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Parenting can be most rewarding and challenging at the same time. We as parents love to give to our children just like our heavenly father gives to us. He (Our Papa God) is where we get our generosity from. He gives and takes away and that's just what I did last night. We have lavished on our kids so much. Our love for them to see them excited when they get something new. To bring them something home when we've been gone for awhile. Then there's Santa who shows up in December with the entire toy section from Wal-mart. The list goes on birthday's and on and on. I always say I'm going to cut back and rarely do. I get so much joy out of giving it's hard to stop. I always want my children to really appreciate the things they've been blessed with because after all I felt blessed when I was a child and has less than they do. So here is a little piece to say we are having some struggles with our kids at the moment. I'm sure a lot of parents have been here or will go through this at some time.

Boot camp started about 24 hours ago. It breaks my heart that I even have to go here with my kids but its necessary to Christ like character developed in them. It all started yesterday I was down stairs waiting Tommy to come home and I heard a lot of large thumps upstairs. My kids were up there cleaning there rooms before dinner at least I thought. I thought maybe I should go check I mean like most mom I thought maybe they were doing something dangerous that they might get hurt. As I started up the steps I heard laughter, lets break I heard them chanting. I started walking a little faster because I could hear now that the noise was coming from my room. As I entered the door way I saw my precious children with looks of foolishness on their faces throwing one of their Cd players on the floor repeatedly. I was instantly hot. I mean....I thought who in there right mind would do such a thing. I couldn't and can't understand the reasoning behind it. I with and extra spring in my step grabbed one in each hand. I took a moment at the bottom of the steps shut my eyes and briefly asked God for peace or something like that. I know it's not a good Idea not spank them in anger so I stuck one in each corner of the living rm and told them not to move. Just then my mom walked in, with tears my eyes I said please come to the back yard . I needed to vent so I could think clearly. I told my mom what had happened. We were discussing the thought behind it and what to do about it. After Tommy got home a couple minutes later he talked it over with the kids and they said we didn't want it anymore. That was there reasoning behind it. I could believe it! I was like you broke it because you didn't want it anymore? I guess they just have too much.

Tom and I took a little time while the kids were upstairs cleaning for real this time to talk about what to do. We agreed to take everything away. If they don't have anything there is not to much to clean, not to much to fight about, and not to much to break when they decide they are done with it. The job was a big one.. we left them there beds one blanket to cover up with 1 pair of pj's, 1 outfit for church, 2 everyday outfits. The rest of it we bagged up boxed up and put it in the basement. John Rosemond said at a meeting I went to a couple of months ago all big problems start as something small. In order to make sure they don't become something big you need to have large consequences for the little things. Basically saying do sweat the small stuff because all thing small can grow bigger if not dealt with. So it may sound extreme to take all our kids things away, but I hope it prevents them from a life of foolishness. I'm not sure when they will get there things back. I want to see genuine attitude change and good stewardship before we do. I may be a week it maybe be month or two. I hope the sooner the better but for now on the light side less laundry and less cleanup is a plus lol. I have a feeling when they do get there things back a lot will be missing out of those bags and boxes. It's time to make a change. I'm looking forward to the days ahead and I hope and pray my children will remember this when they are old and grown and be thankful that I stopped the madness when I did. I want them to enjoy life and the things in it not take it for granted.