Creative Correction

I am not even half way through this book and I LOVE it! The author Lisa Whelchel, http://www.lisawhelchel.com/ccreatbk.htm is an actress from "The facts of Life", a sitcom that ran between 1979-sometime in the 80's. She has an amazing sense of humar that has kept me laughing and reading. She doesn't make me feel guilty or that I am the worest mom in the whole world. But she doesn't make excuses for things I may have let slip with my kids. She encourages parents to tackle issues of the heart and to train the flesh. She gives first hand experiances and at the end of every chapter she gives tools to add to the parental tool belt. I have not even gotten halfway through the book and I have been convicted in some areas of my parenting and it has allowed me to strap my mommy boots a little tighter and to pray that God would open my eyes to be able to actively train my kids hearts. It has encouraged me to use stories, parables, hands on examples for explaining to Maddie why her behavior needs to be different. I pray that this book will change me, to not get in the daily rut of parenting, to not get bored with parenting and discipling but seeing each opprunity as a chance to draw my kids closer to heart of Jesus, closer to the God and Father in Heaven who loves my kids so much! After all isn't it in our very being to seek and find Jesus! May I be one of the brightest lights in my kids lives. Acting as a night light in my kids lives directing them to the path of Jesus. Just as a nightlight directs my kids to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I pray I will be the night light in my kids lives that directs them in this dark world towards Jesus, the light of the world.

So far one of my favorite chapters has been on training the flesh. When I am discplining Maddie, weather with a spanking, time out, an extra chore, whatever fits the crime at the moment, I am training Maddie's flesh. I am training her flesh that she cannot have everything she wants, when she wants it. We are training her flesh to be respectful to the people God has put as authority over her. We are training her flesh to seek out the good of others.

I am so thankful that I have the word of God to coach me through parenting. I'm so thankful for the Holy Spirit who comes and gives me divine stories at the right time, who brings to mind stories to share with Maddie that she will understand. The holy spirit who prompts and coaches me in each minute by minute, situation by situation that comes up.

As I remind Maddie during the day I too am reminded that I can do all things through Christ who stregthens me, and that includes parenting. :) I'm sure I will have more to say on this book as I continue through it and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!