Ethan's Birthday

Today is Ethan's 6th birthday! Karen made him his favorite breakfast - cheesy eggs and chocolate milk. She even laid the eggs out in the shape of the number 6. She's an awesome Mom!

I cannot believe how quickly Ethan is growing up. It makes me think of how little time I have left to be the primary individual to speak beliefs and values into his life. God allows us to be "in charge" of these little miracles for 18-22 years before He asks us to place them back into His hands. I hope and pray that I can give Ethan & Morgan the foundation they need to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Parenting is an awesome (translated - big, huge, ginormous) and wonderful responsibility. It is also challenging and exhausting and frustrating! There are days when I want to shirk my responsibility, but I know that would not honor God or prepare my children for the future.

I have to remind myself frequently that my primary responsibility as the spiritual leader of my family is to lead and shepherd them in the faith. As a pastor, my family comes before my church family. It is my primary small group in the church. What good is it for me to lead and shepherd other families at the expense of my own?

It seems like there are phases where I do better as the spiritual leader than others. The key, though, is to pursue continually the vision that God has for my family by searching out the next step that He has for us as a family and for each of us as individuals.

Just some thoughts that are going through my head this morning...