A lesson learned {for GOOD this time}...

I don't know what is wrong with me sometimes. How do I, a Believer, keen to the Evil One's schemes, fall right into his hands, his plan to distract? I know how he uses things, materialism and selfishness, commercialism, to take the focus off the Lord, and yet, another holiday has passed with me playing right into it.

Do you ever do something even though you know you shouldn't and even worse, you know deep down you don't really want to!?! Yet you do it anyway? No? Oh. Well, I do that. Too often. And truly I don't know why. I am a sinner. But an aware sinner, one who knows better!

I guess it could be that my childhood left something to be desired , I try to make up for it by making sure my kids have everything, and more. Yet I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it's not going matter. They don't need it, what's worse, it's BAD for them. Still, off to Target I go, joining the masses, scooping up the .99 Easter baskets, the soft stuffed chicks and bunnies. I buy plastic eggs, fill them with candy. I stay up late filling them to hide the next day.

Then Sunday morning do I rise early to spend time with my Savior, thanking Him in quietness of heart before the days activities begin? No, and I don't sleep in either, I get up and perfectly arrange 6 Easter baskets, making pretty tags with ribbon and stickers. All for what? To show my kids what matters.

Yes, we do focus on the true meaning of Easter. We ask our children, "What is Easter really about kids?" "Is it important whether or not we wake to Easter baskets or not?" Yet, here they are...And I was so excited to see their faces when they found the little things I'd bought them. I know that it's fluff and that they would fight over the toys later (and they DID!) and I know that they would have sugar highs and later plummet (and they DID!) and saddest of all I know that we would be wasting time focusing on what the world focuses on instead of what matters.

Of couse we prayed and thanked God for allowing Jesus to come to earth and die for our sins. We praised Him for raising Jesus from the dead 3 days later. They did appreciate their gifts and especially loved their wooden crosses to paint. We spoke of why Jesus is not on the cross.

But we still had boys focusing on their new legos throughout the day; and fighting about whether they would get more of their candy now or after dinner. At Charity's mom's house, the selfishness continued and it was torture to stop playing with toys long enough to let me take a picture. My heart was very heavy.

You know what's {almost} funny? Chad, the wise-one, told me so sweetly "Do they really need baskets this year?" "But it's Annah's first Easter with us. And it's just good fun isn't it?" "But do we need to spend the money filling them with so much?" "Yes, honey, I know I go overboard. I'm working on it, I promise." "Okay." I stink. {A side note, a friend once told me, after my boys were mis-behaving and going overboard with decorating my backside with hearts and glue, "It's hard to see our our shortcomings in our kids isn't it?" Yes, it is. And I'm ready to do something about it!}

I really have learned my lesson this time. I am done with spoiling my kids to make them happy and ending up with selfishness instead. Wasted money, wasted time. It's not going to happen again. Check in next year, you'll see!