Days of Choice

Well, here i am again and it has NOT been 6 mos...yeah, me!!! LOL
Today, i want to blog about something very serious ~ raising the children God has entrusted to Craig and me.

Raising kids these days is extremely difficult! Especially a household of 6 where 4 of us are preteen or teenagers. OMG! Where do they get the energy to keep me on my toes night and day??? They seem to be from a different breed than i remember being as a child. I distinctly remember "because I said so" meaning the discussion was over! For some reason, that doesnt work anymore. What happened????

I understand the need to be independent while one is not quite ready to spread their wings, yet not so young that they still have a hold of my pants leg. Gracious, they are too big to spank, yet they refuse to do as they are told! Any form of discipline seems to make n0 impression for better behavior. I get really tired being the bad guy all the time. I believe with all my heart that Craig and I seek the Lord at every breath of parenthood. How in the world would you do it otherwise??? I also believe that in the end all will be OK ~ but it is this "in the meantime" stuff that is absolutely wearing me out!!! I really want good relationships with my children...but i am their parent first and their friend second. With one having a driver's license and another working on a permit...i am SO thankful there is a 3-year break before the next two enter this phase....BIG SIGH OF RELIEF!!!

I often question my abilities as a parent. I am trying hard to pick my battles and relate to them on their level ~ but for crying out loud...what is their level??? For the life of me, I cannot seem to find it sometimes. I have succumb to prayer being the answer to everything that has to do with kids ~ staying on my knees through these trying times! I believe with all my heart that God's Word addresses all things pertinent to parenthood. I just sometimes have a hard time finding that valuable association between a passage and its application. I pray daily for God's direction, wisdom, steadfast love, mercy and grace to be what they need. I pray for each of them to realize that God is all they need and that I am just the guidance counselor...LOL

We have hit some tough spots in the road in the last year and ask for prayer for all of us on a daily basis. It doesn't look as if the situation will change any time soon, but my perspective that God has all under control has to be at the top of the list. I ask for prayer for my unbelief at times and thank God that He is faithful even when I am not. I only desire the faith of a mustard seed...ONLY???? That is gianormous!!!! It is natural as a parent to want to spare your kids from bad consequences they have to endure due to poor choices. I have learned in recent years that this is imperative for them to learn to live within the boundaries that God has set before them and those the law of the land imposes. The school of hard knocks is often brought upon ourselves by the bad choices we make and consequences we must endure due to those poor choices.

The last thing i would like to address is that having a child with special needs or an emotional/mental illness can complicate things even more but in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, it is an opportunity to show His greatness in special circumstances. Every child is a gift from God regardless of his/her disabilities. Craig and I pray that God keeps His love at the forefront of our parenting and that we remember the grace He consistantly and so lovingly showers upon us every day so that we can "pay it forward" to our children who will hopefully "pay it forward" to each other, their friends and one day their children. Every day we pray for God to increase our dependency on Him. We trust that He will work ALL things to the good for His perfect purpose for those who love Him. We love you Lord! Bless our Home!

Ok, just one more prayer request. Lord, please send us friends that we can fellowship with inside/outside of church. Brothers & sisters in Christ where we can spur one another as iron sharpens iron. That we can learn from and hopefully be of some help to as we allow God to minister through us to their family. People to create special memories with and treasure as the gift they will be to us ~ may be be such a treasure to them as well.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Craig and I are going to be grandparents in mid-March 2009!!!! Jessica and Eric are due March 17th!