Laughing All The Way

I have shared with my children my spiritual struggle over SNOW. Now, the real deal is the sin my my heart but it is exposed BY the snow. Our pastor has been teaching us How People Change. By identifying the heat, thorns, cross and fruit then I can spot the root problem and work towards God-glorifying attitudes and actions in my life. (Note: As parents, we use the book Shepherding A Child's Heart by Ted Tripp as we attempt to raise our children for the glory of God. This is the basis that book uses for instruction to get to the heart of our children thus, revealing the idols of their hearts and therefore, getting to the root of the problem.)

The heat: snow!
The thorns: frustrated with it, reacting angrily to it, Root Problem=wanting my way
The Cross: Trust in the Lord, do not be afraid, live by faith and not sight, believe in the Scriptures, rest in hope, be still and know that He is God!
The Fruit: the beliefs and desires that rule me will be the fruit that is evident in my life. Anything "good" in me is Christ manifest in me and the rest of the junk is just ME. The sinful me--my flesh--the old man fighting against the Spirit that dwells within me. Victory is in Christ Jesus. The produce? Eventually, the character of Christ. Generally, I attend the School of Hard Knocks and the tuition is high.

So, I shared with the children my desire to allow God to change my heart regarding what *I* want and how that contradicts what HE wants in my life. I want to want what I have--my definition of contentment--given to my children as I train their character. This has sparked the girls sharing with me their similar struggles with the same issue. It is sweet to watch the Holy Spirit work upon their hearts.

Waking today to another 2+ inches of snow made me laugh...all the way to T Time! In the snow!