I woke up the other morning to find that a toddler has moved into our house! One night I put my sweet baby to bed, and he woke up the next day a very active and very independent little boy. It really happened so fast. It seems like it was just the other day that we were teaching him to play patty cake, and now he’s climbing on the coffee table, turning on his own DVD’s, and rolling his eyes when I give him instructions (I’m not kidding)! He is still, of course, a very sweet little boy, but he has the energy of a pack of monkeys.

So . . . I’ve been reading a lot of parenting books lately, some good, some not so good. I’m realizing that this is not easy and that it is a full-time job. I can’t just raise this kid on the side while I pursue other interests. He has made it clear that this is going to take everything I have.

This is the greatest responsibility that God has ever given me. I’m not just supposed to feed and clothe this child for the next eighteen years, and I’m not just supposed to teach him to be a nice guy. Somehow I have to teach this little boy to love the LORD with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, to submit his strong will to the God that created it, and to use the days of his life to serve the King of Kings. Wow, what an overwhelming task! It is something that I want to take seriously because I realize that, even now, the clock is ticking; a time is coming when I will no longer have the influence over this little soul that I have today.

So . . . I have been and will be saying a lot of prayers. I’m asking God to bless Casey and me with wisdom, to bless our little boy with a soft, tender heart, a heart that is turned toward Him, and to give us the energy and patience to fulfill this task in a way that glorifies Him.