Everything that does not come from faith...

Yesterday was a hard day.  Parenting at any point is hard.  But, yesterday was especially difficult.  My oldest daughter will be 4 in about a month and she is testing the limits of just how terrible three can be.  Or, that was my perception of the situation.  Honestly, I believe God was revealing in me a loyalty not to Himself, but to the knowledge I had recently gained. 
At the beginning of the year I was standing in Walmart trying to keep my children from grabbing every piece of candy at the check out.  A woman turned and handed me a flier for a free parenting class here in Boerne, TX.  She seemed kind enough and the flier boasted free child care and catered breakfast every Wednesday morning... enough said! I started attending these classes and was blown away by the knowledge being handed out.  I started to wonder why the classes weren't booked months in advance with a mile long waiting list, but we'll leave that for another post.  After nine weeks with our instructor I felt like a changed woman.  I was no longer spanking.  Ever.  I was treating my children with kindness because I had gained so much information about their ages and stages.  I had also started telling all my friends about this class and giving out as much information as I could to help with whatever situations I had heard about.  I was feeling so confident... in myself.  And there in lies the problem.  I had gained so much information and been given so many skills that I began to think that this motherhood gig was something I could really excel at.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am forever indebted to my instructor and those classes for giving me practical, everyday solutions to situations I face all the time.  I will use those tools and cherish the kindness of our instructor forever.  But, as I faced yesterday, even with all the tools in the world, sometimes we fail.  I think we can have so much confidence in ourselves or our skills that God allows situations to occur that will leave us questioning whether we have any skill at all.  Truly, I believe God wants us to know our children and any information available about their development, but He wants us to guard our hearts and remember that at the basic level, HE CREATED THEM... HE CREATED US... and HE HAS A PLAN.
My husband is such an amazing leader and as I was venting my frustrations about my own actions he reminded me that no level of educational understanding can take the place of a life walked in the Spirit of God.  I have to daily ask the Lord to use my understanding and step in when there's misunderstanding.  I have to be at His feet for my children.  I have to RELY on Him for EVERYTHING.  I have to have FAITH that my ability is what He intended my children to encounter on this journey called life.
If you are in the same place I am... looking to carry the yoke of our Lord and Savior instead of the burdens I would heap on myself... I want to invite you to walk with me.  After a wonderful conversation with a good friend this morning, I started realizing there are so many of us that simply need someone to walk with.  I need your encouragement.  I need to know that you're there too.  I need to know that there are others that regardless of their circumstances are "committing themselves to their faithful Creator and continuing to do good" (1 Peter 4:19). 
I would love to hear feedback and maybe see if this bog can become and integral part of us linking arms and holding each other up as we seek to train our children in the Lord.  I will be praying for everyone who may encounter this blog.  My prayer is that we could see 1 Peter 4:10 recognized in a tangible way. "Each one should use whatever gift she has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 
If you've come... welcome... let's start walking.