iMine

December/2013

iPray eVotionals Greetings! iPray eVotionals exhorts those who pray.  It's the glass of water held out around each month's turn for the runners who can use a quick and easy quench in order to finish strong.   iMine    (Approximate reading time: 10 Minutes)   Treasures    "Look what I got!"  It was the first thing my daughter, Shirin, said after returning from a fall festival with a friend and her friend's family.  She held up a canvas bag in one hand, it was bulging out as if it was filled with rocks.  "I mined and gathered so many treasures, you won't believe it!" After thanking her friend for the fun day she dashed upstairs and spread all of her treasures out over her desk.  She spent the next hour separating and organizing her treasures into groups and piles.  I peeked in as I walked by with some laundry. "Mom, come here and look at what I got.  Here is one...and so many of these...and this one is so rare..." I stepped in, looked over her shoulder and expressed some general appreciation for what Shirin found.  I started to pick up some more laundry from her basket as she explained the names of each find.  It was like her words went in one ear and out the other.  I must have been thinking about the things that needed to be done because I can't remember even one stone she named off.  As she held each stone up I gave the appropriate, "That's awesome, no way, so cool," responses but not really noticing any details.  I couldn't tell you the color, shape or texture of even one treasure.  I knew they were pretty cool and that I could probably enjoy taking a look at them when I wasn't so distracted.  I told myself that after I got done with the things on my mind that needed to get done I would return to Shirin's desk to really take a closer look.  I told her that she could keep them on her desk until we found a good home for them and made my exit to gather more laundry from my room. Now before I continue telling you about my 5% genuine interest level in what my daughter was 100% excited about I have to tell you that during this same week many of Shirin's molars decided it was time to come out.  The tooth fairy had a hard time keeping up, in fact her stash of emergency tooth fairy gifts had been depleted.  So when Shirin came running into my room with the exiting news that another tooth had come out you can imagine what was running through my mind.  I didn't even look at the tooth as I gave my appropriate, "Another tooth?  Wow, I can't believe it.  You won't be able to chew your food at this rate," as my mind raced through my options to get a little treasure under her pillow before the next morning.  She laughed.  I thought she was tickled by my humor.  I didn't even look at her as I started to brainstorm what I could do to help the tooth fairy come through. "Mom, look at my tooth." Without really looking up from gathering my clothes I said, "It's a molar right?  Go find your tooth fairy pillow so we don't lose it."  The news of Shirin loosing her tooth should have made me excited for her and asking to see it.  Instead it sent me into a series of thoughts barely related to the joy of the event.  Does the tooth fairy have anything to give?  Will she forget like the last time and have to redeem herself on the next night? Does she have time to go to the store before it gets too late? Since Shirin knows who the tooth fairy is should I even be thinking in third person? "Mom!  Look at my tooth, it's so strange." "It's strange?" I said as I held a bundle of clothes in my arms. "Just look."  She held the tooth up in my face.  I stopped.  As it came into focus I dropped my clothes.  It was strange.  It was long and pointy.  It didn't look like a molar at all, more like a fang of some sort.  I wondered what sort of strange thing just came out of my daughter's mouth. It was dim as well, maybe rotten.  A rotten tooth would not be deformed in shape, would it? Standing behind the tooth I could see Shirin's big smile.  She seemed to be amused by my expression and was chuckling.  Wait a minute.  Was this some sort of joke?  She couldn't handle it and started laughing out loud. "What is that?" I asked. "It's a tooth!"  She said. "It's a tooth, but what kind of tooth?" I asked "It's a shark tooth!" She laughed, "I got it when I was mining."  Of course I started to laugh.  It was a funny joke.  Shirin explained that when she was mining she had gathered about fifteen shark teeth. Fifteen shark teeth?  I had looked at her treasures and didn't notice fifteen shark teeth?  I guess my daughter could tell how genuine I was earlier.  My automated and practically fabricated response did not connect me to her in any way.  She found an extremely creative way to get my attention onto the details, to not just glance over treasures but to really focus in and appreciate them in the same way she was.  Together experiencing a 100% genuine appreciation and awe for what she had gathered.  After really focusing in on that strange pointy tooth and realizing that she was pulling a fast one on me, I was sharing a real moment with her.  I had to go look at her treasures again to see what else I had missed.   Guess what, when I looked at the treasures closer they really were awesome!  Each one told it's own story.  Some were rough and others were smooth.  Shirin started to tell me all the names of the different stones.  "Check out this Quartz and this Turritella...oh I didn't know I had this, it's a Sea Coin...oh look, a fossilized Sea Clam.  Here is a Branch Coral...a Crinoid Stem...a Chrysophrase..." "Honey, how on earth do you know all of these names?" I asked. Shirin showed me a pamphlet sitting out, "This pamphlet tells me all the names of the treasures I could have found."  It was so compelling.  She showed me one of the rarest specimens, an Obsidian Arrowhead, and explained how she had found it. I looked over and found a bumpy one, "This is a strange one, it looks like cereal." "I know," She said, "it looks like oatmeal.  It's called a Florida Fossil Stone." "This looks like Fool's Gold." "Yea, isn't it Pyrite?  Yes, here it is, Pyrite...and here is a Citrine Point...and look at the Orthoceras..."   The moment was really special. I can't believe that I almost lost that moment all together.  I can't believe that I let my learned responses get in the way of really engaging and finding out something new.  How could I assume I could have gone back later and had just as meaningful of a moment?  I had seen most of the stones before in my life, but I had never seen the ones that Shirin had panned out.  How could I just glance over it like it was nothing to write home about? Response  It's so easy to respond the same way to Christmastime in December or Easter in the spring.  Along the way there are so many treasures to behold.  Maybe it's because I think I have seen it all before or maybe it's the pile of laundry in my arms but moments can slip by with nothing but a meaningless glance.  Like the news of Shirin loosing her tooth, every time I hear that Christmas is coming it should make me excited for the celebration of remembering Jesus' birth.  Instead when a Christmas song starts to play in the store it makes me think about what I'm to accomplish before that day arrives with a series of thoughts barely related to the joy the Holiday brings. What can make us drop the clothes and focus in for a real connection?  Maybe it's a new ornament, a drive to look at Christmas lights, experiencing a drive-through manger scene, trying a new recipe, providing a gift wrapping service or singing in the church choir.  Maybe it's a prayer that God would bring the tooth...or should I say the truth...into focus.  What about a new Advent reading plan.  (YouVersion has some really good ones this year.)  That we would not just glance but experience new and creative ways to make us stop, drop the clothes and really see what it is He is holding in His hand.  Maybe it's a prayer that what we see will not be what we think or what we expect, but instead it's something that changes our view of, our connection with and our response to Jesus. There are treasures to behold if we are willing to look up and marvel at them.  There are different textures, colors and shapes unique to this year of celebrating.  Something has to grab us out of those learned holiday responses that have no connection to the heart of the season. Christmas House    The thing about the treasures that Shirin found are that they were not stumbled upon.  They were searched out and found.  She picked up a pan, dumped it in sandy water and sifted until treasures emerged.  She did not hide them away but she marveled at them and found a way to get others excited as well.  In order to find our treasures this season we need to be sifting through the days as a miner would. I'm already starting to think as a miner.  As we were getting down our Christmas decorations this year my son, Frederick, asked me if he could make a Christmas House.  At first I sort of kept up with what I was doing and said, "We are decorating so we will have a Christmas House." "No mom, you know some people at Halloween time have haunted houses, but I don't want to do something scary.  I want it to be funny, I want to make a Christmas House.  People can come walk through and see all kinds of things and laugh instead of be afraid." You know what went through my brain?  Two things: First, what a fun idea.  Second, what a lot of work.  I almost answered with a very sandy response, "Maybe, I'll think about it."  When I realized that it was time to think like a miner.  Here was a treasure of an idea that could connect us to Christmas in a meaningful way instead of going along just glancing at what the season is all about.  I stopped and looked at my sons face.  With a bright smile he waited to hear my response.  His genuine excitement came into focus. "Please mom."  Would I just glance at the idea or would I really take a look? "Yes, this could probably happen."  I said as I silently sifted the sand away to allow this treasure to emerge.  "Something different that would make us really focus, marvel, explore and enjoy the details." Soon we had a paper and pen and we were planning out what our walk-through Christmas House could look like.  "We could do it in our back yard..."  "Yes, and we could have puppets..."  "We could have music too..."  "We could also have a narrator that has funny dialog along the way..."  "The fort could be an observatory where the wise men are gazing at stars..."  "Yes, and our gazebo-like awning could be an angel's dance party with the shepherds near by..."  "Our hot tub bar can become a puppet show..." The ideas were wonderful.  It excited us to sit down and really think about the treasures of Christmas and how we could put those treasures into a Christmas House. How we could help others laugh a little bit like I did with Shirin's tooth joke and then stop and focus in on the true treasures of Christmas. Miner   Why save our mining for a single holiday day such as Christmas or Easter?  Put on your miner gear, let the sand of halfhearted glances, "'I'll come back to that later" attitudes or, "It's too much work" responses sift away.  May we never over look what is special and unique about Jesus' life on earth.   As we open our pamphlet (Luke 1 & 2) that tells us about the treasures, may we be awed once again. One way to keep our sifting eyes alert is to get involved in an Advent Bible Reading Plan.  These plans take only minutes a day!  There are some really great ones this year.  Find a non-traditional twist on Advent, explore the humble beginning of the Savior, get daily devotionals or receive song devotionals from popular Christian artist.  Check it all out by clicking here: Advent Bible Reading Plans. Then December 25th will not only be the climax of the season it was meant to be but it will also be a day that magnifies the joy we already have in our hearts. When Christmas arrives this year let's make sure we have a canvas bag bulging with treasures to share with others. May we hold up our bags and exclaim, "I mined and gathered so many treasures, you wont believe it!" iPray... iPray... ...that you will live every day as a miner, sifting the sand away to uncover true treasures. ...that your responses will be 100% genuine. ...that you will focus on the truth and be engaged. ...that you will capture each moment, never putting it off for another day, week, or even year. ...that Christmas is not the same old thing, that even when you know what to expect you will marvel at it once again. ...that you will share your treasures, pointing out the rare and unique beauty in a captivating and creative way. In Jesus' Name iPray, Amen! ALL for Him, Michelle Fozounmayeh Visit My Bolg

In This Issue Treasures Response Christmas House Miner iPray Join iPray eMailing List Michelle Fozounmayeh Michelle Fozounmayeh A joy filled wife and mom that enjoys writing, praying, speaking at women events and being an Area Coordinator with the ministry Moms In Prayer International. Blog: 7tothirty7.blogspot.com Website: http://7tothirty7.com/ Advent Reading Plans: Rediscovering the Christmas Season offers a non-traditional twist on Advent, with reflection questions and action steps that help individuals, families, and small groups center each day on Christ. From LifeChurch.tv. 25 days The Christmas Story chronicles the humble beginnings of the Savior that the world had been waiting for. From YouVersion. 7 days Good News of Great Joy helps you adore Jesus throughout Advent, with short daily passages directed toward feeding your joy in God. From John Piper and Desiring God. 25 days Our Daily Bread Christmas Edition features daily devotionals specifically selected to help you find encouragement, comfort, and true joy through God's love for you. From Our Daily Bread. 10 days  The Songs of Christmas highlights Christmas song devotionals from popular Christian artists like Mandisa, TobyMac, Amy Grant, Colton Dixon, Kari Jobe, and Hillsong. From Capitol Christian Music Group. 14 days 12 Days of Christmas with The Overflow brings you stories about Jesus' birth through Christmas songs, presented by such artists as Sidewalk Prophets, James Fortune, Jason Castro, and Building 429. From The Overflow. 12 days 4 Traditions 4 Christmas iPray Links: Dec. 2011 iPray link: iTeeter-Totter Jan. 2012 iPray link: iPray NEWness Feb. 2012 iPray link: iLove DEEP and WIDE March 2012 iPray link: iPraise April 2012 iPray link: iEmbrace May 2012 iPray link:   iSmell a Stain June 2012 iPray link: iPray 4 Purity July 2012 iPray link: iPray 4 Protection August 2012 iPray link: iReminisce September 2012 iPray: iWork Out    October 2012 iPray:  iFollow November 2012 iPray: iThank God for That December 2012 iPray: iFinish Strong   January 2013 iPray: iNeed a Reminder   February 2013 iPray iPray in One Accord March 2013 iPray: iRest April 2013 iPray: iListen May 2013 iPray: iHold On June 2013 iPray: iStretch July 2013 iPray: iDream August 2013 iPray: iGet Dressed September 2013 iPray: iSurrender October 2013 iPray: iSpill November 2013 iPray: iMad Pray Poem links: Time to be Free Ms. Marry McMoo Only You I Delight in You A Bat's Perspective The Ins and Outs Green Things Treasures in the Darkness To My Mom No Longer Hidden 70 Years of Marriage Saint Sadie Discovering Little One Wide Long High and Deep My Son Knowledge Hoard Short Stories: Cream of Corn Battle of the Food Face Singing the Night Away See You Later, Alligator Don't Touch Fried Nuts Annoying Brother Missy's Puppies High Dive Something Big! Stretching First Rainbow Promise

4 Traditions 4 Christmas

4 Traditions...

Issue: Christmas

In This Issue Reindeer Mix Gingerbread Man Chain The Kindness Box Hanging Wish List Michelle Fozounmayeh A joy filled wife and mom that enjoys writing, praying, speaking at women events and being an Area Coordinator with the ministry Moms In Prayer International.    Want a quick prayer encouragement on the first of every month? Click "Join our Mailing List" and start recieving Michelle's iPray eVotionals! iPray eVotionals... iSpill iSurrender iGet Dressed iDream iStretch iHold On iListen iRest iPray in one accord iNeed a Reminder iFinish Strong iThank God for That iFollow iWork Out iReminisce iPray 4 Protection iPray 4 Purity iSmell a Stain iEmbrace iPraise iLove Deep and Wide iPray 4 Newness iTeeter-Totter

Greetings! Throughout the years I have come to have a deep respect for the role family rituals and traditions have on the healthy state of our family. For many years I worked as a Family Consultant with Once Upon A Family and picked up a few ideas.  Although traditions in our home have had seasons of success and seasons of rest or have had to be modified and/or changed to fit our family's needs, they still exist!   Each issue of 4 Traditions features ideas I have gathered and/or created that you can use or modify to fit your family's needs. Reindeer Mix... Make a special "Reindeer Mix" with one cup of oats, one cup of barley, and two spoonfuls of gold glitter.  It's a secret recipe that comes straight from the North Pole, and is just what the reindeer need to fuel them for their evening of delivering gifts.  On Christmas Eve, instruct your children to leave the mix o n the driveway, front lawn, or any other spot where the reindeer might want to rest and enjoy a snack.  After the kids have gone to bed, clear most of the mix away, leaving just a few oats as evidence that the reindeer have made their visit. Gingerbread Man Chain... This is a wonderful way to organize your holiday To-Do list, so you can actually enjoy the festivities.  Make a paper chain with 24 Gingerbread Men, and write the numbers 1 through 24 on the front of each one.  Make a list of all the things you need to do during the month of December and write one on the back of each Gingerbread Man (buy the Christmas tree, decorate the Christmas tree, hang the outdoor lights, decorate inside the house, make homemade cookies, donate toys, wrap presents, and mail the out-of-town gifts, etc.)  Breaking the month of December down into one small task a day will make the holidays fun instead of overwhelming.  At the same time, it will show your children that there is more to Christmas than just treats and presents.  Your children will love taking Gingerbread Man down each day to discover which Christmas task they can help you with next. The Kindness Box... December first is the perfect time to start your family "Kindness Box" for the holidays.  Wrap a shoebox as if it were a present, then cut a slot in the top and place the box, along with a pencil and pad of paper, on the dining room table or under your Christmas tree.  When someone in the family notices someone else being kind they should write that act down and slip the note in the box.  Young children can participate as well, by either drawing a picture or telling mom what they saw and having her jot down the kind deed.  Don't forget to slip in ways God shows His kindness to us.  On Christmas Eve, when everyone gathers around to read the Christmas story, open the Kindness Box first and read the notes aloud.  Then you can end with explaining that the kindest act of all is what God did for us by sending Jesus to us on the very first Christmas ever.  Then read the Christmas story.  There are several age appropriate books as well as reading it straight from the Bible.  This is a wonderful way to take the focus off presents and put it on something of true value. Hanging Wish List  This tradition is a new twist on making a wish list of what we want for Christmas.  You create a pouch, for each family member, to hold the Christmas wish list.  Fold a 10" x 4" piece of construction paper in half, punch 3-4 holes on each of three sides, and lace around it with festive string or ribbon.  Tie it at the top, leaving extra ribbon for hanging.  Have fun decorating them with each person's name, and feel free to make one for Grandma and Grandpa, or any other out-of town people.  Hang these "Wish List Pouches" where they will be accessible to all family members.  Instead of adding to your own list of what sort of stuff you might want, family members will add to others' lists of what they would like to see other family members receive.  Maybe brother knows that sister loves candy canes and he can wish she gets some candy canes in her stocking this year.  But even better is to write down "good tidings of great joy" type of wishes.  Maybe great grandpa has a bad hip, someone can wish that he feels better really soon.  Before Christmas dinner have everyone open up their wish list and read all of their wonderful wishes.  It's like receiving wonderful blessings placed upon their lives and these are gifts that can't be broken or worn out! All 4 HIM, MICHELLE FOZOUNMAYEH My Blog

iMad Pray

November/2013

iPray eVotionals Greetings! iPray eVotionals exhorts those who pray.  It's the glass of water held out around each month's turn for the runners who can use a quick and easy quench in order to finish strong.   iMad Pray   (Approximate reading time: 8-10 Minutes)   iLove a Good Book   When I read the book, Redeeming Love I was captivated, stolen away and taken on a journey that changed the way I viewed so many things in my life.  I flew through hundreds of pages without a second thought that it might be a waste of time or that it was taking me away from anything better I could have been doing.  It was a book that I could not put down. I have another book with fewer pages that I have been reading for 3 years.  It came highly recommended and I love the subject but I can't seem to finish it.  When I first started reading it, it captured my attention with compelling thoughts, great scenarios, and biblical perspectives.  After the first couple of chapters everything I read started to sound the same as what had already been said.  Soon, page after page started to blend together and what I read seemed to lose its meaning.  I became increasingly bored when I picked it up.  I found myself saying, "Okay, I got that. What else do you have for me?"  I started to wonder if all the chapters were just saying the same thing over and over again.  I would keep reading believing that surely this could not be true and expecting that at any minute a new epiphany would hit me in the face.  I would take breaks before dusting off the book to make another go at it. Finally, I ended up putting the book down and stopped reading it altogether.  I hope to finish it someday. This is sometimes how my prayer life looks, like an old stale book whose chapters seem to say the same old thing over and over again with the same old predictable outcomes of nothing new.  Praying the same things until it loses its spark.  Reading scriptures and stories to support my prayers that all start to blend together in content.  Yada yada yada.  I tend to put the book down and forget about it for a time before I pick it back up, only to quickly become bored again.  When I get stuck in this rut praying tends to lose its meaning and purpose, easily tempting me to put it aside with only a fading hope that my prayer time could be more meaningful. What can we do to make our prayer life new, relevant and alive the way it was meant to be?  How can our prayer time thrive and be fresh day after day?  When we pick up that book and turn our thoughts toward our Lord, we want to make sure there is NOTHING stale about it!  First, let's Mad Lib. iMad Lib   In 1958 at a New York restaurant Leonard Stern and Roger Price sat eating their Eggs Benedict when they came up with a name for their invention.  The two overheard an argument between a talent agent and an actor.  The actor said that he wanted to "ad-lib" an upcoming interview.  The agent retorted that ad-libbing an interview would be "mad."  Their new invention found its name... Mad Libs! It's a phrasal template word game where one player prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story before reading the often comical or nonsensical story aloud.  For example, the sentence, "My mom gave birth to me in a hospital many years ago" makes perfect sense.  Mad Libbing the underlined words could turn the sentence into, "My blanket gave birth to me in a bank many years ago." For fun, let's do one together! Without reading ahead, think of 8 words.  You might want to write them down. PART OF THE BODY A NOUN (person place or thing) An ADJECTIVE (describes something or somebody) A CELEBRITY PLURAL VERB A VERB, PAST TENSE (action) An ADVERB (describes the action) An EXCLAMATION Now fill in the blanks: iForget Faces and Places There are times when l look at a person's PART OF THE BODY and it seems that I may know them.  It's usually the look in their NOUN that tells me I should be greeting them because we might be ADJECTIVE pals... but from where, when and why... who knows?  Because I don't! Last week I was with my sister at church and she saw A CELEBRITY who takes the Pilates class that she PLURAL VERB.  We were introduced and as far as I'm concerned that was the last time I saw SAME CELEBRITY...that is until my sister later informed me that SAME CELEBRITY told her we VERB, PAST TENSE into each other later that day.  I was shocked!  We did?  I don't remember running into SAME CELEBRITY, maybe SAME CELEBRITY said 'hi' to me and I just ADVERB said 'EXCLAMATION' back without knowing whoSAME CELEBRITY was.   (For the real paragraph click here:  iNeed a Reminder) A little more exciting and out of the box, right?  It didn't quite make sense I'm sure, but it did turn everything upside down. Now I'm going to introduce you to what I am going to call Mad Prayers! iMad Pray  When prayer becomes mundane and all scripture starts to sound the same, it's time to step away and let the unseen spirit of God fill in the blanks.  WHAT?  That is madness!  Yes, it does seem like madness when most of the time we come to the Lord knowing exactly what we want to say and how we want to say it.  We know our memorized prayers and fall into our routine requests.  When we are having trouble we tend to pray for it to just stop. We fail to pray God's will into the situation in such a way that we get excited about what God may be doing and how our lives are being transformed. Agents of the world ask these questions: Seriously, do you really think that just praying about something will accomplish anything?  Do you really think that saying words against evil changes anything?  You are no good at praying the way you want to, right?  Scripture was written thousands of years ago, how can you really use it to pray in this day and age?  Who are you to pray?  Don't you need to study up and really understand everything before you even think about communicating with God? Living in the Spirit, praying His words and as He leads should be my norm but truth is I am often guilty of a snared-up prayer life.  It can feel like madness to step away from the same old prayers, but faith requires a little bit of flying by the seat of our pants action-  trusting in God and His word and His ways over our own understanding. I see Mad Prayers as life template prayer-sessions where a pray-er asks God for spiritual and biblical principles to substitute for the blanks in a situation that would be otherwise filled in with boring, fleshly non-supernatural thoughts.  Without knowing how the situation will play out, the principles are inserted into the prayers even when it may feel unrealistic or senseless. For example, these are typical and flesh-driven thoughts: "I am so angry that my neighbor drove over my rose bushes and he does not seem to be apologetic.  Since he just makes excuses and refuses to do the right thing I want to be bitter, take revenge, do what ever it takes to make him pay, and give him a bad name in our neighborhood.  I may have to sue him if it comes to that so that justice is served." Which leads to typical prayers: "Dear Lord,  Please make my neighbor see that he should apologize and not make excuses.  In fact he should step up and just pay for what he destroyed!  Help me rally up the support I need to make sure justice is served.  When I talk to Tom across the street make Tom be on my side." Notice that the typical prayer does not change any of the typical flesh-driven thoughts. Mad Praying changes a typical prayer by inserting spirit-led biblical principles into the situation and turns typical thoughts upside down.  It could sound like this: "Dear Lord, help me show love to my neighbor who drove over my rose bushes even though he does not seem to be apologetic.  Since he just makes excuses and refuses to do the right thing help me to be forgiving in my heart, put on grace, do what ever it takes to make peace and refrain from gossip.  Lead me in every action I take in this situation and in it may I not forget that justice is Yours for You are a just God.  May I pray for him before anything. I pray Acts 21:32 over him... I commit my neighbor to You, God, and the word of Your grace, which can build him up and give him an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. In Jesus Name, Amen" It's just Madness!  Not praying for the easy solution but instead praying that the situation transforms me and everyone else as well.  It may not feel or seem right to pray these spiritual and biblical truths into a situation when our flesh wants to do the opposite, but the result of Mad Praying can be quite thrilling. One that increases our faith, gets us excited about what God might do, unleashes God's power and brings salvation to the lost. iFill in the Blanks   Personalizing scripture without changing the heart behind it can be a page turner in your prayer life.  Let's try it out. Read First Corinthians 13:1-3 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecyand can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. " Years ago I personalized the underlined parts, making the charge real to me: If I give my children direction, answer my husband's question and call everyone to dinner but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of folding clothes and can fix broken toys and place band aids on boo boos, and if I have faith that can put a colicky baby to sleep, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to diapers, feedings and walks to the parks, and surrender my body to grey hairs and lack of manicures, but have not love, I gain nothing. Today I did it again... If I encourage others to pray but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of organizing and planning events and can get my kids to and from practices, rehearsals and every other activity on time, and if I have faith that can add more hours onto a single day and can remove the shekels of bondage, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to keeping my family and pets alive and well, and surrender my body to the persevering work of the Lord through every kind of trouble and victory, but have not love, I gain nothing. Now it's your turn, first think about what you are dealing with right now and fill in the blanks: If I ___________________________________ but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of _____________ and can __________________ and _________________, and if I have faith that _______________________, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to ___________________ and surrender my body to ________________________, but have not love, I gain nothing. Next, continue reading First Corinthians 13:4-8a "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." When you put it THAT way you can personalize what love is in a very real way that pertains to your present season of life.  Finally, think about how you just filled in those blanks and start Mad Praying love into your very real situations and into the areas that might be very hard to love using 1st Corinthians 13:4-8... "Lord may I be patient and kind when __________.  May I not envy, boast or be proud when _________.  May I not be rude, self-seeking or be easily angered when ________________.  May I keep no record of wrongs or delight in evil when ____________.  May I rejoice with the truth when __________.  May I always protect, trust, hope, persevere when _________, Help me trust Your word that says with this kind of love I will never fail. In Jesus name amen." iDust it Off When you come before the Lord you can fall back into old habits and pray the same old prayers in the same old way OR you can Mad Pray it!  What is it you need prayer for?  Is it deliverance?  Healing?  Protection?  Revival?  New Passion?  Refrain from what YOUR FELSH thinks should be prayed which will always disappoint you and cause you to give up on praying altogether.  Instead ask the Lord to show you how to pray according to His will.  If you do not feel confident with your knowledge of His will, seek and you will find!  Visit openbible.info/topics/ and fill in the blank "What does the Bible say about ___________."  A plethora of scriptures will pop up.  Ask the Lord to lead you to the right scriptures, to keep you in His will while praying in His spirit. It's madness I know, but I assure you that God's word does not go back to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11) and His Spirit is in your heart when you cry, "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:6) Take the truth of scripture along with the prompting of His Spirit, pray it into your life and WOWZEE!!!  You don't have to try to speak perfect words from your brain because when God's Spirit intercedes for us, BAM, everything changes.  Hours might pass before you realize it.  As you go out it will be all you can think about and you will find yourself carving out time to get back to it. Does it seem a little out there to talk about prayer so passionately?  Like a book that you just can't put down?  Pick up the prayer life God intended for you to have!  Don't let the agents of this world tell you it can't be like that.  Seek and you will find.  Ask and it will be given to you.  Knock and the door will be opened.  "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."  Ephesians 6:18 iPray... iPray crazy newness into your prayer life.  May you step out of any prayer routine that keeps you in bondage.  May you not fall for the lie that places prayer in a box.  May you experience prayer on the edge of your seat, finding newness and excitement in His Spirit.  I pray against the lie that there is nothing new about going before your Lord.  May you see that He has something AMAZING for you on the very next page.  May you seek it, recognize it and never ever walk away from Mad Praying with your God!  iPray all of this in the name of Jesus, Amen! ALL for Him, Michelle Fozounmayeh Visit My Bolg

In This Issue What a build up! Time to PRAY! iMad Lib iMad Pray My cup overflows, as iPray iDust it Off Article Headline Join iPray eMailing List Michelle Fozounmayeh Michelle Fozounmayeh A joy filled wife and mom that enjoys writing, praying, speaking at women events and being an Area Coordinator with the ministry Moms In Prayer International. Blog: 7tothirty7.blogspot.com Website: http://7tothirty7.com/ 4 Traditions 4 Thanksgiving iPray Links Dec. 2011 iPray link: iTeeter-Totter Jan. 2012 iPray link: iPray NEWness Feb. 2012 iPray link: iLove DEEP and WIDE March 2012 iPray link: iPraise April 2012 iPray link: iEmbrace May 2012 iPray link:   iSmell a Stain June 2012 iPray link: iPray 4 Purity July 2012 iPray link: iPray 4 Protection August 2012 iPray link: iReminisce September 2012 iPray: iWork Out    October 2012 iPray:  iFollow November 2012 iPray: iThank God for That December 2012 iPray: iFinish Strong  January 2013 iPray: iNeed a Reminder  February 2013 iPray iPray in One Accord March 2013 iPray: iRest April 2013 iPray: iListen May 2013 iPray: iHold On June 2013 iPray: iStretch July 2013 iPray: iDream August 2013 iPray: iGet Dressed September 2013 iPray: iSurrender October 2013 iPray: iSpill Poem links: Time to be Free Ms. Marry McMoo Only You I Delight in You A Bat's Perspective The Ins and Outs Green Things Treasures in the Darkness To My Mom No Longer Hidden 70 Years of Marriage Saint Sadie Discovering Little One Wide Long High and Deep My Son Knowledge Hoard Short Stories Cream of Corn Battle of the Food Face Singing the Night Away See You Later, Alligator Don't Touch Fried Nuts Annoying Brother Missy's Puppies High Dive Something Big! Stretching First Rainbow Promise