Showing posts with label kindergarten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kindergarten. Show all posts

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Time to Pray Is NOW!

By Susan Abbott
Southern Texas State Coordinator

In 2003, I heard about Moms In Touch International from a friend in our Bible study. She asked if I would like to pray in a group for our children and schools. Right away I said, “Oh, no, I don’t have time to add anything else into my schedule. Maybe when our youngest child goes to kindergarten I’ll think about it.” I tucked the idea away … as God worked on my heart.

A couple years later, our youngest son was in kindergarten and our oldest, a daughter, was a senior in high school. God was urging me, growing in me the desire to pray with other moms. The pressing needs of my daughter who was ending her high school years and preparing for what was next, motivated me to make that commitment. I began praying each week with another mom. There were times when I didn’t even know how to pray, but God used that other mom to fill in when I was at a loss. Our prayer time was a great encouragement to me. In fact, those prayer hours became—and remain—the most important thing in my schedule.

God has shown me how to let go and love my children with grace. He is also growing each of my children in ways I never expected. Our daughter wasn’t interested in going to college right out of high school, but today she is returning to her studies, as she raises our first grandchild. After fighting about going to youth group every week for the first year, our middle child is now really committed to his youth group. And, our youngest child, who worried about friends, has a great group that hangs out together.

I know firsthand the heavy burdens we take on as moms. I also know when we give them over to our loving God in prayer with other moms it changes us. We become more like Jesus.

When someone asks you to join or start a Moms In Touch group, don’t wait! Don’t lose years of praying together. The time to pray is NOW!

Are YOU committing to make time to pray for your children and their schools? Let us know by posting a comment below. Just click Comment, then hit Preview.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hearts at Home Shares MITI with their Moms

We appreciate Jill Savage, founder of Hearts at Home, writing about Moms In Touch International in her April newsletter.

Moms In Touch:  Another Great Mom Organization 

By Jill Savage, Founder of Hearts at Home

I remember when my daughter Anne was getting ready to go to kindergarten.  I wasn't worried about her going to school, I was worried about her riding the school bus!  

Over the years, my worries changed from concern about the bus, to friendship choices.  As we added more children to our family, my worries only increased as they moved to a new grade or a new stage of life. 

But I soon learned that worry wasn't doing much for me or them. I decided to turn my fears into prayers.  And I did that for one hour each week at my Moms In Touch prayer group.

Hearts at Home partners with Moms In Touch International, a ministry encouraging all moms, in all ages and stages, to gather with other women to pray specifically for their children and their schools.

Moms In Touch groups meet in every state in the USA and in 140 countries around the world. 

Will you commit to praying with another mom for your children and their schools?

Visit www.MomsInTouch.org to learn more about Moms In Touch International and to find a group near you.
(After writing in your comment, hit Preview and type in the security code. The comment should be posted within 48 hours.)

Saturday, April 17, 2010

From Tears on 1st Day of Kindergarten to Joy in God's Faithfulness

Prayers for our own children often have ripple effects, touching the lives of others along the way. We were delighted to receive this mom’s testimony.

“This week I was reminded of how faithful the Lord was all through the years as we raised our children. I cried as I dropped off our first child at kindergarten. Even though it was a Christian school, I knew that I was trusting what someone else would say to her and how she would receive it. I knew that her life would be impacted by the other children she met and the experiences that I could not control.

“On the way home (that morning in 1988) Focus on the Family was featuring the Moms In Touch ministry, and Fern Nichols was the featured speaker. God is so faithful. He led me to intentional prayer through this ministry. I ordered the materials that same day, and thus began specific prayer with other women for our children and their schools. Quickly our first prayer group grew, and we separated into two groups. In just a few short years, there were several groups praying in Moreno Valley, California. We moved to a small community in Bayfield, Colorado, in 1992 and once again gathered a group of ladies to pray for our children and our schools.

“It has been a tremendous blessing to see the fruit of our labors. The Lord reminded me this Sunday of Moms In Touch as I listened to our son share with our church the adventures of his missions work in New Bombay, India. Our son Joey is now 23 years old and serves as the boys shelter project manager for Tender Hands. He is basically the parent to 12 boys who have been rescued from the streets of India. In a culture that throws away their children, the Lord is raising up an army of Christian leaders to train them up in His Word and to restore them with His love.

“Joey asked the group to pray for these boys. He said he knew this was more important than money. He said it was the most important thing we could do for the children.

“It was at that point I was reminded by the Lord of the impact that prayer through Moms In Touch had on my children. This intentional prayer using specific scriptures to pray for the godly character traits in our children has made an eternal difference not only in my children's lives, but in the lives of children in India!

“Thank you so much, Fern, for your heart to bring this ministry to life and share with moms like me. Truly you have blessed me beyond my ability to repay.”