Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

prayer warrior mom {book review}

Prayer Warrior Mom
Covering Your Kids with God’s Blessings and Protection
By Marla Alupoaicei

i was so super excited when i read the description of this book. i knew straight away that it was one i just had to read. having two teenage littles of my own, i crave being a prayer warrior mama.

the description on the back of the book reads:

Moms, are you struggling with patience? Worrying about your children’s spiritual development? Concerned about their social or behavioral issues? Wondering how to get it all done when there’s just never enough time?

Today’s Christian moms want to be prayer warriors, standing in the gap for their kids.  But many  mothers haven’t been equipped with the prayer skills, scriptural knowledge, and practical strategies needed to fight the spiritual battle.

“The only real power we have on earth is the power of prayer.  Our potent prayers for our kids connect them with the reality of God and His will for their lives,” Marla says.

this book was absolutely amazing and not only met but exceeded, far exceeded, all my expectations of it.  i am a self-proclaimed “bad prayer”.  i know there isn’t such a thing, but i’ve always felt like one.  i know that God knows my heart and he hears my prayers before they even leave my lips.  i just feel like a times i stumble through them, not quite knowing what to say.  this book has helped me more than i could have ever dreamed.
what is a prayer warrior mom?  being a prayer warrior mom means we release control to our Father and trust Him with every aspect of our children’s lives and well being.  that means giving Him our children’s future, even though our dreams for our kids might not align with His plan for them.  God longs to honor our prayers for our kids, isn’t that sooo comforting?
each chapter beings with an encouraging quote then dives into the subject.  it ends with a prayer, a few Bible verses relevant to the chapter (call the Sword of the Spirit) and small group discussion questions.  this book could oh-so-easily be used for a ladies Bible study or a moms group.  and the discussion questions would prompt some amazing, helpful discussions.  
i would recommend this book to every single mom.  all of ya’all, whether you are an experienced prayer veteran or new to the program.  this book will walk you through, step-by-step, how to stand in the gap for your children.  it’s an extremely well written book that was a joy to read, from front to back.
this book was provided to me free of charge by booksneeze.com in return for my honest review.  the opinions i have expressed are my own.

out for now
~kisses

a letter of forgiveness

to the woman who married my birth-father…

i normally wouldn’t post something this personal in a public place, but every other form of communication between us is blocked and i know you read my blog frequently.  so this was the only logical way i could find to share this with you.

i’m sure entering into a family that already had it’s dynamics established wasn’t easy for you.  and i understood that and still do.  and i’m sure it wasn’t easy to deal with someone as opinionated as i am.  i can be a little overbearing at times, as hard as that might be for me to admit.  
i want you to know when you first came into his (and our) lives, i didn’t have any problem with you.  i want you to know i never saw it as competition.  i was thrilled that he had found not only a nice and polite woman but a Christian woman.  every bit of that made my heart happy, it made all of our hearts happy!
but the games that quickly started, the way you saw the kids and i as your competition and the sneaking behind his back to be mean to us…those were all things that shouldn’t have been done.  ever.  
but i want you to know i forgive you for them.
i’ve spent so many days replaying conversations, text messages and phone calls over and over in my head.  and every time, it left me feeling not only betrayed but picked over and second best.  the first time i left his life through my adoption, i completely understand and see as a huge blessing.  but being forced out of his life by you has left me feeling second best and rejected.
i feel no hatred to you, and i forgive you for that as well.
the time you told me i was part of a family that didn’t have love.  the time you told him he had to choose between you and i.  the time you pushed my son out of the way so you could sit by my father.
i forgive you.
i had someone ask me what if God placed you directly in my life for me to show you Christ through me.  and i’ve not done that.  i’m sorry for that.  
i want you to know that every single one of us are full of sin and pride but God still loves us. He loves us because He is merciful! you have to recognize that you can’t make payment for your sins. God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He died for your sins. He was punished so you don’t have to be. not only that; death did not defeat Him. after three days, Jesus rose from the dead, alive again!
nobody’s perfect and i wish the best for you and for him.  and i hope that after all we’ve been through, that  you’ve learned just as much as i have.  
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-15

sincerely,
amy

meal planning monday

monday – breakfast for dinner, pancakes and sausage…

tuesday – leftovers

wednesday – fish and baked potatoes, easy peasy

thursday – french dip beef sammy and onion rings…

friday – grilled cheese and tomato soup…another super easy night

saturday – out to dinner with the fam

sunday –  baked ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and rolls

out for now
~kisses