Have your cake and eat it too...

We had a cake eating contest tonight at youth group.

It might have resulted in this poor girl never eating cake again.  Hopefully not though.

All in all, it was a good night.

It's good to have a place where you can go and spend time with just genuinely great people.

Tonight we also played the ever infamous game of Poop Deck.  It's a game that we start playing with the Pioneer Clubs kids and apparently it's still fun when you get to high school.  

Granted, it's a little more crowded with the bigger kids... but fun, nonetheless.

These awesome girls just chose to dance the night away.  

And unfortunately this spunky child made some poor choices that resulted in a time out and this look.

Goodness, this child and I can go head to head at times.  He has a strong will and a stubbornness that just won't quit sometimes.  It's so frustrating, but I know that I have this small window of opportunity, to love him, and to do my best to teach him the best possible way to deal with it.  It's not an easy job, and definitely not very enjoyable at times... but I know that it's important.  And I know that God gave me my son, for a reason... knowing that He would also give me the strength to raise him well.  

Thankfully, by the time we got home, he had let go of his anger and stubbornness, and was tearfully and humbly asking for forgiveness.  It was a good place to be after a difficult night.  I know that I want to do my best to show my son grace and forgiveness, because there are so many times in my life that I also need these things.  Thankfully, I have a God who loves me... and who has given me the most amazing model of this.  And I'm also thankful that He is the one who will see me through these difficult times too.