ok, so you'd think that by this age i wouldn't need to do a whole lot in the area of training my daughter, let alone keeping her so close. well, yes...and no. you see, parenting skills have i not of my own, but parenting skills must i learn and make them my own.

when i had my daughter at the tender, naive age of 19, i didn't know what to do or what i was going to do. so, i prayed, went to a church, found the Lord and started a journey toward becoming who Christ intended me to be. it's only been the last few years that i have even really begun to know and understand who that is. i've spent many years climbing to the top of the rubble heap that was my life in order to 'find myself'. i have by no means arrived per se, but i have a much clearer picture to look at and a reference point that is not so clouded. i did not grow up in the way, and it was never modeled for me, of parenting the way God intended--even with the mistakes. so my only references needed to be erased and replaced with those of the Lord and His word and not the ways of man or the world. not as easy to do as it is to say by any stretch of the imagination. i have struggled for many years trying to do what's right in raising my daughter and even though i wish there were 'do-over's' i still press on, trying not to look back and regret.

many prayers and petitions has the Lord heard me cry from the depths of my heart for this child (and me). and because God is Who He says He is, i am who i am today. she is who she is today. yes, there's room for more, much more, but I thank the Lord for what He has done for us thus far. He is so worthy of my most humblest praise. for without Him, we would be as the grass...gone. God be praised!

traci