David could not be more thrilled about being on the Third Floor. He has heard enough about retreats and DNOW and fun games that he wants to experience them for himself.
And Me?
I am ready for him to experience it! He has a good group of boys coming to the floor with him-boys that he has known since he was 2! What is to come is some of the best years of his life
We have had so many chats over the last year....about life, Jesus, the Bible, girls, school and more. I look at his precious face and cute freckles and I am immediately drawn into the days when he was little...
I keep thinking it's not enough time. We have more things to do and not enough time to do it! I know I am not alone in my thoughts.
Over the last few years I have watched the youth in our ministry grow up and leave the nest and head to college. I have spent time with them and their parents and seen the tears - both joy and sadness - for the new journeys ahead. I admit, I may have shed a few over several of our students, as well. But, nothing, nothing in the world, gives me greater satisfaction than hearing them say..."I believe God wants me to be here on this campus." "I have watched God re-direct my steps to this place" "He opened every door we needed" and sometimes they took other routes to get to their place, but God had been faithful in leading and guiding those steps too. The friendships they share with the other youth in our group are strong. When they come home, if they come home, they come to visit and share their lives with us. That is what I want for David. I want to see him grow in length, but mostly depth. Depth is his faith, depth in his friendships, depth in just embracing a calling on his life.
A handful of the girls have been my chicks, so when they come home, they sometimes babysit for me or we get to have coffee together and I enjoy every second of it. The boys though...some of those boys my sons have looking up to for years. We either watched them play soccer, football, basketball, baseball, run track, and my boys wanna be cool, funny, smart, and witty just like their role models: Jackson, Davis, Levi, Caden, and Jeremy. Now I am thankful that only 3 of them went away to school and the other two we still get to hang out with for the next year or two. I also want that for David. I want him to see how these guys invest in his life, and that one day David will invest in other kids' lives. I guess he already does that when he hangs out with all the little brothers/sisters from the ballpark and takes them to the swings and slides to give their momma's a break. :) He really is growing up to be quite the servant. Thank you, Lord!
Raising David has been a true blessing. I think as a young mom I struggled with the idea that I have no idea what I am doing, or if what I am doing is helping/hurting, and sometimes I am left with what seems like utter chaos...but then God...see, God has redeemed my failures and He can make new any wrongs I have written in that kid's life - He can do that in anyone's life.
David, you are the one who first said Mommy to me. You will always be the beautiful ray of sunshine in my life. You are so much like me in attitude, but so much like your dad in how you think and process your life. I pray you always embrace life with the sweetest attitude and trust without a seed of doubt that you are Loved. You are loved by us, and by the Lord - creator of the Heavens and Earth, but also the the creator of YOU.
I love you.
-Mom
Karen
As I stare back at that same cute face, the present time shoots me back into a reality that leaves him in this house for only 7 more years. Seven years from now I will be dropping him off at COLLEGE.when he talked NON-STOP from the time he got up till the time he went to bed. He dropped a nap at an early age, and he was meticulous about his books on the bookshelf. His stuffed animals were all named, and his life revolved around the Disney channel and doing puzzles for hours! He would build it, destroy it, and build again. He was picky about his food but would eat a waffle and a banana every morning when he was 2 and we would leave for work at 6:30 AM. He would sing Bob the Builder songs all the live long day and every type of construction was Bob working on his house.
I keep thinking it's not enough time. We have more things to do and not enough time to do it! I know I am not alone in my thoughts.
Over the last few years I have watched the youth in our ministry grow up and leave the nest and head to college. I have spent time with them and their parents and seen the tears - both joy and sadness - for the new journeys ahead. I admit, I may have shed a few over several of our students, as well. But, nothing, nothing in the world, gives me greater satisfaction than hearing them say..."I believe God wants me to be here on this campus." "I have watched God re-direct my steps to this place" "He opened every door we needed" and sometimes they took other routes to get to their place, but God had been faithful in leading and guiding those steps too. The friendships they share with the other youth in our group are strong. When they come home, if they come home, they come to visit and share their lives with us. That is what I want for David. I want to see him grow in length, but mostly depth. Depth is his faith, depth in his friendships, depth in just embracing a calling on his life.
A handful of the girls have been my chicks, so when they come home, they sometimes babysit for me or we get to have coffee together and I enjoy every second of it. The boys though...some of those boys my sons have looking up to for years. We either watched them play soccer, football, basketball, baseball, run track, and my boys wanna be cool, funny, smart, and witty just like their role models: Jackson, Davis, Levi, Caden, and Jeremy. Now I am thankful that only 3 of them went away to school and the other two we still get to hang out with for the next year or two. I also want that for David. I want him to see how these guys invest in his life, and that one day David will invest in other kids' lives. I guess he already does that when he hangs out with all the little brothers/sisters from the ballpark and takes them to the swings and slides to give their momma's a break. :) He really is growing up to be quite the servant. Thank you, Lord!
Raising David has been a true blessing. I think as a young mom I struggled with the idea that I have no idea what I am doing, or if what I am doing is helping/hurting, and sometimes I am left with what seems like utter chaos...but then God...see, God has redeemed my failures and He can make new any wrongs I have written in that kid's life - He can do that in anyone's life.
David, you are the one who first said Mommy to me. You will always be the beautiful ray of sunshine in my life. You are so much like me in attitude, but so much like your dad in how you think and process your life. I pray you always embrace life with the sweetest attitude and trust without a seed of doubt that you are Loved. You are loved by us, and by the Lord - creator of the Heavens and Earth, but also the the creator of YOU.
I love you.
-Mom
Karen
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