The day I noticed my son becoming a man

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Dear Jacob,

I saw the man in you emerging this weekend. Little ways you wouldn’t see. Not the growth of facial hair, not a deeper voice or longer legs. Where I saw the man in you is what truly makes a man a man – in my opinion.

It’s rare to see a true gentleman these days. Maybe they are afraid of offending a woman who feels she doesn’t need a man. I’ve never felt that way. I’ve always been grateful for the chivalry of a man, the strength of a man who looks out for the women around him.

The last time I took a flight by myself, I struggled to get my baggage in the overhead. Men sat all around me. Not one stood up to help me. My initial thought went to your dad. He would never sit in his seat while a woman struggled with her bag. He would be out of his seat in nanoseconds taking the weight off her hands and coming to her aid. It’s one of the things I love about your dad that makes him a real man.

Your dad was stranded in Dallas while we found ourselves snowed in. This is when I saw the man in you really begin to emerge.

I saw what you were doing out of the corner of my eye. I saw you go to each door of the house. You checked the locks. You checked the deadbolts. Then you pulled the door to make double sure. You walked by the security system making sure it was armed.

A man protects. He looks out for the safety of those around him. He steps up to that role when the need arises. 

You didn’t think I noticed, but I did.

After 2 days of snow covering the car, you started the car for me to warm it. You came inside and went about what you were doing. After some time, I went outside to begin scraping the ice from the windshield. I had only begun when I heard you say, “Mom, I’ve got this. Let me have it.”

You gave it all you had. Scraping as best you could. I’m sorry I stood over your shoulder critiquing your work. In hindsight, I wish I had simply said thank you and walked away.

Instead, I told you to do it this way or that way. Be careful you don’t scratch the car. Watch out for that big block of ice. At one point you said, “Mom, I don’t really hear you.” I couldn’t help chuckle because how often have I stood over your dad offering him a better way to do something. I’m sure he tunes me out to stay focused on the task.

You are just beginning, and you haven’t gained your confidence yet. After one too many suggestions, you handed the scraper back to me for fear of failing in the job. For that, I’m truly sorry. I was wrong. My way isn’t always right. And even in that you showed the man in you emerging.

A real man is clothed in humility. He is humble and doesn’t allow pride to demand its way is the right way. The way you handled that situation allowed me to see how I was wrong. Had you defended yourself and argued me, I may have never realized what I’d done wrong. Thank you for letting your humility come before pride.

4 days snowed in with 3 boys was tough. The energy, the noise. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but it can be a bit much to bear at times. You saw my tension. You tried your best to step in and help me without being asked. Taking on extra chores. Asking me what needed to get done. These are all signs of the man in you growing up. But there was something else.

At times you wanted to help, but you realized there was nothing you could do. You couldn’t stop the arguing of caged up boys. You couldn’t change the attitudes that seemed to be contagious. Some things you just can’t fix. But you did something better than fix my circumstances. You gave me hugs. Lots of hugs.

Each time you saw the stress on my face or heard the tension in my voice, you came and offered me a hug. “Mom, you need a hug.” And I did. And it was the very thing that made all things better right there in that moment.

A real man knows he can’t fix everything. And when he can’t fix it, he can do the next best thing. He can simply give a hug. Sometimes a hug is the thing that makes everything alright that can’t be fixed. A hug makes the unfixable tolerable, even beautiful.

A few things I believe make a man truly a man:

Humility

Honor

Integrity

Protector

Comforter

You are these and more. I am grateful for the gift of watching you begin the process of becoming a man. It’s the process that continues your entire life. Some men are 40 years old and still haven’t become real men. Age doesn’t determine manhood.

Keep your eyes on your Heavenly Father. He will show you all you need to know about how to become a real man.

With all my love,

Mom

 

 

 

The book you have to read

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We are a reading family. I love books. In fact, the shirt I sleep in most nights reads “I love books”. It’s really cool I promise.

I’m picky about what I read though. I’ll admit to judging a book by its cover. And if the book doesn’t grip me in the first chapter, I’ll likely toss it aside. I have no problem quitting a book midway through. Life is too short and books are too many to read boring stories.

When I love something I can’t help but tell everyone about it. If Zachary is with me when I get going he inevitably says, “Here she goes in commercial mode.”

I can’t do this for my own book, but I can do it for anything someone else wrote.

One of my 2016 goals is to read more books. In order to do this, I’m reading more out loud to my children. I rarely sit down to read for pleasure when they are awake. I reserve this for bed, but about 1 page in I feel the shades being drawn on my eyes. At that reading pace it takes months to finish a book.

2016 started out with me reading 2 family books aloud and 1 for myself.

I have to share with you my very favorite book at the moment.

At Christmas my friend stopped by, handed me this book with a big “Merry Christmas. Next to the Bible this book has impacted me more than any other book. And the whole family will love it.”

No better sales pitch could she give me. I was sold. And the book was free. Double win.

Now that I’ve read this book, I’d pay 3 times the retail price for it. I would give it to everyone I know. It’s simply that good. I do believe it is my all time favorite.

I read christian living books ALL. THE. TIME. This one is different. Really different.

The author isn’t lecturing to me. I don’t feel guilty and like I’ve messed up and need to change everything in my life immediately. I laugh. Hard laughing (and if you know me, you know I really need to laugh more….I’m just that serious). It’s stories – not just any stories. HILARIOUS stories. Wild stories. Stories that my boys say, “No way! No way!” It’s inspiring. The message is clear in each chapter. A love for God becomes something you do. Love isn’t a feeling. Love is an action. Love is a verb. Love Does.

I simply love a good story. Love Does is story after story. Woven together they tell the same message. But the stories are so wildly different that the book doesn’t get old. Many other christian living books about the mid point I feel the author is now beating me over the head with the same message. I want to scream, “I get it! I get it!” About mid-book, I feel I get the point, and the book finds its home on the bookshelf.

Get this book. Don’t get it at the library. It’s one you will want to keep.

And listen, there is one chapter that my boys have asked me to read over and over again. When you read the book, you will quickly know which chapter I’m referring to. Remember I have boys.

Oh! And Bob Goff donated 100% of the sales of Love Does to Restore International and The Mentoring Project. Love it!!

Here’s some other great reads from 2016 so far. Bridge to Terabithia. I read this to Jacob and Zachary. Great story on friendship. The writing style my boys highly appreciated. Zachary in particular loved the author’s descriptions which drew a clear picture in his mind. Andrew did not take part in this book. He wouldn’t understand it. And there were some language choices I could’ve done without.

Be warned, you will cry an ugly cry. I read the final chapters over two nights. Steve came home during night one and found me sobbing on the couch. Night two was worse. Ugly. Ugly cries. Consider yourself warned, my friends.

Now the book I’m almost done with and love is by Lynn Austin. I love her. I’m reading Hidden Places. So good. The thing with Lynn Austin’s books is that by the end, I feel I know the characters so well that I feel I’ve lost good friends when the story ends. The book is so good, I’m able to stay awake beyond my normal 1-2 pages a night. In fact, Steve is quite surprised to find he will fall asleep and wake up some time later because my reading light is still on.

If you are wanting a really great series Lynn Austin has my all time favorite series Chronicles of the Kings. Check out the first book here.

Ok, so it’s not too late to set some 2016 goals. Read more. Read more with your kiddos. Such time well spent. Who doesn’t need a good story these days?

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Happy Reading!

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On Raising A Modern Day David

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“Mommy, I’m really starting to read.”

I nodded keeping my finger on the page to track the words for him that his eyes struggle to track.

“Mommy, I really am. But all my friends can read all kinds of books.”

“Mommy, will I looooove to read? Because I think I will love it so much.”

My heart aches a different kind of ache now. When I first realized learning was difficult for this child, I just wanted it to be easy. I’ve shared that before. My heart physically ached for him to simply read like other kids. But God has changed me. He’s given me a different vision now.

“Andrew, you will loooooove to read. You will love it so much. And you know what? You will love it even more than some of your friends who learned early how to read because you’ve had to struggle and work hard. Sometimes when we have to work super hard at something, we appreciate it more. It just means more to us.”

It’s a gift, Lord. Thank you for this gift. 

He has a gift. He thinks outside the box. I like that. I’m an in the box kind of thinker most days. Andrew shows me things I’ve never seen.

One of Andrew’s teachers told me about a Focus on the Family broadcast that made her think of Andrew. I listened to it then went out and got the audiobook. It was Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath.

It was interesting to hear a different perspective of David, one that didn’t take away the magnitude of who God used or what He did. He explained how we look at David as this little shepherd boy with a toy sling shot that took down a giant. But he showed a different way to look at this.

A young boy who thought differently. A young boy who knew that Goliath was expecting him to fight the way Goliath fought. But David knew his strengths. He knew he was accurate with a slingshot. He couldn’t take on a giant using the warfare the giant would use. He’d have to come from another angle. He had to think outside the box.

David was fast and precise. He was calculated and on-point. He was bold and courageous because He knew who held the battle. He knew who was on his side. But he was smart. A different kind of smart. A smart that didn’t think like everyone around him.

Remember the reaction he received when he stepped forward to take on the giant? Remember how Saul tried to suit him in his armor…the typical route. It didn’t take David long to realize that wasn’t the best option. He went at Goliath in a way Goliath never imagined.

After I listened to this telling in Gladwell’s book, I had a whole new appreciation for young David. I’ve always prayed for my boys to have hearts like David’s and spirits like Caleb’s. Hearing this story told from a completely different perspective made me more resolved than ever to pray for this kind of heart in my boys. And to relish in the fact that Andrew is a different thinker.

We sat at the breakfast table. Andrew sipped from his shake, lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Mommy, next time I go hunting, I’m going to do it a different way than Paw-Paw does it.”

Curiousity piqued. How else does one hunt for deer than how it’s been done for ages?

“How will you do it?”

“Paw-Paw sits real still and waits for the deer to come close to him and then he shoots them. I will come up from behind the deer and sack ’em.”

“You will sack the deer? Like you would sack a quarterback?”

100% confident, he nodded his head and returned to his shake.

Who knows, maybe it will work? I don’t think so, but I’m an in-the-box kind of thinker. Andrew isn’t limited like that. It might take a while to learn to read, to learn math facts, to understand difficult concepts. But he’s got one thing down. He knows how to think up new ideas and he has so much belief in a big God and himself in God’s plan that I don’t doubt he could actually be the first little boy in history to sack a deer.

“But you know, Mommy, deers can hear really good. So I have to be extra sneaky when I sack ’em.”

“Yes, you do, sweetie. I can’t wait to mount the first deer you sack.”

Praise God for His creativity seen in each child He’s created.

Lord, may I never stop seeing your awesome work in my children. May I be awestruck all the time. May I never doubt that you can do the impossible through your children. We praise you, Lord. We praise you.

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Dear Boys, Why I Can’t Rescue You From Your Problems

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Psalm 92:12 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree.”

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Dear Boys,

When you were little, you would boldly start to climb up the playground ladder. Then you would get to a scary point, look back, and cry out, “Mommy, help.” I’d usually stand under that ladder, smile back at you and say, “You can do it. Go ahead. Reach for the next step and stretch your legs.”

Your chubby little legs would quiver as you looked back at me with question and fear. But then you would turn back to the ladder, stretch your legs, and reach for the next step. When you came zipping down that slide, wisps of hair flapping in the wind, the look of joy on your face was pure gold to me.

The next time you approached that ladder, you approached with a bold confidence. Each time you conquered the ladder gave you a little more reason to puff your chest. “I did it. I did it, mommy!”

“Yes, you did it all by yourself.”

Sometimes you fell from the ladder. Sometimes you would slip a touch. Sometimes you scaled with ease. Each time your confidence grew. You realized that when you pushed through, you could do more on your own than you realized.

Boys, though you are bigger, the principle still applies. And it will apply for life. Except one thing I want to add. Do nothing on your own. Do all through the strength of God.

Fail. Fall. Disappoint us. You have our permission. It’s how you will learn and become stronger.

I’ve written to you before on why we want you to fail. It’s important.

Dad and I will not come to your rescue as you learn to navigate life. We will be here to cheer you on, to encourage you, to dust the dirt from your back, to wipe the tears. But we won’t rescue you. We won’t save you from failing. We won’t save you from your mistakes.

But we aren’t standing over you saying, “You should’ve known better.” or “How dare you.” or “I can’t believe you did that.” You will be tempted to think that is what we are thinking, but hear us. We are looking on you with pride and compassion. We love your hearts. We love your drives. We love your determination. We love your strong wills. We love your faith. But you aren’t perfect. You weren’t created as miniature adults. We are learning life. You are learning from your mistakes. Be free to fall down and fail. Just get back up and try again.

When you ask me to sit with you while you work on homework and I tell you no, I’m not being mean. It’s because I believe in you. And I think you earning a C from struggling through the work on your own is far better than the A you could receive if I work on your homework with you. What good is a grade if you didn’t earn it? And don’t you value something more when you have poured your own sweat into it?

When you were little and you completed your first Lego set unassisted, you were far more proud than all the years we built sets together. When you push through and conquer on your own (with God fueling the fire) you will be better for it in the long run.

The other day one of you complained about a physical ailment. I heard your moaning and your cries. How you wish God would just take it away from you forever. In essence, you want to be rescued from the pain. While I just said Dad and I won’t rescue you from your failures, choices, and mistakes, when we see you in pain everything in us wants to rescue you. And I believe that God cries with us in our pains.

I heard you say, “Why me? Why of all people on the earth do I have to suffer with this?”

My response to you was, “Why do you feel you don’t deserve it and someone else does? Why do you think ‘why me’? Why not you? And have you ever considered how God shapes us through the pains, the trials, the mess ups, the failures? This is when we get strong.”

Hardships make us strong. Failures grow us.  This is true when we rely on the Lord through the trials and tough times in life.

I want to share a cool fact with you. If you plant a tree, and the tree is never exposed to wind, it becomes a weak tree. It never develops strong roots. If while that tree is maturing, it is protected and sheltered from wind, then it grows up and the shelter is gone and a strong wind comes, the tree is so weak, it can fall right over.

The stronger and harder the wind, the stronger the tree becomes over time.

Palm trees are incredibly strong. They are faced with hurricane winds. During the storm, they bend sometimes almost to the ground. But when the storm is over, they are returned to their original shape. Not only that, their roots grew stronger because of the storm.

Dad and I want you to be strong in the Lord. If we rescue you in your growing years, we will not allow you to draw your true strength found only in God.

When it’s Sunday night and you realize you forgot to do your homework and we tell you, “Sorry, you had all weekend to get that done,” we aren’t being mean to you. We are allowing you to make choices that have consequences and allowing you to weather the storm that it brings. We don’t love you less. We empathize. We understand. We are behind you each step. But we won’t rescue you from the storms.

You were created for the storms. The storms will make you strong and bold, with roots that will hold you steadfast.

So, boys, go for it. Give it all you’ve got. Don’t be afraid to climb higher. Don’t be afraid to let go and reach for the next step. You might fall. You might slip. Just get back up and do it again. Each step of the way, look to your Heavenly Father. Ask Him for strength, wisdom, and guidance. He will teach you and hold you through the very storms that grow you stronger.

With all my love,

Mom

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Dear Kids, The “real” rules you need for owning a device

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Before I share today’s post, I need to preface it. The most read post on this blog hands down times 1000 is A Letter to My Sons, The Real Reason I Say No to Electronics. Having been read millions of times, this post showed me something. That our family is not alone! We are actually surrounded by thousands and thousands of families just like us. Families who value time and true, authentic relationship. Who want to make the most of the fleeting moments we have and realize how this digital age has the power to suck the moments away before we know what’s happened.

That being said, we’ve always known that there would come a time when our boys would begin to interact more in the electronic world and we would face new challenges. Our middle son saved his money for a year in order to purchase his own iPod touch. I’m grateful for all the years leading up to this point of laying the foundation.

Zachary asked us to give him rules and boundaries. The thing he has learned about himself is how easily he is sucked into the grips of a device. Of course we planned to give very firm and clear boundaries, but I found it interesting he recognized his need.

Before giving him the new family rules, I wrote him this letter because really, rules are pointless if he misses this point.

 

Dear Zachary,

You asked me to give you boundaries, rules, and guidelines for using your new iPod touch. Before you asked me that, I planned to give you clear boundaries, but the fact that you recognize your need for them shows me you are mature enough to begin to enter a world I would keep you from forever if I could. But I can’t because this is the world we live in.

Before I give you the rules for using your device, I want you to understand something else. You can have rules, you can be dedicated to keeping the rules, you can try harder to keep the rules than you’ve ever tried in your life, but without self control and discipline, you will fail miserably at keeping the rules.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

Rules without self control are nothing more than bait to failure. The rules will mock you and pressure you. They will torment you and tempt you to give in. The rules will wear a mask of protection, but they will whisper to you that a little longer isn’t a big deal. Or looking at this is no big deal. Or playing one more round just this one time won’t hurt anything.

In our own strength, we are powerless. We are weak. If we convince ourselves that we are strong enough to face temptation on our own, we are fools.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

The first “rule” I want to give you is this. Admit you are weak. Admit that you are not strong enough to hold a temptation in your hands that has a power you underestimate. When you admit you are weak, submit to God’s leading, ask for His strength. Understand that this device and this connected world has the power to enslave you. You will need wisdom, strength, and self-control. These come from God alone, they do not come from within you.

The real “rules” you need to own a device:

  1. Recognize your human weakness to face temptation apart from God. It’s easy to look around at the world and see everyone owns a device and think, “What’s the big deal.” That is what the enemy wants you to think. What you hold in your hand can be used for good or evil. Understand its power and seek God’s strength. You will be faced with temptation repeatedly.
  2. Know yourself. Know your personal weak spots and temptations. Pray for God to guard you from temptation. To give you the strength to face temptation and flee.
  3. Guard your eyes. What you allow in with your eyes finds a path to your heart. Protect your heart. Guard it closely. Allow nothing in that would seek to separate you from God or bind you with shame.
  4. Understand that “life” through a device is not life at all. It’s not true life. Texting and interacting with friends online may be fun, but life was designed to be fully lived together with each other. Don’t replace real relationship with a counterfeit offering.
  5. It’s all about self control. And you can’t create your own self control. Try it for any amount of time, and you will quickly realize just how powerless you truly are. Self control must be practiced. Ask God to give you extra doses of self control. Practice it in all areas of your life. When you practice self control in all areas, it just gets easier.

Zachary, it’s really all about denying yourself. You see when you have that device in your hand, you will gratify your own desires. Repeatedly. The more you gratify your own desires, the harder it is to follow Jesus. This is why self control is the most important “rule” I can give to you.

It’s more than a device. It’s more than electronics. It goes to a deeper spiritual level than you yet know. So know this, ask God for self control. Ask Him to help you turn from your own desires and selfish ways so you can follow Him.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.

I know you asked for rules. And those are coming, but before we focus on the rules, I want to give you something of greater value. Something with true power. Something that will give you what you need to keep the rules with joy.

5 verses to pray for self control to navigate the electronic world you are entering.

  1. Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
  2. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
  3. Titus 1:8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
  4. Titus 2:12 Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
  5. 1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

I love you, and I know that with God guiding you, you will navigate this new territory with wisdom and strength. Remember, it goes deeper than what you realize. I’m cheering you on as God grows you in new areas to learn to trust Him and rely on Him to strengthen your faith.

To follow Jesus in big ways, He sometimes starts us in small areas. Follow Him each time you pick up that device. Guard your eyes and your heart, pray for self control and strength. Choose wisdom over foolishness.

With all my love,

Mom

Zachary chose to have a verse inscribed on his iPod. “I can do all things through Christ.” I don’t believe in coincidence. God knows this is the reminder he will need each time he picks up that device. With Christ we have the power to do anything.

 

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When my child takes my joy

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It’s a struggle for me in how much to share about my children. Not because I want to paint a perfect picture, but because I want to be sensitive to their privacy. The problem is that I’m an open book, totally transparent type of person. So is my husband. We just aren’t private people.

We all struggle. We all have major issues. We all have insecurities. I know that when we are open with each other, true friendship takes shape. Real doors are opened. Here on this blog, I hope to never tell a story that my family has it all figured out. We are just like you- trying, failing, getting up, dusting off, and going at it again. Always knowing His mercies are new everyday. Grace upon grace upon grace to infinity is required to do family well.

My youngest son, Andrew, is definitely my most difficult child to parent. When he was a toddler, I remember crying to God and asking why He couldn’t have made Andrew easier for me to parent. Why did I feel I had to battle this child in every waking moment? But then. A moment of glory would dawn. God would do something through Andrew that would hush my moaning mouth that wanted parenting to just get easy. I would see the heart inside this child. A heart that was hungry for truth, for God’s Word.

God’s response to my cry for Andrew to be easier to parent, “I could’ve made Him easy for you to parent, but you would have missed the greater gifts I have in store.” Andrew became a major refining tool in my life. He still is.

When Andrew was about 4, I’d had a string of horrific days with him. At one point I lost all control and began screaming in the car, pulled over, opened the car door, stepped into an empty parking lot and continued screaming at the top of my lungs. I was so filled with anger and fatigue, the only thing I could was was scream.

When Steve called to see how the day was going, I blurted before having time to think about my words, “Sometimes parenting him sucks all the joy out of me.”

The other end of the line became eerily quiet. “He isn’t in control of your joy.”

No, my children don’t control my joy, but there are days that finding joy in parenting is like a scavenger hunt that just won’t end. Now I’m learning to find the glimpses along the hunt. These end up as reminders of the Supplier of the only joy that lasts.

Despite how strong Andrew’s personality is, He is incredibly sensitive to God’s Word. He truly thirsts for it.

A couple of nights ago I shared a picture on instagram of Andrew sleeping with His Bible. He has done this for years. I never placed it in his arms, I never instructed him to sleep with God’s Word. God drew him to Him.

The day after I posted, the enemy struck. We’ve had a hard 2 days with him since I posted that picture. Honestly, I often feel that when I voice a particular bent towards God in my kids, the enemy is like, “Oh yeah, watch this go down.”

Monday afternoon from the moment Andrew got in my car until the moment he went to bed, we battled. Multiple disciplinary actions went down. It was so intense, I missed an entire afternoon with Jacob and Zachary. Steve got home and saw the frazzled look on my face and probably wanted to run and hide. Thankfully, he didn’t.

When I went to tuck Andrew in bed, I had no intention of reading to him. Something about reading God’s Word when I’m filled with anger just feels wrong. Yet it’s the most right thing I could do. I pulled his covers up, kissed him, said goodnight, and started to leave.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, Andrew?”

“Aren’t you going to read?”

“Do you think you deserve a story tonight?”

I immediately felt guilty when the words left my mouth. I mean, really? That is how I show God’s grace? Asking my son if he deserves a story based on his behavior? I don’t deserve the grace God shows me, but He doesn’t withhold His love from me.

He cast his eyes towards his feet. “No.”

My voice softened, “I’ll read anyway.”

I opened his Jesus Storybook Bible. He asked, “Can you read Jericho please?”

It’s his favorite story. He connects with Joshua. I see some Joshua in him. I wonder what Joshua was like at 2, 3, 4, and 7? I wonder if he was a pistol to parent.

After reading God’s Word, my heart softened. You know the thing is that Andrew can push me to the point of rage, then that same child can force me into obedience to God and bring about allowing me to be changed by God. God uses the hard to create the soft sometimes.

I looked back at him tucked in tightly. In his left arm, he held his Jesus loves you teddy bear. In his right arm he held his Bible.

“Mommy?”

I turned back to face him as I stood at the doorway to leave. “Yes?”

“Sometimes, I sleep with my Bible at night because it feels like I’m holding onto Jesus.”

And the soft turned liquid.

“Andrew, I know exactly what you mean.”

The very thing God uses that seems impossibly, excruciatingly painful can be the very thing He uses to draw our eyes to Him and remind us to sometimes just hold onto Him.

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Before You Rush Away From One Year Into Another

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“Mommy, will you read to me?”

I picked up the dish towel to dry my hands and turned to him, “Sure, what you would like me to read?”

He held up his adult-sized Bible, proudly held in his new Bible cover. The boy loves God’s Word. His favorite Bible is not His children’s Bibles. It’s the one that is large, with small print, and leather cover. He takes it with him most places he goes. He sleeps with it like a child sleeps with a special blanket or teddy bear.

I sat in the leather recliner. He nestled up next to me. The older boys wandered into the room and took their places on the sofas. The dogs found a resting spot among lounging children.

God’s Word draws His children.

I opened up the Bible to read wherever it fell open. Ephesians 6.

I began to read, “Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother…”

He placed is hand over the words I read, “Not this one, Mommy.”

I suppressed my smile. Of course, he didn’t want to read this one. It’s a tough reminder he’d rather bypass many days.

“What would you like me to read?”

“The whole story of Jericho.”

I flipped back to the book of Joshua. Sometimes when I read to Andrew from a story Bible, he questions if it’s God’s Word because too many details are left out. I’ve explained that to keep the attention of children and highlight the main point, many details must be left out. He doesn’t understand this because he can sit and listen to God’s Word and never lose interest. Same here. There’s never been a story like it.

Andrew sees what many adults fail to see. The Bible as the greatest story ever told. One big amazing story of drama, intrigue, love, war, sacrifice. How could anyone lose interest?

I read all of Joshua 3-5.

Now, I have read this story I have no idea how many times. Again, I found myself blown away by God’s Word. The boys listened with rapt attention. I’d get to a point, look up at their eyes, and we would all begin to discuss in excitement what God was doing. We were making comparisons to what God said to Moses and what He said to Joshua. How He split the Red Sea to deliver them from Egypt and how He split the waters of the Jordan to deliver them into the Promised Land. On the front and back God parted the way. He went before and behind them. How He gave them manna in the wilderness and how the very day they ate of the food from the Promised Land the manna stopped. Amazing. God is unfathomable.

When I read His Word I crave more. And more. And more. I can’t get enough.

After we read the entire story of Jericho, the boys and I discussed the intricacies of the story. Only God can make a story like this.

Here’s the part that really struck me yesterday. God instructed the Israelites to take 12 stones from the Jordan where they crossed on dry ground, one for each tribe. With the 12 stones, Joshua built a memorial and told the people that from that point on, the people were to tell their children what those stones represented, what the Lord had done.

Joshua 4:24 “This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

Memorial stones that tell a story of God’s mighty hand. Tell your children.

Today concludes 2015, but let’s not be so quick to forget as we forge into 2016. No matter what 2015 held, God never stopped showing His mighty hand. May we set up our memorial stones for 2015. Remind ourselves of the great things the Lord has done. Tell our children. Never stop telling what the Lord has done.

The Lord has done great things. As we turn the page on 2015, closing a chapter to reveal the next, may we keep those memorial stones in sight. Never ceasing to praise God for what He’s done from the beginning of time and looking forward to what’s to come.

Happy New Year.