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<\/a><\/p>\nI’ve been warned to hold on tightly because time will go so fast I’ll miss it. Well, making the most of every opportunity is wise, but I don’t think that’s my worry.<\/p>\n
Moms tell me with tear-filled eyes that you’ll never get your babies back. They mourn over the loss of a baby to cuddle with\u2026 believe me, that’s not my problem.<\/p>\n
Dads tell me I should get a second job, because the amount of food that’s going to be consumed will break the bank. Actually, I kind of believe that one a little.<\/p>\n
With all of the good, bad and ugly advice that you are given, unsolicited I might add, as a parent\u2026 it’s sometimes hard to filter out what should be held onto versus what should be tossed.<\/p>\n
However, on this occasion, I’m pretty sure I know the source of my consternation.<\/p>\n
I am not longing for bygone days, wishing that Noah and Nathan were just entering kindergarten again so I could relive those precious moment years. Been there, done it, have the t-shirt. <\/p>\n
I am not overwhelmed with fears that time will slip by so quickly I’ll miss something. We’re taking lots of pictures.<\/p>\n
I am not suffering from stress due to the costs of raising a teenager and setting them in the world on their own. I know how to use the words “Get a job.”<\/p>\n
I am not struggling under the weight of a horrific culture, unseen peer pressures, inevitable empty nest, or any other thing that gets blogged on a regular basis.<\/p>\n
In fact, my “fear” isn’t even really a fear at all. It’s an adrenaline shot.<\/p>\n
If you’ve ever known that moment right before a fight, you know when you’re squaring off in the parking lot and staring each other down… that’s the feeling.<\/p>\n
But, it’s not squaring up against my sons, but with them!<\/p>\n
I have spent the last decade and a half hovering over them, protecting them, leveling a path before them. And today, I do not mourn the transition that they are going through.<\/p>\n
My boys have become young men, both of them now. And many of the battles that will be fought now, I will no longer fight for them, I will fight with them.<\/p>\n
Where I had been standing between them and the things that might do them harm, now we will stand back to back fighting for what we believe and standing up together.<\/p>\n
With two boys that are now young men I am moving in a new direction of fighting ‘for’ my family, to fighting ‘from’ my family. <\/p>\n
I know they’re not completely mature, and there is still growth to come\u2026 but, my boys are now men. And, that jittery feeling I have is one of anticipation.<\/p>\n
The battle lines are drawn, and the conflict is clear. No longer do my boys need to hide behind their father, but side-by-side, swords drawn in the strength of the Lord has given them it’s time for them to become the warriors and the men I know they are.<\/p>\n
I am more than proud to call these boys, young men. <\/p>\n
I am honored to share my last name with them. <\/p>\n
And I am itchin’ to hit the battlefield with them.<\/p>\n
Their mother and I have taught them the Scriptures as best we can. We have modeled out a life of faith to the best degree that we know how. And with everything that we could, we have trained them up in the way they should go.<\/p>\n
I know we’ve made plenty of mistakes, but we’ve given them our absolute best. <\/p>\n
Now it’s time\u2026 <\/p>\n
Happy birthday Nathan. <\/p>\n
Welcome to the fight Noah.<\/p>\n
Let’s do this…<\/p>\n
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today has been marked by a little bit of panic. Nothing overt, no obvious danger, just something in the air. And, I know what it is\u2026 I’ve already caught myself staring into space, catching my breath and grinding my teeth. You see, today my youngest son becomes a teenager, but that alone is not really … <\/p>\n