Praying for others

I am forgetful! Unless I have a plan, a sticky note, an alarm on my IPod, etc. I forget things...and even sometimes with those helps I still forget (my roommates in college and there after can vouch that I OFTEN would leave the apartment and then return within a couple of minutes because I forgot something. Now Josh sees it happen too:) 

Forgetting to pray for family and friends is something that I don't want to do and sometimes it's just because I don't make the time in my day to do it. I can only hope that I am not the only one.  I think that the more creative I can be with something the more I remember or even make the time for it.  And I thought that I would share some ideas for how you can keep your family and friends in your hearts and prayers on a regular basis.  Some simple ways to enjoy making the time to pray for others, to help you to remember to pray for others.

Days of the Week:  This idea is pretty straight forward.  Choose specific days of the week that you will dedicate to praying for one or more specific people.  If it helps you to remember, write down your list and look at it each day.  As you pray for these people regularly on the same day each week it will become natural and you'll be automatically thinking about them and praying for them on their day without looking at your list.

Prayer Rocks:  A VERY simple craft project to help you to pray for others regularly.  It can end up looking like a decorative piece on your coffee table or night stand with the purpose of PRAYER. 

Supplies needed:

- Rocks (I found some smooth, black rocks at Michael's for $2 for 2 bags)

- Fine tip paint marker (I used silver so it would show up on the black rocks)

- Plate or bowl

- Names of those you want to pray for

I used the paint marker and wrote names on the flattest side of each of the black rocks.  Then I used an extra plate we have lying around and I spread the rocks out with the names face down on the plate.  Place the plate/bowl of rocks in a place that will look as if it is a decorative element in a room that you would normally have your quite time and pray.  Each day pick one (or more depending on the number of rocks you have and how frequently you want to pray for each person).  This is how you will choose to pray for that day.  You can hold the rock in your hand while you pray for the person as if you are praying over them like you would if they were in the room with you and you hold their hand or place your hand on their shoulder.  Then when you are done with your prayer time place the rock back on the plate/bowl face up.  This is how you will keep track of who you have prayed for that week.  When you have flipped over all the rocks you can start over again.  



Prayer Verses:  This can be a short term or long term way of praying for others.  The purpose is to select a bible verse to pray over specific people.  Pray for God's wisdom to show you a verse for the person.  Also know what is going on in the person life and what they may need prayer for in the present or for a longer period of time (like during a pregnancy).  When you have selected a verse mark it in your bible, write in on an index card or on something that you can easily look at during your prayer time.  As you are praying for this person, pray the verse you have selected for them.  As you become familiar with the verse and praying God's word try putting the person's name in the verse as you say it.  Hopefully you will become familiar enough with the verse that you can pray it without looking or pray at other times in the day when the Lord puts that person on your heart.

Popsicle Prayers:  This one may be fun for involving your kids in praying for others (it was an idea a college roommate gave me).  Buy some Popsicle sticks at a craft store or dollar store.  Use markers to write the names of those you want to pray for on each stick.  Put the stick with the name ends down in a mug/cup and set it out somewhere you normally are when you have your quite time and pray.  Similar to the rocks, select one or more Popsicle sticks each day and pray for the person you have selected.  Place the stick back in the cup with the name end up so you can keep track of who you have prayed for that week.

I'd love to hear other ideas that you might have.  I'll be honest and say that I have a hard time sitting, being quiet and just praying in my head to the Lord.  So to I try ways of praying that help engage me better in the process and I feel more of a connection to God in my prayers than being distracted by other thoughts in my mind, sounds that I hear outside or feeling sleepy.  I know I'm not the only one who has been distracted or fallen asleep while trying to pray for others.  Post your ideas, I'd love to hear them!

JANUARY GOAL

My goal for January was to finish all the projects that I had started (last year) and hadn't finished.  I must say that I am not 100% successful on this goal, but 99%.  I have one very small thing to do tonight and that is to write down a verse to put in a blank frame that has been on the wall already in our bedroom. Not the most difficult project, but nevertheless was started but not finished. I am very happy about this goal because the two primary projects I needed motivation for to finish putting together our wedding album (I know, it's been 3.5 years!) and to finish the second set of drapes for our bedroom (we have two windows and I finished the first set and even had the second set all finished except for sewing on the lining.

I am happy to say both of those projects have been completed along with a few other small ones!!!

The hardest thing for me is that I get really excited about a project (especially when it involves being creative or crafty) and then before I finish it I get really excited about another project and begin something else...and so the cycle continues. Even during January, I got so excited about some of my other goals later in the year I began thinking and working on them ahead of time.

So, thankful to have completed this goal and I WILL put the verse in the frame tonight! I think it's funny that my sewing machine looks like the monorail and Disney from the side:)

Happy New Year

This year I have made some GOALS for the year. I figure if I don't call them resolutions, than maybe I'll actually fulfill them. I decided to make some goals for the year and then I want to have goals for each month. I believe that writing them down will make me more committed and knowing that friends and family know about them will also give me motivation.

2011 YEAR GOALS:
- Drink more water (I have an app that helps me make sure I drink enough water each day)
- Exercise more (I know everyone says this, but I really want & need to work out more)
- Eat healthier ( I know everyone says this too, but food will no longer consume me)
- Read through the Bible
- Be a part of three service projects during the year
- Plan a reunion with some friends
- Make a family tree
- Add a new post to our blog at least once a month (hopefully more!)
JANUARY GOAL:  Finish all the projects that I started...but didn't finish:)
FEBRUARY GOAL: Give Josh a foot massage every weekend
MARCH GOAL: Make a duvet cover (that I have been talking about doing for a year) 
APRIL GOAL: Memorize 10 bible verses
MAY GOAL: Send an encouraging card to one person each day
JUNE GOAL: Make something homemade for each of my nieces and nephews
JULY GOAL: Read 2 Max Lucado books
AUGUST GOAL:  Create a project to show the best/most significant moments of my life = 30 years:)
SEPTEMBER GOAL: Take a 20 mile bike ride on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail
OCTOBER GOAL: Learn all the official NFL calls/penalties, what they look like & what they mean
NOVEMBER GOAL: Make 4 new crock pot recipes
DECEMBER GOAL: Make homemade gingerbread to make a Gingerbread house.

I'll keep you updated each month (which will also help my annual goal:) What are your goals this year?

Christmas Break

Josh had a two week break from school, so we were able to do some traveling and see family and friends. We first had a chance to visit the Weis family (Josh's sister). Josh's brother, Mike, was able to come visit as well so that all the Moore kids could be together. We enjoyed just being together and watching the kids play. Charlie is starting to walk, Hannah is talking a mile a minute (and her voice is so cute and high pitched) and Madi still likes to cuddle:) Here are some pictures from our time together.





Uncle Josh helping the girls make paper bag reindeer



The girls got new sleeping bags from their neighbor. Eric and Mike were enjoying them the most!



We also had the chance to visit our good friends Ben and Sarah at the beginning and the end of our trip. It was nice to catch up with them. We spent one evening eating out at one of our favorite pizza places and the other evening we played a card game. Glad to squeeze in some time to see them.

The majority of our trip was in Traverse City, MI at my parents house. My dad has done a great job of remodeling areas of the house and my mom has enjoyed redecorating and painting. We got to hang out with my brother Jon and his girlfriend. Jon's kids, Alyssa and Jacob, were able to come over and visit a couple of times as well. We all had fun playing Kinect, Minute to Win It (hilarious!), opening gifts, eating blintz and bagels (a Pickard family tradition) and playing POO! Poo is a game my brother got me. Think of games you would play on youth group trips...it's that kind of game:)

We were able to coordinate our trip to overlap one night with my brother Justin and his family. My grandma came over and we were all able to spend some time together and get a family picture. Alyssa, Jacob, Baily and Braden really had fun playing with each other and sledding in the backyard. It was good to see Justin and Julie, I wish it could have lasted longer, but a short visit is better than none. Here are some pics from our time in TC with family.





Live Nativity at Bayview Wesleyan Church

Mom making our favorite blintz and bagels!!!



Jon and Tara



Listening to the book that Grandpa and Grandma recorded.

 





Playing POO!

 

Merry Christmas 2010!

Hello Family and Friends!  We hope you are doing well as you read our Christmas blog post.  We have found it the easiest way to write our Christmas letter now by posting it to our blog.  However, we do hope that you will catch up on other posts from this year.  Unfortunately, I have done a terrible job at keeping up with posting through the year.  Last year, one of my New Year's goals was to post at least once a month.  Well that didn't happen.  So in 2011, I am going to try to post more regularly through the year.  This time, I am going to just think of it as posting my/our thoughts or moments.  Some days I just want to share what God's been teaching me/us, share a new recipe or hobby, maybe tell a joke.  I just want to become more active in leaving you with something to read about our everyday lives. 

This Christmas season, Josh and I are thankful for family and friends.  You're support and prayers have been appreciated as we have transition to a new place to live and a new journey as Josh pursue his degree in Physical Therapy.  Josh's program is intense and keeps him very busy.  If he's not in classes he's studying at home.  He has been working really hard and I am very proud of his dedication and perseverance.  It's hard to believe that his first semester will be over after next week.  Although, finals will prove to be hectic.  Josh looks forward to a couples weeks off school and then in January he will have his first clinical where he will be able to apply what he has been learning.  That will be a good break from classes and a great chance to learn by doing. That's so much better than reading textbooks:)

I am still looking for a job here.  I have been seeking God's guidance on what kind of job I should look for and whether I should pursue further endeavors within my field.  I have been in touch with a couple companies and I had one interview.  So far nothing has worked out or I didn't feel the job was right for me.  I really desire to use my passions and gifts that the Lord has blessed me with.  I am realizing that I can do those things in volunteer work and everyday life, they do not just have to be my job.  With the restrictions in WI regarding school counseling and other areas of counseling and social services, it may be best for me to get a job in a office as I have had before and try to volunteer working with teens somewhere.  The biggest blessing of not having a job right now is the time we will have with family over the break.  It's nice to have the freedom to travel and not feel so rushed.

We hope that you are all doing well during this time of year.  May it be a pleasant time that you can share with other family and friends.  We are trusting that the Lord will bless you in new ways this Christmas and through the New Year.  We look forward to learning what is happening with you in 2011.  We keep you in our thoughts and prayers.  During this Christmas season may you experience God's love and comfort above all things and remember Christ's birth and God's faithfulness.

Merry Christmas,

Josh and Jenean  

WAY TOO LONG

It has been WAY too long since I posted anything on our blog.  Actually, since last Christmas, almost a year ago.  Last year I sent out blog address in our Christmas cards so that everyone to read our Christmas letter instead of printing it our for each card or emailing it to a whole bunch of people.  However, as I prepare to send Christmas cards this year I realized that when I add our blog to the card there may be only one additional post since our Christmas letter last year.  Therefore, I am going to post snapshots of each season from this year.  Hopefully this will highlight the year and make up for some of the posts I should have been adding all along.  I posted Spring 2010, Summer 2010: Part 1 and 2, Fall 2010: Parts 1 and 2. Winter 2010 will be posted after the new year so I can add pictures from Christmas and time with family. 

Fall 2010: Part 2

Josh and I like to carve pumpkins each year for Halloween.  We never really set them out, it's just the act of carving and creativity that we seem to enjoy and something that we can do together!  If we can we like to go to a pumpkin patch to find our pumpkins.  This year we found a pumpkin patch very close to us with the cheapest pumpkins we've ever bought.  Both of us got fairly large pumpkins for $3 for both.  We'll be going back there next year.  We also went the last weekend they were open, so maybe that had something to do with it.  Of course I cooked the seeds and ate them all myself...YUM (Josh doesn't like the seeds, which means I don't have to share!)  We didn't have any trick or treater's, but we wanted to be prepared just in case.  Our preparedness just left us with more than enough candy for the last couple months.

We were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with Josh's parents and brother this year.  They came to visit us in WI and we enjoyed there company.  Josh had a couple days off from classes.  Thanksgiving dinner was really great and easy this year.  Everyone brought or made something and this year, against my usual hosting and decorating desires, we used foil pans for the dishes and had a buffet style Thanksgiving dinner.  Quite the opposite from last Thanksgiving:) Our table really isn't big enough for the place settings and the food.  And our kitchen is definitely not big enough for each of us to be preparing things and then washing all the pots and pans afterward.  So buffet it was, which turned out to be a great option and then clean up was about 10 minutes with everyone's help.  We either put foil on the pans with food and put them in the fridge or threw them out because they were empty.  All that was left was the place settings which were rinsed and put in the dishwasher.  It was great!  Any of the bowls and such from preparing the dishes were washed before dinner so it was a piece of cake.  More time for taking a walk and relaxing.

We went for a walk through the beautiful seminary property that is next to our neighborhood.  The guys brought a football that occasionally got tossed as we were walking and talking.  Then we spend time relaxing and working on crossword puzzles and regular puzzles.  We watched a movie together one night and went out to eat for Chuck's birthday (actually that was the day before Thanksgiving).  We ate at this great Italian place north of us...it was very delicious! Probably the best Italian food I've had.