Daughters {D}

Annie and Emily - This is one protective mommy...Emily will never be far from her momma's protective arms.

Jessica and Andrew - What is it about boys...so demonstrative and protective of their mommy's. Even at a year old, look how he has his arms positioned so that no harm can come to his mom and the big, sloppy kiss says it all!

Emily you definitely are your mommy's sunshine!

Daughters...how can one word say so much. It is a relationship none of us as women can escape, we either are one, or have one, or both.

Last night was part one of a two day Beth Moore simulcast conference at church. Yesteday was a draining day and I was really praying for God to refresh me through Beth and his word. The key verse was from Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." It made me focus on what my true desires are, not wants and wishes but true long prayed for earnest desires of the heart. I desire to serve God...I desire for my husband to be a strong man of faith...I desire for my daughters to know and serve God and to raise their children to do the same. Desires of the heart. Strong, thought provoking material in God's word.

What keeps resonating in my head was this statement from Beth, "At the end of the day, we are all going to do what we want to do." Not particularly a rocket science statement but whew...what a revelation. I can't force anyone to do or believe what I want them to. We all make choices according to our desires and we all do what we want to do. I am not in control of or responsible for my childrens choices. Huh? You mean all the tears, coercion and guilt were for nothing. They're going to do what they want to?

I want so much for my daughters, just as my mom still wants so much for me. There were times as we were bringing up our daughters that I can honestly say I thought to myself, "I can't do this, I am not equipped, what was I thinking!" Looking back, I spent so much of my time trying to force my daughters to fit into the mold that I created for them instead of encouraging them to love and serve God, trusting his plan for their lives. They are grown now, with babies of their own. All I can do now is pray that they will choose to love God and to serve him with all their hearts because it is what they want to do. Because it is the desire of their heart.

Blessings,

Patty

The paper is from My Minds Eye, Bloom and Grow. The stamps are from Unity Stamps.