17 Days in...and we're linking up!

Welcome back to my hosted link-up for the 

21 Days of Prayer for Sons Challenge!

I have enjoyed reading all of your comments as well as links when you share what this prayer journey is doing in the lives of you and your families.

Looking forward to seeing what you have to share this week!

Remember, if you do not blog you can still share your thoughts and experiences here by simply writing it as a comment to this post.  

Also, if you only come to read the links and comments, that is great as well.

Blessings to you all!  

Link up or comment below...

And today we pray for Self Control!!! 

Patience Like a Bear

Just had to share this...

Today, in the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge, we prayed scripture prayers regarding Patience over our sons.

I decided to share my morning prayer time with my son this morning while he bathed.  As I introduced him to our prayer topic for today, I mentioned we would be praying prayers for patience for him and for all of us.

Here is how the conversation ensued:

"Son, you see, we are going to pray for patience..."

"Patience like a bear?" (We have recently been watching a nature show about bears.)

"I guess so.  Yes, I think bears have patience."

"Yes, mom, they have patience for they pray."

"Bears pray?  Oh, well, I guess you could be right.  Maybe they do pray."

"No, mom, I said they have patience while they wait for their PREY.  You know, the animals they eat are their prey.  They have patience while they wait to attack them and eat them."

"Oh, yes, then you are right.  They surely do have to have patience to find and get their prey at just the right time."

Unbelievable, the conversations you can have with a five-year-old.

And, believe it or not, I did draw some parallels with his little scenario.

We have many little enemies that come at us as a result of the bigger enemy.  Once we recognize certain enemies as being regular and familiar in our lives, we can begin to not only be on the lookout for them in order to defend ourselves from them, but we can also switch to the offensive tactic of stalking them patiently as if they are our prey.  With God's guidance, strength, wisdom, and complete assistance, we can have the patience of a bear and stalk and attack our prey so that we are no longer its prey.  Our former stalker(s) can become a footstool at our feet as opposed to us being trampled by the enemy.

The LORD says to my lord:
   “Sit at my right hand
   until I make your enemies
   a footstool for your feet.”  (Psalm 110:1)

So, I charge you today, 

in the words of my five-year-old son, 

to go out and pray to have 

the patience of a bear 

as you stalk and defeat your prey!

21 Days of Prayer for Sons Challenge - Day 10 Link-Up

Welcome to the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons Challenge Link-Up.

If you are not a blogger, feel free to click on any or all of the links below to read our challenge groups' stories of how they are doing and what they are experiencing as they pray for sons, grandsons, etc. for 21 Days.  More will be added throughout the day and even throughout the next week.

Bloggers involved in this challenge, link up your challenge-related posts...and visit others while you are at it.  If you don't get a chance to link up today, that's okay.  Come back and link-up anytime before next Friday's link-up.

Everyone, leave comments as you stop by and read posts so that the bloggers know you were there.  They greatly appreciate comments, even if it is just to say Hi!

Also, make sure to stop by Brooke's Warrior Prayers blog today for her link-up as well.  She is hosting a GIVEAWAY!!!  :o)  You can CLICK HERE to go to it.

Oh, and today, we pray for JOY!!!

I think that's about it.

Now, LINK-UP and READ! 

GIVEAWAY!!!

Okay, so now I am finally doing my 2nd ever GIVEAWAY!!!

What book is it?

Drumroll....

Reshaping It ALL by Candace Cameron Bure!!! (Click here to read my review of it.)

Perfect time of year to win this motivational, inspirational, practical book.

Just leave a comment here 

(or on my Facebook page if we are FB friends already) 

letting me know you would like the chance to win.  

Oh, and make sure to either leave an email address in the comment 

or email me at decide2day2live (at) gmail (dot) com 

so that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner. 

That's it!

I will close this on this Friday, June 17th at midnight central standard time.   

(I won't be a stickler about that as long as you get your comment posted before I wake up on Saturday morning and run the random picker test to find my winner and announce it.)

Reshaping It ALL by Candace Cameron Bure

Yes, yes, you probably recognize the name and possibly the face...but something about her looks different.

Candace Cameron Bure is the famous pre-teen beauty from Full House and is one of Kirk Cameron's sisters.  (He was on Growing Pains, remember?)

What's missing on that beautiful face of hers, though?

Oh, yeah!  The cute, chubby cheeks.

You see, in the years since we last saw her on Full House she has done some growing up.  And I must say, it looks beautiful on her.  However, those years in between the cutesy pre-teen days and now have by no means been easy for her.

In Reshaping It ALL, Candace openly shares the story of her life growing up as an actress, battling an eating disorder, and rediscovering her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior. 

Candace Cameron Bure candidly (no pun intended) opens up her life and shares lessons learned along the way so that we can glean wisdom and practicality from her struggles and successes.  Candace offers everything from narrative life recounting to thoughtful quotes she finds inspiring.  She presents scripture to go along with each chapter as well as some down-to-earth advice on how to succeed at reshaping your body and soul.  She even includes a favorite recipe with each chapter---several of which I have since made and enjoyed.

Though Candace's problem is/was more in the area of addiction to food, my struggles are not the same.  I do enjoy food, however I am pretty good about not overindulging and such.  My issue is exercise---or lack thereof.  Because I lack the energy, time, motivation, and stamina to begin and maintain a regular exercise program, my body is now showing the fruit of it.  I could not have gotten this book at a better time. 

Thanks to Candace's encouragement, I plan to make this INSPIRATION turn into PERSPIRATION.  

And who knows, maybe that will in turn produce some much needed REJUVENATION!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher from B&House Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Day 3 of 21 Days...and it's a LINK-UP!

Whether or not you "blog", I hope you will enjoy today's "link-up" by clicking on any or all of the links that end up getting posted below so that you can read some of the experiences of my group members as they participate in this 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge.  (Throughout the day and even over the next several days more links will begin to appear as the writers/bloggers/parents post their own.)

Bloggers - Link up!  :o)
(21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge posts only, please)

If you have never participated in a link-up as a blogger, don't worry;  it's easy.  Just click below and follow the directions.  When it asks you for the name of the post, you can name it whatever you want...your name, the post name, your blog's name...whatever.

Also, don't forget to drop by Brooke McGlothlin's Warrior Prayers blog later and link up, too, once she has hers posted.  She may be doing giveaways and such on hers!  :o)

Oh, and in case you are wondering...today...

Day 3...we pray for Integrity!

Now, start reading and/or linking up below, and remember...

leave a comment when you visit each one---even if it is only a brief "Hello."

21 Days of Prayer For Sons Challenge begins TODAY!

Whether or not you followed my participation in the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge in April, you may have heard a little about it by now. 

Or you at least may have noticed that I now have a whole page dedicated to the introduction of it and invitation to it.

Well, that is because this time around I am leading a group of parents and grandparents of boys/men. 

Yep.  The challenge initiator, Brooke McGlothlin, decided to offer the challenge again, but this time to structure it as groups led by volunteer group leaders.  We are now up to almost 50 groups (both online and in person) with a total participation of nearly 1200 parents and grandparents.  (There is even an aunt in my group, as well as some dads!  The sons in question range from pre-birth to adults.) 

My group has over 50 participants.  All of these numbers are growing daily, but this is not about the numbers nor any kind of contest whatsoever.  However, the larger the number the more parents, grandparents, sons and grandsons will be blessed and challenged by these scripture prayers. 

TODAY we begin!!!  And...it is NOT TOO LATE if you would still like to hook up with us.  Go check out my page about it (CLICK HERE) and let me know if you are interested in joining my group!

Today we pray for obedience...

Remember when I last prayed scripture prayers for obedience for my son?!  (If not, read about it HERE.)

Keep us in your prayers as we are lifting many prayers to our Father for our sons.