Another thing I thought I would never say...

Add this to the list. Jackson's front tooth is still loose from being bashed in the mouth last week. He wanted to go play street hockey with some older kids down the street. I didn't want him to go but he really wanted to and I finally agreed. But what I actually said was, "Fine, but if you get your tooth knocked out don't come crying to me!" What in the world? It just rolled right off my tongue.

That is just another example of how I need to control my tongue. I don't want to be teaching my children not to come to me when they are hurt, I just said that to manipulate him to do what I wanted him to do through fear. Good grief. Thank God that his grace is new every morning.

On a lighter note, today is Jackson's 6th birthday. He was tickled with his gifts this morning from us, and I am heading to school in a few hours with a cookie cake so he can celebrate with his classmates. We are headed to Frankie's tonight so he and Carter can play. Fun, fun, fun!

I got this devotional in my inbox this morning. It really hits home with me, both in my own life, and what I am trying to teach Jackson. God speaks.

"Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him" (Genesis 6:22 NLT).

Noah obeyed completely (no instruction was overlooked) and he obeyed exactly (in the way and time God wanted it done). That is wholeheartedness. It is no wonder God smiled on Noah.

If God asked you to build a giant boat, don't you think you might have a few questions, objections, and reservations? Noah didn't. He obeyed God wholeheartedly. That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation. You don't procrastinate and say, "I'll pray about it." You do it without delay. Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience.

God doesn't owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can't. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.

Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I'll attend church but I won't tithe. I'll read my Bible but I won't forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.

Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully with enthusiasm. The Bible says, "Obey him gladly" (Psalm 100:2 LB). This is the attitude of David: "Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey" (Psalm 119:33 LB).

James, speaking to Christians, said, "We please God by what we do and not only by what we believe" (James 2:24 CEV). God's Word is clear that you can't earn your salvation. It comes only by grace, not your effort. But as a child of God you can bring pleasure to your heavenly Father through obedience.

Any act of obedience is also an act of worship. Why is obedience so pleasing to God? Because it proves you really love him. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments" (John 14:15 TEV).

Exciting Week

It's been an exciting week with the boys. We are still having potty issues with both boys and cleaned out their little systems with enemas this week. We are going to have to use a laxative with them for the next couple of months on a daily basis to get their stretched colons to where they need to be so hopefully they will have more control and quit having so many accidents.

Jackson knocked his top tooth loose. We went to a pediatric dentist on Sunday after it happened and she said we had a 50/50 chance of keeping it. Since the root is so long, she guessed it would be well over a year before his permanent tooth came in. Just great.

On a happier note, Carter read his first book this week! Actually, he read two. They had between one and four words per page and he did great. I'm so proud of him.

I planned Jackson's birthday party today, he will turn 6 on the 19th. We are going to have 15 kids at the local inflatable jumping place. It should be fun. He has so many friends between the neighborhood and school, it was hard to narrow down the list. What a popular kid. :)

Carter got new glasses this week and he is very excited about them. The hinges actually will go straight out, and he performs his new "parlor trick" whenever he gets a new audience. Hopefully we will have more time between visits to the glasses repair store with this pair.

Jackson had school pictures a few weeks ago and they came back yesterday. I was so mad, he looked great in the picture, but his pants were pulled up like a little old man and I can't believe the photographer didn't fix it. It is so glaring obvious, I'm not even getting them which is sad. I've got to take the boys to get their picture together anyway, so hopefully we can get some good shots. I bought a couple of shirts today at Wal-Mart that they could wear for their picture and for Easter (with little clip on ties). How cute!

Things are still so topsy turvy at our house with all our furniture. Whereas I finally felt like I had it under control, it is a mess again and I just can't seem to get it back in good shape. That is so frustrating. I really have to fight my instinct to give up on it, that is so habitual for me now. Aargh! And I can't comfort eat because I'm on a diet. Grrr. And Jackson is out of control again... wah, wah, wah. I forgot I was blogging and just started venting. :)

I went to church and just hung out tonight while Jackson was in Awana. I had Carter with me, and one of the gals invited me to go to the Drama rehearsal since I had expressed an interest in doing that sometime. Well, they just threw me a script to read a part and then invited me to join their team. That should be fun. I've been looking for some other way to serve at church and that will be really fun for me. :)

I got up early and did my bible study this morning, and then went to the YMCA and took a class. Hurray for me! Better go on to bed so I can get up again in the morning. I'm taking the carpool boys to school, then Carter to the doctor (he doesn't know he's going to get shots!) and then Carter and I are going to spend the rest of the morning at the Dino Museum downtown. I'm looking forward to fun time with the two of us.

Until next time,

Blake

The Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy came last night. At 3 AM. I've tried for days to get Jackson to let me pull his first loose tooth, it has just been hanging on by a thread. He went to the doctor for something else yesterday and I asked the doctor to pull it for us. He said he would, but Jackson said "No, I want to enjoy it a while longer." Too funny! Anyway, he came in and woke me up at 3 and said it had just fallen out. Jackson was so tickled this morning, he woke up at 6:15 and came running in to wake everyone up and show us his new $2 bill the Tooth Fairy left him and the hole in his mouth. It was so cute.

Redecorating

I'm in the throws of redecorating our house.  I ran up on a 75% off sale at Target for their World Market section and loaded up on new stuff to redo our bedroom.  I'm selling stuff on Craigslist, and okay, I do have an appointment with someone tomorrow to buy something as well. :)  Whee!  We are headed to TN this weekend to pick up a bunch of things from Great Papaw's house before they sell it.  We are going to have to do some major moving around to get it all in here!  In a couple of weeks, I will have done something to just about every room in our house.  After I get everything settled, I'd like to start painting.  I'm so tired of white walls.  Maybe it's spring fever. :)

Manna

I read this week that guidance from God is like manna from Heaven, you need it new every day.  I've been getting up at 6am for a while trying to beat the kids up so I can have quiet time with God for an hour every day.  My days go so much better when I remember to spend them with God.  So often, I wander off on my own, doing my own thing, satisfying my own desires, and all that gets me is a whole lot of aggravation.  I've been doing so much thinking about obedience lately.  It is so easy to get frustrated with my kids because they don't obey, but I don't keep the same standards for myself.  I heard something a couple of months ago that said when you hear yourself start justifying something, you are probably trying to cover up a sin.  Wow, did that ever hit the nail on the head.  

I was talking to my friend Angie yesterday about instant gratification.  We are so into end results.  We just want what we want and we want it now without having to work for it.  God is as interested in our journey as He is in our finished product.  It's hard to keep perspective from down here on earth sometimes. :) One thing I'm trying to do for myself this week is celebrate my accomplishments.  I ate several salads this week, I cut back on drinking diet coke (I can hear you cheering mom!), I've been exercising.  Hurray for me.  But my normal self would be saying, sure but you ate the kids valentines candy, you didn't cut out diet coke completely, you watched tv when you could have been exercising more.  The shame we bring on ourselves for our failures often covers our accomplishments and keeps us from succeeding.  I'm trying to see myself more the way God might see me, and forgive myself for my failures and celebrate my successes and enjoy the process.  

Thanks Christi for your encouragement to blog again.  I'm glad you guys are feeling better.

Much love to all,

Blake

Purpose Driven Life Devotional

If you don't already subscribe, I would like to recommend the Purpose Driven Life Devotional by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church.  I always wondered how people could say that God was speaking to them about a certain subject.  Now I realize that by being in the Word and surrounding myself with positive input, God can use the words I'm reading and hearing to make a strong impression on my heart.  It is amazing to be reading the bible and something so familiar will suddenly click!  God, let me have eyes that can see and ears that will hear.