Brigette Wagner Ministries

“Got Kids: Now What? Growing Kids God’s Way” ALMOST READY FOR RELEASE!

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.” ~1 Samuel 1:27

Have you ever prayed for something for a very long time and wondered when or if God was going to answer your prayer? Have you finally received your answer, only to find out that it was different than what you expected?

In 1985, my cousin, Marcia, received an answer to her prayer…..She became pregnant. She was (and still is) so thin and “Barbie-dollish”. To see her “tiny tummy” was fun and exciting, as we watched the baby inside of her grow.

All was well until 5 months into her pregnancy when she found out that the baby she was carrying had an unexpected and unforeseen health issue……”Occipital Encephaloceles” (a form of Spina-bifida). The doctor’s report was that the baby had a large hole at the base of her skull (about the size of a baseball) and the chances of her surving the pregancy were almost non-existant. They recommended abortion.

BUT GOD! God whispered into Marcia’s ear and told her to name the baby and call forth her healing. She and her husband named the baby “Dana”. Unceasing, fervent prayers began going forth on Dana’s behalf. We all called her by name and lifted her up to throne room of heaven.

The day she was born, God was there. A miracle took place that day! Dana was born with a hole still at the base of her skull. But instead of the hole being the size of a baseball, it was the size of a quarter. No, God didn’t totally take away all of the health issues Dana had. He used them to bring honor and glory to His Name.

For 8 years, Dana brought tremendous blessings to everyone she came in contact with! Her smile would light up a room. Her giggles would fill your heart with joy. Her eyes sparkled like stars. And her determination gave you strength.

When she was 8 years old, the shunt at the base of Dana’s skull malfunctioned. The ER doctors missed it. They thought she had the flu. Dana left this earth to be with Jesus, but left behind memories that will never be forgotten.

Dana is still touching lives today. Even as I’ve been writing this article, I’ve smiled, laughed, and cried as I’ve remembered her sweet little life.

Friend, you may be going through a difficult time today. Maybe you or someone you know is pregnant and been given a devastating report. Maybe you’re faced with difficult health issues or a situation that seems hopeless.

Let me encourage you today: The Word says God takes everything we go through and works it out for our good and His glory. Don’t lose hope! Don’t give up! NAME YOUR MIRACLE and begin calling it forth.

To read more about Dana’s story, click on the link on my homepage or go to www.marciaramsey.com. You can also order the book “Elephants & Angels” through the website – for yourself or someone you know who is faced with a difficult report about their pregancy or child’s health.

“Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family. ~Proverbs 18:24 (The Message Bible)

Finding “forever friends” is a rare treasure but not an impossible mission. One of the most important things in building forever friendships is learning to create healthy boundaries for yourself.

Take an honest look at your relationships, then divide them into three categories: (1) Inner Circle; (2) Middle Circle; (3) Outer Circle.

The first category of relationships is your “Inner Circle”. These relationships will be very few (usually 3 or less). These are the people with whom you can be “the real you”. They know you, understand you, and accept EVERYTHING about you. They laugh with you, cry with you, celebrate with you, and stand by you through difficult times. They always expect the best out of you, never judge you or condemn you, and are always willing to work out disagreements. THESE ARE YOUR FOREVER FRIENDS!

The second category of relationships is your “Middle Circle”. This group of people is made up of those you enjoy socializing with, but are guarded with. You can have fun with them, work on projects together, etc…, but understand that you can only share a limited amount of personal information with them. You usually enjoy the company of the people in this group; but “being yourself” many times causes problems in the relationship.

Finally, your “Outer Circle” is the group of people deemed “aquaintances”. These are people you work with, maybe go to church with, or socialize with on an occasional basis; but you NEVER share personal information with them.

By realizing where each person in your life “fits into” your “circle of relationships”, you will be able to properly assess each relationship and create healthy boundaries for yourself.

I’m not sure where this teaching originated. But since I implemented this concept into my life a few years ago, I have been able to sort through my relationships and create healthy boundaries for myself. I must admit: I sometimes try to allow people into my “inner circle” who haven’t yet proven themselves to be trustworthy enough to be there. Whenever I allow someone into my “inner circle” too soon, I always regret it!

In a “nut shell”, don’t move relationships from your “outer circle” to your “inner circle” too quickly. Allow time and prayer to help you understand which relationships are trustworthy and which ones aren’t.

Let me encourage you today: If you’ve been struggling with relationships, take a few moments to place each relationship into one of these categories. You might find you’ve overlooked someone faithful and “worthy” of being in your inner circle. Or you may need to move people out of your inner circle and trust God to place some “forever friendships” into your life!

“Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” ~Prov. 18:24

Have you ever felt alone, forsaken, or “friendless”? Most of us have at one time or another, longing to have friendships that would last forever. Well I have good news! You can create forever friendships, if you’re careful to create healthy boundaries.

My friend, Tracy, and I have been the best of friends for almost 20 years. We’ve celebrated together, cried together, and supported each other through difficult times. We’ve been willing to accept each other’s successes and failures, agree to disagree (at times), and see each other’s hearts.

A true friend has these qualities:

• Loves you and accepts you as you are
• Never betrays confidence
• Does not gossip
• Speaks positively to and about you
• Encourages you
• Celebrates your successes
• Is honest and trustworthy
• Is not jealous
• Has integrity
• Stands by you and defends you

Forever friendships are a blessing from God. Joyce Meyer often says that if you have one true friend throughout your life, consider yourself blessed. Friendship should never be taken for granted. Just remember, you must take an honest look at yourself and evaluate what kind of friend you are.

As the old saying goes, “In order to have a friend, you must be a friend!”

Be encouraged today: God has some special relationships in-store for you. Trust Him and wait on His perfect timing. He loves you!

Part 2 of this series will help you learn how to create healthy boundaries by showing you how to realize and understand all the relationships in your life and which “catagory” each relationship falls into.

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’. ~Matthew 19:13-14

For years, people have complimented Dave and me on the way we parent our children. Many have asked our “secret”; others have simply “bragged” about how obedient they are, how respectful they are, and how it’s obvious that they love the Lord.

So recently, as I began preparing to teach some parenting classes at our church, one of the topics that came to mind was “Creating Forever Memories“. As I prepared for this particular class, my mind began to think back to my own childhood. I remembered going fishing at the pond down by our house, sitting in front of the fireplace in our huge, green bean-bag, family gatherings, going to the beach, and my step-dad singing, “Good-bye Jo” everytime he left to go on a trip.

In my reflections, one thing that we’ve believed and taught since our children were born became increasingly clear:

Creating memories that last forever is NOT about how much MONEY you spend, how many toys you buy, or how many extravagant trips you go on.

Instead, creating memories that last forever is all about how much TIME you spend and how UNSELFISH you are!

We all have time! It’s what we do with that time that really counts!

In my new CD series, “Got Kids: Now What? Growing Kids God’s Way” (soon to be released), I give 50 ideas that will cost you little or no money but will build lifetime memories. I thought I’d share a few of those with you now:

1. Pray with your kids

2. Go on Pic-Nic’s (either at the park or in your own yard)

3. Fly Kites together

4. Have a family Candle-light Dinner together

5. Have Weekly or Monthly Game Night

6. Back-Yard Sports (i.e. throw football, play basketball, hit golf balls, etc.)

7. Go Fishing

8. Go to the Beach or Lake

Words cannot express the importance of our role as parents. It is not only our responsibility, but our calling to impact our children’s lives in such a positive way that they learn to hear God’s voice, seek His face, obey His will, and follow His call!

Be encouraged today: Your children are your first and most important ministry! All other responsibilities, desires, ministries, and goals should be kept in perspective and should never overshadow the precious Call of being a godly parent!