Category: Prayers

February 12, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these posts but I have thought about doing one several times. I’ve got several drafts saved but it seems that I just can’t find the time to work on them or I’ve lost the idea when I go back to it.

Let’s see, where to start? Well, we’ve been busy with school work and just normal everyday life activities. We’ve also joined a rock painting group and the kids are having a blast painting rocks, hiding rocks, and finding rocks. (I may try to do a post later on about some of our activities with the rock painting.) I’ve tried to post some of our activities on Instagram and on our Facebook pages. I’ve also started a Facebook page for this blog.

I have been going to the square dance classes every week and having a blast! It is so nice just to get out of the house and be around some other ‘grown ups’ every now and then. The dancing is a lot of fun too but the fellowship is wonderful.

I just absolutely love square dancing! Yes, I have two left feet sometimes and I mess up on the calls but I have so much fun. I just can’t stop smiling when I’m dancing or watching others dance. Have I mentioned the outfits? They are so beautiful too! Gosh, I just don’t think there is anything about square dancing that I don’t really like at all.

I know it’s not for everyone but we all need to find something that we can enjoy. This just happens to be something that I really enjoy right now. It makes my heart happy which could be why I can’t stop smiling! Be forewarned as I may do a post, or two, on square dancing later on.

Can I just say also that God works in mysterious ways? I want to thank anyone and everyone who has prayed for myself and my family. I have been so blessed and His blessings continue to pour out on my family and me in so many different ways. It is a joy to see how He comes through time and time again.

I am also reminded of how important it is to remember that He will provide us with what we need in His perfect timing, not ours. I’m smiling as I type this because I am still in a state of awe at what He has done in my life this past week. All I can say is that my heart has been smiling and that smile has been visible on my face all week long!

When we think something is impossible He will prove that everything is possible when you hand it over to Him. He knows the desires of our hearts and He knows what we need before we even ask. When He takes something from us He will replace it with something so much better. Every trial and heartache that we go through is to prepare us for something that is yet to come. He is molding us and shaping us into the person He wants us to be. He is so good to us!

So please, if you have a problem, a need, or just something that you desire don’t be afraid to hand it over to God, no matter how impossible it may seem. Let Him have control over it and let Him be the one to decide what to do or how to do it. You will be amazed at what happens when you release your worries and cares.

 

 

 

 

January 23, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

My heart is especially heavy today. I am saddened by yesterday’s events. 

It was crazy at our house and we tried to be as prepared as we could be. The storms were forecasted to be some of the worst in a decade and I believe they lived up to the predictions. 

Life is returning to normal for us here. The kids are calming down and the closet has been returned to it’s normal state. As I pulled the crock pot out and looked for the missing knob I was reminded of how blessed we were yesterday. 

Just an hour or so north of us is a different story. The pictures of the devastation brings tears to my eyes. I also get goosebumps when I see the pictures of the tornadoes and funnel clouds. 

There are people who lost everything. They lost houses and belongings that will never be found in all the debris. More importantly some of them lost family members who can never be replaced. 

It will be a long while before life returns to any kind of normal for many of them. 

So I’m asking that everyone please take a minute and pray for all of those affected by the deadly storms that swept through the south over the weekend. Also take a few minutes and count your blessings, name them one by one, and thank God for everything He has done for you and your family. 

Thank you!

The Two Frogs Tale

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

This is one of those kinds of stories that I love to read to my kids. A story with a moral that teaches an important lesson. It can be so important for us grown ups to refresh our own memories on some of these morals as well.

One of the traits of being a Godly Woman is learning to control your tongue. Yes, this can be an almost impossible task at times. Sometimes it is best not to say anything at all if you just can’t say anything nice.

We need to remember the importance of using kind words. Words that can encourage others to help them succeed. This story is an illustration of just how damaging words can be and shows how they can indeed make the difference between life and death in certain circumstances.

The Two Frogs Tale

A group of frogs was walking through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” As it turned out this frog was deaf and could not hear what they had been saying. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

So we what do we need to learn from this story? We need to see just how powerful our tongue and our words can be. If we speak an encouraging word to others it can possibly be the motivation that they need and help them to get through a difficult time.

However, if we speak the wrong words it could send them into a downward spiral.

Make a conscious effort today to use your tongue and your words to encourage someone around you. Ask God to help you choose your words and to help you keep your mouth shut when you can’t. Make your words count and use your tongue to bless others in a positive way each and every day!

Momma, come sit with me.

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

‘Momma, come sit with me.’ That’s what my 3 year old said today at lunchtime. He had been picking at his sandwich and sticking around the table after everyone else had went to their rooms for lunch. He gave me that sweet smile with those little blue eyes just a sparkling. Who could resist that smile?

Not me! The neverending To-Do list can wait. The basket of unfolded laundry can wait. The dirty dishes in the sink can wait. The chores that need finished can wait. The millions of other things running through my mind,at any given moment, can wait.

Right now he needs me and he is asking me for my time. I admit that sometimes I feel like I am spread pretty thin. I feel like I just can’t do anything more than what I am doing right now. It’s hard being a Momma.It’s hard being a single Momma. It’s hard being a special needs Momma. It’s hard being a single special needs Momma! Yes, I said it’s hard. It’s almost downright impossible on some days. But then there are the good days or the little moments like this.

The house is quiet-ish as everyone is settling down for naps and/or quiet time. The school work has been finished and put away. He continues to nibble at his sandwich while I grab my glass of watered down iced tea. I sit in the chair next to him and he smiles. A genuinely lit up ear to ear kind of smile. Those little eyes are just dancing with ideas that he wants to tell me.

So he begins by informing me that my feet are in the water. I laugh and pull my feet up and sit cross legged in the chair.

‘Is that better?’, I ask.

‘Yes, Momma, now the sharks can’t get you.’

‘Well that’s a good thing! Thank you so much for warning me.’, I say.

He laughs and then he proceeds to explain to me how a T-Rex would catch a fish. He imitates the T-Rex while eating his fish (peanut butter sandwich) and he laughs a lot. He tells me what he wants for snack later, a dinosaur cupcake from yesterday, and he asks if he and ‘all my friends’ can go outside after naps. He always refers to his brothers and sisters as ‘all my friends’ and he draws a big circle in the air when he says it. It is so cute!

He eats a few more bites and declares he is full. Then he grabs his napkin and attempts to wipe the peanut butter off his face. I help him and he takes off running back to his room before I can finish. He jumps into his bed and curls up with a stuffed toy and his favorite dinosaur toy. Then he closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep. I lean over and give him a quick kiss on the cheek and he giggles.

These are the moments that make my day and give me the momentum I need to get through the tough days. I get a little sad as I know they are all growing up so fast. I know that before long he won’t be asking me to come sit with him anymore. I want to take the time to cherish these little moments and enjoy them while I can.

I walked back to the kitchen to jot down this post so I will have it to look back on in the future. I think about how blessed I am and how precious life is. I am so thankful that God has put me where I am right now. He has given me more than I ever deserved and I know He has so many plans in store for me and my family.

He always knows what we need and when we need it. This morning I read Proverbs 13:4:

It reminds me that I need to keep pressing on towards my goals. I can’t give up and let myself get lazy. I can have hope in knowing that if I stay diligent there will be a reward for all of the hard work I put in here on earth. This little moment with my son was just a taste of that and it was so beautiful! I can’t even begin to imagine what the future may hold for us.

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me and my family!

Would The Real Boaz Please Stand Up?

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I’ve been reading a lot about Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. It is one of the most beautiful love stories told in the Bible. It shows how God can use the most tragic of circumstances, the poorest of the poor, and the most humblest people to fulfill His great plans. It shows God’s power and control of our lives, even when we don’t understand what is going on in our lives.

For me, this really hits home. No, I haven’t been widowed, but I am alone. I have been transplanted to a place where I knew almost no one but I am not struggling to get by on a daily basis. Or am I? I do have my struggles but I don’t think they would ever compare to the struggles that Ruth and Naomi faced. Nor do I ever feel that I would be worthy of the blessings that were bestowed upon them.

I do however have hope that there is one out there for me. My ‘Boaz’, if you will. Over the past few months I have met a few men that displayed the character traits of Boaz. I am not talking about men who were rich landowners as I rarely ask about a person’s occupation or income. I am talking about men of integrity and faith. Men that are genuinely kind and give without expecting anything in return. Men that I would consider to be of good moral character and who I would trust to lead my family.

Time and time again I have been let down. There have been various reasons, sometimes they get tired of keeping up the false front, sometimes I may have been to blame in some ways. I know that feelings of rejection can creep up from hurts I’ve had before and affect the way I feel. I do have a hard time trusting people when I’ve opened up my heart to them and they use my weaknesses against me. This is not what my real Boaz would do, he would never want to hurt me or see me hurt. He would want to guard my heart and wipe my tears, not be the cause for them. I still have faith and hope that God is working and I will keep waiting and praying for this man.

I try to pray daily for him even though I don’t know who he is, where he is, or what he is doing. What am I praying for? I pray that he will love God more than anything else and that he will pursue his relationship with God above everything else. I am praying for his health, safety, and protection. I am praying that God will work in his life to help him develop the traits and character qualities, like humility and integrity, that will bring honor and glory to God. I pray that God will guide him to be the leader that I will need him to be. I pray that God will teach him how to love, unconditionally, as he will need to accept my children unconditionally if he is truly my Boaz. I pray that he is successful in whatever he sets his mind to and that God will bring him peace and rest after his hard work. I pray that he is surrounded by friends and family that support him.

I also try to pray that God will shape me and mold me into the person that my Boaz will need me to be. I want to be ready for whenever he comes my way. I pray that God will teach me to be a good help meet. I pray that God will help me to develop the qualities that he will need from me so that I can support and encourage him. I pray that I will be the love of his life, and he will be mine also. I pray that God will give me wisdom and discernment in the choices I am making now that may affect my future. I pray for the strength to overcome any weaknesses I have and that they can be turned into strengths. I pray that I will learn to love unconditionally and accept him for who he is. I pray that God will heal my heart from my past relationships and not allow those feelings to creep into future relationships.

 

God knows me better than I know myself. He knows my needs and my wants. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He knows my likes and my dislikes. He knows what I need and when I need it. He shows me glimpses of traits and qualities that my Boaz will have and He gives me hope and encouragement. I trust that He will bring my Boaz along in His perfect timing according to His will and plan for me.

I pray for patience and faith while I am in this state of waiting. I am not actively searching for My Boaz because I know that God will put me where I need to be for him to find me. Who knows maybe he has already found me and God is still working on us before He opens ours eyes to see the plan He has in store for us?