Real Men

My Pastor preached a sermon on August 5 with the Title of "The Measure of a Man". He started by asking what makes a man and quickly ruled out all of the obvious answers. It is not his muscles, his appearance, his height, his shoe size, his level of education, his job. So what makes a man a real man?

A real man is spirit filled. He is in touch with God and on fire for the Lord. He is willing to say Thy will be done. He follows God's leading without complaint or thought of himself and his wants.

A real man is a servant. He is willing to put others first. He is willing to help out when he is needed. He volunteers instead of waiting to be asked. He cares about the details. He does things instead of talking about them.

A real man is a soldier. He doesn't run from problems. He runs right toward the fight and gets things done. He leads his family, his work mates, his class. He jumps right in with no fear. He's not a wimp.

Why do I share this? Because God wants men! America needs men! Our churches need men! Our families need men! But we are not raising men. We are not raising girls who look for men. We must make the effort to teach our boys how to be men. We must teach our girls what traits to look for in a mate. We must prepare the next generation. If we don't teach our children, who will?!?!?

My prayer for my family is that I would support my husband in being a real man, that we would prayerfully teach our 4 boys how to be real men , and that we would teach our three girls what to look for to find a real man. My prayer for each person reading this is that you, too, will raise real men and girls searching for real men so that America will return to her roots!

Growing and Changes

Here we are again, over half way through the year. August first has come and gone and soon we will officially start school. Life has changed drastically here since my last post. We now have custody of my great niece and great nephew. Seven kids, two adults, and a springer spaniel in a 700 square foot house is definitely never boring!

This summer has been a time of growth, in more ways than one. My family size grew from 7 to 9. My two oldest children grew as tall as me and the next two aren't far behind. My girls feet grew into the same size shoe as me. My Keegan grew out of his size fours! Kaden is growing into potty training. But the most important growth has been spiritual.

Our teen group had three trips this year- a week long youth conference, a week at the Wilds christian camp, and a weekend at a prayer advance. This has changed the hearts and lives of two "good" kids. They discovered a concept that is so great, so life changing, that I had to share it. They don't want to be good!

All these years, I have been so proud of having good kids and of being a good christian. In one short testimony, that was ruined for me forever. They introduced me to the concept that being a good christian does not mean you are a godly christian. I know, it sounds simple. But, it has changed the very structure of our family! Why would I want "good" kids if I can have godly kids? Why would I want to be a "good christian" that follows all the rules and does what I should, if I can be a godly christian?

Apparently, my Pastor has also been touched by what is going on, because his sermons have gone from great to phenomenal. We have had sermon after sermon that breaks the heart and opens it to the Spirit. Now, we are finishing a week of Day Camp/VBS where many have been saved and we are having fun and fellowship in the Lord. As a result of all of this going on, the Longwell's have made some changes.

We canceled our cable. We gave away our tv. We reimplemented family devotions that got canceled when Daddy started the evening shift. We limited Wii to Wii Fit and that only a half hour a day on a 19" tv. We spend more time together, more time praying, more time with God, more time serving God and others, more time HAPPY!!!

And guess what? WE DON'T EVEN MISS IT!!! Sometimes, in the evening, I wish for a little "boob tube" distraction. But I pick up my Bible or a good book about christian character or I pray for my kids. We read together. We go on walks. We talk about what is going on in each others lives. We tell our children our hopes and dreams for them and what we expect of them. We have time and no distractions so we LISTEN to each other. They are growing in a close personal relationship with God as their "Daddy" and it thrills my heart!

My New Years Resolution

I can't believe another year has come and gone. We are already 3 days into 2009. My New Years Resolution this year is that I will try to not blink!! It seems that every time I do blink, time has flown by and my babies are much older.
Devin is now 14 and half way through the 9th grade. The braces are about to come off and soon he will grow into those huge feet. Girls are no longer icky and to be avoided at all costs. Where did my baby go? I vividly recall that day when I first got to look into those baby blue eyes and the look he gave me as if to say " I'm not a girl and you don't even mind it!" I remember his first step, first day of preschool, the day he got baptised. It seems like it just happened, but it was so long ago.
Sierra is 12 and in 7th. I don't know for sure when it happened, but she is beautiful! I guess I didn't see it because everyone says she looks just like me and I am not beautiful. But on Christmas Sunday, my little girl was a drop dead gorgeous young lady who turned heads all day. How did that happen? When did that happen? And now she wants a new hairstyle and to wear makeup like the other girls in church. I want her to always be my little girl.
Mackenzie is 10 and in 5th grade. She is still a little girl sometimes and sometimes I get a glimpse into my future when she flips her hair over her shoulder and flirts or when she shows some attitude or pushes the rules. She is my outspoken one, my people pleaser. She could easily be influenced to worldly ways, shows, music. I must pray more and work harder on training her to do right no matter what. Don't get me wrong, she's a good girl. She is kind, respectful, obedient, helpful, considerate. All of my kids are great and I get daily compliments on what wonderful kids they are. And Mackenzie has dedicated her life to God and she meant it. But I am her momma and so I worry. I want the best and I know how easily a mistake can happen and how those mistakes can forever alter your life.
Tanner is almost 8 and in 3rd grade. He is a handful and a bundle of energy, but also the sweetest, most caring and tender little boy you could ever meet. He is known as the little preacher or "the future" narrator/pastor/missionary/etc. He has a heart for God that is so very visible. He is still a brilliant child, and yet not really a little boy any more. He is now a handsome young man and growing so big.
After losing Colton and then almost losing Tanner, I struggle with letting go of my two "little" ones. I know that I must, but it is so hard to even let go a little. I know the pain of burying a child. I know the pain of hearing "There's nothing we can do." I know the fear, the heartache, the depression, the regrets, the could have beens. And I am afraid. I know I need to trust God and let go. I work on it daily because my boys are not about to be held back. They have plans to do big things and I can watch with pride from the sidelines, but not run along behind in case they scrape their toes.
And my sweet little Keegan is nearly 6. He still looks like a 4 year old, and I'm OK with that! He's dainty and petite and the most beautiful child I have ever seen. He is also a little spitfire who can hold his own against the older 4. He and Tanner are strong willed, and I pray daily for God to control them in every step, thought, deed. But even Keegan is growing up. My sweet baby is now a little boy and if I blink, I know he will make the progression to big boy, young man, young adult, adult. I know time will march on and even my last born, my bonus baby, will grow up and that saddens me.
And so, I resolve, that this year, I WILL NOT BLINK! I will hold on to every moment with each of my children and cherish it, for it is a moment that I can never get back, never relive. Time will march forward as it has always done and I must choose to either fight it every step of the way and miss the small details because I am so busy fighting a certainty, or I can embrace it and go with it and enjoy each stage, each new discovery, each and every minute of everyday. And later, when its over and done, then and only then, I can blink. And cry. And eventually find the joy that comes from knowing that I was there for everything.
My kids never had to miss me because I was there and available. They never had to face the world alone and be afraid, because I was their greatest cheerleader standing on the sideline. They never lacked self confidence because I spent my days telling them that God made them just the way they are and He loves them and so do I. They never got into trouble like other kids, because I taught them to use the Bible as the guideline for every moment of their lives. They never have to worry about pain and letting go because I taught them to never blink. To enjoy every moment, good or bad, happy or sad, whether they feel good or not, whether they need to work, or go to the store, or take care of a sick baby or an aging parent, whether they feel like there is no hope or if they are on top of the world...JUST DON"T BLINK! Life only happens once, live it to the fullest.