WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, WHILE RAISING YOUR KIDS!!!!

I have been happily married now for 9 years. My husband and I have 4 kids. Our oldest one is Jeff, he is 16 yrs. old, Alethea is 5 yrs. old, Paul is 3 yrs. old, Stephen is 22 months old. Raising kids, as some of you already know is not easy. Each one of them are different than the other. My husband and I own our own sign company, so we try to find the time to have family time. We know that is important.

What I am trying to get at is, What happens while your raising your kids, and things start to go wrong.I mean really wrong. Our oldest son has really changed, and no, it's not just because he is 16 yrs.old, he has done some really ungodly things. I often think back to when he was little, what did I do wrong, when did things start to go bad. Looking back on him as a child, I would have never known that he would grow up and do some of the things that he has done.

We can only do the best that we can do. We just have to keep praying for our kids and leading them in a Godly way. Let them know who Jesus is, Let them know that Jesus loves them. Spend as much time as we can with our kids.

Some of you that read this, knows what has been going on with my son, and for those that don't know, I just ask that you pray that he becomes closer to God, he is saved.

To make a long story short, next month he goes back to court and the judge is going to be placing him somewhere to get the help that he needs. I just pray that they can find him a Christian environment. I'm not sure how long he will be away for, maybe close to 2 yrs. or something like that.

1:9 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1:10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 1:13 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14 RSV

3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 3:13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 3:15 Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. 3:16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 3:17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 3:20 But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 3:21 who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 3:12-21 RSV

So, when our children start to grow up, and if they are not who we wish they were, we still need to love them and forgive them for what they have done. What my son has done has really hurt me and for a while, I didn't even want him around me. I am still really mad for what he did, but there is nothing I can change about the past, I can only work on the future. It brought to mind that no matter what we do, if we ask Jesus for forgiveness, he forgives, and he tries to help us when we need help. I think for me it is now time to move on and try to help my son the best I can, and stop being so angry at him. My son has done very, very wrong, and he is going to pay the consiquence, and if Jesus is willing to help him, then I need to help also.