Prayers

I'll pray for you. Any prayer requests? 

I'm sure you have said those statements before. It started to bother me a few years because I would say that but I wouldn't follow through. So of course, I had to develop a system for myself.

So now, I like to be very intentional with my prayers. If I tell you that I'm going to pray for you - then I really will. The way I do this is structured. So it won't work for everyone but it does work for me.

Basically, I created 5 days that are "assigned" to specific people or groups of people. I pray specifically on those days. I have the days set up on my calendar so I can add specific prayer requests in the calendar event. Each day, I can take a look to see what I'm praying for. Any time a prayer is answered - I log it in my prayer journal so I can remember God's faithfulness. Below are the days I'm doing for 2011. These days are reviewed in December for the next year.

Monday - Gregory, Tuesday - Finn, Wednesday - Ashley (accountability partner), Thursday - Family/Friends, and Friday - Groups I'm in (Mom's group and Cambodia team)

And that's it. So just know if I ask you - "How can I pray for you?" that I really will pray.

27 weeks...

Hey everyone,
This week I am 27 weeks along. I'm realizing there are only 3 more months to go. And all of the sudden I feel like I have a ton to do. But if I tried to list out what I had to do, I could come up with nothing. So I must say this is a weird feeling. Maybe, I'm just hitting a "nesting" speedbump. Who knows! Anyway, I took a picture of myself this morning and I thought I would share with you all.

I'm feeling pretty big and I know I'll only get bigger :) Anyway, sorry I haven't written more lately. Lots going on in the Walkup house. I hope to write more later. In the meantime, please pray for my mom in law. She had surgery on Sunday and we are praying for a speedy recovery without complications. Thanks in advance!

Love-RW

Fears...

Just a warning-this is going to be a very open and honest post. I have been dealing with fear over the last 5 months. I have fears for everything but lately it has been worse than ever. Fear that I'm not doing anything with my life, fear that I can't get pregnant, fear that I''m not in the right job at work, fear that i'm not a good wife, fear that I won't be a mom or if I am one I won't be a good one, fear that i'm not a good friend, fear that i'm not a good daughter or daughter in law. As you can see i'm really struggling. Today I had a bit of a break through. My morning devotinal was about being dead inside and how God can bring you back to life. Then I got some encouragement from Proverbs 31 Ministries. ANd this is where God has begun to move. Here's the verses it was talking about...
Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (NIV)

Isaiah 43:1b, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." (NIV)

Genesis 15:1, "After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." (NIV)

After the verses, this question was asked-What are some of your greatest fears? Spend time today contemplating why these fears have taken root in your heart and telling God how you are feeling.

That is what I am doing today, contemplating why these fears have taken root in my heart and I'm using the blog to talk to you about how i'm feeling. I will be praying through this over the next days, weeks, months...however long it takes. I'd love your prayers during this difficult time in my life. Thanks in advance for sharing in my story. I will keep you all updated.

I'm claiming God's word-do not Fear! I know I can beat this!!

President Obama, what an amazing day in history!

Today is one of those days we will all look back on in history books and smile. We will remember where we were when Obama was elected. We will remember where we were as we heard his acceptance speech. We will remember where we were as we heard the inauguration speech. Today is a new day for our country. I am praying God will shine upon our new President and guide him in his decisions along this new road. I have two things to share with you. The first is an amazing email I got from my father in law. And the next is Obama's speech. So enjoy this moment in our country's history and as my father in law says at the end of his email- "Don't forget January 20, 2009 and don't forget to pray for our new president!"

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"To my wonderful children,

Today I am proud. Proud to be an American. Remember this day so that you can describe it to your children. A black president. Who could have imagined it forty years ago? Although I did not vote for him I am thrilled that rooting for the underdog is still alive and well in this country.

As a young kid growing up in the 60's I kind of heard about the problems of black people, but had no idea of the extent of racism until my teenage years in the 70's. Living in New York allowed me to be exposed to the black culture. I couldn't understand the hatred towards black people. I had football teammates that were black, but never understood the bitterness.

Then I became an adult and saw the hate first hand. I still don't get it. People will argue that the majority of criminals, people in jail, etc. are black and paint the entire culture with a broad racist brush. I've had more trouble in my life from white people.

Today I am also reminded of a great man, Martin Luther King. What a visionary! Today he is smiling. President Obama did it peacefully and within the system.....exactly what Mr. King stood for.

We live in an incredible country. Anyone can accomplish their goals and dreams with persistence and with the favor of our Lord.

Don't forget January 20, 2009 and don't forget to pray for our new president!

Wally Walkup"

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My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Cry Out to Jesus...

This last week has been an end to three big things in my life. I don't feel ready for whatever God has in store for me. Then again, I do feel ready. I just have to trust Him and His perfect timing. The only thing I can do right now is cry out to Jesus. I heard this song by Third Day and I had forgotten how awesome it is. If you haven't heard it then check it out. Below are the words to the song. And then a small tribute to the 2 big things that ended last week.

Cry Out to Jesus
To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

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This is a tribute to Sean. He has been the best manager I've ever had. And i'm so sad he is leaving the organization I work for. I just think it's funny that he gave me that coffee cup because he was actually the world's best boss! I will miss his vision, direction, and leadership. I'm praying for him, his wife, and daughter. They've had a lot of things happen to their family in the last 2 months so please lift them up if you can today. Sean taught me so much about being a leader, pushing for more, managing others, looking at the big picture, and keeping God and family before work. Sean grew me to be the employee I am today. I give him the credit for my success. He has made me a better person and I will miss him immensely at work. I was truly blessed to work for him for the last 21 months.
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Titus 2:3-5

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Saturday night was the celebration dinner for the year long discipleship group I was in called "Titus 2". I was mentored by an amazing woman of God-Regina Williams. She molded and stretched me in ways I didn't even know was possible. I have memorized almost 40 verses in the tablet of my heart. The biggest takeaways for me was how to have a successful quiet time, the importance of scripture memory, and an example of what true authentic community looks like. I praise God for knowing the perfect year for me to be in this group. I'm coming out of it a better Christian, wife, woman, daughter, friend, and hopefully mom someday!

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Thanks for listening...

Love-RW