Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2023

RENEWED HEARTS / HACKS & FACTS
soothing sing-alongs
MCKINSEY JORDAN-STOCKSY UNITED / (GRAY TEXTURE) OATAWA-ADOBE STOCK
When my granddaughter began to show signs
of anxiety, I asked my son and his wife if I could
use music to help ease my granddaughter’s
fretfulness. I’ve learned through my experience
in music and education that music’s benefits
include improved sleep, reduced stress and
engagement of the whole brain.
Using video chat, I sit at my piano playing and
singing simple, cheerful songs while my granddaughter
sings along. Our interactions have
given her so much joy! I have begun to teach her
how to play the piano in this same way. Her parents
say they’ve seen such an improvement in
her outlook and attitude.
—Teresa Auten
hope for
healing
One verse we have taught our kids to
remember in prayer is Proverbs 18:10, “The
name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous
man runs into it and is safe.” Recently,
my son had a serious eye infection, and he
was nervous about what was going to happen
at the doctor’s office. On his own, he
prayed for healing. Even though he was in
pain, he had hope and faith that God would
heal his eye.
After the visit, however, my son’s eye
became more swollen; the medicine was
not working. God did not answer our initial
prayers for healing but taught our son that
our timing is not God’s timing. With continued
prayer and another discussion with the
doctor, we received a different prescription;
my son’s eye slowly began to heal.
Prayer has encouraged my children to
have a relationship with God. Through his
experience, my son learned that whether
God answers “no” or “not yet,” we must
remain faithful. Prayer has also helped all of
our children realize that even though you
cannot see Him, He is always there, waiting
to listen. That is the greatest hope of all.
—Angela Imburgia
APRIL / MAY 2023 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY 11