...Count your many blessings

I was counting my blessings as I cuddled with our 6-year-old son this morning. He came down the stairs and climbed into my lap. As I do every morning, I told him how glad I am to see him and how thankful I am that God made him. How I praise God for this delightful little boy who brings so much joy and life into our home. The Lord regularly reminds me of His faithfulness in healing our youngest son. When he was just 19 months old, he contracted RSV and double pneumonia which landed him in the hospital for 5 days. It wasn’t until he’d recovered that my dear friend, a nurse, told us how very ill he really was. God performed a miracle in our little boy, and we thank Him for the privilege of loving and nurturing this little guy. The sound of his laughter is contagious. He's such a replica of my husband...in looks, in personality, in his great sense of humor. Thank you, God, for Lucas...

It wasn’t long before our 11-year-old son stumbled down the stairs in search of breakfast. I often find myself staring at him, so amazed that I could possibly have a son his age (I mean, what does that say about my age?). He’s getting so tall. I’m convinced he grows inches overnight. As his body grows in stature, his heart is also growing. I’m finding that it is such a joy to converse with him these days. I love to hear his outlook on the world. I enjoy hearing his perspective on friendships, church, God, and family. I even enjoy hearing about his Star Wars craze...an interest that all my men share, but I, however, do not. Drew is bright, funny, and responsible. I marvel at this remarkable young man under our roof...my firstborn. Thank you, God, for blessing us with Drew...

I made my way up the stairs in search of Ryan, our 9-year-old. He’s often the first of the boys awake, so the natural order of things was thrown off a bit this morning. When I arrived in his room, I found him already armed with his light saber. I scooped him up (no longer the easy task it once was) and tumbled with him onto his bed. As I wished him a good morning and told him how much I love him, God just reminded me of all the special qualities in our middle son. He is such a thoughtful, tender-hearted young man. His heart feels deeply, and he has a unique affection for both people and animals. He’s very sensitive to the needs around him, and I’m so excited about how God will use these traits in the future. He’s also a self-motivator...a trait that has been greatly welcomed within our homeschool setting. He’s such a beautiful package. Thank you, God, for giving us Ryan...

We praise God that all three of our boys have received Christ as their Savior and are growing in their faith. We pray that they will continue to love Him with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength; that they’ll develop a genuine love for His Word and will gladly obey it. And we pray that they will learn to find their true pleasure and satisfaction in Him alone.

We praise and thank you, God, for pouring your blessings out on us in the form of these precious young men. Give us wisdom as we nurture and shepherd their hearts.