Prayers for the week III

I've begun a rhythm of posting little "pauses for prayer" for each day of the week. I'd love to have you join me in short prayer every day.

I like to start every day with the Lord's Prayer, and I pray throughout the day for various needs. But sometime during my workday, I like to pause and just spend a moment apart—a little time to re-orient my thoughts, a brief respite to center my thoughts once again on God.

If that sounds like something that would be nourishing to your soul, too, I'd love for you to join me. Here are small prayers to share for each day of the week.

Sunday

Pause for prayer: Lord, you are great and you are good, and we are grateful. Thank you for your love for us and your kindness to us. We worship you, and we are thankful that you are worthy of worship. You alone can handle adoration and be unspoiled by it. Glory be to you. Amen.

Monday

Pause for prayer:Lord, as this week gets underway, our minds rush ahead to all that needs to be done—and we often succumb to anxiety. Help us learn not to rely upon ourselves alone, but to trust you for guidance, wisdom, and strength, knowing that you really do care for us. Amen.

Tuesday

Pause for prayer: Lord, so many of our plans do not work out as we hope. So much is out of our control, so we ask for grace to practice self-control. Help us learn to treat ourselves and one another with compassion. May we learn to love people well, just as you do. Amen.

Wednesday

Pause for prayer: Lord, we need encouragement. We know you have provided so much goodness for us, but there’s so much bad in this world. Help us to look to you for everything we need and trust that you will continue to provide. Teach us. Help us grow in grace. Amen.

Thursday

Pause for prayer: Lord, we are dismayed and discouraged by all that is happening in the world. We feel helpless; we hardly know how to pray. But here we are, asking you for help. We especially ask you to be with the most vulnerable. Help us not to succumb to despair. Amen.

Friday

Pause for prayer: Lord, we come to you today with all our concerns, our worries, our heartbreak. We are weary. Thank you for letting us come to you with our burdens. Refresh our spirits so that we can help those who need our help. Make us instruments of peace, we ask. Amen.

Saturday 

Pause for prayer: Lord, as this week ends, we find ourselves wondering what next week will bring. Help us to stay anchored in your love and to hold onto hope so that we may be better able to share your love and goodness with those who need it most. Lord, have mercy. Amen.

It gives me joy to imagine all of us pausing to pray these prayers at some point during each day. Won't you join me?

Grace and peace to you this week!

Grace at Home No. 457

Hello, friends! I'm so glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. In these turbulent times, it's a treat for me to visit with you all.

It's such a privilege for me to host this little gathering every week. You know, link parties are considered by many to be a thing of the past—they were very popular a few years ago, but many bloggers have moved on to other pursuits. 

I understand this. Many bloggers depend upon their blogs for income, and hosting a link party isn't necessarily a good way to bring in revenue. But I love the way this party has led me to meet many interesting people, and I feel honored to highlight the work of so many bloggers I admire. So here we are!

And now some highlights from last week's party.

Do you need a hidden spot for storing something small? Lisa from Fresh Vintage by Lisa shows you how to create these clever wooden boxes from old books.

Do you save shopping bags? I do this: I love having different sizes of paper bags on hand. But if you've collected quite a few, you might want to visit Patti from Pandora's Box to see how she used paper bags to create this cute stool for her dressing room.

Someone must have known that I've been having trouble with deciding what to cook for dinner, because I found several new recipes in last week's link-up. Check these out:

Kristy from Air Fryer Fanatics shared a recipe for Sesame Chicken

Carol from Comfort Spring shared a recipe for Baked Chicken Schnitzel.

Jenny from Not Entirely Average shared a recipe for Mexicali Chili Tater Tot Casserole.

Michele Morin from Living Our Days shared some soul food AND six budget-friendly meal plans.

If you find yourself anxious these days (I think that's a lot of us!), you'll want to see this post from Donna Reidland at Soul Survival.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Prayers for the week II

Like I did last week, today I'm posting a little prayer for each day of the coming week.

I like to start every day with the Lord's Prayer, and I pray throughout the day for various needs. But sometime during my workday, I like to pause and just spend a moment apart—a little time to re-orient my thoughts, a brief respite to center my thoughts once again on God.

If that sounds like something that would be nourishing to your soul, too, I'd love for you to join me. Here are small prayers to share for each day of the week.

Sunday

Pause for prayer: Lord, we are easily distracted, easily entertained, and easily led astray. So today we stop to remember that you are the one we worship, and you are the only one worthy of that worship. Thank you for lifting us into your eternal life and love. Amen.

Monday

Pause for prayer: Lord, any time we are feeling uncertain of what to do, may we start from the place of knowing we are loved by you. Help us to think of ourselves as your beloved, then help us to share that love with one another. You love us so well; help us follow your example. Amen.

Tuesday

Pause for prayer: Lord, as our days fill with seemingly endless tasks, we easily feel overwhelmed. So we look again to you for guidance, remembering that you never lead us into an “intolerable scramble of panting feverishness.” Help us to know what to do and what not to do. Amen.

Wednesday

Pause for prayer: Lord, sometimes we want to give up—on our work, on our commitments, on our relationships, even on ourselves. Yet you never give up on us. We ask for grace to learn from your steadfastness. Help us learn to be faithful, just as you are faithful. Amen.

Thursday

Pause for prayer: Lord, as we consider our to-do lists and assess the time available to complete our tasks, we realize we need your help. Like the ancients we entreat you: “Teach us, dear Lord, to number our days, that we may we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Amen.

Friday

Pause for prayer: Lord, in a world that rewards anger and outrage, help us to be calm and kind. Give us grace to love our neighbors and interact with all people as fellow image-bearers. We long for peace; help us understand that peace will come from unwavering trust in you. Amen.

Saturday 

Pause for prayer: Lord, we trust you for peace in our hearts, and we ask you to help us make peace in the world as much as we can. As we stand for what is right, help us resist the pull to make enemies of one another. Help us to love one another well, just as you love us. Amen.

In my mind's eye, I like to picture all of us pausing to pray these prayers at some point during each day. Isn't that a lovely thought?

Grace and peace to you this week!

Grace at Home No. 456

Are you hoping to make your home a place of grace and beauty? Then you're in the right place for some inspiration. Welcome to the Grace at Home party.

My home has been heavy on the grace and less heavy on the beauty the past few days, as my "granddog" Kaiba has come to visit again. Having a puppy around the house sure keeps things busy!

Here are some highlights from last week's party.

If you're hoping to use some of your long winter evenings on a home improvement project, you'll be glad to see the DIY fireplace makeover at Simply Beautiful by Angela.  Here's the before:

Now look at the after, then read all about it:

If you decided to get your house organized this year but haven't been able to make much progress, Julie from Filling the Jars can help! 

If you're just done with winter and want to get some spring color into your home, Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland shows you how to create a springy arrangement from items commonly found at thrift stores.

Have a child or grandchild learning his or her letters? ABCs of Literacy has a fun project for you!

Need a quick dinner on a cold day or an easy appetizer? The Lou Lou Girls share a fun recipe for pepperoni sliders that I want to try.

In these latter days of February, would you like to learn more about black history? Karla from The Happy Mustard Seed has put together a list of movies to stream that'll help you get started.

Do you find yourself struggling to know what to say in some circumstances? You'll be glad to read this post from Lisa at Lisa Note on Seeing God.

Would you like to join me in a small midday prayer each day? I'm posting a "pause for prayer" on Twitter each day, and I'm now sharing these little prayers for the week each Sunday. 

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Prayers for the week

If you're like me, you could use a little pause for prayer during each day.

I like to start every day with the Lord's Prayer, and I pray throughout the day for various needs. But sometime during my workday, I like to pause and just spend a moment apart—a little time to re-orient my thoughts, a brief respite to center my thoughts once again on God.

If that sounds like something that would be nourishing to your soul, too, I'd love for you to join me. Here are small prayers to share for each day of the week.

Sunday

Lord, we worship you. As we begin a new week, we acknowledge all things belong to you, and it’s by your grace that we live and love and work and play. Bless us, we ask, and help us to live well, love faithfully, work hard, and play freely. Amen.

Monday

Lord, as we begin this week, many of us are still tired from last week’s labor. The troubles of life weigh us down. We bring our burdens to you, trusting that you are able and willing to help us. Help us to rely on your everlasting love and care for us. Amen.

Tuesday

Lord, sometimes we think of “faith” as believing something that’s not really true. But your presence and your love for us ARE true, and we ask for your help to understand that we can trust you. Help us with our thinking and then help us with our living. Amen.

Wednesday

Lord, so much of life is confusing, even confounding. We struggle some days to know what to say or not to say, what to do or not do. Help us remember that we can always come to you for acceptance, encouragement, guidance, strength, and never-ending love. Amen.

Thursday

Lord, we need help. And we need courage to ask you for what we need. May we never be ashamed of asking you for help, never doubt that you are able and willing to help, and never believe that you don’t care. Lord, we believe; help our unbelief! Amen.

Friday

Lord, as this week draws to a close, we realize there are things we've done that we should not have done and things we've left undone that we should have done. We ask you to forgive us for our sins, help us learn from our mistakes, and grant us peace. Amen.

Saturday 

Lord, you have told us that you are with us, and we take you at your word. Help us to remember that your presence with us is one of pure goodness, holy guidance, and unwavering love. May we learn to see ourselves as people in whom you dwell and delight. Amen.

I like to imagine all of us pausing to pray these prayers at some point during each day. It's a beautiful picture, don't you think?

Much love to you this week!

Grace at Home No. 455

Hello, friends! I am so glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty.

Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Are you looking for a DIY challenge for your home? Angela from Simply Beautiful by Angela constructed these gorgeous built-ins beside her fireplace--and she gives a full tutorial so you can make your own.

Or perhaps you'd like to tackle a tiny DIY project. Jennifer from The Everyday Farmhouse shares detailed instructions for making these darling lavender sachets.

Looks like winter will be with us for several more weeks, so why not make your indoor spaces cozy and beautiful? Kristi from French Creek Farmhouse shows you how she made her breakfast room especially inviting for the season.

To truly enjoy the cold season, you need a good hot beverage, right? I think I'll make this homemade chai shared by Vicki from Five Spot Green Living.

And why not make February more fun by celebrating special days? DIY Party Mom shares a complete list of special days, including a printable calendar.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. If you'd like to make a gift for a loved one but don't have much time, Julie from My Wee Abode can help you out.

If you'd like to make a special Valentine's Day dessert, Nancy from Nancy C has a red velvet bar cookie recipe to share.

No time to devote to a Valentine's Day treat?  Patti from Pandora's Box shows you how to make the quickest Valentine's Day dessert ever! Aren't these darling?

As winter drags on, it's easy to become irritable, isn't it? Do yourself (and the people with whom you come in contact!) a favor and read this post from Barbara Lee Harper at Stray Thoughts. 

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 454

Hello, friends! And hello, February! Were you surprised at the news from Punxutawney Phil?  I wasn't—it seems that this has been a very wintry winter. We had a bit of snow again this past weekend, but I know some of you have been enduring blizzard conditions. 

I've been staying very busy the past few days caring for my son's puppy, Kaiba.

Isn't she adorable? She's a Shiba Inu, and I think she looks just like a little fox. My son is attending a friend's wedding, so Kaiba has come to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a bit.  We're glad to keep her, but I've been reminded that it's a good thing puppies are so cute. Know what I mean?

I'm glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Need a bookshelf or file cabinet? My DIY will show you how to make your own from some crates and scrap lumber. (Just click on English at the top of the page if—like me!—you don't read German.)

Got a dark tile floor that could use a refresh? Hannah from Handmade Weekly painted her grout and shares the step-by-step instructions. Check out these before-and-after shots!

Looking forward to Valentine's Day? Julie from My Wee Abode shows us how to make this velvet heart garland.

Want to make your own Valentine's cards or decorations? Denise from My Home of All Seasons shares a bunch of free printables.

Looking for an easy-to-make Valentine's goody? You may want to try these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies from Lenny at Fat Dad Foodie.

Want to stay in rather than go out on Valentine's Day? Niky from The House on Silverado provides inspiration and a Valentine's Day menu to prepare.

And you'll find lots of Valentine's Day dinner decor ideas from Pam at Everyday Living.

Wonder what you might give your loved one for Valentine's Day? Your soul will be inspired by The Gift of Presence from Linda Stoll.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home or sphere of influence a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it. Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter