Martha puts life into perspective...

When we brought this dog home on Sunday, I knew that we would be living in "survival mode" for a while. We already live in survival mode because of the amount of time it takes to feed Owen and keep him from getting into things (his favorites to get into are shampoo, remote controls, shoes, and any paper that he can get in his mouth...), so I figured that it was as good a time as any to do a puppy too.

Things like adding a dog (or even going out in public with the kids) reminds me of how diligently I need to be in training them, because it becomes very difficult for me in those situations when they won't obey. They were born sinners just like the rest of us, and they don't automatically obey! Their hearts are continually tempted by selfishness, laziness, pestering and fighting, and failing to obey. I need to be more consistent in discipline. I also need to teach them what actions and attitudes honor God. Ultimately, they need to be pointed to Christ and realize that only through a relationship with Him can we have the ability to do anything good.

In the interest in making this task a little more fun, we are having the "Obeying Olympics" this week. Each child has two goals for the week. Owen's are to not touch the dog crate, and to not touch the dog food. Gresham's are to eat with good table manners and to not whine. Aidan's are to do a good job at each task he is asked to do and to not say or do things that stir up fighting. Both of the older boys have a jar of marbles to help track their success. They each get 15 marbles at the beginning of the day. Gresham has to take one out every time he whines, and Aidan has to take one out for a job poorly done or a rude comment. They can also earn marbles back for doing things well.

So far we have seen some progress. We have more to do. It's just as hard for me to keep at it as it is for them! It's easy to be distracted by the things that seem like they have to get done - meals, dishes, laundry, etc. and forget the value of training my children.

It we can keep it together until Friday, we're going to have a medal ceremony. We'll keep you posted...