have too many.  (I did hear tell of a man near Harrisonburg, once, who had so many books on his second floor that it nearly collapsed.) 

My son will tell you: he's forbidden to say (and punished for saying): "I'm bored," because he can read and therefore travel anywhere he likes, including imaginary lands.  I love books because people write them; I love people even more than the books they write.  People--with their good stories--are boredom busters, for me.  They take me all sorts of places and teach me all sorts of things. 

I collect people.  Naturally, I develop closer relationships, spend more time, with some people than others.  But all my people are important to me: not because I'm trying to attain and/or retain a certain number of people, but because my people have loved, entertained, and taught me.  Because--in a nutshell--each has given a piece of himself or herself to me, at some point in time.  I've been honored, privileged, blessed!

Yesterday, I shared lunch with a sister in Christ and new friend.  I enjoyed it thoroughly, and--in turning my mind toward our time together--I drew a new conclusion.

To back up a little, I need to admit: as much as I love hearing new stories, I haven't found it terribly exciting, always, to share my own: especially in any kind of chonological order.  The older I've gotten and the more mistakes I've made (i.e., the more complicated my history has become), the less appealing and more overwhelming it's become to say, in essence: this is who I am, and here's how I became who I am.

But, over the past twenty-four hours or so, I've realized: not only was I afforded the opportunity, yesterday, to hear snippets of my new friend's history, but also to remember, relive, and reflect upon bits of my own.  And, honestly, I've a greater appreciation for some of it than I had, before.

For example: my new friend asked if--after ten years--this place is home to me.  I told her, yes: home without family.  (I do have two family members nearby, but most of my family lives 4-8 hours away.)  As I shared with my new friend, yesterday, it took some time, but both Jim and I have come to love this place so much that we're not sure if we'll ever leave (even when I haven't a joint-custodial relationship to preclude our moving).

I can speak only for myself (not Jim) when I say: the key to my happiness, here, has been my becoming rooted in the community.  I've become rooted in the community by collecting people, here, and not just any people, but people who really love the Lord and seek His face in their daily lives.

Are you familiar with the quote: "A woman's heart should be so close to God's that a man has to seek Him to find her?"  Beautiful words, and I believe both Jim and I had to be close to God to find one another.  Additionally, I believe wholeheartedly: I had to be close to God to form the friendships, here, that feed and flame my life.  Friendship, here, eluded me (except for with my beloved and sweetly patient Christy) until I started getting my act together.  Because my community walks with Jesus!

So I want to offer thanks, to God, that I live where I do, among the people I do.  Also for the opportunity to reflect on just how much I really do love this place, and why, and what Who made all the difference.

And now, if you'll indulge me just a little longer, I'd like to write a prayer for my new friend.

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for the sister in Christ and new friend with whom I shared lunch, yesterday. Thank You for bringing her safely to this place.  I know You have a plan for her and her family, here, and she knows it, too, Father.  Thank You for that.  It takes time for a new place to feel like home, Lord, and I just ask that You continue to bring the right people into these lives.  I pray for the right church.  The right small group.  Helpers of all kinds: the right doctors, teachers, service providers!  I pray for Your peace that passeth all understanding, also a sense of adventure and excitement.  And I thank You, Father, for all You've done, are doing, and will do.  Thank You for Your goodness and love.  Amen.      

Praying Always

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Pastor David, today, wrapped up his series on the armor of God.  His focus was on Ephesians 6:18: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (KJV). Specifically, he talked about prayer as strategic in battling Satan and his army.  Pastor David noted that, according to John 10:10, Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to this place and died for our sins in order to give us abundant life.  Spiritual warfare exists, and prayer is critical for any and all winning, on our part.  The more constant our prayers, the better.

I never want to pretend like I have it all together, but I do want to share: over the past few years, my prayer life has improved significantly, albeit slowly.  It used to include, mostly, prayer in church, prayer at mealtimes, and prayer at bedtime.  But God has placed some true prayer warriors in my path, also made me receptive in learning from their examples.

I suspect "praying always" is challenging for others besides me, so I thought I'd share some things I've learned and ways in which I've grown.

• Instead of writing "I'll pray for you," I try to write out an actual prayer (from Dear Heavenly Father to Amen.)  In May 2008, my friend Connie pointed me in the direction of Dr. Ray Pritchard's article "Write a Prayer for a Friend."  I wrote a couple prayers and passed the article along to others, and, later, my friend Rachel passed it back, after which time the practice moreso took hold in my life.  A written prayer can be saved and reread by both the person for whom I've prayed and me, and the Lord's faithfulness can be checked against my words.  Also, if I write out a prayer, I know I've prayed it.  (I mean to say: I've been guilty of saying "I'll pray for you" and forgetting to do it.)  
• Instead of saying "I'll pray for you," I try to pray with the person, on the spot.  I emphasize try because I'm not going to lie: prayer in person doesn't always work out for me; as you and I both know, certain environments can be chaotic.  Still, I used to be someone uncomfortable with one-on-one prayer, and I've come a long way: especially over the telephone.  My friend Sharon inspired me, last November, to start praying over the telephone, and it's opened some big doors and kindled some special friendships.  As with a written prayer, the beauty of a prayer with someone is, in part, knowing I've prayed it.
• Recently, I've been trying to stop/drop what I'm doing and pray with others as soon as a need becomes known.  For example, Clementine and I bowed our heads in a mall parking lot, a couple weeks ago, and prayed for some people who'd been in a car accident.  Even more recently, I was sitting at my computer when a prayer request came through.  I shared the request with Jim and the children, and we all stopped what we were doing and prayed, together, regarding the need. This practice of "stop, drop, and pray" is also very much Sharon-inspired. 
• I pray aloud, often, while driving, when my passengers are asleep.  The drive goes so quickly when I'm in prayer, and there have been some cute (blessed) moments when one of my passengers has turned out to be awake, after all.    
• I pray when I'm awake and don't want to be, but can't sleep for whatever reason.  I've discovered that--in the wee hours of the morning--prayer curbs my frustration with an uncomfortable, pregnant body; a sleepless baby; or a restless mind.   It helps and relaxes me to know I'm communing with the Lord and, oftentimes, blessing others with time that would feel much less productive, otherwise.  (***Note to self: I need to start praying while waiting in line!)
• I've begun praying with my son after addressing behavioral issues.  I've found that this practice puts emphasis on Cade's behavior as being reflective of heart issues with which Jesus, who lives in Cade's heart, can help.  Also, prayer helps me to end Cade's and my interaction on a positive, loving note.
• I've started praying with Cade before saying goodbye to him for an extended amount of time because this practice contributes to whatever peace I experience both in the moment and, later, while we're apart.

What about you?  How do you incorporate prayer into your busy, daily lives?