Independence

We are struggling a little bit at our house with independence. The sixteen year old thinks she is more independent than her dad and I think she should be. You know, the whole curfew, tell me where you're going and who you're going with, you have to spend some time at home doing chores and homework... She has been driving like, six weeks. That does not mean (child o' mine) that you are an expert driver, able to go anywhere you want when you want, and that you don't have to answer to your parents. (Can I get an amen from my parent friends?) Really, my child-rearing issues are relatively minor compared to what other people are dealing with. I totally know that. I just a few minutes ago asked Jessica to be home at a certain time for a specific reason. She asked, "Why?" I answered with the reason. She said, "I don't understand." I repeated my reason to which she said, "I don't understand." What she really meant was, "I don't agree and I don't like the reason you are giving me."

I am amazed how many times I can relate my parenting dilemmas to my spiritual life. This morning I asked my Life Group this question, "What is it necessary for you to give up to totally submit to God's plan?" One lady answered without hesitation, "My plan." Perfect answer. That's exactly what we (I) have to give up in order to follow God. However, I also like independence. Sometimes I even ask why. Or, I might say, "I don't understand." Yep, I am so like my sixteen year old...

So, we finally ended the jr. high basketball season. Jacob's team only lost 2 games all season. He starts baseball practice tomorrow so we'll soon transition from one sport to another. Before that, however, high school basketball is still on. Jessica's team has one more game and then playoffs. Our team's playoff game is in Amarillo. AMARILLO, for crying out loud. So, we'll all be heading off to the Panhandle of Texas this Thursday for a Friday game. Jessica was invited to play in some kind of regional tournament, too, during Spring Break.

Johnny is headed off to Nashville in the morning for his trustee meeting. It will leave me as a single parent for a couple of days. We usually are pretty chill while Johnny is gone. Even though we have a basketball game on Tuesday night it will be an easy couple of days while he's gone.

Until next time....Jeanette