Train a child...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we as parents could choose each and every decision our small innocent children make throughout their tough years of life. What am I saying, I don't know if there has been a year go by that I haven't had to ask my parents for help with certain decisions yet. Anyway back on point. I wish that as a child I would have had the understanding of how much I was loved by my parents and know that they were just doing what was best for me at that time. I believe that a person does not get that full understanding of love until they have had their own precious children. And it is not until this time that we as children of God actually under stand the full meaning of God sending his son to die on the cross to save us from sin. As a child I did know that it was a big sacrifice, but not until I was pregnant with Skylee did I realize just how big.

At the time of my pregnancy with Skylee the movie The Passion of Jesus Christ had just hit the theaters. I went to watch this movie with my church family and I left there broken hearted for Mary. Now I know that there was a bigger message in that movie that I was suppose to get, and don't get me wrong I grew up in a very christian home and I have read this story many times and I got it, but getting a visualization of Mary suffer through watching her son get beaten and hung on that cross, well that kicked in the pregnancy hormones and it broke my heart. That is the day that I realized there is just something about the love you have for your own child. God is such an awesome God and I live to praise him every day.

I want my kids to always know that Brandon and I love and support them in everything that they do, but I also want them to make the right decisions in life and that is very important to me. I know they will mess up, because I still do, but I want them to be able to come to us so that we can help them get through it and steer them toward the way God wants them to go.

Raising my children to become strong faithful Christians is my number one goal in life right now and I pray every night that Brandon and I can set a good example for them to follow each and everyday. We had a guest speaker at our church one night and his name was Micah Brinkley. He said something that night that just pierced my heart and I haven't been able to forget it since. He said that he and his wife pray every night that if their children were to grow up and stray from God that they would rather God have them right now as innocent children and know they are safe in his loving arms. Don't quote me on that but that was the gist of it. I went home that night thinking what in the world? Who could say something like that? Well then it hit me. Someone who whole heartedly loves the Lord and his children both. Now that is some faith! I hope to one day be there and to be able to pray that prayer. I'm getting closer.

There is also one other point that I have heard over the years that literally terrifies me to death. And it is that a person is going to be who they are by the age of 8. Well that only gives us 4 more years for Skylee and 6 for Doss to instill the right roots. Parenting is one of the most challenging but rewarding jobs in the world and I just pray that the ultimate Boss is happy with our work.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. -Proverbs 22:6