Back-to-School Survival Tips Part 1 of 4 (Help from A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer by Cheri Fuller)
Come on, now….September already???
Bright yellow school buses enhancing traffic and mothers dancing in Target’s aisles are telltale signs we’re in Back-to-School Season. Even if you aren’t directly involved with children in school (we aren’t any longer), Back-to-School Season ushers in the Fall, along with many more activities.
We adults desperately need some survival skills. Precisely what we’ll focus on this month, including wisdom from some guest authors you’ll love in parts three and four.
We’ll look at four tips, a different one each week, for back-to-school survival, guaranteed to help all of us, wherever we are this season. Good news is these four tips will help us every single day, regardless of what time of the year it is.
John and I’ve been blessed to discover a new view of back-to-school thru’ our two daughters-in-loves’ eyes. They’re both teachers. Who knew such preparation would be required? I’m talking hours, upon hours, upon hours.
Slap my hand with a ruler for not being more appreciative of our boys’ teachers all these years! God bless ‘em.
I remember when Woody, our third son, entered Middle School. One teacher who later became a good friend, came up to me during Open House, already having taught two of our boys and said, “Just exactly how many Hoaglands are there????” God bless Kay Snider.
After learning the hard way to not blow thru’ a School Zone (click on WHEN BLUE LIGHTS BEDAZZLE YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR), I have loved learning a super survival tip from Cheri Fuller in her book, A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer. Don’t miss that subtitle:
FORGET the Guilt and FIND the Gift….
Cheri suggests we look for “prayer cues”. Even if you don’t have a child in school, Cheri reminds us, “somebody’s child goes there and they all need prayer. Teachers also desperately need wisdom today to deal with the many problems they face.”
May we remember to pray for students, teachers, and staff.
I LOVE this: “Ask God to bring every person in that school out of darkness and into His light.”
Cheri adds, “You have to slow down anyway, so when you see a SCHOOL ZONE sign, think PRAYER ZONE and put some energy into those brief moments of caring as you drive through it.” What a great reminder!
(Remember this as your cue to slow down and pray!)
Cheri also makes a list of her family members. I love the prayer she prays for her husband, based on Psalm 67:1. She says, “It reminds me to ask God to bless him and that God would make ‘his face shine with favor’ upon him at his work.”
May we remember to pray for our husbands, sons, grandsons, nephews, and neighbors at work.
For her daughter and her husband and their marriage, she prays Romans 12:10, reminding her to “remember to ask God that they would love each other ‘with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.’”
May we remember to pray for our own marriages, plus marriages of our children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors.
**If you want some good, solid, specific prayer strategies for your marriage, run don’t walk to your nearest movie theater and watch War Room. It is a must-see movie!
Additionally, Life Way is offering several books and Bible studies related to the movie. My Wednesday group will be starting the Armor of God Bible study by Priscilla Shirer next week. It is filled with excellent, equipping strategies, straight out of Scripture. I can’t wait to see the videos!
Back to our Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer author: Cheri’s a big advocate of journaling as the REAL plus is being able to SEE answered prayer. Cheri says, “Remember the word P-U-S-H: Pray Until Something Happens.”
Translation: Never give up….
Let’s not forget about dear Epaphras in Colossians 4:12. He was always “wrestling in prayer”…
Cheri says, “The saints before us understood the truth this verse expresses—prayer is work, but it’s the most important work of all and worthy of our effort, time, and passion.”
Cheri poses several killer questions. This one nailed me: “What does your use of time say about your priorities?” Ouch…
This is my daily challenge….If I’m so concerned about so-and-so, why in the world don’t I just sit down and pray for them?
Pray.
STOP and pray.
Right now.
Prayer is our FIRST of FOUR Back-to-School Survival tips. Ready for you not just this Fall, but every single day. Stick with me this month…you WILL survive!!!
‘Til next time!