Prayer Works

There's a story my Grandma Jane would often tell us when we were young that I absolutely loved. She and her sister Joann were tasked with going to the store by their mom my Grandma Kreutzer. She said they bundled up in scarves, hats and coats and Great Grandma handed them her coin purse to buy the groceries. The two young girls set off down snowy sidewalks to the grocery store. On the way back Joann began to cry. As my Grandma Jane asked her what was wrong Joann sobbed "I dropped the coin purse and can't find it in the snow!" The two girls searched and searched in the deep snow drifts and could not find the snow. Finally my grandma decided they needed to say a prayer. They bowed their heads with tears in their eyes and said a prayer asking for Heavenly Father's help in finding the coin purse with precious extra coins. As the girls ended their prayer and started retracing their steps through the snow they saw a little area of disrupted snow and reached down and pulled the little coin purse from the snowdrift. 

I remember being in awe at the power of prayer helping two young girls in a situation that must seem so small to God but was so huge for them. Ever since then prayer has been my go to when I lose something. It happens pretty frequently and to varying degrees of importance but almost every single time the thing that was lost turns up. For me it has been the best way to prove that prayer works. My testimony of prayer was built on stories like my grandma's lost coin purse. It was solidified when as a young teenager sledding I lost my phone in the snow and after searching for an hour and saying a prayer my friends and I unerathed the phone deep in the snow on the top of the hill. Another tender mercy was my mom had wisely recommended I put it in a plastic bag in case I dropped it in the snow. Mother's intuition at it's finest. I could go over dozens of other stories, lost wallet, lost keys, lost phone, lost ring, lost child. When something is lost my instinct is prayer. I think there is a deeper lesson there. When someone is lost our instinct should also be prayer. 

This week something of value was lost. My parents got Jaden a gift card to go toward some new golf clubs as a graduation present. The problem was at some point during the exit of the store to getting in the car and driving home my mom lost track of the gift card. She swore she put it in her purse but after every single person in the family checked the purse none of us found it there. After hours of searching, several prayers and a few tears we went to bed with the expectation that she would go back to the golf shop the next morning and see if they could help sort it out and hopefully give her a new card. 

The next morning I was sitting at my computer when I heard yelling from the garage. My mom and Jade were about to go to the golf shop when she said to him "Do you want to check the car one more time." Jaden opened the passenger door and saw a little piece of paper shift in the bottom storage space of the door. He said "Nance come here." He waited for her to run around the side of the car where she snatched it up and started to cry. The gift card was found. It took some patience and heartache but the prayer was answered. What was once lost was found. 

It's times like these that reaffirm to me prayer works. I am still awestruck that God cares about the little details of our lives that mean a great deal to us. I can't believe his infinite mercy in helping us as we struggle to keep track of things that he so graciously allows us to have. I like to think that those moments of joy when He helps us and we see Him in the miracle are what brings Him great joy. I picture it like when you watch a toddler find an easter egg or open a present and they just beam and are so excited. That moment warms your heart. Makes me want to beam and be excited for Heavenly Father. I want to warm His heart. 

Peaches

• The gift card miracle
• Got a new Peloton bike for graduation. I absolutely LOVE it! Have been talking about getting one for years!

• Went on an apartment tour and really loved it. It's the new ICO Apartments down by Farmington Station. They feature new appliances, updated amenities, a car port parking and we can get an extra bedroom for the same price as what we would have paid in Dallas for a single bedroom apartment. We both really liked them and think we'll end up applying for one at end of this week as soon as the agent gets availability dates for August. Our lease isn't up in PA until August which is the main reason why we'll be staying with my parents for a few months so we don't have to pay double rent. Which is a huge blessing to have that opportunity to live with them!
• Listening to a poolside performance by Andrea Bochelli's friend Travis Hall

• Jaden pouring Martenelli's the way our friend Taylor taught us. We'll never forget the time at Sunday dinner Keile started pouring glasses and Taylor ran across the room yelling "no Keile wait!" only to proceed to flip a towel over his arm and stabilize the bottle while he poured. So dang funny

• Made a yummy taco platter for dinner

• Jaden is ok from a case of stress hives (see pit below)
• Went to our fav Slackwater restaurant with Landon and Mady and discussed their upcoming wedding Jaden will be officiating
• Unpacking the shirt Jaden got on his infamous trip to DisneyWorld at the end of his EY internship where he mixed up the schedule and wore business casual attire to the park. The imagery of him walking around in slacks, dress shoes and this Pluto tee with his dress shirt tied around his waist will never not be funny. Landon and Mady loved that story so I had to find the shirt and send them a pic of it. I also love that Jade saw the Pluto tee and thought of me because I loved meeting Pluto at DisneyLand when I was little. The story goes I would tell my parents over and over "Oh Pluto he niiiiice." 
• Getting ready for our St. George trip next week I have some fun activities planned for the kids and can't wait for their reactions. They're going to be so excited. Like I said before, best feeling ever witnessing the bubbling joy of a child

Pits

Hearing about friends and family who are struggling and not knowing the best way to help

Jaden woke up one morning and came into our bedroom and said look at my arms and back. I immediately shot awake and took one look at him and said "it looks like you have hives." I was definitely concerned about Jaden but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also concerned that the brand new bamboo sheets (which are supposedly hypoallergenic) had caused the rash. A trip to InstaCare confirmed it as hives and said it was difficult to determine exact cause. Personally I think it is due to stress. Luckily though after a few Benadryl and a day or two they cleared up and I don't think I am going to have to return the sheets.