Pushing Past the Limits

For the last couple of months, Kara and Lydia have both been pushing past the limits and getting into everything they are not suppose to. As a result, we have had many opportunities for discipleship of our children. Their latest act -- playing in mommy's garden. We even put a fence around it today, and they still went in and rolled around in the dirt -- and I mean literally rolled around in the dirt. Here are the results from today.


As you can see they enjoy the dirt -- why my garden I don't know (Kara has her own patch of dirt she can roll around in).

Anyways, looking at the dirty result of my children's disobedience, reminds me of the sinfulness of my own heart when I choose to disobey God. He gives me everything I need, and so much more. Yet, I still push to have things my way and not only do I end up in a heap of trouble, I end up staining my heart with sin.

I praise the Lord for His mercy that He so often shows me. It has been a joy to be able to extend mercy to my children at times. Kara understands what mercy is, and as we have been memorizing Psalm 100 she will occasionally remind us of how we show her mercy. After acts of disobedience, she often cries -- Daddy mercy please! How often do I rely on God's mercy -- I must act always in obedience because I know God cannot always give me mercy just as we can't always extend mercy to Kara and Lydia.

While I hate having to deal with disobedience in our home, I praise the Lord for the reminder that I myself need to be obeying my Heavenly Father -- Obey 1st Time, Obey always, With a smile on my face, and a happy heart (that is what we've taught Kara to say when we ask her how she is suppose to obey). Thank you Father for my children and for the privilege to raise them according to your standards so that one day they may come to know you personally as their Lord and Savior.

Here are some other pictures from today -- Pictures of obedience.

Andy was fussing, so I asked Kara to go talk with him.