Author: deetscott

I’ve heard an old man say this is the commandment that is impossible to keep (at least, I heard him say it as I listened to the audio version of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson- highly recommend).

I don’t know- is that universally true? I’ll have to do some more self- examination on this one because I feel like I struggle with other commands more than this one.

Self-examination- this is actually the point of my prayer today, as we wind down the ancient wisdom of the Ten Commandments.  Children whom I love, take the time to examine your thoughts, your motives, your inner dialogue.  God has drawn for us a rough outline of the ways we can separate ourselves from him, and when we tolerate a little distance then there are only only two options.

Repentance, or a widening of the gap between us and God

And the gap never stays empty; it’s where the damage of our sin accumulates. We know God’s grace removes our guilt completely, but sometimes there are consequences that remain.  Habits that we have to overcome, relationships that have to be set right, actions that others simply have to forgive because we can’t undo them.

Listen to the voice of experience, friends.  The sooner you recognize your sin and repent, the less you damage yourself and the ones you love.  The more you allow God’s Spirit to get ahold of you and exponentially multiply your gifts so that you become the mighty warriors you are each capable of becoming- by God’s power.

Father, show us our sin. If it is wanting what another has, Father, grow in us the gift of contentment. I pray that all of us would turn our hearts to you in love and trust, repenting of the ways we allow distance to grow between us. I pray we would nurture the power of your Spirit in our souls so that we look more like you every day.  Thank you for the grace of forgiveness so freely given through your sacrificial love.  #prayersformychildren

You know, there is power in honesty.  There is strength in being known as a truth-lover, and personal freedom.

It shouldn’t- in the perfect world- make any difference whether we understand God’s commands.  We should obey “all the way, right away, with a happy heart” because we love and trust God in the depths of our souls.  Right?

Well yes, there should be a foundation of love and trust to our obedience.  So when we run up against something that seems counterintuitive or obscure, we trust God’s wisdom above our own.

But I don’t think it’s an accident that we can frequently see the wisdom in God’s commands- I think it’s a gift.  And when it comes to honesty, it’s a good thing we have this gift because honestly, honesty is hard! You’d think it would be easy- but it’s not.

If ever you want evidence of our inherent deceptive human tendencies, just think about how early lying begins, and how frequently we either can or do lie.  Love for and commitment to the truth has to be taught; it just doesn’t come naturally to our defensive and proud selves.

Father, thank you for the gifts of observation that allow us to see the wisdom of your commands.  I pray we would come to love truthfulness and hate deceit; that we would honor and respect each other enough to be straightforward and sincere. Give us the courage to face ourselves with integrity, accepting your love in our imperfect state while also accepting the healing and power that your Spirit provides so we can grow more like you every day. #prayersformychildren

I just couldn’t do it.  I’m sorry for the huge gap of silence, but I couldn’t make myself start.  My process has always been to begin thinking/praying about the next prayer and what my specific focus for that scripture should be. How does God’s word specifically need to be expressed in our lives;  how can we seek God’s power and search for his wisdom? That has been no problem.

I got stuck at the second step.

The second step- that’s the one where I look though all my old photos and find one to match up with my prayer.  I just couldn’t do it.  Looking through those old photos when my house is empty and silent? Somehow, it just didn’t seem possible.

Isn’t that silly? My kids (mostly) come home every day, we still have this great family life, and I’m still really busy and happy.  But there has been this little part of my self that is mourning a change I was happy to make.

And you know, I think it’s ok.  Mamas, it’s ok to be sad when our kids go off to school, when they go to a teacher for advice instead of you, when they don’t let you fix their hair or ask you opinion about the outfit for the first time.  Of course we are proud of their maturity, and glad they have other trusted advisors, and we don’t want them to live for our approval. Of course.

But we are women, and so we have room in our hearts for more than one emotion at a time, and sadness is just fine.  We feel it, we acknowledge it, we let it go.  I sometimes have trouble with this- my brain wants to tell me how I feel so I get a little stuck, and I forget to feel what I feel.

Sisters, friends, thanks for understanding and grace. I’m so grateful for you.

Father, thank you.  For the days past and the days to come.  For the happiness and the sadness and the changes and the mourning and the gladness and the ability to feel. Grow me, Father, so that I can serve you though it all.

Well, he made it back. Over 3000 miles travelled to camp, bike, hike- and now he is parked safely in my driveway.  Not sure yet if he got that tattoo he talked about; knowing he drove through the night Thursday and all day Friday to arrive after midnight I decided not to keep him up with lots of questions last night.

For now, we have four kids tucked safely in bed and all is right with our world.  But on Thursday it all changes.  He’ll move into his dorm and soon will be telling us when he is coming “to visit,” and saying that it’s “time to go home” (meaning some stinky college dorm room, not our lovely abode).  I know that when he’s there, he’ll tell his buds he’s “going home for the weekend” but now the word is split in two.

As it should be.

I am so excited for him. He’s going to a college he chose after months of discussion and prayer, he’s living with a solid friend whose character is strong, he has lots of friends at this school and thousands of potential new friends, and he is pursuing an education that will open to him a world of opportunity.  What amazing blessings!

But let’s be real.  I also know this is a milestone that involves separation. Ok, enough said about that.

A bigger issue is that this is a milestone that involves independence, and the opportunity to make choices that kill- whether we’re talking about brain cells, or purity, or relationships, or opportunity, the freedoms and choices available to college students carry harsh consequences which are often unrecognized by the ones making the choices.

Father, my boy is in your hands. I know that’s where he’s always been, but for awhile his dad and I had the wonderful privilege of speaking into his life daily, and now that’s at an end.  Father, the moment I realized, when he was just a baby, that you work directly in his heart and mind independent of your work through me is clear in my memory. That thought sustains me now even more because I know he has been seeking you and he knows you in a way an infant never can.  Father, hold him tight. Make your presence clear, place people in his path who will point him to you.  Give my boy wisdom, discernment, clarity in decision making.  Prosper the plans he makes which will allow him to grow in strength. Help him develop his gifts and talents so that he can serve you with passion and joy.  But any decision he makes that is directed away from your will, any plan that would weaken his walk with you, Father, I pray would be met with immediate and unmistakeable disaster.  Bring bad decisions to the attention of those who can help him change path, and I pray that the godly people around him will speak into his life with boldness. Father, words fail. All the fears, all the hopes, all the dangers and all the dreams- I place them all in your hands. Maybe trusting you with my child is harder than trusting you with myself but today, Father, I choose to trust you. #prayersformychildren

Well, tomorrow is the big day.  When that bell rings at 8:15 tomorrow all three Scotts will be sitting in their seats waiting for some other teacher to begin their school day.

Me- well, for the first time is thirteen years I’ll be home with no students to teach and no lessons to begin.  I promise you- I’m thrilled for my kids, so don’t let my leaky eyes worry you.  We prayed about it, and God has confirmed in numerous ways that this is a good decision. It’s just that I loved being a homeschool mom. I loved the field trips, the flexible schedule, the time together.  I can’t even say what was the best part- maybe it was the times I saw one of my kids “get it,” or maybe it was cuddling on the couch to read.  Yes, it’s true- I put myself in timeout, I got behind, I sometimes felt inadequate for the job.  But it was all worth it when I had the chance to talk about friendship, and God, and integrity, and disappointment…you get the picture.   So even though I am excited for the kids, for the opportunities they are having, for the new experiences they will surely enjoy, I’m struggling a little tonight.

Oh, and that other big day will be here soon…the one when I leave my oldest at college. Mmm hmmm. If tears make you uncomfortable you might want to steer clear for the next little while.

So tonight, I’m praying for the teachers. Specifically by name, I’m praying for my kids’ teachers, but I’ll be praying for teacher moms and my teacher friends and all those brave men and women heading into the classrooms in the coming days.

Father in heaven, your name is holy.  You’ve seen the beginning of all new things, and you have sustained and strengthened your people throughout.  My prayer tonight is for the teachers- those who teach only one, and those who teach rooms full.  I pray they will daily feel the strength of your presence and the power of your wisdom.  I pray that your will would be done in each classroom, in each interpersonal encounter.  Give your servants each day what is needed for that day- patience, wisdom, perseverance, resourcefulness, and all the rest.  I pray that hurts would be quickly forgiven, that rifts would quickly be healed.  May each teacher look to you for direction each day; lead them in ways of truth and wisdom, far from the edge of temptation.  Deliver all from the designs of the evil one, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory for this day, this week, this school year, and forever.  #prayersformychildren #prayerfortheteachers

This one is short and to the point. Don’t steal.  The problem is, stealing is like lying- easy, quick, and sometimes, unthinking.  The extra change returned goes in the pocket, for example.  No one knows, no one notices.  So we get away with this little disobedience.  We allow the space between us and God, because it’s hardly noticeable after all.  The habit of taking something because it’s there, because we want it, because it just doesn’t matter that much- we never repent, because it’s such a little thing.

But anything we allow to come between us and God- well, it can’t be little, can it?

Don’t buy the lie, my friends.  Hold tight, pay attention to the little, the simple, the ordinary. Because it is in the abundance of the mundane that our life’s values are revealed.

Father, I pray that we would all take our obedience seriously- even in the easy, little, unnoticeable ways.  Give us a deep respect for the property others with the knowledge that everything is yours after all.  May we show our love for you in the mundane.  #prayersformychildren

In the Spears family we have never taken our country for granted.  My dad remembers when his dad was called to serve the US in World War 2, then grew up to joint the Air Force right out of school. I joined the Air Force while still in college, excited to be the active duty service member myself.  I was 12 when my father finally retired, so I have great memories of being an Air Force brat and seeing the world, meeting people from all over, living the Air Force life. On my father’s side, a familiar and well worn path that rooted me in patriotism.

My mother’s father also served his country by joining the military, but Mom’s memories of World War 2 are far, far different from dad’s.  Mom’s father was a member of the Nazi party, and her home was in Silesia.  So until the war ended when she was six, Mom experienced nights and days in bomb shelters, evacuation, fear, and loss.  If you take a moment to think of the war from the perspective of a small German girl, you will undoubtedly imagine how much horror fills these sentences.

But the family of a Nazi officer doesn’t have it easy when the war finally ends, either.  Especially if the family’s homeland is handed over to Poland through the treaties that brought peace. Now Mom’s hometown is filled with Polish people who very understandably hate the Germans. Now the government is Communist, under the thumb of the Soviets.  Now schools are taught in Polish, with everyone expected to learn Russian and history is taught from the skewed perspective of the Communists. And daily life- well, in a time of wide spread poverty because of war and failed Communist policies, I’m sure you are not surprised to hear that my German family in the Polish town suffered.

Fast forward through the family’s escape from Poland to West Germany. American airman meets beautiful, charming German girl and before long the newly-wed couple returns to Nashville and a patriot is born.  You see, my mom lived several other options. She knows what we have here, and how incredibly unique it is. Not just the wealth, but the choices, the freedoms.

You know, the American dream didn’t start out as a house, a car, and more stuff than the neighbors.  The American dream originally was opportunity. Mom and Dad always understood the value of our opportunities, and they grabbed every one. Education, free speech, freedom of religion. Freedom to vote, to serve, to live according to godly values.

Father, thank you for the freedom we have, and for the wisdom of the leaders and citizens who built this country.  I pray my kids would continue to experience the freedom to learn and grow according to their abilities. Work through our current government, Father, to accomplish your purposes in our country. #prayersformychildren

This one is unquestionably the most countercultural- and that is saying a lot, since most of these commandments would be considered quaintly out of date these days.  But purity? Faithfulness to one lifetime partner? How can we expect that of ourselves or our kids? Well, through God’s power, that’s how.

Kids, it’s worth it.  Specifically, your purity is worth protecting.  Yes, it’s true that you have to deny yourself experiences that your peers are telling you are lots of fun. You have to be diligent in guarding your eyes, your thoughts, your online activities for months and years as you protect a relationship you don’t even have yet, with a person you may or may not have met.  But the sacrifices you make as a teen, refusing to engage in sexual experiences with people who are temporary companions- these sacrifices are nothing compared with the joy, pleasure, and fulfillment you will experience with your spouse.

I know you haven’t experienced it yet, but the oneness of marriage is worth all the diligence and care it takes to protect its purity.

But let me take a moment to talk about our Maker.  When I say it’s worth it, I mean even in the larger sense, trusting God is worth it.  Obeying him when it is difficult, or when the reasons are unclear- it’s worth so infinitely much more than the price we pay. Our Heavenly Father created us, and his commandments are for our benefit, to keep us functioning at our best, our healthiest, our most productive.  Our Maker is our loving Father, and he loves to see us thrive.

Father, in this world purity is a rare and precious thing.  Please protect the children of my heart, that their hearts would remain pure and faithful all their days.  Meet them with your power and wisdom, show them the way through temptation. I pray that in this matter and in all others their faith in your loving provision would grow daily.  #prayersformychildren

At first glance, this is an “easy A”. Murder is kind of a big deal, and I feel confident that the kids I know and love will, like me, be able to refrain from murdering someone.  But then Jesus points out a hard truth; our hearts matter. So when we harbor anger, insult others, or even treat others as worthless we reveal the true state of our hearts, and it’s not what we were created to be.

I am overwhelmed now as I think about this truth- we are created in the image of God! And God is love, he is life giving and strengthening and forgiving, and that is what we are created for, too! We are created to love one another, build each other up, encourage and strengthen. Murder- well, isn’t that the opposite? Along with hate and harbored anger?

Father, I pray that we would see the anger and hurt that we so often hold against others- even those closest to us.  Help us to turn that over to you for healing so that we can become what you created us to be- people who love others freely and powerfully. #prayersformychildren

It seems self- serving to pray that my children would “honor father and mother,” doesn’t it? My kids and I both know I am unworthy of honor, and it just doesn’t seem fair. But the command is followed swiftly by an interesting promise- “you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.”  I see this as a reminder that the good things in life are not inherited, or given by parents.  Our security and provision is a direct, continually given gift from our God.  We obey God because it is the right thing to do, and God provides because that is his nature and his plan.

Father, I pray that we would all honor our parents, regardless of our age or theirs.  Help me as a parent to grow in godliness and wisdom so that I am the parent each of my children needs me to be.  I pray that my children would rely on your kindness and strength as they obey you in this way.  Thank you for the promise, Lord; may we truly inhabit the land you have given us in a way that brings glory to you.  #prayersformychildren