It's Hard in the Morning!

Lord, you know how hard it is for me to turn on my best parenting brain in the morning. Last night MC blatantly disobeyed my instructions and I was able to implement a direct consequence. She wasn't happy about it, but she learned (at least for the time being) that such disobeying might not be so good in the long term. This morning J blatantly disobeyed my instructions, even talking back to me disrespectfully. I simply got mad and frustrated and found myself saying "please do this" to him. Ultimately I shifted the power back to him. Please help me to guide my son in these situations. In taekwando we are learning about discipline, which means "to obey what is right". The instructors make the kids say in class that the parents are right at home and the teachers are right at school. It is so good for him to learn this lesson. He already had the school part down, but the home part still needs some work. He is so much more disciplined than he used to be. At least he didn't throw anything at me or try to hit me (and he hasn't in a long time). Thank you God for the skills you have given J and the maturity he has developed. I pray once again for patience, wisdom, strength, and courage to raise him to reach his potential, and and to be fully equipped to do your work on this earth (and beyond, as the case may well be).

What I Hope to Accomplish Today

Today I hope to show my children God's love through the ways I interact with them. I hope that when I encounter strangers I will be able to look them in the eyes and seek Jesus in them. I hope that when my energy lessens or my mood sinks I will find something to give them a boost by looking around at all that God has created. I hope that I will not be wasteful in my actions. I hope that I will not be too hard on myself. I hope that I will get some things done that are on my list of things to do.

Good Friends

Good friends are a gift. One of my newest friends called me this afternoon. Danielle connects me with God's wisdom when we talk. I always leave our conversations feeling blessed and uplifted. Thank you God for putting people like Danielle in my life.

Looking Forward To It

My dad likes to thank God for "the things we look forward to" when he says a blessing. I have really internalized this, because having something to look forward to is a blessing. When I pray with the kids, I will often use his line, or say something like "thank you for the opportunities that we've been given today and help us to make the most of them, and handle them as you would see fit."
It's hard for me to get out of bed in the morning when I've not had enough sleep. Remembering that I have things to look forward to and praying for those who do not is energizing. Thank you, Lord, for this insight (again).

Explanation

I've started a new blog because sometimes I want to write about my faith more deeply than in my regular blog. In this blog I may write about my faith, and how it is challenged and strengthened. I may include things I pray about or even actual prayers. My goal is to have an outlet for these thoughts without having to worry about offending anyone. I have a hard time sharing my "religious" side, especially (ironically enough) with those closest to me. I worry about how they will take it and how they might judge me or worse - how they think I may be judging them. I want to be able to speak of my faith more freely without care as to others' possible reactions. I just want to share my stories. So here is my new blog, mainly for me, but for anyone who might wish to learn more about how I think as a Christian. If you're not interested in these thoughts for whatever reason, you don't have to read them. Comments are welcome, but I may decide not to publish them. As always, thanks for your interest in me.