we are family

today is ash wednesday.  I am not sure what that exactly means other than tomorrow begins lent, 6 weeks of giving up something in your life that holds on to you.  My niece Kyann is giving up facebook.  I would love to give up something, not sure what. 

The childrens father is still in Tennessee and is planning on returning to the area this weekend.  He may be moving to Tennessee to find a job.  The children obviously want him to remain around here.  They like the idea of having him close by, however I dont think they actually want to spend every other weekend with him.  John on the other hand needs to feel loved and missed by them.  This is a stressful time for the children.  Jacob and Gabrielle are attending counseling 2 times a month.  We are blessed to have prayer warriers and we definately feel the answered prayers.

Gabby is angry, she is going thru some insecurities.  She doesnt feel she is pretty to anyone other than adults.  She wants to dress in the trendy clothes.  She is a people pleaser.  I am not sure exactly all that she is holding in.

Jacob is having difficulty with unforgiveness, but I know that he wants John to stay in the area.  His grades have been ok.  At this point I think he has given up on getting straight A's this semester.  He is capeable of A's.  I just need to keep close supervision on his school work.  By nature Jacob will be lazy, and he would spend hours on x box, so I have to limit him in this area.  I have taken on the challenge of helping him in baseball.  I am gaining much more confidence.  I am soooo glad that I have taken the time to learn a little about baseball since I have 3 boys. 

I am having a good week.  No poor me moments.  I am focusing on discipline with the children, along with routine.  I am focusing on holding them accountable for listening to me on the first request.  Also I am focusing on holding them accountable for their actions. 

I have decreased my work days and increased my work week with fridays.  I want to pay attn to the children when they get home. 

My blog is more like a journal, however I want it to take on a creative entertaining learning twist.  I want us to look back on this blog and realized how we made it through the tough times and how God was so involved.  We are so blessed.  Some day my kiddos are gonna have to own their faith.  I hope they can look back on this and know that we didnt do this on our own.  I wish my kids could somehow add their feeling to this blog so they can see growth. 

hello God, its me Sheila

Oh dear God,  I hope you are pleased with what you are seeing from your children today.  I hope I haven't  let you down today.  You have been a rock again for me.  Thank you for bringing me home today and having me put effort into your children.   I pray over my children today.  I pray for their health, their safety, and their soul.  I pray for their daddy that you will finish the work that you have started in him.  I pray for their innocence that is being robbed from them.  However please God I want this trial to be for the good for them, that they can grow in dependence on you;  that this trial doesnt change them for evil but change them for good.  Please place a hedge around them to protect them from daddy damage and the window opened for the enemy. 

Thank you so much for Jesus....for Jesus.  Thank you Jesus for standing there as an advocate for me and my children. 

in Jesus name amen

Today was good.  The children are ok.  I came home early as to be here for the children.  I didnt want gabby to be responsible for keeping house at this time.  Jacob didnt have baseball today, but he did talk me into taking him to the rec center in Rittman.  Uncle Jim brought him home.  Jacob is hyperfocused on basketball at the moment and also puberty.  He seems to be using his energy positively.  I dont see extreme anger....more saddness.

Gabby has anger, but it is still soft. 

Our journey was relatively uneventful this day. 

OUR STORY TODAY

Saturday night... this past week, actually past 2-3 months....maybe even years have been distracting.  We have been visited by many players:  Let me introduce them to you, my children:

1.  Jacob: age 12
2.  Gabrielle: age 11
3.  Skyler:  age 7
4.  Morgan:  age5
5.  Mother:  age, doesnt matter

friends and foes: 

friends:

1.  Hope
2.  Kindness
3.  Love
4.  Joy
5.  Peace
6.  long suffering:  patience
7.  Temperance:  self control
8.  Meekness
9.  Faith
10.Goodness

Foes:

1.  anger
2.  bitterness
3.  unforgiveness
4.  bad language
5.  negativity
6.  pride
7.  dishonest
8.  distrust
9.  chaos
10.outbursts
11.fear
12.guilt
13.overwhelm
14.disobedience

Dear Father God:

Bless this Journey, Bless this family, pour your comfort blanket over us.  Give us the shield of your salvation, the understanding of your mysteries.  Give me the wisdom to raise these children up to overcome the foes that happen in our lives.  Lord, Father guide us, convict us, and give us your helping hand.  Help this to be enlightening to us and serve to be a planting season..

Love you and trust you beyond myself

amen

I do trust and fear My Father the creator of all living things...  Please guide me in this. 

The journey of extreme foes what born march of 2008,  it was a detour that took us on a bumpy path.  A path that I didnt want to choose, but found myself on this path along with dragging four innocent children dragging and crying.  Many find ourselves on a different path than what we choose.   Our jouneys are so different, but our destination is the same.  Our path was rather bumpy, but along the path were some rest areas and some road blocks.  We wanted to plant some seeds along the way in hopes that later travelers would benefit from the beauty and plant some more.  But early in the journey we didnt plant anything, in fact we stopped frequently for bitterness, anger...  and before we realized what the effects of these poor choices the mind and soul was too sick to travel.   The wounds of life had taken the tole and the family was not healthy.  The diagnosis of bitterness had progressed, but fortunately was not terminal.  Large doses of forgiveness and love was needed.  Forgiveness was available in abundance but love was scarce.  Lies was stealing the medicine love.  The wounds of bitterness and hurt needed love desperately.  The wound were disgusting and had a foul odor.  Prayer power showed up to aid in the recovery and slowly the wounds healed in with scars, tough but still weakened.  The immune system was weakened. 

Life takes turns into directions that we fear we can't find the our way back.  But the spirit of God does not give us fear but of power and of love and of peace....timothy

but we can find our way back.  We have a GPS that will help keep us moving in the right direction.