The house is quiet now. But in no time the halls will be filled with the sounds of little feet running and little voices chattering.


The tidy toy room will become a disaster.


The kitchen table will be covered in food and the floor much the same. 


Lego will be scattered all across the floor and little heads will be bent together in ardent concentration as little minds begin to churn and create. 


Voices will be shouting. Children will be running. Books will go flying. Now someone’s crying.


And in a few short hours, all of these sounds and scenes will be multiplied by 6.


All because my firstborn baby is turning 6 today. He went from this sweet little baby…..

….to this handsome young man.

Where has the time gone?! This boy was my intro to motherhood. And oh BOY did he give me a run! (He still does of course :D!) My mom was laughing, saying, “It sounds like you have a boy who is just like his momma.”

Since the day she said it, it’s always been on my mind. Big Boy is a true cross of my husband and I. He has his daddy’s looks, but my temper, attitude and EXACT way of responding / reacting to things. Many a time I’ve had to discipline and talk to him about the way that he’s acting, and it feels like I am looking into a miniature mirror of myself. I know why.

Because for the last 6 years of his life his greatest examples in life have been his mother and father – but mostly me since he’s around me 24/7. I am tempted to be discouraged when I see his behaviour – but then I remember that this little boy is not a follower of Christ – yet. And while this doesn’t excuse his behaviour, or let me off the hook, I know that he is not able to do anything to please God without the power of the Holy Spirit at work within him.

The LORD has placed an urgency in my heart these past few months. An urgency, and a desire to see my children’s hearts to be turned toward him. Brooke in the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons wrote on one of the days about praying Ezekiel 36:26-27 –

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 

This 6th year of my eldest’s life, and all the days of his life ahead, this will be my prayer for him, and his little brother and sister. That he would be given a soft heart to follow the LORD. That he would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. That he would walk in righteousness in God’s commands.
At the Jewish Shabbat, the fathers bless their sons and ask that they “be like Ephraim and Manasseh”. I have been studying Genesis lately and was intrigued by the blessing that Israel gave to Joseph’s sons. Not satisfied to leave it at that, I dug a little deeper.

Ephraim and Manasseh were Israel’s grandsons, yet he adopted them and blessed them like his own, making them a part of the 12 tribes of Israel. Their upbringing is extraordinary – they were foreigners in Egypt, surrounded by pagans and evil practices, a completely secular society. Yet they remained faithful to God and maintained a high level of spirituality and character while surrounded by a community completely devoid of morals. However, these men and tribes did not end well. They rebelled against God and both of them are now considered among the 10 lost tribes of Israel.

While this may be a discouraging thought, it in fact gives me hope. Because I know that God has everything already planned out in advance, and he knows exactly what is going to happen – he is in control. I would love to protect Big Boy forever in an environment where we (his father and I) are his only real influences, where there is no questioning of what is truth, because God’s Word is truth. But some day we will have to release him into the world and leave him completely in God’s hands. 

I hope and pray that he, and his brother and sister, will have the strength to be able to withstand the pressure of a society around them that is devoid of morals and character. That they would have the truth of the Word of God in their hearts and on their lips. That they would serve him with their whole hearts, all of their days. 

Seeds Family Worship has a fantastic song called “Listen to Me” on their “Seeds of Purpose” CD. This has become one of my most favourite verses, and the kids have it memorized. I’ll leave you with it as my prayer, and my hope:

Psalm 34:11-14
“Come my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”