The Arena.

So you know about the Revolution in Behaviour, about the TWO RULES and they all seem well and good; your wife or husband is in agreement and your children know what is expected of their behaviour. Life is wonderful in Yahusha and yet there still seems to be UNREST & CHAOS . . .

There is an ARENA in this life - everyone is watching you PERFORM CERTAIN BEHAVIOURS and parade an ARRAY OR EMOTIONS around, while doing battle with 'him or her' for your daily causes, desires and opinions - to win every showdown and have YOUR way because YOU ARE YOU AND YOU WANT THINGS DONE LIKE THIS OR THAT . . .

BUT DO YOU EVER GET IT?

Young children do naughty things, they are immature, emotional, and careless and they are constantly drawing us parents in to the emotional ARENA to wage battle for ORDER & PEACE in our homes. One minute we are content and at peace, sitting quietly and before we know it OUR CARCASS IS STORMING THROUGH THE HOUSE, smacking stick in hand ENRAGED and we wake up in an 'emotional bloodbath' with screaming children all around us who have been whacked, screamed at and we realise we have just probably allowed more chaos and evil to enter our home THROUGH US than the initial silliness which the children were doing, tiddly-winking around. OUR VESSEL HAS BEEN INVADED, VIOLATED, CHEWED-UP, SPAT-OUT and we are left ashamed, embarrassed, discouraged and exhausted.

NOW CALM DOWN & TAKE A BREATHER . . .

We cling on for dear life gasping for air and as we WAKE UP TO WHAT'S HAPPENING we try our hardest to flee the chaos and run back into the LOVELY FEELING OF PEACE - and it's not hard to find for Yahusha is always there in the same incredible capacity, arms wide open - ready to forgive and when we face our part in the chaos and repent for our RIDICULOUS BEHAVIOUR IN THE ARENA it is over . . . . . until the next conquest !

We may never be able to change another living person even those in our own homes but how to we get the place where we DON'T ENTER THE ARENA ANYMORE (dragged or by choice) ???

The Two Rule are the biggest help and are Yahusha's solution to the question "how should we live?, i.e behave Turah in our day?" If we are truly and genuinely LETTING EVERYONE HAVE IT & NOT TAKING ANYTHING THEY DO OR SAY PERSONALLY then we have not stepped into the ARENA that they may be in, even though they may try to draw us in and woo us with their drama......... STAY OUT!!!

The hardest challenge with our children is that we have to TRAIN THEM especially if they are young (mine are all under 10yrs old) and so we often have to SIT ON THE EDGE OF THE ARENA trying to help them out, reason with them and give understanding while trying our hardest not to enter ourselves, trying not to fly off the handles, not to let THOSE DREADFUL EMOTIONS come through our vessel and use us.

This is the test, this is our life with children and this is the running of the race to overcome the world that still surges through us tempting and taunting at every turn to ensnare and trip us up. Maybe now more than ever we understand why Yahusha told us to hear HIS voice as the Shepherd because HE OVERCAME EVERY PART OF THE WORLD. He said that the Prince of this world was coming (the Devil) and he had NO PART IN HIM. IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT !

Let's keep our eyes on Him and let loving-kindness be our Behaviour . . .

AND STAY OUT OF THAT HIDEOUS ARENA.

Love from Mark . . .