I am learning a hard lesson this week. That lesson ?? That I cannot and should not fight all of my childrens battles for them. Sounds easy, feels hard.

                 Adam(almost 11)has a really tough teacher this year. I like tough teachers, I love for him to have a challenge. He is very smart, he is clever, he is kind, and….he has his own opinions. The fifth grade teacher that he has is riding him like a brand new pony that she just got for christmas. (thats hard, in case you didn’t know)And I am having a hard time letting my little light shine. I want to. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. Lucky for me, Rich just preached on raising children. And so I am biting my tongue, instead of fighting the battle, I gave him a plan of strategy. Adam loves war lingo, and all things militant. So we(me and him) are going to think of Mrs.????? as the general. He/I will submit, follow orders, go above and beyond what she asks, and when the time is right and she has a little cold, or a headache He will ask if he can pray for her. And I will be at home in the natural, but with him in spirit holding his arms up in this battle.

                   In the end, I hope he learns that love is patient and kind, slow to anger and eager to find the good in others. Love is a battlefield, and I will give him weapons and armor, but ultimately, He will fight the battle.

I don’t know about you, but I get very stressed out when one of my children has a project due. Truly. I worry about it for days in advance, and if it were not for the shame of it….I would complete each and every one on my own. When I say “on my own”, I mean, on my own with Thomas’ help, of course ! Ha Ha ! Tonight, we managed to study for Isabelle’s spelling test, study for Isaiah’s spelling test, complete Isaiah’s family tree project complete with coloring, cutting, glueing, using our neatest handwriting, study for Adam’s social studies and spelling tests (which is like pulling a donkey’s teeth), label a map of Africa for Adam’s challenge class AND do the regular nightly homework. And still had them in bed by 8:40. Except for Adam, who we rewarded for such hard work, by letting him stay up and watch Bill Oreilly interview Barack Obama. Thats just the kind of kid he is. I know…weird.

          All that being said, it is really on my heart to pray for moms that have to work. And to give thanks that I am not in that place right now. I’ve done it, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment when my first paycheck came in. It was nothing compared to the feeling I had tonight when Isaiah finished off his family tree with a big ol tiger paw ! Go Clemson.

Anyway, join me in my prayer. Lord, I lift up families all across our town, our state, what the heck, the nation. I lift up moms. I ask you for superhuman, and supernatural strength, organizational skills, budgeting skills. I pray that their ears would hear even the softest cry. That their voices would be a soft as angel wings landing on their childrens cheeks (please give me this lord). I ask for heightened discernment, a radar that leads them to problems before they become problems. Most of all….JOY. THAT is real strength. Fill them up. There is nothing quite like a joyful mommy. WE CAN RADICALLY CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE IN OUR HOMES AND IN OUR KIDS HEARTS IF WE CHOOSE TO REJOICE. Good night. Sorry it was so long. Didn’t think it would be when I started.

just a couple more.  Adam- carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is my champion, always there to cheer me on. So vulnerable to God…truly believes.

Sidney- she is my butterfly, trying to get out of her cocoon.

isabelle!! beautiful dreamer, trying to find a way to bring heaven and earth together ! Would also like to know how to turn high school musical into something spiritual so that I would let her watch it 24 hours a day !this is truly worth a thousand words !! Refeshed, redeemed, restored, rescued, revived !! It was a celebration, I was happy that pastor steve, who has seen the kids born and watched them grow, was the one to lead them into the next leg of their faith walk with the LORD !!my husband and the ram’s horn. WOW. It smelled really bad, but the sound of it is something I expect to hear in heaven. It shakes things loose, rearranges my way of thinking in a way….when I hear it, my mind and heart on focused on the Lord. can’t explain it. Isaiah- so tender that he breaks my heart, and so tough, that sometimes I can’t break through. He is a scavenger, and right now he is looking for the LORD and any information about him. He is so open right now, the Lord is realy speaking to him, all the time.

Joining a new book study. Its called face to face with God. Tonight when I put Isabelle to bed, God nudged me through her. I tried to turn over and lay with my back to her, but she was having none of it. She said “turn over, lay this way mom, facing me”. All I could think of was the fact that I had tater tot breath. Lucky for me, Isabelle didn’t care about that. There are very few people in this world that I am intimate enough with to lay face to face. I want God to be one of those. I want to feel his breath on me, see the blazing eyes,that up until now, I’ve only heard about.

                                I am so thankful that Isabelle wants me to lay that way…..face to face.

   I have been guilty of underestimating the impact of good old fashioned vacation bible school. So I feel its only right to correct that. My kids have been having a wonderful time this week at crcc. They are almost too excited to go to sleep when bedtime rolls around. This could be attributed to the green punch they have been drinking like little sailors on shore leave, OR it very possibly could be the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD stirring in their very tiny, young hearts !!

              Isabelle is so concerned with the kids in Mexico that she would give up her back to school clothes, if I asked her to. And that, is saying a lot. And then there is Isaiah….oh, he can make me cry and laugh all in the same breath. He is very protective of his heart, very private, never prays out loud. He came home last night and told me that when the songs start, he feels funny and tears fill up in his eyes. “the tears don’t come out mommy, they just fill up in my eyes”. What do I say to that ?

                               Thank you GOD ! Thank you Amy Grimes and Tisha Cullison ! Thank you Crossroads ! Thank you people that made the dvd of these songs !

                     Let us not underestimate the power of a childs heart, or a childs faith in GOD…..When Isaiah told me that, I could FEEL the mountains tremble.

My two sons, Adam(10), and Isaiah(6), fight all of the time. It is really getting to me. I have been praying in earnest for a while that God would give them some kind of common ground. I believe he will, but I am frustrated right now. Isaiah is very unique in his personality, he is not shy exactly, but gets intimidated easily in groups of children, seems unsure of himself. Adam has never been unsure of anything in his life, and walks with the confidence of a much older child. It breaks my heart when Adam makes fun of Isaiah for spelling a word wrong, or not understanding something. I know that Adam has jealousy for all the attention Isaiah gets from me, and so I really do try to be fair and equal.

                                  I need your prayers. It should not be this way. I want them to be on the same side.

  Also, Isaiah did not go to school the last 3 months of the school year.Please pray that his confidence will grow as we move toward the new school year. I would realy appreciate this.  It gives me a boldness to pray, when I feel the body praying with me.

                              hot salty tears run down my face, mimmicking the way I run for the cover of your grace. I am blind and cannot see the power you’ve placed in me…papa, set it free. release the you in me, papa, set it free.