Scripture Haven

A few of my girl designs

A few of my boy designs

A glimpse inside one of the scripture books

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6

To say I have learned a lot over the past 2 years as a new mom would be a huge understatement. Looking back now I realize I really didn't have a clue just how much of an undertaking becoming a parent really was. Sure I could put up a small argument and say that Wrigley really was a great warm-up to parenting for us; I could even say that certain books like "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "Babywise" were great guides for us as we attempted to study up on all of our parenting knowledge before Abigail arrived. As time has gone on though I have realized the cold hard truth that there is no magical formula to perfect parenting. You can abide by all the rules and try out all of the tricks in the books but when it comes down to it, you still won't have "a perfect kid by Friday". As we prepare to welcome the newest member of our family into our lives in just a matter of days I can't help but reflect over the past 2 years and think about how much our lives have changed since Abigail's first arrival. There's no doubt we have made our fair share of mistakes when it comes to parenting along the way but if there's one thing we've done right and one thing we've noticed that will never fail us or steer us wrong, it's the power of prayer.

One thing I noticed that drastically changed once I became a mommy, was my prayer life. I have never been on my knees more than I have been over the past 21 months. Last spring Josh and I covered "The Power of a Praying Parent" with our small group. I can't even begin to tell you how much this study and our time spent together each week with our dear friends praying over our families has impacted my life. Since then, my prayer life has not only become more consistent and intimate, but it has become more specific and focused on God's Words rather than my words. If anything, I have learned it's never too early to start speaking scripture into your child's life. I truly believe there is power in praying God's actual truth over your children.

As part of a send-off to our small group after we completed our "Power of a Praying Parent" study I made each of the families a scripture book that they could use as a guide to pray scripture over each one of their children. Each scripture book has 25 different scriptures listed inside with the child's actual name inserted into the verse. ("Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of Abigail's mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29) I soon realized after making these that not only did I enjoy making these for others, but it brought me great joy in knowing there were other families out there who were just as passionate as I was about praying scripture over their children.

Fast forward a few months and what first started out as an attempt to be crafty and sentimental has now turned into a small at-home business for me. Not too long ago I decided to launch an account on Etsy and try my hand at selling some of these scripture books. Listed as Sweet Blessings Scripture Books you can visit my Etsy shop and order a custom-made scripture book for your friends and family. To view these books as well as a list of available designs, simply log onto http://www.scripturehaven.etsy.com/. I'm hoping as time goes on to expand upon the variety of items I offer. This of course will depend upon just how crafty and creative I really can be. Ultimately though I would love to offer more than just Sweet Blessings Scripture Books.

Who knows if and when this will actually take-off outside of the realm of family and friends? All I know for now is that I love making them and if it can bless even just one other family's prayer life in the way it has mine over the past 21 months, then it will be well worth the time and effort.