Less than a week away from departure to Texas.
Meanwhile, major blow up last night. MAJOR blowup.
The 14 and the 15 year old giving their mom hell, to be frank about it.
To the point of cussing, fighting, throwing things, etc etc etc.
I can't to into all of it, WWW and all, but she ended up in her room, crying and sobbing hysterically.
The 15 year contacts me freaking out and wanting sympathy.
Are you kidding?
I gave him none.  Told him like it is and that was that.  His panicking started when she told him and his 14 year old brother that they have one week.  ONE week. Attitudes don't change, they are history, sending them to either dad's - who doesn't want them - or send them into the "system".  State custody in other words.  I talked to that boy for 2 hours on facebook messaging system. I talked to mom until she calmed down and could stop crying.  And then I told her his panic and flipping out - which was not designed to get mom's sympathy, only to tell her that whatever had happened with her over there with the sobbing and telling them she's done with them - might have actually had done some good.

The boy is telling me he's going to bed so I'm telling her that cause she's locked away in her room. By that point I had her in a much different mood, she was big enough to get up and go hug the kid, kiss him on the cheek and then tell him they would talk in the morning.

Soo who knows, the boy had a come-to-Jesus moment and told me how he was going to change and just totally panicking. I ministered the Lord to him for a couple of hours and then waited to see what was going to happen today.
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Long interlude.  Now Monday morning.
Yesterday. The boy contacts me again.  I am sort of letting him go to his own devices for the time being, but if he contacts me I will talk to him.  Says he's doing great!  Yes, it turns out, he did more than just his regular chores, he had a great attitude about it and he was the only kid in the house that would actually do anything yesterday.  So I said good, proud of ya, but it's only one day.  Not to be a wet blanket but his attitude has basically sucked for quite a while now, getting far worse in the last month or so. I tried to be encouraging while at the same time being realistic.  I used to minister to teenagers long ago, I had lost some of my touch and connection in talking with them but that's all coming back now.

The point of saying all of this: I love that lady and I want to marry her - but I have to first make sure we are a good fit with each other and only repeated visits will tell that.  We talk on facebook or the phone all the time.  But that isn't the same as being together.  But secondly, yes I know what I am walking into with these boys and the oldest daughter - though she doesn't live there any more she still starts a lot of trouble and just shows nothing but hate towards her mom - but I have to know how and if I can fit in there and if I will be accepted by those kids.  Cause' if I ain't, pardon the poor English but not really, this ain't gonna work.  I can't walk into hell with a bunch of kids that totally disrespect their mom and worse than that and expect that I can just "live" with it.  Kids can be changed, but only if they are open to it.  You can force stuff on them, but that can pretty much lead to resentment and bitterness, which means a house full of hate.

I don't need or want that.  If the 15 year old continues on this new path,  that's a big stride towards improvement. The 14 year old is the other hellion, maybe worse than the 15 year old.  But I can't talk to him on FB because he has an "addiction" problem - bad - and he isn't allowed on the internet at all because of it. I would definitely try talking to him though, he's asked for help and she has tried to find someone to minster to him from within the church, looking for a man to do it since that's what he really needs, but I guess people taking on that kind of thing just doesn't apparently hit anyone's fancies in the Christian church today.

I understand it's someone else's kid, but there must be someone over there that the Lord can get a hold of their heart and impress on them to take that kid up as a mission field in itself and work with him.  She's been searching a long time now.  Their youth pastor is trying to help, but he's being pulled a thousand different ways, it's a pretty big youth ministry, that church built an entire separate building to accommodate for all of those kids.

It's not really a dilemma for me, those kids, I just want to know that they are going to be able to accept my authority in the house.  Because I will not back down to teenagers and especially rebellious ones that think they can do or say anything they please to their own parents without possibility of any consequences.

Monday morning. Well, 2 days of work, though tomorrow is a half day with the other hours paid by the company, Wednesday/Christmas off, back to work Thursday and Friday and then off to Texas, flight leaving 6am Saturday.  Just odd work week to have to go to work 2 days, get off the middle of the week and then back to work. My preference is a 3 day weekend end.  But that's just my preference, lol, I'll take a free day off whenever!  Regardless, there is plenty to do this morning at work and one huge delivery so that helps me a lot, especially early Monday morning and it's still dark out and you are wondering why you aren't in bed sleeping instead of at work - working!

G'day.

ben