Things on my heart

I have a couple of things heavy on my heart today and have been praying that the Lord would provide some time for me to blog. I pray that I will have time to be able to adequately express my thoughts. Three things: My boys, Madison Ruth, God, the Good Shepherd even in disobedience. I have set down twice to write this today and been called away both times by my little girls. I am not sure I have much time before I need to start dinner but I wanted to start at least so here goes.

My boys. My boys have been having difficulty at school. Difficulties making friends. Carson has had a little girl chasing after him and bossing him in his class which now that we have gotten that taken care of the boys in his class don't really want anything to do with him. He says the boys in his class are not nice and talk dirty at the lunch table. He says his class is unruly and will not listen to the teacher. The classroom is loud and not focused or on task. He seems to leave the classroom frequently complaining of a headache from all of the noise. The teacher has been sending him outside of the classroom to read after he has completed his work while he is waiting on the other kids to finish but I am afraid this is not a good solution. I am afraid this is singling him out much like the situation with the little girl as different. Andrew has had difficulty making friends also. He did start playing with one boy and apparently this boy had another friend and that friend was not wanting to share so instead he turned into a bully to Andrew. Calling him names, pushing him, throwing him to the ground and pushing his head into the floor. (of course while no teachers were looking)... We have dealt with this situation but still Andrew is needing a friend. We have been talking it through and praying with the boys. This is difficult. The Lord gave me this verse this week that has been challenging me. "In the world you WILL HAVE tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John :16:33. God's truth tells us...we shouldn't be surprised...there will be trials...there will be difficulty...there will be hard times...this now is a hard time for my boys but they are learning to be a good friend now. They are learning to forgive. They are learning they are different from the other children. They are learning to look for outsiders and be kind. They are learning to be friends to the friendless. They are learning to speak up and share with us when things are not good. They are learning that God is a good, good friend. We are pressing on and praying this time will end soon and the Lord will provide a friend for them. We will continue to trust that the Lord is working all of these yucky things out for His good. Romans 8:28. Maybe His good is in growing character and integrity in my boys. We will be of good cheer even during the muck for we know that He is the victor and He is worthy of our trust.

Madison Ruth. This week the Lord has been speaking to me about captivating my thoughts. The battle going on in my mind. Our minds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." As Christians, if we bring every thought that enters our minds into captivity, we will be victorious and see great things accomplished for God. The devil works on us in many different ways. God's word tells us he is out to destroy us. He is a liar, destroyer, and murderer seeking to devour us like a roaring lion. He tries to get us to fall into temptation and one of the ways he gets to us is in the battle in our minds. This week a young couple were fighting in Morehead. The man was upset that the girl would not clean, she would continually not clean the trailer. She was not going to clean on Monday night. She went to bed. He was angry. He was very mad. He sat down to watch tv and beer after beer he stewed in his anger. Not long after he went into the bedroom she was sleeping in and placed a pillow over her head and shot her twice. She died. His anger. The thoughts that raced through his head....and he acted on them. Satan at work. Destruction. The great destroyer. They had a little girl that is Abigail's age...her name is Madison Ruth. Please pray for Madison. She has lost both of her parents this week. It is so, so heartbreaking. When I heard this I thought of this verse. I don't know if they were believers but I do know that the man did not hold captive his every thought...thinking what would Christ do? Philippians 4:8 says "Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable ..if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...think about such things." This is a challenge for me. To captivate my thoughts. To make sure that Satan does not get a foothold in my mind. I shared this with a friend and she said the darkness is thickening. I believe this is true. Satan is sure getting a foothold wherever he can to bring destruction whenever he can.

God, the Good Shepherd, even in disobedience. With the time change and nice weather the kids have wanted to play out in the driveway more and last night as I began dinner I left them to play. The door was open so I could hear them. They normally do a great job of obeying...staying where they are  supposed to be, playing with things they can play with and such. I put the green beans on the stove and went out to check on them. It was quiet. Not a good sign. I saw Abby picking weeds in the yard and I asked her where the boys and Claire were....I was still looking and not seeing them. She told me they went to check on the rock collection. My heart stopped. What on earth were they thinking? I had given them permission to play in the driveway and they took off toward the pond and streams...with their two year old sister. I began to yell their names. It is a pretty good ways away and Dustin and I had repeatedly told the boys the girls were not old enough to ever go down and look at the collection. The girls needed Mommy and Daddy to help protect them. It is very hilly here so at first I couldn't see them...then at last I saw Carson and Claire following right behind. I told him to grab her hand and immediately come back to the house. I was shaking. My thoughts were on what could have happened in their disobedience. They did not heed my words. They walked outside of my protection and disobeyed and thus endangered their sister. It is a good thing that it took them awhile to get to where I was. I needed time to pray and cool off. It would have been soo easy for Claire to have fallen, slipped on something and into the water. I asked Carson why he thought I might be upset...I had to explain to him yet again that he is to protect his sister, that he is to obey and honor my words so that I can protect him. I asked him how he would have felt if his sister had fallen into the water and he couldn't help her..and then I couldn't help her because they were somewhere they were not supposed to be. He understood and was sorry. I am thankful. I am so thankful that God is the Good Shepherd looking over my children even when they step out of my protection in disobedience. The lyrics to a song I am really liking these days by Chris Tomlin kept flooding over me. I am thankful that He is the God of Angel Armies, Always by my side. Going before me and standing behind me. I am thankful He was watching over them yesterday. It was a good lesson for Carson and I know he understood. My prayer is that next time he will stay within the fold of my protection in my words.