Answered Prayers!

I just had to share something that happened last week that blessed me. To pieces!
While at work on Friday, I ran into a patient's wife ... I had not seen this person in over a year, at least. She immediately asked me how I was, and if Kip had gotten a job yet. She proceeded to tell me that she'd prayed every single day since we last spoke, that the Lord would provide Kip with a full time job.  I remembered how she would write down prayer requests in a book and in her spare moments she would pray over the needs specifically. When I told her that he started working full time in August, she threw up her hands with joy and praised God right there. It was such a humbling moment. I asked her how many people she prayed for every day..."Right now, 210."

This has caused me to evaluate the people I pray for, how inconsistent I can be, but also what an honor it is to intercede for them. So many times I pray only for what affects me, or for people whose situations affect me. I think there is something really beautiful about talking to God, honestly asking Him to meet other people's needs when it has no direct benefit to myself. How many of our prayers for others does He answer without us even being aware? I may never pray for 210 people every day, but I want to be transformed into a person of remarkable prayer. Our God does remarkable things, and I want to partner with Him in them.

This woman is still praying for us - now, that we would have children. She says she is asking Him for twins! :) It builds up my faith to know how she's praying so faithfully for someone she hardly knows, believing that God hears and answers. If I find out one day that I'm pregnant with twins, one of the first things I'll think about is her faith. And how much blessing one person's faith can bring to the world.

Stress Management!!! !

It's a new week, and I am so glad. Last week was a rough one... things have been a little stressful in the Wright household!  Kip finished his first full week of school. I was working extra hours at the hospital. (Cannot even describe the stressful events that were going on there). We're trying to get last minute things together to close on our house. I tried to start packing our current place up, so we've been stepping over boxes. And the house is a mess for all of the above-said reasons.

I started thinking about the ways that the world tells me to manage stress: Take a nice, long walk. Or a bath. Do something you enjoy. Visit with a friend. Make sure you're eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Um, is it just me or is it true that when you are stressed out and sleep deprived you have less time than ever to do these things?? If I had the time to do all of those things I'm sure I wouldn't be stressed. But the truth is, some days you don't have the time to take a shower.
I think that often what I do during stressful times is endure. Do the best I can with what little sleep I have, and when it finally passes-- I pass out on the couch, watch TV and eat cookies to "rebalance".  I don't want that to be my coping mechanism! Not when I believe that God makes each day and gives us so many things to rejoice in. I know He has better for His children than simply enduring. So.... the Lord has been teaching me about stress management.

I definitely didn't handle this week perfectly. During an especially stressful moment at work when I was super hungry and had to go to the bathroom, someone asked me if I was doing okay. My response was not really stress-free. I said,"Sure, I just hate this day!" Whew, a little extreme. I immediately took it back. Not my best moment!

When I stopped enough to hear from Him, this is what He has said to my heart:
     Give Me each stressful moment. I will give you what you need to handle them. Don't be anxious. Things will slow down again. Don't compromise your time with Me. I want to use these moments to refine you and make you more like Me. And that as a result of these stressful days, I will make You more compassionate, patient, wise, and full of faith than you were before. I will take the load off of your shoulders. Throw Yourself on My grace and have faith that I will help you.

Now that is effective stress management! I hope that this week is a better week, but if not I want to keep on learning the principle of handling stress with grace and dependence. We have such a Good Father! Any other tips that you have, feel free to send them my way! :) Have a great week everyone

Rachel

New Stuff

Hi All!
It has been such a fun, busy summer. I have not blogged much about it, but I've loved living it. Kip and I got to celebrate our sister and brother's graduation, take a few little vacations, grill, go to the pool, try some new restaurants. We celebrated Kip's 25th birthday and our 3rd wedding anniversary. I have lived off of iced coffee and fresh peaches like I end up doing every year. There are lots of things I love about summer. But fall has always been my favorite, and I'm excited about the coming change in season.

It feels like there are lots of new things in the air. Lots of friends having babies. A new season for Grace Midtown, our church here in Atlanta. More personally, Kip has a new job! It is such a perfect provision from the Lord... he is teaching 11th grade in a new school with a position that is now FULL time (praise the Lord!) It's about an hour north of where we are now. He just started this week and already feels so supported by the staff. After 3 years of him waiting for this teaching opportunity, we feel that this is exactly where God wants us to be. We are in the process of buying a house closer to where he'll be working. My prayer is that our eyes will be open to see where God is working and that Kip's workplace and our new neighborhood will be places to invest spiritually. We couldn't be more excited and grateful.

Here are a couple pictures of Kip's first day... I don't think I've been in a high school since I was in high school and it was exciting to be there! There's just something about a new school year. I wanted to visit with all of the kids and tell them to enjoy every day of it. Maybe a school nurse will be somewhere in my future??

Don't think I could be any more proud of Mr. Wright! What a natural.

Change is coming, and it is always a little bittersweet, but so exciting. I especially love knowing that whatever ups and downs are ahead, we have a Good Father who protects and keeps us anchored. Because of Him it's all good. :)

Celebrating Dad

I am obviously not good at being consistent with my blog posts, but I wanted to take a minute today to talk about my dad. I am so grateful for him. There's something about a dad-daughter relationship that is special. So much of who I am is directly because of him.

There has never been any question of my importance to him; I have always known that he loves me and is proud of me. I remember him sewing me a poodle skirt in elementary school and feeling so proud at school the next day, telling everyone that my DAD made mine for me. There was nothing he couldn't fix, make, or cook. He mediated many a "conversation" between me and my mom during those teenage years. I was fiercely independent all the while growing up, but always seemed to find it okay to sit in dad's lap. (Something I still do!). My first (brutal) year of college, I looked forward to two things: 1) choir practice on Monday nights and 2) talking to my dad afterwards while walking back to my dorm. I could always count on it. We still are able to talk about life, faith, and how we are growing with God. My conversations are with dad may be less frequent than the ones with my mom, but I have cherished each and every one of them.

On this day celebrating our fathers, I just had to pay tribute to mine. Everyone thinks their dad is the best and I guess I'm no different. He's the best. He has reflected the perfect love of my heavenly Father in a beautiful way. His love for me has always been consistent, steady, irreplaceable. I'm forever grateful to God for my dad.

Happy Father's Day!!