{Today’s guest post is from Melissa Mashburn, of Mel’s World. Today is her 40th birthday! So please stop by her blog or tweet her today with some MOB Society love.}
We live life ready for an adventure. Each day is full of rough housing, dirt, climbing trees, legos, dinosaurs, and critters. Laundry is never quite finished and you can never be sure what you might find in your rambunctious little ones’ pockets.
There has been no greater joy or adventure in my life than being mom to my two boys. While they were little, I spent most of my time playing the role of referree, taxi driver and boo-boo fixer. I miss those days. Life seemed simpler then…sure, it was hectic, having little boys always is, but the sweet simplicity of a hug & kiss would make things better for them, now that they are older I have found out that the old wives tale is actually true, “little kids little problems, big kids big problems”.
The boys are as different as night and day and there are times I wonder how they could have come from the same two parents and be so completely opposite. There is, however, one thing that they both have in common, and that is that my husband and I have always done our best to raise godly men. It was not always easy but after years of planting (1 Corinthians 3:6); we are starting to see the fruit of all the hard work.
Today they are fifteen and seventeen, a sophomore and a senior, and I have to stop and pinch myself at times. How did they get so big so fast? Where did the time go? What happened to my precious little boys?
Now we are preparing for the next phase of the great adventure of raisly godly men…girlfriends. Yes, I said it. We are wading through the waters of dating with both of our boys and as much as I would like to keep them seven and nine years old the truth of the matter is that they are almost men. We are teaching them that they “date” to find a “mate” and that there are boundaries set up from us and from God so that they can experience the richness of being pure for their future bride. Yes, we know, it goes completely against what the world is telling them, but our goal has always been to equip them to be the men God created them to be.
Our time while they are at home is on the backward countdown. That is not to say that I am looking forward to them going off to college. Quite the contrary, I will miss them terribly, but we know that there are still things we want and need to teach them before they go. Things like…
· How to manage their time and plan their days,
· How to serve God with their time, talents and treasures,
· How to take care of themselves and also look out for others.
My heart is to fully equip them to be the men that God created them to be before they head off to college. To be able to handle money, time and commitments according to God’s will for their life, not other people’s. We’re working on these things with them right now. It is not easy, but I would much rather them learn while they are at home and teachable, then as an adult and on their own. One day at a time we are getting there and it is exciting to watch God at work in their lives, and I know that God has so much more in store when we take time to raise godly men.
What do you want to make sure your boys know before they leave your home?
Melissa is a woman who is passionately pursuing God every day by taking her everyday, ordinary life and placing it as an offering to Him. Married to her best friend for 18 years and proud mama to two teenage boys her life is full of adventure. You can visit with Melissa on Twitter (@Mels_World) or on her ministry blog, Mel’s World with Melissa Mashburn.
yep, same thing here, I think that if you teach them to take their family values everywhere they go then at the right moment this will kick in to “save the day”
ella´s last [type] ..Team Building Activities for the Workplace
Well, right now, our boys are only 2-almost-3 and 7 months old, so we’re mostly focused on stuff like learning to wait turns and staying seated at the table during dinner, lol. But as I think ahead to the days you’re experiencing now, I know they will need all that you mentioned plus:
-divine wisdom/perception/understanding to help filter through the magnitude of information that will overwhelm them as adults
-a love for God so strong that their #1 desire is to serve and please Him, so that they are able to stand up against temptation; but when they give in to temptation, it will force them to their knees in humble repentance.
Unfortunately, these are things I can’t necessarily give myself; all I can do is pray, model, and teach them constantly from now until then!
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I am at the same stage of life — my boys are 16 and 18 — and I also have 3-year-old in the mix.
It is so bittersweet… my oldest is leaving for college in a few weeks… but I know that I’ve done the best I can to raise him in a Godly manner. Now, more than ever, I have to trust he is in God’s hands! The “date to mate” is a wonderful idea. We did the same thing. My oldest did not date at all in high school because he said he was not ready for a wife so why date! He would go out with groups of friends but not alone with a girl. My 16 year old is following in his footsteps. I am proud of them!
With a 19 year old girl and an 18 year old boy {as well as 15 and 13 year old boys} my greatest desire as a parent is that they have learned to run hard after Jesus. My prayer is that they have learned the practical things and the spiritual things. It is more and more between them and God..and that letting go is such a difficult thing for this mama!
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Going through the same thing here. Our son has his first girlfriend and is going off to college this fall. Praying more for him than any other time in his life.
I enjoyed your post and found it comforting to know that other moms are going through the same.
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Early in my parenting life, a woman spoke to a group of us at church. She prayed “Who are we to raise these great children? For we are just children ourselves! Oh Lord, I give these great children back to you, and ask that you would use me, your servant, to guide them in your ways.” I’ve never forgotten that prayer, and pray it over and over again.
I can say that today, I have 6 children that love God. I can’t say they are all doing what it is God has called them to do (do we always?), they have their ups and downs… but the rewards have been greater than I ever imagined!
HE is faithful!
Blessings!
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