The Gift of Hospitality

Yesterday we were at a Halloween party in the neighborhood. Our friend who hosted (and her sweet baby!) were such gracious hostesses, and clearly have the gift of hospitality. Their spirit yesterday inspires today's prayer.

Dear God,
Thank you for our friends, and for the fun things they do and include us in! God you've clearly given them the gift of hospitality, and they make it so comfortable for us to be in their homes. Today I ask that you give Caroline the gift of hospitality as well. Help her learn to make her home (and our home!) a place where people feel valued and cared for. Give her the ability to meet new people and help them feel welcomed. In giving her this gift, I know she'll learn to make environments where good relationships can grow and where people feel at ease.

God thank you for our baby.
Amen.

Determination

Yesterday Dan competed in a 1/2 ironman distance triathlon. It was incredible to see him biking and running (we missed the swim) and to watch him cross the finish line. His extraordinary effort inspires today's prayer.

Dear God,
Thank you for taking good care of Dan during his race, and allowing him to finish with nothing more than some sore muscles. God today I pray that you give Caroline a dose of the same determination that you've clearly given to Dan. Please give her the mental strength to set her mind to big goals and to achieve them. Let her have the confidence to believe that no matter what she wants to do, it's possible if she works hard and believes she can do it. God give our little girl strength like her daddy.

Amen.

Wild Streak

Today at our music class we were talking about the crazy-cute British girl who was on Ellen and was obsessed with Nicki Minaj Super Bass. That convo, and that sweet child inspire todays prayer.

Dear God -
Thank you for the creativity and energy you put into children. Teach us to let it live there in peace - and not to try to train that out of them. I ask you tonight to paint a quick wild streak inside Caroline. Give her curiosity, courage, energy, humor, confidence and personality. Let her grow up as a child who reminds us how fun life can be if we quit caring about what others think or what we're 'supposed' to be doing. God let Caroline be fun, and have fun, and keep my mouth shut long enough to let her accomplish both.

Amen.

Music

Last week Caroline got an exersaucer from her grandparents - she LOVES it, and is particularly excited about the places where she can make music. She has a drum she spins that makes rattles, and several buttons that sing songs. Her new toy inspires todays prayer.

Dear God -
You gave us the gift of music to praise you, to express ourselves, to use to fellowship together. Caroline is discovering music - in her toys, in our class, at night with our lullabies and in the car when we listen. Please  give Caroline an appreciation for music, and maybe even give her a gift. Perhaps you'll give her a gift for singing, or maybe for playing an instrument. Please let music come naturally to her so it'll be easy for her to share that gift with others. God thank you for our sweet girl, and for all the gifts you've given her and are growing in her.

Amen.

Faith

Dear God,
There's so much about Caroline that is changing. She's growing so quickly and everyday there's something new and exciting about her. Today I pray that her faith is growing like the rest of her body is growing. Please plant seeds of faith in her now, so that she grows up knowing you, and able to feel your presence. Please give her a strong faith in you, strong enough to weather anything that comes in her path. God be present to each of us, and present in the places where we need to see your hand at work.

Amen.

If she knows nothing else...

Dear God,
We never know how long we'll have on this Earth. You've given us eternal life, and there's a promise that we'll be reunited with our loved ones, but we don't know how many days we'll have here. I ask for thousands and thousands of days with Caroline - for me, for her father, for all of her family members. However, what I pray for today is that no matter what happens in her life, please let Caroline know how deep of a love that we have for her, and how deep Your love is for her. If she knows nothing else Lord, let her know love.

Amen.

Ears

Dear God,
Today I pray for Caroline's tiny little ears. Please bless Caroline with good hearing. Allow her to enjoy all sorts of wonderful sounds and never struggle to hear. When it comes time for her to get earrings, please don't let that hurt her much, and keep her piercings from getting infected. As Caroline grows, please help her to avoid ear infections, and please keep her ears healthy enough to avoid having to get tubes in her ear drums.

God thank you for all the hundreds of tiny parts that make up our sweet baby, and thank you for her ears.

Amen.

Roots and Wings

This is a prayer I've heard my mom talk about praying for me and my sister. Seems appropriate to pray for Caroline since we just got back from a great trip home.

Dear God,
Thank you for our roots - for the depth of love and connection that we feel when we take time to go "home". God please allow Caroline to grow up with deep roots. Please help her to feel connected to friends and family, to places that mean something to her, and please fill her with a sense of belonging to those roots. Let the roots she grows keep her grounded in her faith, in our family values, and true to herself. At the same time God, I pray that you give Caroline wings. Wings to explore, to grow, to change, and to go where she dreams. Please let those wings allow her all sorts of opportunities in her life, and don't ever let her forget how to use them. And God, while I pray that she dreams big, I also pray that no matter how far she flies, that she always follows her roots back home.

God thank you for the roots and wings you've given us, and please teach us how to do the same for our sweet Caroline.

Amen.