Why Pray for Haiti?

Someone asked Corey how prayer is going to help the people of Haiti. It got me thinking because for me knowing those in Haiti with immediate needs and immediate specific prayer requests and being able to lift my voice and will in prayer and then see through the reports of those in Haiti the unexpected, unlikely, far off, incredible blessings come to pass has truly strengthened my testimony of the power of prayer. So since this blog is mostly for our family record keeping and I want my boys to know and be able to read about why I pray, I thought I would share.

Also, my family has prayer needs and I would like to ask any who happen to be reading to consider praying for us, for my Comedian. He's been sick for awhile and despite all we've tried thus far we and his doctors have been unable to determine what is going on with him and do not have any direction on where to proceed from here for his treatment. On Monday (tomorrow) he will be going to the local hospital to have some scans taken to hopefully give us more information and help us to help him get better. He's scared and nervous and truly we've been prepared for some pretty scary anticipated results. Prayers for healing would be miraculous (and I believe in miracles) but truly prayers that God's will shall be done in our lives and that we will be able to accept His will are most welcome.

I have many reasons to pray. These reasons include my heart’s sincere desire to express gratitude for blessings received, calling upon Him as a family, petitioning Him in public prayer, pleading for forgiveness, or seeking divine intervention to preserve life itself.

I pray because I am a daughter of God. Each person on this earth is a child of God. He loves each of us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. I pray because I want to talk to God, I want him to know my heart, I want Him to have His "angels" both in the heavens and on earth to bless, strengthen and encourage those who I am concerned about. I want to be sure (as silly as that may be) that he knows of the needs of my brothers and sisters on the earth.

I know that when I am having a difficult time or a challenge I discuss it with my earthly parents and friends and their perspective often sheds light and understanding for me. How much more understanding can I receive from He who knows all and can guide me based on his knowledge of the past, present and future. I pray because my faith is bolstered when I communicate with Him.

I want to know His will for me and I want to be as like His son, Jesus Christ as I am able to attain while on earth. I know that as I make a habit of approaching God in prayer, I come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. My desires will become more like His. I will be able to secure for myself and for others blessings that He is ready to give if I (and you) will but ask in faith. I receive solace in knowing that He hears and that He cares, but I must take advantage of His invitation to call upon Him night and day.

I pray because I know it has power! I believe that through trials, tragedies, and disasters He brings about miracles. (And there have been countless miracles brought about through prayer and reliance on faith from the moment that the earthquake hit Haiti two weeks ago. You don’t believe me….read Tara’s blog (here is a good place to start but there are so many others!) I believe that this life is a test and often difficult times help me (and others) to develop the characteristics and talents that I will need at some time in the future. I pray because I know that if I establish a relationship with God through regular and fervent prayer that when trials come my way I will be prepared and ready to walk forward in faith.

Of all the great and wonderful and inspiring promises I have read in the scriptures, the most reassuring to me are the words of the Savior: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7.) … God lives. He is near. He is real. He is my Father in Heaven. He is accessible to me. He loves me and he cares about me and the things that I care about. I deeply care about the people of Haiti and so I pray.

Morning after. . . .

Yesterday was a busy, busy, busy day. Sometimes I felt like I should be a mom on a sit-com juggling everything. So today I took it easy.. . . . well easier. . . .

Today I am thankful for. . . .

1. Friends who pray for me, even when they aren't really sure what is making me struggle. I feel their prayers and it made for a much better day than I had feared it would be. I forgot to thank them and express my gratitude to them yesterday.

2. Snow and green air. . .

3. Naps! I really needed one today and all the stars aligned to make that possible.

4.

Today I accomplished:

1. Partially loaded the dishwasher before taking the boys to school.

2. Sent off my music selections for approval for this Sunday...with a huge apology for being so late.

3. Got the boys to school (even with unplowed roads) on time.

4. Took the Tyrant to his Autism class up at the University. He mostly had a good day and had made some amazing progress over the holidays.

5. Came home for 40 minutes and did some quick surface pick-up before heading back out to get the Comedian from Kindergarten, then home for microwaved Hot Pockets for lunch ....then....

wait for it. . . .

6. Took a nap with the Tyrant (while I was sleeping the Comedian watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which is not a staple around our house but was a blessing to me today) and the DJman came home for lunch and shoveled the driveway and side-walks (bless him!) for me.) I had one of those weird dreams where I had to wake up but was too tired to wake up...for a while before I actually woke up...but when I did...I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated.

7. Remembered the almost full dishwasher and finished filling it and started the Homework hour.

8. Waited patiently for dinner (have I mentioned recently that I love my dinner swap group?) and then totally inhaled it...so good! Thanks Lotte!

Memorable Moments:
1. Napping and snugging with a 2 year old that doesn't like to be touched but did want to snuggle today! So nice! Often times I just want to squish him and have to remind myself that it is not a sensory sensation that he enjoys.

2. Sitting at the kitchen table with my little Engineer and working through some math concepts that have been giving him fits. About 3 problems in he beams "WOW! Now I see it!" followed by a hug and a "Thanks Mom!"

3. Orphans are coming home from Haiti! and miracles are happening to bring their family members to them and bring them home to their families. True, AMAZING, unheard of miracles.

4. My little Comedian so excited about being able to get up at "zero-o'clock" on no school days! He's truly precious and precocious and he tries my patience to no end. I love him so!

Commentary on a Rough Day. . .

This day was dreaded from the moment yesterday that I contemplated all that must be done. I'm tired, I hurt, I must go forth.....so to help me along

Today I am thankful for. . .
1. Compassionate people who are doing all they can to be the hands and hearts of the Lord in bringing comfort and care to those in Haiti who have suffered an aftershock of 6.1 causing more damage and more injury and more fear a week after the first earthquake (7.1)...people like Troy and Tara, John and Beth, the Buxman's, Lori and Licia, and so many others.

2. My home, my children, warmth, food enough, running water, electricity, my husband, lotion...there is so much I am blessed with that I take for granted. Sometimes I get bogged down in the bigger struggles of life and forget to realize that all the small things I am blessed with would be unfathomable for much of the world. I am blessed!

3. Well behaved children (mine and others) that play well together and at least try to clean up when it is time to go.

4. My husband who totally get that I need 5 childless minutes when he walks in the door!



Today I accomplished. . .

Before 11:00
1. Mushrooms, kiwi fruit, mangos, Thyme, Sage, Parsley, Rosemary all in the dehydrator and preserving themselves for future meals of yumminess! (My house smells SO good!)

2. Prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti.

3. Kitchen, bathroom, and living room cleaned, laundry folded (now where is that little elf that will put it all away?)

4. Prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti.

Note: We have NT visiting with us again today. He and the Comedian will entertain us all at the library later on this afternoon for Storytime.

AFTER 11:00
5. so at 11:00 I bundled the Tyrant and NT into the van to go pick up the Comedian from Kindergarten, got back home about 11:30

6. bustled NT and Comedian upstairs and plopped them in front of a movie (put 3 corndogs in the microwave for 1 minute), opened the door for the Tyrant's Developmental Therapist,

7. spent an hour trying to get the Tyrant to jump through her testing hoops, waved goodbye to the therapist and her tag-a-long observer at 12:40,

8. Prayed for patience and a civil tongue and then again prayed for those in Haiti and those with loved ones in Haiti. Prayed for baby Obama and even prayed for our President. That he could do it right and do what needed to be done and for one moment focus on something other than his agenda.

9. popped the corndogs in the toaster-oven to toast, got shoes and coats on all 3 kids, grabbed spill-resistent cups full of juice and buckled the kids in the van, gave them a drink and a corndog, ran back in the house for the forgotten movies and keys that needed returned to the library and we were off for Storytime, got to the Library 7 minutes early (how? I know not!)

10. sent the boys in to Storytime and played on the kiddy computers with the Tyrant for a (blessedly quiet and still) half hour. And truthfully, thought about Haiti and prayed in my heart that miracles would be happening in many lives. Then we checked stuff out and redid all the buckling up, came home let the Tyrant watch one episode of Superman, put him down for a nap

11. Had Princess L and her sister Missy L come over to play for a couple of hours while their mom went to her new job.

12. At 3:45 the Engineer came home from school and then all the mom's from our Babysitter's club stopped by to set up our Friday night's Out schedule for the next 4 months.

13. They and their children departed at 4:20ish and then it was time for the Comedian and Engineer to sit down and start their homework. The Tyrant is still napping and the sister's L are watching Horton Hears a Who, playing with blocks, the race track, and reading books

14. Called a friend for quick reassurance that "It was all going to be okay"

15. Somewhere in there I tried to make peanut butter bars.....emphasis on the "TRYING" which is a whole other story in and of itself. Thank goodness it was NOT my night to cook. I love my dinner exchange friends.

16: Now I'm sending my boys out the door with my husband to go Home Teaching to a family and (even though that isn't really how it is supposed to be done...but tonight.....in our house...it is)

I'm going to read my scriptures for a brief moment and again offer up prayers to my Creator on behalf of all those suffering and pray that I can have a better appreciation for all the many, many blessings which I have been gifted with..............before the bedtime adventures begin...

Memorable moments:

1. I was trying to fulfill a promise to a little boy that we would make cookies today. Well....I did try...although it might not have been one of my finer culinary moments. We were given a mix for peanutbutter chocolate bars for Christmas in 2008 and I had never used it. So I thought what could be easier than a mix that I just need to toss in a few things, stir and put in the oven. Before we left for Storytime (in the midst of that crazy corndog, juice, out the door dance) I took out a cube of butter to soften (as per the instructions on the tag of the mix). When we got back home from the library things were a tad bit chaotic so I tried to hurry through the rest of the preparations. I looked and read 3 1/2 Cups milk ---and I thought to myself...really? that's a lot of milk...but don't question the instructions just do it--- added an egg, the butter, some peanut butter, and the entire bag of mix and had a soupy crazy looking thing....which I couldn't reconcile with the instructions that said "firmly pat into well greased pan".......

HOLD IT! REREAD THE INSTRUCTIONS!

3 1/2 cups M. I. X. .....not milk......so I tried to salvage it by adding a carrot and white cake mix .....which got me 3 pans of cake and no pans of cookie bars....which I sent home with some of the ladies who came to set the schedule......ugh!

It turned out okay...not terrible....not wonderful either....

2. The Tyrant did quite well on most areas of his testing he is almost up to his chronological age. Which is truly AWESOME! It also makes me feel like I can focus more on the skills he is way behind in rather than trying to work on every area with him.

3. Tyrant screaming at the top of his lungs forever and ever just because, being put in his room and told he can come out when he is ready to "try again" and then....several minutes later I ask him if he's ready to try again and his sweet voice sucks the sobs in and responds with joy "Uhuh!" then down the stairs he comes ready to try again. (It only lasted for a quarter of an hour or so before he needed to re-regulate himself......but each time he was so full of joy at the opportunity he had to "try again" and it just made me think....me too.....I am so joyful that my Savior gifted me with opportunities to repent and try again no matter how many times I fall down or fall short.....JOY! God is Good!)

Jumbled Thoughts. . . .

I know that I have much of the Holiday hoopla to still post about. There are pictures (like the clone trooper guarding the Christmas tree) that family has asked to have posted, the joy of the (robotic) cat joining our home, the Comedian's practice trip to the hospital to test drive the CT machine, and our meeting with the school district about the Tyrant as well as a dozen other things that I've forgotten about that should be posted....and I will....maybe....get them posted.

Over the last week my thoughts and prayers have been constantly on the people of Haiti. Both those whom I know, those whose blogs I follow, and just those who for me have no name and no face but I know must be facing unbelievable trials and grief at this time.

Beth McHoul of Heartline Ministries writes "It's like broken cement hell but as in any darkness God shows up."

That sentence someday needs to be put in a song or a poem, it is so achingly raw, and a beautiful testimony of the tender mercies the Lord shows us in our very darkest hours. I have been a cyber witness to countless miracles, the love that humankind shows for others in need, and the true power of prayer. He Lives! He Hears us! and He answers prayers! I know this!

Please Pray for the people of Haiti! Pray for those who are doing their very best to get medical treatment to those who need it! Pray for people around the world that their hearts will continued to be softened with compassion to help these brothers and sisters of our Father in Heaven as they try to find normalcy within the chaos. Pray for adoptive families around the world who are separated from the Haitian children they are adopting. Pray for governments that they will help everyone by allowing those children residing in driveways of collapsed orphanages and all the other Haitian children who were already in the adoption process that they may be moved to bring those children home to their families now! Pray unceasingly, never stopping.....

Men Ansan m

Hands Together!

We are in this thing together Ayiti Cherie.

Photo taken by Troy Livesay.

Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way. . . (Post edit)

POST EDIT: The smallest boy in the house cried when his older brothers left for school and he spent all morning long checking out the front window to see if his "Nenjanin" was home yet.











Finally the car of our car pool was spotted and before he knew it....his brother was home! Can you see how happy he is?











About 5 minutes after this last picture was taken I looked over to see him peering out the window again. When I asked him what he was looking at he replied, "My 'ammy come?" So while I reveled in the opportunity to get the kitchen and living room completely cleaned, laundry done and a hundred other little things that had been put off during the holiday it was a nice reminder of how much we all do love one another and how incomplete our home would be without even one of them for a few hours. I am so blessed that my boys are each others' best friend.