We actually had Anna dedicated late in September but I wanted to put this picture up. It was a great day with friends and family. It is wonderful to know that we are not raising our children on our own, but we have a great God who helps us each step of the way. I could not do it on my own.
When the boys were young I remember asking my cousin, who was raising five children, for some parenting advice. She thought for a moment and then said, "Just love them". I knew that was great advice because in truly loving our children there is so much involved. It means taking the time to enjoy them and affirm them. It means taking the time to correct and discipline them when they need it, which is often. It means taking the time to sit and talk to them, to get to know them individually. It is laughing with them, sometimes crying with them and sometimes asking them to forgive us when we need to. Loving them means so many things that I am still learning about after 15 years of parenting.
I often pray for each of our children and the longer I parent the more I realize that praying for them is such an important part of my loving them and being their mother. I will sometimes dedicate them back to God again in my heart, realizing they are His kids and I have been given the wonderful priviledge of loving and raising them for Him.
Psalm 127 says that children are a reward. I feel so richly blessed.
