Thursday, February 24, 2011

Prayer Saturated Kids

My greatest desire on this Earth is to raise my children to love and serve the Lord. I want them to discover their God-given gifts and use them in their fullest capacity to further the Kingdom of God. I am not alone. We want great things for our children. This can only be done by saturating them in prayer and teaching them how to pray. There is a book that has taught and encouraged me to pray with and for the children in my life.

The Prayer Saturated Kids by Cheryl Sacks and Arlyn Lawrence will teach parents, grandparents, and teachers how to equip and empower children in prayer. One of my favorite chapters is discovering your child’s original design and how there are different styles of prayer. We are also taught how to close doors to the enemy and how to make our home a house of prayer.

This Sunday morning at Bethel Assembly of God in the Mace building, room 109 there will be a class beginning at 9 AM about how to pray for and with our children, how to teach them to pray, and how to raise them to be strong in their faith. Louise Harris will be the facilitator for this class as you discuss the book Prayer Saturated Kids. She is the Prayer Coordinator at Bethel and is a powerful woman of prayer. She has a wealth of knowledge and you are sure to grow spiritually in this class. Don't miss it.

Let's go ahead and get started by praying this prayer today!

Father, I accept Your assignment to pray for the children You have placed in my life. Teach me how to stand guard over my own children--to pray with and for them, to leave them a legacy of prayer to pass down to their children. At the same time, make me aware of other children who will pass through the doors of my home, work, church, and community. Show me how to pray for their needs and the unspoken cry of their hearts. As I read this book (Prayer Saturated Kids), please strengthen my own prayer life, because I know I cannot give to others what I do not have myself. Give me a Spirit-filled prayer life--one that will serve as a model to the children whose lives I touch. Father, today I commit to invest in the next generation through prayer-- to plan sees of truth, to train them, and to help pour the life of Your Spirit into them. Amen
Excerpt from Prayer Saturated Kids, Introduction

Blessings,
Lisa

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Broken


When we are broken beyond repair, the only thing that will heal us is a direct, transforming encounter with the living God.
Please join us on Wednesday evenings at 7pm at Bethel Assembly of God in the Main Sanctuary, as we look into the ancient story of Job. In this, we find a story about a man who had it all and then lost it all. It is a story of profound loss and sadness. But it is also a story of hope.
It is our prayer that we find encouragement in Job’s story as we search for hope and meaning in the midst of suffering.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Children's Consignment Sale

On March 10-13, 2011 a seasonal consignment event featuring high-quality, gently used children's clothing, furniture, toys, and maternity items at the Berkeley County Fairgrounds on the following dates and times:

Thursday, March 10, 10 AM to 8 PM
Friday, March 11, 10 AM to 8 PM
Saturday, March 12, 8 AM to 1 PM
Saturday, March 12, 2 PM to 5 PM 50% off sale
Sunday, March 13, 1 PM to 4 PM The Great Dollar Event

Consignors can make up to 60% profit! For more information, check out www.ChildSpiritConsignment.com or call Michelle at 304-283-7005

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Upcoming Events for February

There is time in which to be, simply be, that time in which God quietly tells us who we are and who he wants us to be. It is then that God takes our emptiness and fills it with what he wants. Madeleine L'Engle

Friday, February 11 Jus' Moms coffee break- For those moms who need a break or want to connect, join us at Starbuck's in Target in Martinsburg, WV at 9:30 AM. This is primarily for those moms whose children are in school however it's open to anyone. Please no children.

Monday, February 14 A Valentines Banquet held at Bethel Assembly of God in the Mace building gym at 6 PM. The evening will include a full meal with drinks & dessert. Cost at the door is $8 per person. Proceeds from the banquet will go to "Speed the Light".

Speed the Light is a student-initiated, volunteer, charitable program that provides much-needed equipment to missionaries across the nation and in over 180 countries around the world.

Tuesday, February 22 Topic Meeting-Topic Meeting- Join us at Bethel Assembly of God in Martinsburg, WV in the Mace building, room 109 from 9:45-11:45 AM for a time of brunch, discussion, and prayer.Childcare is provided!

Care Circles will be finishing up their discussion on the book, The Worn Out Woman, When Your Life is Full and Your Spirit is Empty by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray

Friday, February 25 Ignyte Worship Night- The Ignyte Women's Ministry of Bethel will be holding a Worship Night in the Main Sanctuary at 7 PM. All women are invited to join us for a time of praise, worship, and celebration. Childcare is provided.

Monday, February 28 Game Night at Bethel Assembly of God in the Mace building, rm 109 at 6:30 PM.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

WV Birth to Three

For our opening this morning, we had a guest speaker, Dawn Heatwole, a Parent Partner from the WV Birth to Three program. She spoke on the free services provided through the WV Department of Health and Human Resources.

Children who are suspected of having or being at significant risk of developmental delay receive a multi-disciplinary evaluation to determine eligibility for the WV Birth to Three Program. With participation of the family, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed for each child's family based upon the strength and abilities of the child and shaped by the concerns and priorities of the family. Services and supports listed on the plan are targeted to promote the child's development as well as to support the ability of the family and other care givers to address the special needs of their child.

If you are interested in these services or have any questions, contact the Regional Administrative Unit, RESA VIII in Martinsburg, WV at 304-267-3595 or toll free
at 1-866-681-4957.

A special thank you to Dawn for coming today and speaking with us. Also thank you for sharing your personal testimony of how God has blessed you and your family.
Lisa

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The School of Mom

Before I had children, I was sure how I would raise them. I would love them with a firm, but steady hand. I would create an orderly household, rich in love and tranquillity.
That sounded pretty good in theory. Then the first child arrived.
Our first daughter was a delightful pixie, miniature in stature, but strong in will. It was clear very early on that this child would have her way in all things.
One day when she was not quite two, I ran the water for her bath. She danced around the room, helping me to remove her shirt, her shorts, her underwear. But when we got to her socks, she drew the line.
She was going to wear her socks into the tub.
No, she wasn't.
With the battle lines firmly drawn, we engaged in combat. I grabbed her and pulled off a sock. She threw herself onto the floor, flipped over, and ran.
I headed her off at the door; she ran back for the discarded sock.
I tackled her and managed to slip the other sock off her foot. She retaliated with an ear-piercing scream.
"I...want...to...wear...my...socks!"
My victory was at hand when the phone rang. Jen saw her chance. She wiggled out of my arms and ran for her room.
I answered the phone with a voice full of all the exasperation of a mother thwarted.
It was my mom.
"What on earth is wrong?" she asked.
"Jen and I are at war. She wants to where her socks into the tub."
I heard the smile spread across her face. "She does?"
"Yes, I had finally gotten them off her and was about to put her in the tub when you called." I glanced over to her room just as she came back out into the hall. She had on her socks.
"Honey, can I give you a piece of advice?"
I did not want her advice. Still she continued.
"You and Jen are going to have a long life together. You are going to teach her to stay away from fire, to look both ways when crossing the road, and not to go with strangers. You are going to fight about boyfriends and grades and staying out late. Do you really want to fight about socks?"
"But mom, if I can't win an argument about socks, how will I ever win one about boys?"
"Ah, but that's the point," she said. "You have to decide what is worth fighting for. If you make everything a battle now, she will repay you by making everything a battle later. But if she learns that when you say no, it must be important, she will learn that your advice is worth listening to."
Jen wore her socks into the tub that night. She delighted in the way they bubbled up with water when she submerged them. She took them off and poured water on her head. She put them back on and savored their squishy softness. She probably learned a lot that night about the cause and effect of water on fabric.
I learned something, too, a lesson that I would remember throughout our children's lives: Choose your battles. Know what's important and don't squabble about the petty stuff. See the situation from your child's point of view.
I have been rewarded over and over for the lesson of that day. My children have grown up to be creative and unconventional thinkers. They are also firmly independent and a little headstrong. I got my household rich in love, but rather than tranquillity, my husband and I oversee a form of controlled chaos. We have lived through far worse experiments than wet socks, seen our share of successes and failures, and received the daily reward of watching our children become all they could be.
Thanks, Mom.

An excerpt from The Quotable Mom edited by Kate Rowinski