From one extreme to the next

If you will remember, several years ago, Hannah went thru a very rough patch at school. She was diagnosed with ADD and ultimately we decided to make her repeat 2nd grade, even tho her teacher said she could go on. One of her main problems was her teacher. I stand by that opinion. She never came to me with any problems. I really had to pray about forgiving her and maybe myself for not seeing the issue. It was very hard. I learned 2 things from my mistakes with Hannah (mistakes have to made with one of them, right?!): Don't be afraid to speak your mind and don't wait for the teacher to make the first move.

Well, now 18 months later, we going thru a similar situation with Ryan, yet totally different! At the very first parent/teacher conference, a month into the school year, Ryan's teacher had several complaints about him not listening or following instructions (boy), making lots of noises at his desk(boy, and way to release his energy), getting off track(boy and friends)-just to name a few. She had mentioned wanting to have him tested for focusing issues a few days prior to our meeting so when I went to the P/T conf, I was ready for battle! Maybe not battle, but I prepared to state my case. Long story short, she set up a meeting with the team that works on those cases at the school.

I talked to RYan's speech teacher a few days before the meeting (about speech but we are aquaintances so I asked her opinion) and she advised I go the meeting just to see what it was about, whether we start the process or not. So that meeting was this morning.

I basically told them I had been thru the process less than 2 years ago and I totally believe Hannah has some form of ADD (she is not on medication and doing pretty well this year) but Ryan is totally not like her. He is your typical 6 yr old boy who spends a lot of time sitting in a seat in a classroom with lots of distractions. SO the case is closed unless his grades start to drop or he becomes a real problem in the classroom.

2 years ago, I couldn't get Hannah's teacher to help and Ryan's teacher is going too far, I think! I guess I am glad that his teacher has been in constant communication with me and wants to be safe rather than let it go but I'm letting it go for now!

standing

I try to pray
But I have no words to say.
My heart is aching,
Feels like it's breaking.
The things I know for sure
Are the only things that matter anymore:
My love is deep,
Yours is deeper.
The mountain is steep,
The river is deep.
But No matter where I go,
Your glory I want to show.
You promise never to leave,
To your truth I cleave.


I have never been a poet or writer of any kind. While laying in bed, searching for the right words to say to God after an emotional day, the words above just came to me in a matter of 5 minutes. I grabbed my phone and just had to record them. Right now all I am doing is standing on the promises of God.

Be who you are?

We have Netflix as our only source of tv besides the 5 main channels you can get for free. Recently they added the show "19 Kids and Counting," which follows the lives of a Christian couple who currently have 19 kids...and counting. I really admire a lot of things about the whole family. I don't think this mom, or dad for that matter, have ever raised their voices or spanked a child. I feel like I raise my voice and spank a child (not with a paddle or force every time) every 10 minutes! And I have 6 times less kids than they have! I look at them and think, how do they do that? The kids are always so helpful and encouraging to their siblings and I think how did they get them to do that? From watching the show, this is what I have gathered that helps them all do such things that seem so foreign to even myself:
Start the day and end the day in the Bible often (the whole family, not just parents)
Using the Bible as "back up" in every situation, good and bad
Frequent service projects that remind them to put others first
Very little tv, unless it is a Christian program
Lots of family time
More praise for good than shame for bad behavior

Now, I realize that even tho this is a reality show, not every minute of their lives is aired so the kids do fight, disobey and so on. They are humans and sinners.

Also, I think they have a lot of money. I could never fly to El Salvador with my oldest 10 kids to hand out tons of Christmas presents that I purchased. So I realize that their situation is different than mine, and yours, I'm sure.

I'm just saying I feel inspired by them to be better in every area of my life. We always do well with family devotions for awhile and then it fizzles out for awhile and then we start back up and fizzle out again. Life just takes over, which is no excuse.
There is just no reason their shouldn't be more families like theirs in the world, starting with mine.

Simple pleasures

These days I spend a lot of time with the neighbor kids. They come to church with us and they are always at our house. It took me a long time to realize that instead of trying to keep them away, which is impossible, I needed to love them the way Christ does. Not only is that what we are supposed to do but it really saved me from a lot of anger and frustration that comes with having anywhere from 6 to 10 kids in your yard on any given day. Now I am seeing just how truly blessed my kids and I really are. Here are just a few of the things we enjoy that one or more of the kids around us have never experienced until doing it with us.

Roasting hot dogs over a fire
Smores
banana bread
Going to the mall

Those are the things I can think of off the top of my head. Can you imagine a life without roasting hot dogs over an open fire, eating smores and going to the mall?

I love knowing that my kids are blessed more then they realize and that we can bless those around us. But what I love most is presenting the gospel to them every single week at church. Most of them havent grown up going to church constantly so they are totally amazed about everything in the Bible. They don't have to go to church, they don't have anyone to make them, they come because they want to.

I guess even going to church and hearing this someone out there loves you no matter what it is the greatest simple pleasure!