Days 48, 49

What I did:

Saturday found me caring for my grandson all day, which went very well. He is growing and learning so much. Patience is certainly a virtue when guiding a toddler throughout the day (and night)! Since this week was school vacation week, I spent the entirety with my kids, except for the days I worked. While it was nice to have a more relaxing week without the tight schedule, it was also challenging because boredom sets in so easily with teenagers!

We went to church and Sunday School yesterday. I am really trying to be consistent with the kids, even with a lot of stiffness and pain associated with the extra work I did with my little one's belated birthday party, etc. I am still hoping for the day to come when my evenings are not spent in a recliner, trying to recover from any physical activity throughout the day.

What I learned:

There has been so much learning in the past two days!! I had a few situations with my kids in which I needed to be firm about my stance on what I believe and what I will allow! God was with me (and I found out later that Kathie, my prayer partner, had been praying for my relationships with my kids!). I was able to express myself without the normal fear of how they would "take it". One of my kids was pretty miffed. The other one was understanding, and probably a little amazed that I stood my ground in love. I heard a pastor say recently that people who knew you before in your past life of sin WANT to see a difference in you once you give your life to God. I used to try to be the same, for the most part, to show that I am still human like the rest of the world, but now I see once again that authenticity is something the whole world needs. If I am a Christian - a Christ follower - my faith demands that I not only allow, but embrace the change that comes from obedience to God. Am I still struggling in a lot of areas? More than I care to say, but I want others to see the progress - not for my own glory, but for God to be praised!

I was again struck with the thought: Change the mind and the rest will follow. Sometimes I get discouraged that I am still working on the fundamentals this late in the game. It's like learning the basics over and over again. While I agree that we need to revisit the foundations of our beliefs in all things - our faith, our habits, our choices - to remember why we do what we do, I also crave for a more "advanced program", building on the basics. God doesn't want to see me puttering around at the base of a sky scraper, checking on the foundation all the time. He has equipped us all to climb higher and higher, trusting that the foundation which has been laid is strong and solid. What perspective are we missing by keeping our focus on the ground?

Until Tomorrow~~~Elizabeth