And she's off!!!

This morning at 4:30 on the dot Annie flew the coop to Mexico!!!!! She is going back for her third missions trip. They arrived in Mexico City at 10 after noon and are more than likely already in some park doing their skits to help spread the word of God.

Every time she comes home from one of the trips she is ready to step out and do what God told her to do but there always seems to be a road block that comes up and derails her drive and enthusiasm.Annie has had some struggles over the past two years and has been trying to figure out what EXACTLY God has for her, she isn't happy with just heading in a direction to "see if that is what she should do" as she wants EXACT details. So when she returns she will begin a two week course to get her CNA license as she feels lead to become a nurse. For now her plans are to get the CNA certificate and than get on at one of our local hospitals and work her way through school and jobs at the hospital. I'm very proud of all she has accomplished so far and I know this time when she returns it will be different.

If you have time and think about her please lift her up in prayers for the next week. She gets home on Thursday evening and I'm sure we will be hearing an ear full of all that went on while gone. On trips past she has had a great time sharing the love of GOD to the very young children--the kind that are filthy and no one wants to hold and love--she really has a gift in talent when it comes to young children. I know that God will use her in ways she never dreamed of with this talent as it really is a gift from Him for His service.

I had a really hard time letting her go this time. After seeing her struggle and getting so ill back in December, this over protective mother doesn't want her far from me but she really isn't mine to keep, just on LOAN FROM GOD for the season of growing up and being trained in the ways she should go so that she could be given back to the Father that sent her through me in the first place,so that HIS WILL BE DONE.

No TV!!!

I have a feeling that I'm not the only mom in America that is guilty of using the TV during the day as entertainment for the kids. Of course I say I'm only turning it on so I can grab a quick shower in the morning but when my shower is done it never gets turned off, and since it's on a "kids" station that claims it's programing is "educational" I justify letting my sons brains turn to mush as they spend countless hours watching mindless tv. But lately Colton and Braden have been driving me crazy with their short attention spans, disregard to the house rules, and wild running around and I realized the biggest reason is MY FAULT. In stead of giving them the attention they need and the guidance I should, I gave them the BIG BLACK BOX in the living room that stays turned on from the moment we wake up till we head to bed.

So today I woke up and decided enough is enough and there will be no more TV during the summer during the day. Since I'm a stay at home mom I have full control over the remote and plan on leaving it in the box on the mantle. I can not stop my hubby from turning the darn thing on once he gets home but I'm hoping he will see the improvement in the boys and decide that no TV is a good thing and keep the thing off until they go to bed!!

It's only 11 am in the morning and so far my boys have played more, used their imagination more, TALKED more ( which since they both have some speech issues is a HUGE thing), interactive more with each other and most of all been far more calmer and obeyed better than they have in a VERY LONG TIME!!!! The funny thing is that I too have been far more productive in my house hold chores which surprises me since I figured it won't really effect me that much because it was always "kid" shows blaring in the house.

I know that the greatest impact is that I will have to give MORE OF ME to the boys by correcting them when they do things that are wrong instead of ignoring them and letting go back to watching TV like I use to. It also means that when they get tired and are cranky instead of putting in a movie to let them vegetate I will actually have to teach them to calm down and give them skills for coping other than mindless watching of the tv--so my "work" as mom will increase but the truth is that is my job anyway!! I am the one that let the TV do my parenting and it is very evident in the behaviors of my kids so it's my job to undue those effects and put into them what they need to be a success in life.

I am loving the peaceful sound that the house has today!! I have found that since I"m getting old I don't tolerate background noise like I use to. All those years I longed to be a parent again and wanted the sound of kids in the house had been drowned out with the noise of the TV, now I'm fully enjoying the sounds of my sons as they play imaginary things--they really do have a great imagination and it's so cute to hear them "pretend" to be deep sea fishermen or wild animals in the jungle. The sounds of their laughter is so much better than the sound of "qubo" blaring in the background!

I hope I have the strength to keep it up as it really is so easy to turn on that darn TV when you need a few minutes of peace and quite!! It won't be easy putting back into my boys all that I should have been putting into them all along but in the end having well behaved kids that can sit still for more than two minutes will be worth all the effort! Anyone else out there ready to take the NO TV PLUNGE? I'd love to hear it if you are and willing to lend support during those trying moments when you want to go back to letting the TV keep your kids quite and entertained so you can have a few moments of peace.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR-----PART3 THE STORM!

Sorry to keep the third part from everyone for so long but I was waiting till the investigation was over. If you're wondering what INVESTIGATION it was done by DHS. It seems one of my neighbors had turned me in for "running an illegal daycare"!!!

On May 14th while finishing cleaning up and getting ready for a play date with another Mom and her kids I got a knock at the door. I thought it was Mary arriving but it was a man who introduced himself as "J" (name not revealed by me!) and he flashed a DHS badge that made my heart sink. Having been a foster mom I told myself not to panic and slam the door on him but that is what I wanted to do--lol!! He said he was here to investigate if I was running an illegal daycare and that he was with the licence department for daycare with DHS--(whew I thought it was child protective service!!).

As soon as I opened the door Colton and Braden both ran out as they were expecting their friends and I had to grab them and drag them back in. "J" took one look at the "asian kids" and asked if they were mine which I SAID YES THEY ARE!!!! We ADOPTED THEM FROM SOUTH KOREA. As soon as I said that the look on "J"'s face changed and he knew he was here on a false report. I invited him in which I think shocked him as most DHS people are not welcomed with open arms but since I had a relationship with DHS as a foster mom I knew the more helpful you are the better it is for you. I also let him know about how UNFRIENDLY this neighborhood was towards children and how I have one neighbor in particular that stands in her driveway when I have the boys outside playing with her hands on her hips and a very angry look on her face,plus she drives by slowly and gives me dirty looks anytime we are outside. I then told him about how I watch my grand babies all the time and that we have been having many play dates lately with different kids and right on that cue my friend Mary arrived with her two kids for our play date--lol!!!

"J" asked my friend if she was here for a play date and she said YES and that made "J" chuckle a little as he knew he was out on a false report but still had to follow through. I had to give out the names of all the kids that come over so he could "follow up" and I let him know we had been watching one little boy off and one while his mother prepared for surgery and would be keep him once she did have surgery and "J" let me know that was all OK and not a problem. In fact in the state of Oklahoma you can watch any child you want for up to 15 hours a week and not need a licence and you are allowed to watch your grand kids or relative kids for however long and NEVER NEED A LICENCE for that .

I told "J" that I had been thinking of doing a daycare or going back to foster care as I have been trying to figure out a way to bring in extra income and be a blessing to someone at the same time. "J" was very helpful in answering my questions as the DHS website is not always the best user friendly site for explaining some of the rules. He even laughed a little about how the neighbors would really love me if I would do that--lol!! He left a packet of info for me to look at and I have been praying about it and trying to figure out what God would have me do but haven't had peace about any of the things I have come up with on my own. ( I think God has some things in our future that I should be available to do or ready to "go" and so that is why I never have peace when I think of "tying" myself down to a job).

So yesterday all the parents who I turned in as regular play date kids got the call from DHS and confirmed everything I had said. I expect to get the report soon that will clear me of any" illegal acts of child care". The day of the investigation at my house I was pretty much numb by the whole thing but by night I was outraged which lead to me seeking out the word of God about loving thy neighbor.

I will admit that if I could have called down hell,fire and brimstone on the neighbors that first night I would have!!! After all I am a human being subject to failure and very carnal at times, so I spent most of that night laying there wide awake and praying. It was in the early morning hours that I realised all those times I had prayed to GOD to move us from Wagoner and into a neighborhood so we could be a "beacon of light" to the neighbors that God had just the place He needed us to be at. This wasn't what I thought when I was praying to move but clearly this is a "dark neighborhood" and God's light needs to shine in it. I will be faithful to be a light of love and compassion to the neighbors and pray daily to have the strength to do so. But I'm also doing everything possible to protect my kids as John and I have started keeping a photo log of all the things that break the rules of the HOA by the people that do not have kids( in this neighborhood there are only three families with kids including us and one family just put their home on the market!) If we are continued to be hassled we will contact a lawyer and file suit against the HOA for violating the fair housing act. IT states it not only is illegal to discriminate against selling or renting to people with kids but is also illegal to make it unbearable for some one with kids to live somewhere. Jesus never took the injustices of His day and age in stride but clearly addressed them head on even showing anger at times by the things being done and openly rebuked people. He didn't just "turn the other cheek" and continue to allow things to happen, He called people on the carpet about their own hypocrisy and we will to if needed.

I never would have dreamed that someone would be so low as to call DHS just to hassle someone else but really nothing in this life should surprise anyone. It is shocking and unnerving to think what our neighbors would do to try to get rid of us but we will not be driven out. I do NOT THINK FOR ONE MOMENT THAT GOD IS TRYING TO TEACH US A LESSON ON WALKING IN LOVE so let me make that clear!!! I do believe that Satan is trying hard to steal this blessing of this house from us. To many times christians blame GOD for the wrong things going on in their life saying He is "teaching me a lesson" but I serve a LOVING KIND FATHER and He would never do someting awful to me to teach me to be strong,just I would never do anything awful to my kids to teach them a lesson. John 10:10 states clearly--¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Satan is the thief trying to steal our joy over this house and place that God provided for us!! God needs us here right at this time to shine HIS love and light to those that have either forgotten what love is or have never really known the love of God. An abundant life if not one that is filled with treasures for just me and blessing for just me but one that is full of blessings and treasures that I might have more than enough to give to others also!!

Please pray for us as we walk out this part of our life--standing strong in the midst of a storm is not always easy but being faithful to what God needs you to do comes with a blessing that may not be revealed at first and once it is will be so good we will look back and say I'm glad we endured!