sweet & sour

ender, i walked through the valley with you.  as my first born, it was your calling to prepare the parents for the rest of your siblings.  you are the brave one.  and now we climbed a mountain and found our cora lynn glowing with the dawn of a new day.  for all of us.  she is our sweetheart.  our little darling. 

and you.... you are the self proclaimed "bad boy" or "bad pirate".  its been hard to live with you, I confess.  I know its been hard to live with me too.  Despite the blessed sweetness of Cora, I am still stressed and overwhelmed with two arrows in my quiver.  You have been trying to make sense of your two year old brain, of your crazy mama, and of your needy little sister.  Also, I have allowed our fun nights to tamper with your beauty rest.  I have taken advantage of your good nature as you operate without a nap.  And I have been scolding you too much, jumping down your throat over every little thing because I'm stressed.  I'm sorry. 

 

Daddy and I had a good talk the other night and it helped to reset the balance.  "I am the vine, and you are the branch" "Remain in Me and I will remain in you"  "The fruit of the Spirit is love..." My toes

become roots that with each step I take, I wiggle them deep into the soil, searching, and taking hold of God. 
Daddy said all that is required of me is my love.   So I will love you, I will love God, I will love our family.  From my heartfelt dedication to love from God's love, I hope you will be nourished from the fruit.

 

"On Guard!"

 

"I fight you!"

Ok, I accept! You like to play with swords.  So be it.  You are my boy.  You mean no harm by this. 

 

 

Tonight, zander and I were talking with his mom asking her how she encouraged Zander to be a "soldier for the Lord".  I was fretting over the fact that Ender keeps calling himself a bad pirate, when he pipes up with "No!  I'm a bad pirate for the Lord!" 

Well in that case, blessings to you and your ship of scallywags.