LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Not too much going on at the moment so...what's up in your neck of the woods? Sundays are physically and mentally exhausting days for us. Sometimes ministry can be stressful and that seems to be the way it goes for the last couple of months. Any time your church is doing something great for God, that's the last thing Satan wants to happen. And so the spiritual battle wages on. I'm sitting here watching Don play computer games while he's flipping the tv channel from some PBS show about Pavarotti to Extreme Home Makeover to football. Nate is supposed to be sleeping but mad because he was put to bed without his panda after throwing a big angry tantrum and hitting dad (and he's got a strong right arm!). He can be one stubborn kid but one thing we like about him is his determination. We just have to teach him how to deal with frustration and hitting is a BIG "no-no". At least he got a great report from the nursery this morning! We'd rather he show his frustration with us and behave in public. 

A week ago, Don took Nate to the mall playground. It was our first experience with negative behavior from other kids. A group of 4-5 yr old girls were playing on the slide. Nate stood at the bottom of the slide steps watching them and they decided to tease him yelling, "Look at the scaredy-cat boy! Chicken! Chicken!" Don was miffed but didn't say anything because he knew name calling would be common and Nate didn't know what they were saying. But he stepped in when Nate climbed to the top of the slide and one of those little girls hit him. He saw Nate's head snap back and his body shoved forward and that was it! Now if you know my husband, his mere presence and big voice alone are enough to make someone..especially a child...stop and think about what they were doing. But apparently the girls didn't "get it", because a little while later, Nate climbed up into a play stagecoach and the group of girls decided they wanted to play in it. They started saying, "Let's get him out of there! Yeah, kick him! Kick him!" After the first episode Don knew they would do it too, so he stepped in again and said in his best "authoritative voice with the killer look to go with it", "If you touch my son again, that will be the LAST thing you do. Don't even think about it!" He said the girls looked at him with jaws dropped and decided to go off and play somewhere else. And where were the moms during all this? Talking on their cell phones or chit-chatting with each other, totally oblivious to what their kids were doing. Don said that later, he wished he would've talked to their moms but he was wrapped up in "the moment". I forgot how mean girls can be sometimes but that incident jarred some unpleasant childhood memories.

My brother and fam called today from Cincinnati to tell us how their home was ravaged from Ike. Apparently 500,000 people are without power for at least a couple of days. Fortunately, aside from some minor damage from broken branches and a downed power line, they're ok. It's amazing the devastation from this storm. I just can't believe the people who stubbornly decided to ride it out. If I were a rescue worker, I'd be furious and frustrated too.

I just re-read all this and realized it all sounds kind of negative. Actually, it's been a decent day and I appreciate all the encouragement and motivation we've been receiving. Don gave a great message this morning and I really felt like God had opened his heart (and mine) to His words. Nate finally fell asleep after Don went back in his room and laid him down (he was standing up in his crib mad and crying). I think we just need to escape for a day. Just our fam...off to some area away from the crowds where we can renew and relax.

Hmmmm........tomorrow's our day off...I'm thinking "Day Trip"? *wink*