What Kids Are

children are a blessing.

is that your first thought about your kids?  you might actually have just laughed out loud  ;)  i think i get into ruts at times where thinking of the boys as blessings is very far off my radar.

societally, kids are an inconvenience and a nuisance.  abortion is just one confirmation of that.

we roll our eyes when we speak about our kids.  we complain about how hard they are to train.  gripe about making meals and washing clothes and disciplining and spending money on them and on and on.  i can rattle that list off because i do all those things.

i learned a new phrase this summer that has revolutionized the way i think about the boys.

"I GET TO"

i get to....stop and train their hearts towards God.
           ....feed them (all day long ;).
           ....bathe them and dress them.
           ....play with them.
           ....teach them new things.

next time you feel yourself diving off the cliff of frustration about a little person throwing a wrench in your momentary plans, try saying that to yourself.  whatever you were doing, now you get to...  it really does soften your heart.

i can't think of a single place in God's Word that describes children as being anything but a blessing.  that's been hitting me lately.

we should be thankful for them and the opportunities we have through them.  we say we are, but do we really feel that way?  i mean, who else would teach you patience and self-control and dying to self if you didn't have your kids.



finn has gotten two little trophies for playing soccer the last couple of seasons, and he's been begging jon to see all of his trophies.  when jon's parents moved a couple of years ago, we got a rubbermaid full of all his old plaques and trophies and game winning balls and stuff.





they thought it was pretty rad (even though some were for math teehee).