How Do I Pray for My Hurting Children?

This is a post I never wanted to need to contemplate. Yesterday, our small community, close knit students, and the brother/sisterhood of a "team" lost 2 beloved comrades. We are hurting.  We are angry.  We are confused.  We are sad.  We are remembering.  We don't want to be forgetting. And one of those is my own son. Who cares if I graduated from Bible School?  Who cares that I have been involved in ministry for 25 years?  Who cares that I am married to a pastor?  I am still struggling with how to talk to/pray with my family to ensure they are comforted and not callused. I have uttered many "mini" prayers over the last several hours and I still don't know if I have any answers, but I'm going to start with 3 simple prayers.
1. Help them: Lord, help them get up everyday and acknowledge You. Help them see You and Your plan at every turn. Help them feel an indescribable, yet undeniable peace in their thoughts, emotions, and actions. Help them make good decisions in this time when they are questioning their values and setting standards for their future.Help them consider, in a way that solidifies, their belief and reliance on You at their Rock of Salvation.
2. Hold them:  Lord, hold our students together when they feel like they are falling apart. I once had a dream that someone literally fell apart and was so soundly reassured that one must fall apart in order to be put back together the way God intends. Hold their world together when they sit in a broken classroom, when they dress in a quiet locker room, when they walk an expecting football/softball field. Hold them sound in the shelter of your wing of protection.
3. Heal them: Lord, heal our broken hearts. Let them bear a scar that proclaims a whole heart while providing a testimony of an event that altered their lives forever. Heal that heart to love and not push away out of fear. Heal their confusion for you are the Father of a SOUND MIND. Heal any prior wounds that would become a wedge between those who need to rely on each other at this time. Heal their minds to allow memories that will encourage and not torment..

Lord, please show me how to help him find a light of joy in this dark time.  Show me how to hold him (even though he is 17 years old) where he doesn't feel smothered, but "mothered."  Show me how to heal him through my words of encouragement and my unconditional love.

I also want to share another blog with you written by one of the students in this class.  It is fantastic!
http://acupofcoffeewithjesus.weebly.com/

Please pray for our families of all of those involved in this loss, our students, our coaches, our students, our community.  We greatly appreciate you.

Tori

Track Season

Tonight was our Area Track Meet and Samuel, as well as many of our athletes, advanced to the Regional Track Meet held next week! As Rick and I were reflecting on the season up to now, I began to think about how it relates to this season of my life. 

First, sometimes the seasons of our life overlap. But even if you get started in your new season late, there is no excuse to hold back. You never know what you will be capable of until you give it your all. Our girls team got a late start in track due to their basketball post-season run; however, they are undefeated and champs for the first three rounds. I guess better late than never really is true! 

Another thing I see is that it's all about progress-exceeding your own expectations regardless of what it looks like in comparison to others. Not everyone makes it to the medal stand, but a personal best can give you the encouragement you need to perform even better the next time. I only need to be the person God wants me to be and not concern myself with others perceptions. 

Something we always tell our kids before and after their races is, "Get a good start and finish strong!" Those two points in any race can be your success. What happens in between is strategic and paced to ensure you have everything lined up for a finish. 

We do love track season! It's beautiful. It's windy. It's hot. It's cold. It's a loonngg day filled with events that lasts for a matter of seconds. But it's enduring and rewarding. It's encouraging and inspiring. Its full of possibilities that I haven't even thought of. It's a new season. It's my season. 

So I'll leave you with this - get a good start and finish strong! Enjoy your race!

Tori

Blog, Tori, Blog!

I keep telling myself - "Blog, Tori, Blog!" I even convinced Cooper to start her own blog and remind her frequently to "keep it up to keep your readers."  And then there's me......

So since the last blog in December - ouch! - we took an early, off season anniversary trip to Costa Rica.  It was awesome!  If you are looking for a quick travel, affordable, total relaxing get away - you should look into Costa Rica. The weather was perfect. The beach was refreshing. The excursion was exhilarating. The massage was heavenly. And the company was delightful! We plan to make that trip again.

Then we moved right into Track and Field season.  We are that crazy family that actually loves T&F!  Cooper set some new personal records and another school record. And Sam is still going strong with a personal record going into tomorrows area meet.  Hoping for a couple of more weeks of track.
Our latest adventure took us to visit Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. Can it really be time for us to look at colleges?  Seems like yesterday we were getting on the waiting list for THE best preschool. And I don't want to talk about what I will be preparing for this time next year.  I 'm excited. I'm sad. I'm confident. I'm trusting. I'm praying.
So this post was nothing more than a random  thought to just make me open this blog and get something posted.
More to come.....eventually!

Tori