The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness

I really don't like having to discipline my children.  For the present, it truly is grievous and not joyous.  I would love to just never have to correct them.

But alas, that is just not how real life is.  For example, one Sunday Kiana woke up "on the wrong side of the bed".

While I'm talking about her, I might as well highlight her beautiful head of hair and her latest hairstyle, right?  It's been quite some time since I shared.

First she didn't like the dress that was laid out the night before (to make our Sunday morning routine smoother) and then she wanted to wear her tan tennis shoes instead of the pretty matching shoes. She didn't want to carry her Bible, she walked to the van with a scowling face, and still had crabby eyebrows even after she was told to make a happy face.

I know, I know, I should have corrected her before this point.  But I do understand where the anti-spanking people are coming from.  It's no fun to have to spank your child.  I calmly and consistently won each of the above battles (except for the eyebrows, I guess), but didn't want to engage in the war.  I wanted to be "fun mom".

Isn't this hairstyle, once again created by Briana's friend Kidon, simply beautiful?!

Once we got to services, the attitude continued.  I offered her a notebook and a pencil during the study but she didn't want the black mechanical pencil I offered--she wanted the red (which I had checked and it had no lead). As a consequence, she got nothing to play with.  She then commenced to waller on Briana (who sat on her right side), so I pulled her to my side and sat with my arm around her.  I gently tickled her arm and held her close.  I thought maybe things were getting better.

Then it was time for the collection.  I gave her some money to put in the basket and while I was passing more out to Easton and Tyrell, Briana told Kiana to clasp it the money in her fist instead of flinging it around so she wouldn't drop it.

Kiana defiantly rolled her money between two hands.  Time for the swat.  This unpleasant attitude had finally resulted in a willful act of disobedience.

Kiana then miraculously turned into a sweet girl with a happy, smiling face and shining eyes.  Funny how that works, hmmmm?