...feet in a circle

i snuck this photo last night during a family prayer time at the end of the evening.  yes, i know, it's very irreverent and disrespectful to be fidgeting with my phone when i'm supposed to have my eyes closed and all... but i couldn't help but capture this holy moment.  oh i wish you could've been there!! 

a little background info: i grew up in southern California. my parents moved away to Detroit, Michigan area in 1989. i was 19 and engaged and they up and moved! hashtag MINISTRY. but i digress.  i remained in CA until 8 years ago when my family and i (husband + 2 kids) pulled up our own roots and high-tailed it to Montana.  fast forward nearly 8 years and low and behold here come my folks to Montana! they have been here for a few months filling in at a little church here in Whitefish while the church looks for a new, permanent pastor.  soon, within the next couple of months, my parents will once again make there way down to southern California.  and i'll once again wave goodbye.

this season has provided me the opportunity of living near my mom and dad for the very first time since i've been married.  so you can bet that the last few months, when i've been home, i've taken advantage of 'dropping by', grabbing coffee, church, meals and walks.  we have somewhat consistently implemented sunday night family dinners, or, 'Sunday Supper'.  in addition to delicious food, our times together have included the occasional movie, lots of conversation, home movies, games and of course, the piano!  in many ways these evenings together are throwbacks to my childhood, from our time as a young family.  in other ways they are reminders of when my own little family was all together... now one is married and we have an incredible addition to our Sunday Suppers! 

the common denominator to it all... the memories and the present... is praying together.  i snapped the above picture because it is such a perfect capture of our time together. yes we have fun. yes we love each other. but we also pray with and for each other.  my dad actually spoke a bit on this yesterday. 

in Colossians 1:9-14, Paul says... "we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that:

• you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding
• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
• fully pleasing to Him
• bearing fruit in every good work
• increasing in the knowledge of God
• you may be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might
• for endurance
• patience with joy

      giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."          

so, believing that last part... that we are 

qualified

delivered

transferred

redeemed

forgiven       

gives us the authority and freedom to pray the first part for EACH OTHER!! i don't know about you, but I NEED MORE of every single one of those things.  wisdom, understanding, fruit, knowledge, strength, endurance, patience and joy.  we are forever cultivating, pruning, weeding and growing in this life.  and as we pray for each other, with each other, that growth is guaranteed.

i'm so beyond-words-grateful that my parents pray for me.  and i'm not the only one they pray for. they are diligent pray-ers.  my dad lives this stuff.  the words he preaches represent the life he leads.  he's by no means perfect, and he'll be the one to tell you as much.  but the words he preached this weekend rang true in my ears because of nights like last night. our feet in a circle, our hands holding each others hands... except when i was taking that picture... our heads bowed and hearts knit together.

pray for each other. pray together. believe... and pray.