what the man in the yellow hat is teaching me

You know the man in the yellow hat, right? Ted from Curious George. I have been watching as my kids call him, George, for about 4 years now. It is a very family friendly cartoon about a little monkey who lives with a man who is a library or museum curator (I think) and this man, only wears yellow and wears a HUGE yellow hat. On the show, the narrator refers to him as the man with the yellow hat, but in the movies, we learn his name is Ted. Well, Ted has been teaching me some things about my own curious monkeys. Now, I understand, this is a TV show and not reality but still, this little monkey is a handful. But, you know what, the man, Ted, he ALWAYS seems to be laughing and having a good time. This is one area that I am weak in, when it comes to my kids. What this really translates to is selfishness. Also, no matter what the man is doing, when George comes into the room, the man stops what he is doing and he relates to George. Often, I am so "busy" that I can't stop to see the rainbow my littles have drawn or the sticker sheet they have completed. One other lesson that the man keeps driving home to me is this: that little monkey is a MESS! Everywhere he goes, he makes a mess, leaves a mess or is just a mess yet, the man always tries to find the good. Once, George tried to make a gift for the man and it wound up being a huge wreck and the man did almost lose it but in the end he saw that George was just trying to please him. Now, George the monkey does get in trouble some, I appreciate that the man does discipline....but he is not rude to the monkey nor does he keep a record of the offense. I need to work harder to discipline without crushing. I am NOT an advocate for "soft" parenting but, I can tend toward harshness and that is NOT what honors the Lord, nor does it encourage my children in godliness. Also, the monkey gets LOTS of baths! That is ONE thing that I share in common with the man! Sometimes the man puts George in the tub for his own sanity! I can totally relate to that. I am so thankful that my kids are curious little monkeys AND I am thankful that they are children and not REALLY monkeys! O Lord, help me to stop and take time to enjoy every moment of every day which is so often hard to do. Help me to know what battles to fight and which ones to leave for another day. Thank you that you are the author and perfecter of my faith and that it is you who causes repentance and salvation in my children. Lord, would you save my children in spite of me and would you help me to be more like the man with the Yellow hat? Help me to have eyes to see good things and wisdom to know when to correct. For your honor and glory in Jesus name!

what's that you say?

today was taht day. you know, the one where you listen to yourself when you should be talking to yourself. the one where you believe you are bad at EVERYTHING! the one where you go over and over in your mind....the only if's. the one where you rehearse how this is all wrong.....a big mistake.....how life was suppossed to be______________...... yes today I listened......i did not stop I did not speak truth to myself......i did not run to the Lord. I chose to listen and wallow and fret and it was a TERRIBLE day. there were even things I should have and could have done in a different way but chose to walk in my strength. alert....alert.....THAT ALWAYS ends in failure. so very thankful for Gods grace iny life. so thankful for my sweet husband who listens and talks to me when I cant seem to muster up the words to say to myself.