Thursday, December 6, 2012

Thankful for my son


Today is a very special day for our family because we celebrate 2 birthdays at once. My husband was born on December 6, and for his 24th birthday, I gave him a firstborn male heir ;-) While I have done a 'Thankful Thursay' post for my husband in the past, I have not done one for my son.

As a wife, I can tend to focus on the negative quite a bit. This also holds true in my motherhood. I tend to couch it in the 'teaching and training' part of my job, but realistically, that can sure sound pretty negative... all the time! One of the things I am learning about my pre-teen son is that he often feels very insecure. He needs to be built up, especially in those moments where I am correcting or rebuking ;-) And there are MANY characteristics that I do love and appreciate about my firstborn child!!!



1. He listens.
Up to this point, sitting down with him and discussing things with him works. He still comes to me to ask me questions about life and behavior. Our discussions bear fruit and I can tell that he actively participated in a conversation.

2. He is tender hearted.
When I approach him with behavior that I find hurtful for our family, he will apologize for the behavior and feel genuine remorse for his actions. He still asks for hugs. He will ask me how my day
me. Even though there are rocky moments right now as he develops...he is still tender in heart.

3. He is my champion.
When his dadddy is gone (which does happen in a military family) he will step in and be responsible. He will back me up if I need it with the other kids, he will engage to stop the younger ones from wreckless behavior, he will pitch in when I need help even to the point of changing diapers!!! I believe that he gets this by watching his daddy and is mimicking what he sees.


4. He is a natural leader.
 This really is a good thing. My son is a leader. He can rally the troops in chores, he rallies them when taking a hill, he rallies them into the van for me... he influences the other children and is learning to use this gift wisely.

5. He is intense.
This may sound like a bad thing, but when this guy gets focused on something, he is in the zone!! It is wonderful when I set him on a project. It gets done!

6. He has a great sense of humor!
My son has embraced my sense of humor ;-) He quotes some of our favorite comedians just to enjoy a good laugh or to make me laugh. He will roll off the couch laughing at some slap-stick comedy.


Source: pinterest.com via Amanda on Pinterest
Danny, I love you very much and I am very proud of you! I pray that you will grow in God's mercy, love with His compassion, lead by His example, and learn all He has to teach you. I am proud of the boy God gave me and I am excited to see the man God is creating.


Let mercy lead, let love be the strength in your legs, and in every footprint that you leave there be a drop of grace. ~Rich Mullins



What are some of the things that you could feel thankful about for your children? Are you thriving to be a great parent to all the ages and stages you are parenting? I know both are hard, but both are also a discipline that has to start somewhere ;-)



6 comments:

  1. What a lovely post about your boy! Happy birthday to both of your guys! It was good to hear from you again.

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    1. It's very nice to BE back!! I actually miss this!!

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  2. Awesome post! I think I need to try writing one of these for my almost 17YO boy. Help shift my focus to the positive like you said.

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    1. I needed to write it! I feel like we have been crossing swords lately and I really needed to focus on the positive aspects of his personality...even the positive side of the things that drive me crazy at times ;-)

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  3. I love this! It just makes me miss my nephew even more!

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