Put the Brakes On!!!!!

Phew . . . what a busy few weeks we've had here at the nut house!!!!! My teenage niece and nephew spent 11 days at our house (yes, I had 8 kids for 11 days - it was actually pretty great) and then we drove them back to their home at the beach.  We went to the ocean, a water park and the kids all went to the movies before we headed back home.  I am finally sitting down to catch my breath and just glanced at the calendar. Francis has basketball practice tomorrow morning  and  Lemuel has a physical for football in the afternoon!
Despite the vast amounts of FUN we have been having, I am feeling so utterly convicted that I am undone.
In the wake of all the partying, guests, cook outs and travel, I am afraid our family has lost focus on the One who deserves the most attention - Jesus!   Yes, we've gone to church each Sunday, and some Wednesdays. Yes, we pray before each meal and I have spent SOME time in God's word but my conviction goes beyond those issues. I have let things slide with my children that are unacceptable.  Attitudes, choices of music and movies, crass speech, laziness regarding their responsibilities at home and so much more.  Finally, two nights ago while at my sister's house at the beach, it all came to a head with some unkindness between my teens. I called my husband up crying and told him how broken hearted I was over the general state of things. He quickly agreed and admitted that he, too, has seen glimpses of these issues but has not addressed them. We apologized to each other for our parental laziness and made a decision to get these attitudes back on track PRONTO!  We have prayed, talked and decided to have a meeting with our teens tomorrow to emphasize how to live a life "worthy of our calling".  We all need a tune up, not just the kids. It's time for us to hole up for a little while and get back to focusing on walking our talk!
I share the embarrassing state of our family, not just to humiliate myself, but to point out just how subtle and crafty the enemy of our souls has been. You see, if he had come into our family foaming at the mouth, dressed like a satan worshipper and inviting my teens to join him, they would have spotted him from afar and been drawn closer to their Heavenly Father. So instead, he slips in disguised as a "harmless" joke, a funny but biting comment, a friend who commiserates when you complain about your family, a show that isn't appropriate for the "little kids" but just fine for "us teens"  . . . and . . . before you know it, the enemy is sitting on our sofa with his feet on the coffee table and we didn't even see him come in!  Well, we see him now and he's no longer welcome.

I Peter 5:8-9
⁸Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.