My Prayer For Austin

I can't BELIEVE my sweet baby boy will be {GASP!} 13 this month! Where has the time gone?! There's SO much I still want to teach him and show him about life and, well, everything!

I've put together just some of the thoughts I have towards him in hopes of reminding myself encouraging others that are just embarking on their parenting journey or those venturing with me into the teenage years...

Son,

The next 5 years are your most important so far and will set the stage for your adult life and all the responsibilities that will entail. I pray you weigh every decision before you move, even the seemingly small ones. Also, that you understand how incapable we are of knowing our futures and even our own hearts without God revealing them to us.

I pray you find Jesus and lose religion. Man isn't your teacher, the Holy Spirit is.

I pray you have the discernment to see the flaws in those who council you but have the grace to love them in spite of those things.

Realize you could never earn a loves as great as the love God freely gives. That you are already accepted by Him and your works could never make him love you more. But that you give your life to works for that very reason. 

Never be so hurt that you allow yourself to become cynical and bitter. Find joy in the simple things. Cherish the good in life and try not to linger too long on the bad. 

Love selflessly. I pray you see through the brokenness of your own childhood the consequences of selfish love. Cling to your wife and the family God blesses you with.

Have the wisdom to separate yourself from your feelings to assess properly which actions or inaction are best for you and your family...after fervent prayer of course.

 After arguments and disagreements, I pray you always look to God and in yourself to see if any fault is yours. If it is, I pray that you have the humility to admit your errors and ask for forgiveness.

And in conversation, that you think more than you speak (preferably before you open your mouth).

See that it's always easier to DO what's right than LIVE with the consequences of doing what's wrong.

Above all, I hope and pray that I have been a blessing in your life. That I have loved you the way you've needed me to and encouraged you to do the things God has called you to do. AND that you know how very, very much I love you and thank God for you <3

 

Mama Time

Don't think by the title that this post is solely about us mamas. I believe everything we do affects our children so we all need to lead by example. As a mom, I try to encourage my boys to be creative and give themselves time to pursue their interests. Somewhere along the way though, I realize I've neglected my own hobbies (that just comes with the MOM title, right). So, I've decided to allocate time for myself to improve and enjoy my own interests!

I recently signed up for FREE online writing classes through our local library (love those guys!). And have committed myself to reading and writing a little everyday. I figure I can do this during my hubby's football games {insert eyeroll here} after the kids are in bed.

I also love to paint and draw and am hoping to incorporate more of that in our homeschooling since Xander loves it as well. Here's two of his faves from his KONOS obedience study last year...the topic was light...

Learning and hobbies should be a life long passion of ours! If I'm teaching my kids that, then I should lead by example and share the joy it brings me with them. I'm sure, if we are a little more diligent with our time, MOST of us could find a little to spare each week on our passions and talents. Doing so may bring a bit more joy to our lives, and possibly others too. God is creative and passionate and He has given us all gifts and talents for a reason! Let us glorify Him in everything we do, with all He's given us!

Praises

Oh, how great it is to know Him! What a blessing it is just to think of His love for us! How can I do anything, but praise His name. He is the Lover of my soul. The Calm in my storm. The Mercy in my corrupted heart. He is the Restorer of my hope.

I can do all things through Him, yet nothing without Him. How humbling it is to know that His face shines upon me, that I am called by the Most High. He has a will and a purpose for my life that would overshadow anything I could accomplish for myself. In Him, there is joy unspeakable. In Him, there is a fullness that once was empty. There beats a heart that once was silent.

Through all things His praises will be in my heart, for He put them there. He knew me from the foundations of the earth and He loved me when I was unlovable. He didn't ask me to conform to the LAW to win His love. Instead, He sought after me. He showered me with His love until I couldn't resist Him any longer. He filled me with His spirit and caused His desires to become my own. My hopes and my dreams are woven together with my faith and love for Him. My heart's sole desire is to be a good and faithful servant to the One who's faithfullness to me far out shines any faith I had in Him. How great is our God <3

A Leader and a Servant

I love my boys. As I listened to them argue, and play, and argue some more, I was thinking about how different their personalities are. I believe God used that tonight to make a point...

Austin is my leader. He is SO confident and strong willed. We have a bit harder of a time with him because he doesn't ever just accept a thought or rule. He wants to know WHY. Though this can be annoying at times, I am thankful that he wants to view all the facts before he decides to believe or do something. He doesn't just take your word for it, in fact, it seems you are automatically wrong until you prove yourself right.

I love his passion. When he has an interest in a subject he will research and learn as much about it as he can. Even if he is mocked by his friends for his interests, he stays committed. He has told me on occasion that he gets made fun of sometimes at school for being a christian....*note- he is NOT a quiet christian. He takes it in stride and says while he doesn't like it, he believes they are not just mocking him, but God as well. He strives to lead by example, especially when it comes to his faith. Recently we had an incident where one of his teachers accused him of lying in class when he said his throat was sore. He came home steaming. After a loooong conversation he admitted that he was most upset because he tries so hard to be a good witness for his faith and he felt this undermined all his efforts.....is that a 'works' message there? hmm...

He is my little defender. He has made it a point at school to befriend those that don't 'fit in' and doesn't hesitate to come to their aid if one is being picked on. He stands up for the underdog and is committed to help them as much as he can.

Xander is my joyful servant. He loves everybody...really. He has the most sincere heart I have every seen. When you're happy, he's happy. When your sad or hurting, he's sad too. His favorite song is thief by Third Day. The first time he heard the song, however, we were in the car. I had to stop the car and console him. Recently at church he began to cry as the singers sang Amazing Grace. He has such a tender heart.

He desires to be good and strives to be helpful. He is obedient and seems to flourish in structured environments. He considers everyone his friend. He has so much love in that little heart of his. His prayers at night consists of him asking God to 'make the whole earth good' and pleading the blood of Jesus over 'all the people'. Though his understanding of God isn't as deep as Austin's was at his age, he believes. Oh, how he believes!

As a child with asthma he has been sick quite frequently in his short life. He has recently began asking God to heal him. He thanks God when he feels he has healed him, but never doubts when he doesn't see a change. He just asks again...and again. He has faith. True, pure faith.

OK, I may have gotten a bit carried away. The point is, the leader isn't really better than the servant, or vica versa. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have talents and gifts. It doesn't matter as much what your gift is, but rather how you use that gift to glorify God. What good would knowledge of His word do me if my heart was hard as stone. And how could I witness to others the greatness of His love if I had no knowledge of His word. He is what makes our gifts great! No matter what your call in life, use it to glorify and honor the One would put it there...