Robin is covering some behavior and discipline issues this week on her blog. The timing is perfect.

My sweet daughter Hope got herself into a situation at school on Tuesday. It was very hard for me to not step in and “fix it” or whisk her away from the turmoil. I was at work and I received a text message from Hope. She wanted me to come and pick her up at school. I asked her “When and Why?” It was only 9 am. I was really confused. She sent me another text message explaining that yesterday (Monday) she told (aka tattled) on the “most popular” boy in 7th grade because he flipped off the math teacher behind her back. So this boy ended up getting suspended from the math class and his parents grounded him for 6 months. So when she got to school Tuesday it all started. The other kids at the school had started calling her names and basically were just being mean to her. She kept texting me, begging me to come and get her. Craig and I talked about it and we didn’t think that was the best thing to do. If she would have gone home then they would have just had something else to tease her about the next day.

It broke my heart. I never want to see my kids get picked on or be upset. I mean I am a mommy I want to protect them from the bad stuff. I also felt that Hope needed to learn to deal with the ramifications of her actions. I am not saying that what she did is wrong but she needs to know the consequences to her actions. I did pick her up when school was over and I brought her the biggest chocolate shake with whip cream I could find. She looked so strong when she walked up to the car, I was proud of her. Her head was held high and her back was straight. As we drove down the street I asked her what really happened and it all came flowing out…the story and the tears. She had made it all day without tears. My peanut is so strong!!

When she went to school today the kids pretty much left her alone and things are basically back to normal. I also think that she learned a lesson about weighing the pros and cons of a situation.

I wonder how many times I have put God in the same position. How many times have I done something and then begged him to deliver me from it? How many times have I not really thought something through knowing that God was on my side and could make everything ok?

I knew it was coming. Matt Lauer just warned me the other morning. He said that gas would be $4.00 a gallon before we knew it. I swear honest engine this gas station was selling regular unleaded for $3.99 yesterday. Why did Matt Lauer have to go and tell them too?

I am not even near the Bay Area or Los Angeles. It is more than likely even higher in those places. So all I could think of to say was OUCH and Thankfully my little car gets really good gas mileage!

I have hit a wall. I can’t climb over it. I can’t break it down. I have literally spent the last week just sitting at the bottom of it staring up at it. It is huge and intimidating. I wish I could say that I didn’t know who was responsible for it. Unfortunately I built it.

First I dug the footings. Then I added the rebar to reinforce it. I followed that with a 5 sack concrete mix. As the concrete set, my wall became my obstacle. It took me a week of stupid selfish thoughts about not being good enough to build it. I spent the next week as stated above pondering it.

I really hadn’t realized that it had become evident to anybody but me. Until 2 people in my life made separate comments. One of these people sees me regularly, talks to me daily and claims that I am a mentor to her. She stated that I don’t seem as excited about church as I have been in the past. The other person is a regular commenter on this blog. The comment just said that it was good to see me back.

I think that the hardest part about hitting the wall is I am not going through anything traumatic, stressful or challenging. I just don’t know my next step. It is like I have been trained for the basics and I have used them. Now I need to know the more in depth things to continue my journey but I either haven’t received the training or am not confident enough in my own knowledge to accept that role.How do awesome writers like Heidi, Hope, Kim, Natalie, Cindy, Robin, Deleise and so many others always tie normal life back to our Savior? I really feel like that kid that is in solitary confinement that is spoon fed a little and only let out for an hour in the courtyard a day.

So as I sit here looking up at my wall and wonder what is next? I ask of you my readers to please correct my interpretations and help me see the Word as you do. I am not promising to bend but I am promising to listen and contemplate with an open mind. I think that aside from the wall the biggest factor is that I may not understand something in the way it is meant and will suffer worldwide embarrassment. I am open for that…..So Correct and Explain Away.

The good news is that when I stopped looking at how tall and big the wall was and started looking around I realized that when I built it I only built it 10 feet long. (Robin Do I get activity points for walking around it?)

My Friend Hope tagged me. She had a birthday and a beautiful blog makeover. Be kind and visit her if you haven’t already. She has an awesome heart for God and a great way of putting things. I’m supposed to write my memoir in 6 words. So Here Goes……..

BROKEN BUT BLESSED BY HIS GRACE