47

That’s how high Paul (not quite 4) counts. he used to get stuck in the 15 range but it seems like numbers and letters are starting to click for him.

Kids say funny things. Paul has been telling us he’s going to be a mountain climber when he grows up and I believe him. He is fearless and brave to a fault. He also told us that he only wants to climb mountains with snow on them and that what he likes most about mountain climbing is that you don’t have to do it everyday. Some days you can just lay in bed and not go to work. (If it weren’t for the heights, I’d have the same goal.)

Megan doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. She doesn’t want to be a gardener or a farmer. Nor does she want to be a vet like I would guess. She just knows she wants to get married and have kids in a house of her own where she can make the rules. If I had to put money on what Megan is going to do when she grows up, I’d put her in the education field. She loves school, she loves her teachers, and she really loves learning and reading and being around other kids.

One thing I try not to do is paint my kids into a corner. I want them to be whomever God creates them to be. It wasn’t like Megan popped out and I said "Megan, my doctor!" And Paul popped out and I said, "Paul the police officer!" I just want them to serve God in whatever they do. I want them to love who they are and to love their life as much as Kristen and I love ours.

One frustration I see a lot of in youth ministry is parents who are unwilling to allow their children to grow into who God is creating them to be. It’s as if mom/dad are God and they get to decide what their children will do with their lives. It’s an odd thing to be a third party to as well.

I wonder how much of that I’ll do.