Weekly Update: An Excitingly Busy Week

Oh, my goodness. It's Friday already! We have had an excitingly busy week. This week started with some wonderful news that upset me as the week went on, but at this point, I have put on my big girl pants, and it will be alright. The Lord truly was looking out for us this week, and we are ever thankful for his guidance.
Saturday night we spotted Momma June and Sugarbear, along with their entourage. Since I am not a fan, I was not impressed, nor did I really see a reason they needed said entourage. (Yes I realize Saturday is really not part of this week, but it was after my last weekly update, so I thought I would share.)
Sunday, we picked up a load in Charlotte and headed to Miami. The polar vortex was coming in that direction, and we prayed to stay south of the freeze line, and luckily were able to.

The view across the runways at MIA

Monday, we delivered that load, and were amazed to get a load right out. However, as it turned out, we didn't have the space (weight-wise) to load all the wanted. Instead, we ended up doing a local and waiting for other items to clear customs so we could leave with a full trailer. We felt God kept us in Florida until the "heat wave" hit Minneapolis (our final destination), and got us out of Florida before the flooding started there. Ten stops total for the week. We are beyond thankful we got to move. While they may talk about how much better the weather is here in Minnesota, it still is pretty awful. It looks like a beautiful winter wonderland, but the fog in the dark with freezing temps is not so wonderful. Not to mention, our truck started the week all clean, and now looks like I took it through a mud hole somewhere. I hate even getting in and out of the truck because it is such a chore to not get dirty. Please Lord, let us go somewhere warmer soon so we can wash the truck!

Cleaning the runways at MSP

Bonnie was able to finish two books this week, one of which wasn't required! She really is loving her Christmas present she didn't want. Sometimes I have to remind myself she is a teenager, so I am wrong, but this week I was able to remind her of two more things I tried getting for her that she refused and now kicks herself for doing so. One is a fleece lined sweatshirt. She said she didn't like it, and wouldn't need it, and would rather have a huge parka. Well, this week she has borrowed mine several times and said how she wished she had one. "Remember, I tried talking you into getting one." She rolled her eyes and sighed. Then, she decided to borrow my fingerless gloves that flip over to become more like mittens. She again fell in love with them. "I seem to recall suggesting you get a pair, and you said you would rather have just normal gloves." She finally admitted maybe sometimes moms do know best. That is one moment I will hold onto.
Today, as we sit in the freezing cold, we are playing chess, enjoying the quiet. God has kept us safe. He has been our provider. We are blessed. As you look back on your week, I hope you too recognize God's guiding hand in it. I pray you will stay safe throughout the week to come.

"No" is NOT Easy to Say

Some days I feel my children think "no" is the easiest thing in the world to say. I remember Momma tell me, it is easy to just go along with what their children want, but it is difficult to tell them, "No." I remember when she said it, I thought she was just making things seem harder than they were. As an adult of adult children, now I honestly see the validity in what she said. I hope before it is too long, my children can see the same thing. When my two oldest kids were teenagers, I was the only one who disciplined them. Yes, their fathers have been absent from their lives, but I had "help" from my mother. However, my mother was basically setting me up. When I would tell the kids no, she would just go behind my back and give them whatever I said no to. That included dogs, phones, clothes, nearly anything. This included lying to me about saying yes, and lying to me about the specifics. It led to my middle daughter being involved with a married man when she was barely a teenager, and allowing my eldest daughter to continuously interact with a man twelve years older than her, when she was just sixteen. Neither of these things were acceptable with me. Now, I suppose my daughter's lives are ok because my mother has accepted, and even condoned, what they are doing. Their decisions are not acceptable with me.I don't really want to go over all of what has happened, but their choices have changed me. I have had to say no to my middle daughter who wanted to move back home, because she wasn't willing to give up a cat that pees where it wants when she is not around. I have had to say no to her borrowing my car because she has not taken care of hers. I have had to say no to my eldest daughter moving back home because our house has a couple of walls down due to issues with the plumbing, and frankly it is not ok for my grandchildren to be there right now. I have had found out my eldest daughter has lied to me at every turn. I have also found out my eldest daughter is a stripper. I have found out my little sister would much rather cause drama than to be an adult. My life has changed over the last few days, all because I have found out these things. Mark 10:25 says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." While, this scripture has long been identified as dealing with not treasuring your money, I would contend it deals with so much more. Not only are we not to treasure our money, but we must submit to God wholly. Submitting to God is not easy. Sometimes, God says no, not because of any other reason than because it is not what is best for us. God is much like a parent, who doesn't like saying "no," but knows they have to because they must consider what is best. 
Is it best for my daughter to be at home, possibly. However, I know that just saving her, and not forcing her to stand on her own to feet is not what is best. I have to remember, if my daughter would have just cleaned her room, and done what we asked, she would have still been at home. Is it best for my daughter to be a stripper, definitely not! While my mother seems to just see it as "dancing," I remember it opens the door to so much more. No matter what she does, or any of my children for any matter, I will still love them. Doing what is good and right is not easy, but it is what SHOULD be done.