 How willing am I to grow?
It has been an interesting few weeks. Gracie poo is getting heavier and chunkier and more adorable everyday. She does this squealy thing now when she gets excited and I think it shocks her when she does it. She loves her swing now especially when we take it out back on the patio. She is shaded and can hang out and look around and get fresh air. She is so cute just looking around....She is becoming quite the squirmy monkey baby too. She does NOT like her tummy time anymore because she wants to see everything right now....
Actually she wants to see everything 30 seconds ago. Kind of like most of us when we want something. It is kind of how I have felt lately. We've been going through the ringer with our oldest and it has had both Scott and myself irritated and grouchy and snappy with each other and just pretty much all together stressed out. And like Gracie wanting to see, touch, hear, smell everything 30 seconds ago we....especially me...want God to handle this problem 30 seconds ago.
Now if I am to be honest in the great big scheme of things the ways she is choosing to rebel are not the end of the world. But because we live differently, because we are raising her differently, because God is the center of this home....(most of the time when we aren't being idiots and selfish) it is really frustrating. That and the fact that we have pretty much the same conversation 853 times a week....no I'm serious....we seriously have the same conversations over and over and over again. It gets really old really fast because we sometimes want to just smack her in the head and be like " WHY DO YOU NOT GET IT???? GOOD DECISIONS= GOOD REWARDS AND ATTENTION....BAD DECISIONS= Repercussions....umm duh!!!!!".....anybody else ever feel like that....can I get an Amen somewhere? lol....
So with friends and family and friends that are family we've been praying it up like crazy. Don't get me wrong there has been an extensive amount of going insane venting...I am human after all...you've read it yourself..in my last entry if I remember correctly....but prayer has been the big helper. And after researching some things we are doing exactly what we're supposed to do. Staying on her, disciplining, discussing each issue as it happens, and starting all over again the next day. AND NOT GIVING UP! Don't ever ever let your child feel like you are giving up on them. No matter how much you may want to. No matter how frustrated you are. No matter how much you lay your head down and cry at night trying to figure out what in the world......If you give up...or they feel like you have given up...there is NO room left for God to work...cause giving up essentially says that God can not fix this. And there is nothing in the world God can't fix. Sometimes we have to learn to let go and lay it down to Him and stop trying to control the situation. I can honestly say, and I know it is because of prayers that were going on yesterday, we actually had an enjoyable evening with Amanda last night. We were all still on edge but it was a thousand times better then it has been and I am so grateful to the prayer warriors and most importantly to God.We were able to all sit int he same room and have a decent meal together and enjoy ourselves and then watch some TV together.
I do NOT want Gracie growing up surrounded by the tension and hostility that has been in this house the past few weeks. It was escalating quickly but now...for the evening at least...it lessened. So my prayer today is that it continues to improve rapidly and that when the backslides happen ( they will...we all have them) that it will be a minor issue.
I hope everyone, including Gracie when she is old enough to read this, will see the importance of this daily devotional I am sharing. This was in my inbox when I checked it a few minutes ago. This is from Charles Stanley. Enjoy !
The Holy Spirit will lead us through stages that promote Christian maturity--salvation, service, dependence, and the exchanged life. While spiritual growth takes place at different rates and in different ways, all believers are on the same journey with one goal--transformation into Christ's image.
Dependence on God, an important part of spiritual maturity, is often learned as we serve Him. As we work, our own inadequacies will frustrate us, and we will be tempted to give up. Or we may find ourselves falling back into ungodly habits, even though we don't want that to happen (Romans 7:19). A key lesson in this stage is to relinquish control and allow the Spirit to direct and help us--in other words, to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Whenever we struggle, we're to turn toward the Lord in dependence upon Him. At the same time, when we study His Word, our minds will be redirected to think biblically. Then we can accept God's truth and leave behind messages we've taken in from our upbringing and culture that do not match His perspective.
The final stage is what's known as the exchanged life. We embrace the truth that the only way to live the Christian life is to let the Holy Spirit live Christ's life through us. We make a commitment to God to surrender selfish desires and seek only what He wants. Once we make this exchange, we'll experience more of the freedom and joy Jesus promised to His followers.
Spiritual growth requires our cooperation. How willing are you to grow?
Love that song and video! Hope you enjoy it. It is definately appropriate.
Now that the serious stuff is out of the way. Check out the new pics for those who don't have facebook.
God Bless,
Misty
"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian,
but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.
For I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back
to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be. " Elisabeth Elliot |
But like I said..she is a real trooper and she is doing fabulously. I am so grateful that God heard me and we suffered no reactions and pain was minimal. I was so stressed out about yesterday and it is now out of the way. The appt. for the 4 month shots was scheduled so the daddy can be there too. YAY! I don't have to be the bad guy. And Gracie said thankies to Aunt Crystal for holding me and helping so much. 
<----------proud mommy smile. She is locking eyes and following voices and people...mainly me....
Say"forget it and pick up food instead of cooking when husband is ballsy enough to say "what's for dinner?!?!" and then proceed to eat till so full you are sleepy and go to sleep with baby 
and for the other parent/irritated husband...well be glad you weren't him for the making of this entry....it has NOT been fun for him. 
I am excited about our new house and having nice neighbors and more kids around us. I hope you know mommy loves you baby girl! We have cool trees for you to have a baby swing in come springtime. YAY! Ok....time to go finish packing.