Dear family and friends,
This past year Melanee Kate and Wyatt have both been working towards goals.
Wyatt's goal is to be nicer to Kate. No doubt he loves and treasures her, his words and actions don't always convey his true feelings. For whatever reason it is easier to take things out on his little sister more than anyone else in his life. Maybe because she's such a bundle of love that he knows she'll still love him anyway...
When we found out we were moving to Hawaii I started thinking through what we might not be able to afford here. We'd heard again and again about the high cost of living. So I went ahead and bought Wyatt a Ripstick for his upcoming September birthday and then tucked it away to the safest place I knew so little eyes would not find it. It stayed hidden for three weeks and the night before I was going to wrap it up for the move it was found. That week had been a particularly hard week for our Wyatt. He was so hopeful we'd give it to him right away but we gave him a quick dose of reality. We also pointed out that we could not give this to him unless his words, actions, and attitudes improved towards his sister.
Melanee Kate has wanted bangs for the longest time. As a homeschooling mother of four I have very little "extra" time in my life. Just enough time to do exactly what God calls me to do. The thought of fixing Kate's bangs every day has never been too appealing, a quick way to save a little time. I've always told her that when she's old enough to fix them we'd consider it. Early in January she announced that since she was almost 11 she was sure she was old enough to fix her own bangs everyday.
Melanee Kate has been working on maturity in several areas of her life. So Daddy decided that these would be good carrots...bangs and a Ripstick. We' ve told them MANY times that bangs and Ripsticks aren't really the goals. The goal is letting Jesus change us, making different choices, wanting more to honor our Father than our own desires.
Two weeks ago Wyatt was given his Ripstick and last Saturday Melanee Kate had her bangs cut. Today it just got me to thinking...what goals am I working towards right now. What carrots have I put out in front of myself and what are my reasons for striving towards them? Am I as intentional in my own life as I am in our children's lives?
We start school on Monday, it will be our first day of our TENTH year of homeschooling. I'm going to have to think about goals for myself this week. God is so good!
Love in Christ,
Dinah for The Troops
