Having Fun

 "...the joy of the LORD is your strength..." 

Nehemiah 8:10

     Some may say that fun is not important. Some may say that having fun is a waist of precious time. I say that fun is a great learning tool for rougher days ahead. For children, having fun is a way for them to understand what joy is like; having fun helps them understand what peace feels like; having fun helps them understand the "up" side of life.

     Life is going to get harder and harder. Their hearts will have plenty of time to learn what challenges and disappointments feel like. What concerns me is how well they will do with the difficulties. I want them to be overcomers. I want them to face all of the twists and turns of life with their heads and hearts in the right place. 

     Having fun is literally training them in how to have fun. That fun will in turn help them understand the parts of God's heart that are not so easily grasped by that many. How can God have joy in the midst of pain? How can God have peace in the midst of sorrow?

     Having fun is preparing these mighty men of God. They are being equipped every time I engage with them in laughing and rejoicing over the simplest of things. In this beautiful moment it was splashing in the water flowing out of a sprinkler.

     May God bless each one of you with the power of rejoicing in the small moments - having fun with your precious ones.

Rejoice Always

"Rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say rejoice!" 

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4

     As I meditate upon this chapter and see the faces of the boys in these pictures, I ask myself, "Who is showing whom how to do it the best?" "Are the boys learning from us or are we learning from them?" Many times I would have to confess that the latter is true. That fact, alone, makes me even more thankful for the privilege of knowing theses mighty men of God. Being with them, day in and day out, isn't always easy and fun, but I it is worth it.

     May God bless you as you live this day. May God reveal more of Himself to you. May God protect you and give you wisdom in raising your beautiful children.

Mirror Mirror

"As [a mirror] reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."

Proverbs 27:19

     Just as Jeremiah lays to see himself - his reflection - I watch and observe him. I see him now, as he is, but also who he will become. How much more does God see who he is and who he will become? I praise the LORD for His view - His perspective. May the LORD have His way in leading Jeremiah; may Jeremiah's way be plain before him and easily walk-able by God's grace. I am not asking for his life to be easy - we all know that is not possible. I am asking that God will keep him along the path of righteousness, and only by God's grace will that be possible.

     May the joy of the LORD continue to radiate from Jeremiah's heart, as each day comes and goes. May the innocence of his heart remain as the evil days unfold. May he have the ever-increasing discernment and wisdom that God holds out for those willing to receive. May his lips proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, setting many captives free.

     Dear reader, I pray the same over the sweet and precious lives of the children you know and love.

FedEx Walk

     One highlight of our weeks has been "The FedEx Walk!" The boys know what it means to have a box and need to get it to FedEx ASAP. How many kids can say that! We arrive after a short walk (great to be located so close to one), walk through the front door, and are greeted so warmly by those who have come to know us - especially the boys. On the way back, we usually finish with some time at a nearby park. The amazement in the midst of it all is how much they are learning by doing something so simply. Hallelujah. Thanks, FedEx, for all or your help!

Present Joy!

"Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. 

Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." 

Psalm 5:11

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, 

with eternal pleasures at your right hand." 

Psalm 16:11

"The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. 

The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes." 

Psalm 19:8

     Isaiah and Jeremiah were blessed with a wonderful surprise in the mail: A BIG BROWN BOX WITH THEIR NAMES ON IT!!! A present and a joy - hence, Present Joy! It's a nice play on words and packed with a whole lot of punch. 

     It is indeed a present to live in joy. It is a joy to receive a present. There is joy in the present moment.

     Leave it to the amazing children of our lives to point us to the joy in each moment. Of course their moments pass by quiet quickly. They are off onto the next best thing so fast, but no matter what it is and how often they change their focus, they always capture the joy. 

     Hallelujah for joy!

     May God grant to you, gentle reader, the joy in this day. May He give you the strength to endure. May He give to you the revelation of what the present moment can potentially look like if it needs some rearranging. May He give to you the favor and strength to trust Him to do the rearranging. May He give to you the patience to trust Him with all of your heart.

Fireman Heart

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Proverbs 29:18

"Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper."

Proverbs 13:4

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."

Psalm 31:24

No matter the age, the children will have vision; they will need to hope; they will need courage. We are in their lives to foster all three. They are looking to us for guidance; they are looking to us for love. In love, they can grow WHILE making mistakes. If they do not feel secure in either, they will not feel free to develop as God has called them to develop. 

May God give you all the grace to endure today, the grace to see as He does, and the grace to embrace your beautiful babes just as they are.

With You; For You

As the boys grow, they need to know that we are with them AND for them. 

As their parents, we must continue to communicate that truth to them through our words and actions.

What that translates to days, months, and years from now:

Them knowing that God is with them and for them.

Them expressing the same to each other - also, others in their intimate circles. 

Their confidence and courage - faith, hope, and love.

Their success - being over-comers, skilled, and well established.

Them loving God with all that they are - trusting Him and working with Him.

Them being the mighty men of God that He has ordained them to be.

Teaching Communication

     How do I teach the boys healthy communication? They obviously know how to communicate - as they go from one level to the next level in their development. What's the best way for them to communicate what they want and/or need? Is it through a screaming tone or a calm one? Is it through a tug on my clothes or a certain look? Is it through a word or a pointed finger? Is it through shoving or slapping? Is it through crying and whinnying?

     Surprisingly to me, they are learning much of their communication through how I communicate to them. It truly is that simple. It is also that alarming - at times when it is a way that is not healthy.When I communicate in a calm fashion, they learn to communicate in a calm fashion. Even when emotions are at their worst - even then - if I stay calm in communicating they will do the same. How do I know that? WELL, because of doing it wrong (laughing)! Hallelujah for God's mercy and grace when I mess up. I have lost count of the times I have had to ask the boys for forgiveness. Hallelujah that in those moments they are learning what it is to communicate humility (asking for forgiveness when I mess up) AND learning what it is to communicate pride (running with crazy emotions and getting angry and mad).

     Bottom line: As I learn to communicate in healthy ways - NO MATTER HOW I FEEL - the boys will learn the same healthy ways to communicate.

     HOW does it all come together? By God's grace and mercy. I find that in starting the day off with prayer, WITH the boys, and asking for grace to love well, our days turn out much better.

     Finish it well with thanksgiving to the LORD. He is always worthy of our praise.

Squash Face!

The first solid food came - Squash was our pick!

And the foods have continued to come - hallelujah for a good eater! If it were up to him, he would be eating everything we were! It's a joy to watch him get messy and examine each intricate part to the food we place before him. Now, my favorite foods to give Jeremiah are the ones I can leave in chunks - bananas, apples, peaches, beans, cheese, bread, crackers - and of course he prefers them because he gets to be in control. It is blessing to let him grow and develop into the man of God that he has been ordained to be - no matter how small those pieces are to the bigger picture (like how to use his fingers and teeth to feed himself).