Months ago, probably right after the new year, I was convicted that my prayer life was lacking. I prayed, sure, it was continuously throughout the day, yes, but it wasn't what it should be. My life wasn't what it should be. And, of course, it still isn't but I'm a work in progress, what can I say? ;) Now, if you don't know me you don't know it but I am a night owl. I love to stay up late. I will sometimes stay up after my husband goes to bed just to sit in the quiet or play my stupid mind numbing iPad game or watch something that *I* want to watch. That being said, I have to get up at 530-545 every morning to get my girls (and sometimes my husband for work) ready for the day and to school (work) on time. Now, that wouldn't seem so bad except when I say "night owl" I mean that I can make it to midnight or later with no problems. Even after a full day! Needless to say, for a while there I struggled through my days for energy and not being lazy and sluggish and that is not even taking into account my attitude. I got to the point where I knew something just had to change. That is when I realized that I woke up to my alarm each morning going, "Ugh...God help me through today.." and would hit the floor. That was it. That was how I started my day. I decided then to start each morning, even before I got out of bed, praying. I wake up to my alarm, say "ugh, I'm so ready to go to sleep tonight..Good morning God..." and from there I spend a couple of minutes in prayer. I do pray for God to help me through the day and I ask for anything specific, I pray over my girls and for their days, I praise God for another day to wake up to and other blessings I have received in the 30 seconds I have been awake (this is actually one of my first things I pray), and then I get up and I go about my morning routine. A few weeks, maybe a month, after I started doing this a tweet came trough my Twitter feed, it may have been Chuck Swindoll actually, and it was a challenge to spend the first 2 minutes in prayer before even getting out of bed. I had already been doing that for weeks!!! So anyway, at first my days were smooth and I was like "whoa, this is crazy how much easier my days are and how much better I feel just overall..." but as it has gone on I am being attacked big time. Satan is out in full force. This week alone I have had multiple days in a row of just struggles, be it one thing or another, and I realized today that this week along I have also started using my 15-20 mile trip back home from the school to just praise God and talk to him. I will talk the whole time! Sure enough, little things are starting to come up; my girls get out of school so wound up they are everywhere, they argue from the time I get them from school until bedtime when I am finally just like "I'm done." Don't let that turn you, don't let that fell defeated, that is Satan telling you, "oh you think you have this figured out? Watch this....what now??" And if you let him he will take it and run! But if you will just stop and call out to The One who IS there completely He will intercede for you and you WILL overcome.

Stay strong, my mama's and papa's. School is almost out and you can do it!!!!