Monday, December 5, 2011

"Train them up in the way they should go..."

For those of you waiting {ever so patiently} for a winner to be announced, I'm posting it first today!  Then onto a "Welcome Home" to my 3rd born!



So, today's winner was drawn out of a crystal Christmas bowl that my friend Kelley gave me.  It is one of those gifts that makes you think of the giver every time you see it!  See, Kelley gave away one of her own personal crystal bowls in a White Elephant Gift Exchange that we both participated in last year...she sensed that I really wanted to win it and then I didn't!  So, low and behold, she bought me one!  Isn't that the sweetest?  It's a gift I absolutely treasure!

First of all, thank you all for the comments!  I absolutely LOVE them!

So, without further ado ~ the winner is......


Congratulations Susan!  Send me your address!



Here is the boy whom we are welcoming home today!


 


This is my Connor!  He is my warrior!  He is passionate, protecting, and tough on the outside but soft on the inside!  Today he returned home from a 12 day mission trip to Chile with a group of kiddos from our church. {Here he is snuggled up on the couch and crashed out!}
Connor is the child that has taught me the most about myself and God has used him to refine areas in me that I thought I knew best!

When our boys were little, we had a "no gun" policy.  That meant no toys, Legos, or toast could be a made into a gun!  With our first boy, it was easy - he is my love to please, easy going one. {I thought, "ha - this is going to be fine!" } Then came Connor!  He is all of those things I described above and full of "boy-ness"!  So - everything was a gun.

One day I mentioned this to an older, wiser, woman in my life, telling her of the struggles I was having with him.  Her answer was, "Did it ever occur to you that God created him to be a warrior?"

What?  You mean God has a plan for him that may not fit the plan that I have laid out?

So, that day I took her advice and took the first steps in allowing Connor be who God created him to be.  Turns out most of what Connor thinks about now is being an Army Ranger.  I hear it takes a special kind of person to fill those shoes, and you know?  Connor fits the bill! 

I am proud of him for so many things...

I am excited to see what a terrific man he is growing into...

I anticipate mighty deeds to come of his willingness to follow where God leads...

Our job is to help our children discover the path that God intends them to walk, and train them to go that direction!  Embrace God's plan for each of your children individually - and then encourage their steps!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed!
 



5 comments:

  1. Lora, I LOVE that! You are an amazing mom. Thanks for that great reminder. :) Many blessings to you this CHRISTmas season. xo

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  2. What a great picture of how brothers can be so different. I love that you were told maybe God created him to be a warrior. My youngest I often think will be a soldier, policeman, fireman or maybe a lawyer! Now I can look at him and think that maybe God created him to be a warrior. What great new way to think of him!
    -Elizabeth R.

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  3. Isn't it just amazing to see each child's personality develop? It's so fun to watch my 2-year-old and imagine what great things God has in store for him. And my 7-month-old is getting a bigger personality by the day. :) I can't wait to see how different my two boys' might be. Not that I want to rush things. :)
    -Jenai

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  4. What a wonderful reminder as we raise our kids. Well mine is grown now, he just turned 27, but I also had a no gun policy when he was little. He could have squirt toys, but not a squirt gun. Not because I'm against guns, I'm not, but because I never wanted him to see a gun as a toy and think of it in that way. He's not a Ranger, but has been in the Army for nearly 8 yrs and will be getting out in Feb. God bless him for wanting to serve his country. It absolutely takes a special breed of person to be in Special Forces, and also a special breed of family to wait for them. Hugs to all of you!

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  5. I think that it is interesting that it's not just parents that do it! From the time they are born, you hear the questions; "are you going to enroll her in dance? Maybe she'll be a ballerina!" or "he's so big, he's going to be a great football/hockey player!" And I've always thought, maybe their parents don't want that life for their children...but it's even bigger than that! Thank you for the reminder to step out of my own self-entitlement!

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