I'm really, really praying my computer stops acting up!
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Well, my baby sister's shower was AWESOME!!!!
I can't wait to get photos from my mom... *hint hint mom* (I don't think she even reads my blog...). Again, praying my computer starts working so I can actually add pictures to posts...
But now we're in the final stretch of wedding haul. Mariah's moving in here Friday and staying until the first of September (which is when they get keys to their apartment). Then for the wedding I will be having:
(1) Dad
(2) Raina Mom
(3) Tres
(4) AaronMatthew
(5) Uncle Keith
(6) Collin
(7) Olivia
and possibly (8) My brother David
all staying here on top of:
(9) Alex
(10) Me
(11) Ahavah
(12) Alecia
(13) Hayven
(14) Elias
(15) Alyssa
here also.
In the words of my overly dramatic #3, Hayven, "It's time for fun, Fun, FUN!" :)
So in between Monday homefellowship, Tuesday date night, Wednesday music practice for Thursday, Thursday church, Friday family night, Saturday whatever ministry transpires, Sunday leading worship and doing other ministry things, I've been working on cleaning out all the closets, toy bins, shoe bins, ect. And really downsizing again. When you have a LOT of people in your home, it's so much more relaxing to have little. So here I go purging away again!!
Motherhood has been such a blessing this last month. My husband bought quite a few resources from doorposts.com and we've been implementing them. There's a few charts and a large book with in-depth studies and ideas on certain character traits. Along side that, I've made up some step-by-step chore charts for the kids chores and then spent a week investing in following them around and watching them do their chores perfectly, without cutting corners, and with the correct attitude. I've been teaching them the character traits of a godly woman (Proverbs 31) as well as what it means to serve God by serving others, even when no one's watching. The labor was intensive, but the fruit is incredible! It's all in preparation for what I know is coming for our family.
See, as parents, we get to look down the road and train out children according to what we know they'll need. I know we'll have a house full of people for the next month (even though we do really every month... someone moves in or crashes here), so I know that we're gonna need extra hands if we're gonna feed all these people and all try to live cooperatively in our home. I also know what the Lord's shown me is coming in the next few months and I need to prepare my children to help out with that also.
I could go on a hundred tangents about all the wonderful child training things the Lord's been teaching my husband and I! One that I got to share with a dear friend last night was a break through in Hayven and her whining. You see, Hayven whines so much, she has her own slogan that everyone of our friends knows.
"Just because she's crying, doesn't mean there's something wrong."
So we did a study on what the Bible says about complaining and laziness. We learned how a lazy man doesn't eat, is made a "slave laborer", is a brother to a destroyer, and can't provide for himself. We learned that complaining is unacceptable and is the fruit of an ungrateful heart. Ergo, we put these into practice with Hayven, allowing the consequence she endured to be similar to the natural consequence of her whining.
Whining about picking up the Living Room --> More Work --> Still Whining? --> More Work! ect.
Whining about wanting a snack --> Snack priviledge taken away
Whining about serving her sister --> Priviledge lost (family movie or evening fun time/swimming at lake)
The consistency of this for the last month or so, I finally noticed a breakthrough yesterday. "Mom, I am going to try to do this without whining." GREAT!! She thought the consequences through BEFORE she decided to whine, and it changed her attitude!!
Then another episode of whining when asked to help me out with something proceeded to her getting assigned a second chore, of which she whined about, then a third chore, but then she pulled herself together, got the chores done with a good attitude, and was reconciled back into fellowship with the family! WONDERFUL!!!
I can't describe to you the feeling of seeing your babies grow into maturity. That's our goal isn't it?! Next to them having a relationship with Christ, it's to grow them into maturity. Oh, it's such a joyous, rewarding process! You get a sense of pride that your God and His Word actually DO have all the answers to life and godliness. Your God and His Word actually ARE useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting ect. Your God and His Word really Do bring all into full maturity in Christ.
Keep pressing on parents!
Don't neglect the time you can be filling your children with the Lord's statues.
Teach them the character of God, first through your actions, then through your words.
Hold them.
Tell them you love them so much!
Tell them you're proud of them.
Don't expect anything less for them then you would for yourself.
Hold that bar high and watch them rise up to it! :)
And please pray my computer stops acting up! ;)
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