Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient pathswalk in

them, and you will find rest for your soul. (Jeremiah 6:16)
Lost and Found (Part II)
Janice, a junior high math teacher, had come to a spiritual crossroad in her life when she
met Jesus face to face in her den early one Saturday morning while praying, reading her Bible, and
journaling. Jesus had challenged her to completely reprioritize her life. He challenged her to make
her house a house of prayer, to spiritually feed herself and her children, and to spend more time alone with Him, her spouse and
children. (See Lost and Found Part I for background information.)
Jesus told her, The dining room table is the most important altar in your culture and the home the most important church.
Marriages, families and nations rise and fall based upon what happens at these altars and churches.
Janice knew it was time to restructure her life. Early on Sunday morning, the day after her experience with Jesus, she was
once again up early and spending time alone with Him in her prayer chair in the den.
Janice asked Jesus in prayer, Where do I start?
His response, the still small voice within her responded saying, It starts first in your heart and then in your home. Recommit
your life to me and to making your house a house of prayer. Daily spend time alone with me. Let me feed you spiritual daily bread.
Janice was a district curriculum specialist. She had recently served on a district committee which made a road map for the
seventh grade math program in the district. Janice was a very practical highly organized person in every aspect of her life. As the
district needed a new math curriculum guide, she knew that her family needed a new map to follow and Jesus was to be the guide.
Janice once again opened her journal and in the quiet early morning began to write down the road map Jesus gave her.
A. Self
1) Monday through Friday, eat spiritual breakfast with Jesus [read Gods word or Bible based inspiring devotional] daily and
journal. - 5:00-5:30AM. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier each day.
2) Join Encouragement (share, care, and prayer) group at school that I have never taken the time to join. Commit to attending.
3) Pray on the way to school for school issues while in the car on the way to work after dropping off the children.
4) Reduce my commitments at the community church by half.
B. Spouse
1) Talk to Tim [husband] about what is spiritually going on. Share my crossroad and journal with him and ask for his help.
2) Ask Tim to get home 30 minutes earlier so the family can eat dinner together at 6:30 or 6:45PM. Ask him if he can get to
work 30 minutes earlier to make this possible or perhaps bring some of his work home.
3) Commit to praying alone with Tim on Saturday mornings to pray for personal, home and work issues.
4) Commit to intimacy with Tim on Saturday nights.
5) Go on real date nights once or twice a month. Put this in the family budget.
6) Ask Mother to watch the children. Take a mystery date weekend out with Tim four times a year, once each season. Find
fun and interesting places to visit. Send in a subscription to Texas Highways magazine to find fun places.
C. Children
1) Prepare and eat breakfast with children each morning at 6:30AM. Read a Bible based childrens devotional at the breakfast
table. Do an internet search and/or visit Christian bookstore to find quality childrens devotional.
2) Listen to Christian music in a genre the children enjoy when out driving to and from school, the grocery store and
extracurricular activities. Take them to live Christian concerts when older.
3) Have family meals at the dining room table each evening. Read a chapter of the Bible Monday through Friday at these meals
with everyone taking turns reading and offering meal blessings. Discuss the readings and their practical applications.
4) Listen to the children each night just before bedtime and spontaneously pray with them before going to bed. Encourage the
children to pray aloud with me. Model a real living relationship with Jesus with them. Memorize some Psalms to pray.
5) Let children choose one extracurricular activity per season.
Janices life turned right side up for the very first time in the days that followed, though it was a challenge. Her husband agreed
with the changes. The children were initially upset at losing some activities but adapted and actually became more creative and had
much more fun and time to follow personal interests. Janices peace and her passion for God, spouse, children, and her work was
multiplied exponentially. She felt like she was truly living life, not just going through it, for the very first time in a very long time.
Prayer: Jesus, give us the roadmap of our lives. Help us travel in your way and to make our houses into houses of prayer.
Reflection: Is Jesus calling me to reprioritize parts of my life? What parts and why do they need to change?
Getting Real: Write down two or three things Jesus wants you to stop doing and two or three things He wants you to begin doing. Post
them somewhere where you will see them daily. Share these things with an accountability partner. Start doing them.
CLASSROOM LIGHTHOUSE SERIES: Love Ladders Love Matters (For info or prayer contact ceaihouston@sbcglobal.net.) WEEK 8