Five things I want our kids to know about our family...

And the photo of the day...December 31

For the most part we all live in the same town, but for various reasons we aren't always together on holidays. So we decided (thanks to my awesome sister) to meet for burgers today. We are a close family, and we've certainly had our ups and downs. In the end, these are the people I can always count on for support, love and prayer. Two of my siblings, their families, and one nephew are missing from the photo, and they are always missed when they're not present.

Here are five things I want my kids to know about our family.

1. God first, husband second, kids third, family fourth. In that order, once you are married. My prayer is for your heart to be filled with love for God and His Word. When your heart is full of love for God, it will be full of love for His children...which will include your spouse, your kids, your family and others. One of my favorite things about your dad is that his priorities are straight. He puts God first always, and I am second.

2. Your family, the family into which you were born, is fiercely loyal. We love you. We love being with you. We will defend you. Likewise, you should love and defend your family. You should run to their defense, because that's what family does. We have each other's back. I hope that you will love your family enough to defend them, encourage them, love them and enjoy them. That is my prayer for you.

3. We will hold you accountable. We will encourage you to be all that God created you to be. We will encourage you to pursue excellence in all things. We will encourage you to never settle for mediocrity. My prayer for you is that your heart will desire the things of God. When you desire the things of God, your heart will be set on pleasing Him and the choices you make will follow that.

4. We have made countless mistakes. Yes indeed, we have made countless mistakes. There are moments when I cringe over mistakes of the past. Some that are small like throwing a fit about not getting my way. Some are not so small. You are in a family of people...and people make mistakes. There was only one sinless, spotless man...Jesus. We are not Jesus. We know you will make mistakes. We will love you anyway. And we will love you enough to correct you since we're your parents (and family).

5. Enjoy every minute with your family. We are never promised a moment beyond the next. Make the most of today. Enjoy every minute with your family. Enjoy every minute with your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more...because this moment, it is the only moment you have. The future is never guaranteed. In these moments, show love. Show love so that when people leave your presence, they walk away feeling better than when they arrived.

I pray many things for you each day. As you grow, I can only imagine that the list of things I pray for you will grow.