Friday, March 19, 2010

a mother's prayers

dear emily,

one of my favorite authors is jan karon who wrote the
mitford series about a quaint little town nestled in the hills
of north carolina.  she is a retired advertising executive, so
her  prose is spare yet lovely.  her characters are quirky,
and their conversation is authentic and inspiring.

the most beloved is father tim, an episcopalian priest and
shepherd of the village, who loves to pray 'the prayer that
never fails', "Thy will be done."

when praying for my children, i search the bible for the
scriptures that seem most fitting for the situation.  then i
just insert my loved one's name.

for instance, if any are struggling with their future i might
pray, "Lord, please fulfill Your purpose for shelby and dan
. . . and please do not abandon the works of Your hands."
psalm  138:8

i believe so fervently in the power of God's word, that it
seems only natural to pray it.  more importantly, it protects
me from vain or selfish prayers that may have nothing to do
with His will or purpose.

love,
lea

18 comments:

Jackie said...

I love the Mitford series and was sad when it ended. I love Father Tim's simple prayer too.

Have a great weekend.
Jackie

Kristin said...

We can't go wrong with His words, can we? If only I allowed His words to move through my mouth more than my own!

More Than Words said...

So true!!

My prayer is that we are always in Gods will and not our own.

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

'Father Tim' will forever be one of my favorites! I read every one of them and loved them...

I so agree with the way you pray for your kids, by name, their names. I thihk God must also love it when we do that, as He sees every one of those needs already, and it just reinforces His truth and makes it so personal...

Glad to see you back!

Sewn With Grace said...

I just love the way you pray. I am definitely going to do this. Thank you so very much.

Vee said...

Your readers will be happy to know that Jan Karon is still writing and another of the Father Tim series is coming out in October.

These scripture prayers of yours sound very precious. Your children are blessed to have a mother who prays.

Vicki/Jake said...

Just a quick stop to say hi, been blogging too much and not keeping up with my friends! I'll try harder.
Love your thoughtful posts...

Deborah Ann said...

I pray with the Word just like that. It helps me remember that the Bible wasn't just for the people who lived all those years ago, it is current and revelant for all God's children!

Unknown said...

I love the Mitford series. What a great way to pray for your children-using scripture. :) Pride and Prejudice is my first blogging book club. I'm so glad your reading with me! :)

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing about this series. I'm moved to get these books. Right up my alley of things I enjoy reading about.

I must also get by your blog more often, because it's a little piece of quiet.

Sending good cheer!

myletterstoemily said...

vee,

that is such great news!

yippee!!!!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Love Father Tim; in fact, many of our church members claim that I married Father Tim, albeit a bit younger with more hair! I'm currently reading "Home to Holly Springs"--I know. I've had it a while but never picked it up! Love this new twist to Father Tim's life.

Interesting side note...

When Jan Karon was looking for a cover for her "A New Song" book, she searched out pictures of all the Episcopalian churches in NC and found the small, country one that graces the cover. That church is located in Trenton, NC, and literally sat in our back yard when we lived there, serving the local UM neighboring church.

I've got the pictures to prove it!

Might have to post on that.

And yes, Father Tim's prayers and genuine love for his people are how all the clergy should live! Us as well.

peace~elaine

myletterstoemily said...

elaine,

i love that mitford snippet! i really am
such a groupie.

Cheri Bunch said...

U-huh, yes, and amen!

debi Kirksey said...

Love the Mitford series also--I've read every one, and even had the chance to visit Blowing Rock, North Carolina once, the home of Jan Karon when she started writing the series. Many think this town inspired the fictional town of Mitford. Sure was fun to imagine it so....

Debi

Joan Elizabeth said...

I have only read one of the Mitford series books .. I was thinking only the other day that I should read some more of them.

Western NC Mountain Women said...

Thanks for introducing me to the Mitford Series. By tonight I will really get to know them.
I am enjoying your blogs. Thanks for sharing.

Have a Wonderful Day,

Leslie

Bree said...

again, I'm so thankful for your words of wisdom. I'm guilty of finding myself praying for fervently others and forgetting my precious family right here! Praise the Lord for His grace :) I'm going to link to this:) hugs!