Being a Mom ...

The title of this post could lead to me discussing SO many things :-)  BUT lately, one thing that I've really had on my mind is convictions.  Over the past couple months, I have been especially noticing how much Jake is picking up on EVERYTHING!  He has asked questions I have barely had the answers to - or if he doesn't understand words someone is saying, he asks, "What does ____ mean?"  He doesn't just ignore it - he wants to KNOW what it means.  He has talked about friends and things we have done with those friends from OVER a year ago.  "Remember when we went to Chick fil A at our old house in Georgia, and they had ____."  He remembers things I can't remember - and am shocked he remembers.  It has just made me realize that his brain is such a sponge at this age (and has been for a while) ... and just how much he wants to learn.  He must ask "why?" 5 bazillion times a day.  So, over the past couple of months, I just have felt convicted in what I say, listen to, etc., because I have realized he is always listening ... and he is SO IMPRESSIONABLE.  Plus, not only is Jake at this stage, but because Jake is, I feel Cole is, too.  Cole wants to do EVERYTHING his "big brother" is doing (and does).  So, there are certain things I have tried to be INTENTIONAL about to talk to him about and teach him ... but one thing in particular was my music.  I LOVE my country music.  LOVE times a zillion.  I have been listening to country music since I knew what country music was ... and it is probably one of the best stress releases for me (long drive with loud country music).  Country music isn't bad at all .... in fact, most songs are all about life lessons.  However, as I've noticed Jake singing the songs and picking up on the words, I became convicted on WHY I didn't have his praise CDs playing?!  We spend so much time in the car ... why wouldn't I be putting on these CDs about God loving Him, loving other people, and different bible stories.  So, I made a little pact with myself that the majority (and I say this because variety isn't all bad) of the time that I'm in the car with the boys, I need to be listening to their CDs, so they can soak up God's word through music like a sponge.
In doing this, not only is it music to my ears - literally hearing them back in the van shouting out these praise songs .... BUT the conversation it has sparked has been the biggest surprise.  Here are some questions Jake has asked lately:
"What does conquer mean?"
"What does mighty to save mean?"
"What does turning water into wine mean?  Why did Jesus do this?"
"What does salvation mean?"

Really??  I joke with Chris that I'm not getting near enough sleep these days to be answering this kid's questions .... BUT how amazing that he is asking all of these questions.  In a later post, I'll tell you the answers I have given and the responses that have come ... a lot of them are hilarious - and I've been making a list, b/c I don't want to forget...
Just watching Jake, especially over the past several months, has just proven to me that kids are always desiring to learn ... and they are trying to figure the world out - even at a young age.  I think knowing that Jake is at such an impressionable age, it makes me want to be a better person - a better Mom .... and I guess just making a little music change was a start ...
(and just fyi, I still love my country music - which is actually playing right now while I type this, so I'm in no way saying I think it's bad or that I'm giving it up .... I'm just saying that my personal conviction right now is that, at this age, I want Jake to be singing about Jesus being "mighty to save" instead of tractors, trucks, girls, and beer).  I'm responsible right now for making good choices FOR him :-)


Proverbs 22:6 (NLT), "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
(What an amazing and humbling responsibility Chris and I - as parents - have been given)


And here's that sweet, sweet voice "belting" out some of these praise songs.  These videos were taken a few weeks ago, so actually it has been fun over the past week or so listening to Cole sing along as well (I'm telling you ... that boy does everything his big brother does) ....