All it took was a change in ME!

This week has been a week of awakening (again) in the Earnhardt home. Unfortunately, the volume and tone of our conversations, especially those between my children, had been becoming louder and more disrespectful in our home. I just couldn't understand why this change had come so abruptly (or at least it felt abrupt). Then, last Sunday, I was challenged. The gentleman who will be leading out sunday school class for the next 8 weeks or so started his topic by giving us a picture of a pyramid. The base was our relationship with God. The next level was our relationship with our spouse. The next, our relationship with our kids (immediately red flags went up here in my head). Next, their relationship with each other. And finally, their relationship with thier friends.

I could write a book about all the ways things have changed this week. But all that to say that it just took a change in ME. It took me remembering that God is my first true love. It took me remembering that the order of how things work only truely works if God is first. My marriage is amazing but it is even better when I am giving God the first part of my day. My children are wonderful. But I am a better equiped mom for them when I am purposeful to approach the throne of grace and ask God to lead me every day to raise them up according to His will.

My children learn their behaviors from what they see in the home. They had begun yelling at each other a lot and disrespecting each other a lot. So, this week, I have turned my attention back to me. I have had to check and double check my responses to them. I have made sure that every moment is a teaching moment again instead of a "how can we get through this moment as quickly and painlessly as possible".

Greg and I knew that we had to get back into God's word WITH our kids. That was the part on the pyramid that was missing. Our children's relationship with God. But we were quick to realize that this piece had been missing for a while and it needed to be put back into the puzzle. One night imparticular, we were tired and after reading the bible story and devotional our kids sat there waiting. Greg was going to pray. Our kids stopped him and reminded him that they still wanted to read the story from the actual bible. "You know dad, the scripture verses." My heart leaped for joy. Not because I wasn't tired too, but because my children want to be in God's word. All it took was Greg and I remembering what our family's focus needs to be.

Although, I am humbled in admitting that things have been a little out of focus around here, I thank God for His unfailing mercy to wait patiently for me. I thank God that He is pursuing Greg and I and our kids. I pray that as every day comes and goes, I will stay focused and committed to the challenges of raising my children. Please pray for me that God will continue to refine me and make me aware of the areas in my life that I need to keep working on!