It’s that time of year again—back to school. I have always loved slow and spontaneous summer days and felt sad when they come to an end, but this summer in particular seemed to just fly by. Anyone else feeling similarly?

As a family, we usually reevaluate school at the end of each school year.

• What is working?
• What isn’t?
• What do we love?
• What do we not love?

I’m so thankful that we have the privilege of multiple options for school for our kids and their unique needs.

As I evaluate what school looks like for us, I have serval things in mind – is school enhancing our lives and the discipleship of our kids or is it taking over?

I don’t really advocate for one way of schooling or another, because I believe that God has uniquely gifted us as parents, and uniquely gifted our older children, to choose what’s best. We usually have a mix of kids doing school at home and kids going to schools that are a good fit for them.

This year, I am excited to have two of my high schoolers homeschooling again, an option they chose so that they could explore some other interests outside of school. I am also excited to have one going to a local public school where she can explore some of her unique giftings, and I am hopeful it can be a fun way for our family to be involved in our local community.

My little guys will be home with me and going to a once a week tutorial.  I am so grateful that I get to have this time with them at home, but also that I’ll get a day for myself to catch up on work and things around the house. And we have another one launching into college this year – something that never gets easier! I am simultaneously so excited for her and all her God-given potential, and so sad for me that I won’t get to see her every day!

Prayers for our Kids

As we move into the new school year, I have found myself praying more intently over each of my children. It is such a joy to acknowledge their individual gifts and challenges before the Lord and to call out to Him on their behalf. This weekend, a group of mama friends and I are gathering to pray over our children and this school year. Here’s a glimpse of the prayers we’ll be offering up!

I am praying that each one of my children would know and believe that they are created in God’s image to reflect Him to the world around Him. I am praying that they would know His deep delight in them as sons and daughters, and that this would spur them on in all that they do.

As they each step into new school experiences

This year, I am praying that

-their hearts would remain soft and kind in a world that makes it easier to became cynical.

-they would stay true to who God made them to be in a world that tells us we need to be something else.

-they would stay humble no matter what they achieve or accomplish.

As Trials Come

I pray that as trials come:

-they would grow in perseverance and dependence on their Father,

– they would live in gratitude, and

-they would be lights reflecting God’s goodness in a dark and uncertain world.

I pray that they would laugh loudly, love fiercely, and serve compassionately.

Prayers for Moms too

And as I am praying for them, I am praying for me too. I’m praying that God would give me compassion for each of them and that I would be quicker to listen than I am to speak. I am asking God to give me patience and self-control for the days that they are pushing all my buttons. And I am asking, begging, Him that somehow I would be a reflection of His love for them and that they would know more of His love through me.

Above all I am praying my favorite words from Philippians 1,

that God who began a good work in each of us—myself and my children—would carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. And that our love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

We’re all trusting God for His work to abound in us and our children at this new beginning. Will you grab a group of women and do the same? Let me know how I can be praying for you and your family in the comments below.