Off-grid pantry planner

I thought I’d share a couple of personal challenges I’ve accepted for this month of January. These challenges will potentially affect every relationship in my family- that is with my spouse and with my children.

31 Days to Pray for Your Spouse

After learning of Ashley Pichea’s 31 Days to Pray challenge I decided this was a good one for me.  I also get to be one of the prayer captains for one of the Facebook groups for this challenge.

I already pray for safety regarding my family every day and I do pray for other things regarding my family but I need to be more specific in other areas on a regular basis.

I’ve felt for some time that God has been speaking to my heart about the importance of praying and thats a no-brainer, right? – but I feel its not just important to be specific, but its necessary.

Afterall, I John 5:14-15 says…

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

God wants us to totally depend on him and prayer is a major part of that. Its how we communicate with God. He communicates with us through his word and we talk to him through prayer. He does answer. I can vouch for that!

I’ll be reading Ashley’s ebook along the way: 31 Days to Build a Better Spouse.

Not only will I be practicing more specific prayer for my husband, but I will be working more specific on becoming a more gentle mommy with the next challenge.

The Gentleness Challenge

I plan to be following Courtney’s Gentleness Challenge and learning from others during that link up. The first video conversation that Courtney and Angela share was very helpful to me so I look forward to hearing more.

This is something I really need to work on. I’ve had some “shame on me” moments when I’ve lost my temper with my kids in the past. My boys do challenge me regularly and I don’t have as much patience as I need to have with them. But this is a choice and if I prepare my heart and have some ideas of how to better deal with them (preparing myself to be ready for those moments) it will help all me and them to get through those rough, trying, nerve plucking moments in a way that is pleasing to God and beneficial to my sons.

Are you in need of work in these areas? Why don’t you consider joining one or both of these challenges too!

*I did use my affiliate link in this post. If you click through and buy Ashley’s book I will earn a little money from the sale. I am reading the book as I go through the 31 Days to Pray challenge.