Choppy waters or smooth sailing?

I don't know what it's been in your neck of the woods, but around here we have been having choppy waters lately. We have been going through some "boundary-testing" with Joel this week and that pretty much says it all. Except - that I thought Evan was strong-willed and Joel was compliant - until Joel turned 3.

So, this week has been hard because I have felt utterly exhausted, out of ideas, at the point of tears, etc. Plus, Steve had some big deadlines and a huge presentation, so he has been working later than normal, too. By the time he got home Monday night, I was ready to run for the hills. Actually, I did stick around to talk to him for a little, but when he started discussing making dinner and letting the boys back in the house I decided it was time to leave.

So, to relax myself, I got some shopping done that would be almost impossible with Joel. I also had a relaxing dinner at McAlister's. The best part of that however, was the time I spent there reading in Proverbs.

(The weekly Bible study that I attend at church is called The Amazing Collection and it is different from anything I have done before. Each week we study one book of the Bible, and we are going from Genesis to Revelation. At our church it takes 3 years to complete the entire study with the group. This study is designed for women and it's purpose is to give an overview of each book. We learn about its place in history, it's theme, it's major characters, etc., but also how all of the books fit together to form a cohesive collection.)

So, this past week we were studying Proverbs. I realized that I had neglected really studying or reading this book for many years. I think that I was biased against it because I knew the end of Solomon - he did not end his life well or wisely. So, although he was the wisest man on earth I didn't really feel the need to read what he had to say. What I realized this week, however, and I feel sheepish admitting that it has taken me this long to realize this, is that God still gave this wisdom to Solomon. God found it important enough to be included in the scriptures. Hello! So, this past week I began studying as I have every other week. By Monday, I was desperately wanting to read this book to see if I could find any wisdom for the trouble I was facing with Joel. I certainly found lots of wisdom to apply in many areas of my life! What a balm this book was to my soul Monday night!

I woke up refreshed Tuesday morning, and it was the beginning of a good day. By bedtime, Joel had started pushing some boundaries again. This night, I was able to calmly lay down beside him in bed, and help him calm down until he fell asleep. I truly believe that being in the word and being in prayer helped Joel have a better start to the day and helped me to deal with him better, too.

Joel is still testing, but not as much as he did on Monday. I still get upset, but so far I haven't gotten as frustrated as I was Monday. We have had a lot of fun together the last couple of days. We had a picnic lunch at the playground at church after Bible study yesterday. Today we played out in the yard for a little, too. It got very windy, so we decided to come in. Now he is "reading" books to himself - and to me. So, while the winds are picking up outside, we are having smoother sailing inside, thanks to the power of God in our lives.