We can have HOPE

Today I'm guest-posting over at the MOB society, a place of encouragement and inspiration related to anything "boy." I am humbled that they accepted my post, as I am not a writer, but just a girl who has passion in her heart to see us all (and particularly her sons) walk a walk of purity with the God of the universe. Please click below to take a journey over there and discover some of my thoughts on having HOPE for our boys...

Moments of Brilliance

I know I often write on here about the deeper issues. But I have begun to realize I'm not doing a very good job recording memories that bring us much joy in our home. Rays of light. "Moments of brilliance," as we refer to them. When at the end of a long day my husband and I can look at each other and say, "Something is getting through." Not because anyone is gaining intelligence necessarily, but because someone is obeying, someone is loving their brother, someone is just growing in who God made them to be. We are blessed to watch this happen in front of our eyes every day. It is a gift that we want and need to remember. So I'm going to start recording it here, hopefully a couple times a month. Some way that each boy is growing, by God's grace, and shining before us.

Jack has recently learned to read. The light switch came on! It was so neat to watch. As I am not a teacher, and have never had a 5 yr. old before, I've never really experienced that. After struggling through reading lessons, starting about a year ago, one day he finally seemed to like it (which came as a huge relief to me!)God truly just grew the desire in him to read, and he hasn't stopped since. It is precious when he will sit down with his brothers and they both look over his shoulder as he reads to them. It's a rare moment in this house of wild chaos, but a definite blessing!

Luke LOVES his baby brother! He loves to play with him, hold him, to help change him and feed him. Everything to do with baby J is of interest to him. Most days he can't seem to contain his affection for him...and sometimes he does squeeze him a bit too tight. But it is a beautiful thing to watch his care & love grow for another.

David is 2. Need I say more?! He is stubborn and independent and thinks he doesn't need a nap...all the things that push this mommy's buttons like crazy. But he is also a joy. He is hilarious actually. The way he plays and imagines things and runs around like a little crazy man is a great reminder of how I should take life less seriously. Just the other day he was talking (to himself) about Jesus in his heart, just matter-of factly. We pray that he will come to true salvation one day soon, and that his child-like faith will always be evident as he grows. Oh, and his hair is totally crazy and I love it :)

Joshua is growing into his own little 5 month old personality. His little cuddles and smiles are very often a means of Grace to me throughout the day. He just recently took up some real eating, and seems to like it. And he also has discovered his toes :)

Thank you, Lord, for these rays of light. Help us to remember on the tired and not-so-fun days that these boys are gracious gifts from above. Help us love them as you do. And may we honor you in how we train them up.

Pruning

"We all make mistakes, Mommy."

I was so gently reminded of this from our oldest boy a few nights ago, as I lectured the brothers on how they had not been making many good choices that day. Ouch. That's hard to hear when it's not coming from my own mouth.

I can tend to be pretty hard on myself, not real quick to have grace for this soul of mine. Sometimes I feel like I'm not that good at anything. One little failure, or some way that I'm not measuring up, can set me into a downward spiral that has the potential to ruin a whole day. I can get embarrassed easily and I can tend to shy away from things that take me out of my comfort zone. And I am beginning to see these things in my son...

I am learning that the apple truly does not fall too far from the tree, even at the young ages of our boys. They do the things we do. In many ways, they tend toward the weaknesses that plague us and are passionate about the things we're passionate about.

The other night I was brought comfort & hope about this very subject when we were reading our Lenten devotional and it was out of John 15. I was reminded of the pruning. Unless we allow the Lord to work with us, to cut off the "dead branches," we cannot bear fruit. Or at least we will not bear fruit at the quality that we could and should. The painful process of dealing with my "stuff" will yield good fruit...

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control.

Each day I can come closer to exhibiting these qualities, to yielding this fruit, if I let myself be pruned. Be reminded that I am not #1. Be reminded that even though that's true as far as how I should live, God still loves me as if I am his #1. Learn to give grace freely, to others and to myself. Release the attempts to control all that surrounds me.

If I remain in the vine, pressing deeper into the Lord, I can trust that He will not prune branches that don't need to go. He doesn't put me through something painful just because. He always has purpose in what he allows. He can heal all my hurts and turn my weakness into strength. He can make something beautiful appear from mere stumps.

It is hard to watch my child begin to look a bit like me. It's hard to watch his strongholds appear. But as I do, I am determined more and more to show him the love of our Savior, and our desperate need to remain in Him. I am determined to help him learn to overcome his weaknesses--as I am learning--and to allow the pruning, so that he can bear beautiful fruit.

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be more fruitful...Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine." ~John 15:2,4