A Clean Heart

My growing girl playing outside!
Walking at the park

At our neighborhood park

Great view of downtown

I am choosing not to dwell on the election but rather to post some pretty Fall pictures! Seasons change...Life goes on ... and God is still on His throne in Heaven!

Some quick Ansonisms... yesterday he was having a hard time going to sleep for his nap. After going to his door a few times to tell him to lay down, he said "But Mommy, I already closed my eyes 5 times! I'm awake now!" To Anson, 5 is a very high number, and he was convincing me that he had slept enough!

Recently he has had a very hard time listening and obeying. Dusty and I believe in first-time obedience, not waiting for the threats, bribes or counting to three. (Very hard to do but I believe that is how God wants us to obey!) I have taken this opportunity to teach him more about what sin is, how God forgives, and what that means to him. (While trying to keep my patience!!!) When it was time to leave his friend's house the other day, he did not come when I called and ran across the lawn instead. He knew he had done wrong and by the time I got over to him he was saying "I'm sorry". So we talked on our walk home about how he was going to get a spanking and why. I explained to him that when we sin, (ie. don't obey our parents :o) our hearts get dirty. But when we ask God to forgive us, He wipes it clean and it is beautiful again! So when we got home I started to get dinner ready. Anson pulled his stool up to the counter to watch and said "Mommy, you did not spank me yet". So I said, "you are right! I almost forgot". So we went to his room and did our spanking routine. After praying, he looked at me with a huge smile and said "see? God wiped my heart clean!" He is starting to understand! Discipline is hard and exhausting but it is so worth it! It is definitely better than the alternative! "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope. Do not be a willing party to his death." Proverbs 19:18