Gentleness Challenge Weeks 2-3

Gentleness Challenge

I didn't intentionally miss last weeks post! This mama needed a break, so I went to Pennsylvania to spend a few days with Derreck. I'll do a post on that trip in a few days. (Hopefully!)

With the long over due break, I got some quite time with myself and some much needed time with Mister Perry. I came home tired, but a good tired. I really did miss the kids while I was gone, and actually felt bad for leaving them. Maybe I am starting to get really attached to them. (Once again, Hopefully!)

This weeks challenge is Anger Management...

OH BOY!

It seems like the times that I get the absolute angriest is when I am in a hurry and the kids don't seem to understand the importance of "Let's get going." I get frustrated because they are dawdling, they get frustrated because I am rushing them. No one wins. We  I end up yelling and fussing, and someone always ends up crying mostly me.

This week I am going to go through Proverbs like Courtney suggested and mark all the verses about how I should communicate with others. Most of the time, I really good at being nice to strangers or other people. It's those that I am closest to that get to witness all of this rage I have. So I will be working on talking nicely to everyone!

I have wrote Proverbs 15:1 on my mirror in my room, to help me memorize and to serve as a reminder of using gentle words throughout the day.

Oh I forgot to mention, that I think the kids know about this challenge and are doing their best to try to get a rise out of me...

For example:

1. You wouldn't believe how many times I have had to repeat myself to them the past few days. (I have gotten to where I just relay the message using the nearest kid, that way I am not raising my voice. The message may or may not reach the intended kid...)

2.  They are trying me with questions. Hundreds of questions. They aren't the normal Why? questions though. They ask questions about crazy stuff that doesn't even make sense. I just don't get it.

3. They are doing things like, sneaking in (yep you read that right --in--) the window, for no apparent reason. They were free to come and go as they pleased today, so why not use the front door? I just don't get it.

4. The arguing. Oh, my. I know that this is crazy to say or type or whatever, but these kids don't fight and argue with each other constantly like "normal" brothers and sisters. My sister and I would have daily, sometimes hourly battles! But the past few days they have been at each other non-stop.

I just keep reminding myself...

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE!

Our Christmas Ornaments Over the Years!

Our Christmas Ornaments Over the Years!

Every year Derreck and I pick out one ornament that is "ours." We usually try to pick something that has something Biblical on it. We only have one ornament that doesn't and it was from way back when we were newly weds. So here are "our" ornaments!

 2001 (We were dating)

2002

2003



2004

2005





2006 (My Favorite!)

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011 









The Kids Ornaments 2011

Kids Ornaments 2011

I know it's past Christmas, but since I haven't taken down the Christmas Tree yet, I wanted to do a post about the ornaments that the kids made for 2011.

To get us started all three made a few of these:

These are the ones M made:

These are the ones S made:

These are the ones that I made:



Bring in the Gentleness Challenge for 2012

Gentleness Challenge

Once again Courtney from Women Living Well is being used by God to challenge women to become more gentle towards their kids. Boy oh Boy do I need this! Like a chunky kid wants chocolate cake!  I hate the person that I have become this past year. I've became this horrible yelling, nagging, mean spirited woman that nobody (even myself) likes. I then wander why I can't reach these kids or even my husband for that matter.

When we first started the process of Fostering to Adopt, my husband and I wanted our house to be the safe haven that any kid that came to us needed. The place where they know that they are loved, they know that they are safe. The place where they can have fun and just be kids. We knew that it wouldn't be easy, that we would have to discipline the kids, that they would come with their own problems. But we had so much hope that we could be a happy family. That we could teach them of God's love for them most importantly.

This past year has been HARD. Really hard. I will even say that it has been the hardest on me since Derreck and I have been married. I have struggled A LOT! Not just with the kids, but with Derreck, and even with myself. I have came to the point where I just wanted to give up, make the call to their worker and be done with it. Let our marriage go back to like it was before kids. (I said it's been HARD!) But every time I do I hear God whisper, "You are all they have Ginger."

We are all they have. If God didn't want them in our house then He wouldn't of placed them in our house. They might not even want to be here, and probably don't most of the time. But then there are times when I see them happy and playing with Derreck and I think, "We can be a real family one day."

I want to win their hearts, so that I can teach their hearts about God. About His love for them. If I can't win their hearts, then they won't even know what it is like to be loved unconditionally. They won't ever understand the love that God has to offer. I don't care if they never call me mom, Ginger is fine. I just want them to love me. I want to love them. I want them to know God's love.

This is why I am going to join this challenge. This is why I NEED this challenge. I want to be gentle to the kids, to my husband, and to God this year and all the years to follow! I can't change any of them, but I can change myself and ask God to work in my life.