Days, Months, YEARS

A few of the gifts

Big things have been happening around here. 
I think I have eaten more cake in the last two months than I ate throughout the course of the last two years. And honestly, I don't even like cake all that much. 

A few weeks ago, my youngest brother turned 13. Time flies...Time is flying. It took me a while to catch on, but now I'm CONVINCED. 
To celebrate the house was full of people, we ate pizza AND tacos and ceasar salad, served up Jay juice, and finished things off with chocolate chocolate cake and banana split ice cream. There were LOTS of Legos, candles, balloons, laughs, and a new card game. 
After I love people by cleaning for them and feeding them, I add letter writing to the mix. I love writing to people...Really, I just like to write. I woke up knowing that the day would call for a special letter. 
I'm not going to share the letter with you, but I do want to share the ideas behind it. 

Playing with the helium tank was half the fun.

I think 13 is a monumental moment in the life of a boy. To me, 13 means you're not a little boy anymore. To me, 13 means you are officially on your way to becoming a man. Moms (and in this case, sisters) BLINK and their baby, toddler, little boy is THIRTEEN. Then, everyone (including the boy) BLINKS and their thirteen year old is TWENTY. 
I'm speaking from experience here...Last fall my other brother turned 20 and I'm still a little dumbfounded...HOW did that even HAPPEN? 

I don't envy guys today at all. The only thing I would enjoy about being a man would be the "don't mess with me" factor that I'm missing as a 20 something female. 
My brother has (and is) growing up in a world where he is being challenged by women everywhere he goes. He cannot watch TV, go to the grocery store, or get a job without having to deal with women who don't respect themselves and yet demand respect from him. 
My brother has (and is) growing up in a world where women are under dressed, outrageously competitive, and not willing to let him be a gentleman. 

Shhh...Christmas decorations are still up!

Still, God has given him life at the time He deemed best...He calls my brother to be a man, a godly gentleman who leads and serves and loves and protects and honors the women around him. There will be men to learn from, men to teach, and men to serve as well. 
My brother has a calling and the same Jesus who is making me who I am, is laboring to make my brother who he will be too. The same Jesus who protects and leads me is protecting and leading my brother. 

I wrote to my brother to express my love and excitement for him. I wanted him to begin to take life seriously. His foundation has been laid and now it is time to do the work of purposefully becoming a man. 
For many years, I have hoped and prayed for both of my brothers to become the men God would have them be. I wanted me brother to know that! 

I want my brothers to be able to look back on their lives (however long or short they may be) and KNOW that they lived them well. I want my brothers to be so glad in God that whenever they look back, they can smile as they consider the people they have helped to become glad in God as well. 
In short, I want my brothers to know that they didn't waste their lives.