Parenting: The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat

Yesterday was tough. I had to discipline on the way out the door to school and I got pretty uptight with one of my kids in the car on the way! I was in tears when I got home, just angry and frustrated and feeling like I certainly failed if I haven't taught them to take responsibility for themselves! I wrestled with the question, "Is is OK to have good kids, or should I continue to train them to be GREAT kids?" "What does God want me to do?"

During my quiet time I was still pondering the questions and then I realized God had already given me an answer. He has told me to teach them the Word and teach them to love HIM. Period. Respect, honor, responsibility, leadership skills, kindness, and even love will follow. I ended my time committed to being very intentional about re-enforcing our adoration of the Lord in the everyday happenings here on the lane.

On my list of TO DOs yesterday was to get our Christmas cards taken care of. A good friend sent me this picture last week and it touches a place in my heart. Before Richard and I ever married (I knew he wanted a lot of kids. I did not want to be pregnant.) I told him if we were going to have kids, they were going to be friends. This picture says it all:

How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) live together in unity. Psalm 133:1

Quote of the day

A day after former Broncos QB Jake Plummer said in a radio interview that he wished the man currently taking the snaps in Denver, Tim Tebow, would curb his references to Jesus Christ and his faith, Tebow responded.


Asked about Plummer's remarks in an interview on ESPN's First Take, Tebow said:

"If you're married, and you have a wife, and you really love your wife, is it good enough to only say to your wife 'I love her' the day you get married? Or should you tell her every single day when you wake up and every opportunity?


"And that's how I feel about my relationship with Jesus Christ is that it is the most important thing in my life. So any time I get an opportunity to tell him that I love him or given an opportunity to shout him out on national TV, I'm gonna take that opportunity. And so I look at it as a relationship that I have with him that I want to give him the honor and glory anytime I have the opportunity. And then right after I give him the honor and glory, I always try to give my teammates the honor and glory.



"And that's how it works because Christ comes first in my life, and then my family, and then my teammates. I respect Jake's opinion, and I really appreciate his compliment of calling me a winner. But I feel like anytime I get the opportunity to give the Lord some praise, he is due for it."

Black Friday at Grandpas

My dad gets into his Christmas lights and has a big display on the house and his corner lot. Usually my brother helps him get them up on Friday when his wife is shopping and Mom is working, but this year Ryan and Richard got in on the job! Sheridan and Meredith enjoyed some rare time together playing Wii and board games.

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in Mtn Home with my family and had a great time laughing, eating and hanging out with my parents. We hadn't all been to MH since last Christmas.

The girls and I spent some time at the store with Mom. We shopped a little bit on Friday and played games in the evening.  Richard and Ryan helped Dad and Jeff hang some of my dad's extensive outside Christmas light display. We all watched the BIG Razorback game on Saturday. The high point of the holiday was having Sheridan in the kitchen helping my mom and I with Thanksgiving dinner. The low point was the Hogs loss to LSU.

We are so blessed to be loved by our familes. My parents have loved Richard from the moment he became part of the family...maybe from the moment he offered to take me off their hands! We have a lot to be thankful for, every day of the year.

Final game

For the last two years Lauren has played on a competitve soccer team from Russellville. The Hurricanes have been together for about 7 years  and they welcomed her like she was one of them. She played with them in tournaments from Fayetteville to Little Rock, and made some good friends.

They played their last tournament together at Burns Park in Little Rock last week. They won second place and played the best soccer I had ever seen them play.

SENIOR FOOTBALL: Game 7 at home, vs. Waldron

HIGHLIGHT #1: Family! Dave and Rhea Lana from Conway. Ashley and cousins Titus, Audra, Justus, and Annaliese from NWA. Mimi and Gramps from Heber. Grandma and Grandpa from Mtn Home. ALL here to celebrate Ryan's Senior Night.

 

 HIGHLIGHT #2: Walking with the family across the field celebrating Ryan's year.

HIGHLIGHT #3: Ryan's group of senior boys are so special to us. Several of them have grown up with us playing baseball, going to church, and playing in our yard! They wore orange tape to honor Tyler D who passed away over a year ago but would've been a senior this year.

HIGHLIGHT #4: Winning the game and securing a home playoff game next week.

All Region Choir

Couldn't be more proud of my kiddos and their accomplishments in choir. SO thankful for a teacher who encourages them to do their best and has trained them well. Erin placed 3rd chair in Junior High Mixed Choir, Alto 2. Ryan placed 2nd chair, High School Mixed Choir, Bass 1. I must add that he tried out on the Saturday morning after a particularly hard football game that we lost. He had been beat up pretty bad, had a swollen ankle and was limping around! SO, under the influence of lots of ibuprophen, he made 2nd chair out of about 160 guys! It was my first trip to EVER chaperone to hang out with kids all day waiting for them to try out. (On a side note, I was able to take the "early" bus home and took someone I didn't record on the offical list, and subsequently failed at my chaperoning job.)

The ALL REGION clinic was Saturday and the concerts were that evening. I don't mind saying we questioned the Arkansas Patriotism (or something) because the concerts were scheduled RIGHTINTHEMIDDLEOF the Razorback game in Fayetteville. And we weren't playing a directional school, we were playing another TOP TEN team! With our iphones in hand and ESPN scoring updates muted...our entire family was in attendance at the Alma Performing Arts building and loved the concerts.
They were very impressive...Ryan, Erin and the HOGS.

Quote of the Day

From Believing God Bible study by Beth Moore. Week 9, Day 1, page 200.

     "The God to whom you commit yourself and everything that concerns you is huge.  He is the omnipotent Maker of heaven and earth. He is the One who sees.  He is the One who knows.  He is the One who acts on behalf of His children.  He is the Mighty Warrior.  He is the compassionate Father.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is the coming King.  He is love.  He is light.  He is good.  He is right.  He is your soul's delight.  He is...whatever you need.  He alone is wise.  In Him alone life makes sense and apart from Him all is chaos.
      Each morning when you turn your face toward heaven, before you make your first petition, start confessing who He is.  Call Him by as many names and titles as He brings to mind and praise Him for His immutable attributes.  Say to your soul, "Behold and believe!"
     The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, David, John the Baptist, Mary of Magdala, Mary of Bethany, Peter, James, John, and Paul is your God.  The same yesterday, today, and forever.  A God so holy, powerful, and present that when He revealed Himself to Ezekiel in the Old Testament and John in the New, both dropped like dead men.  He is the magnificent One, full of splendor, beautiful beyond comprehension.  The I Am That I Am throughout every generation.  Whoever He was, He is.  Who He was to them, He is to you.  Start taking Him up on His Godness. When you have no idea what to believe Him for a given situation, just believe Him to be huge. 
     Come, holy God, and be Thyself."