Mother of the Decade!!

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  I am the mom of the decade, well I guess it would be better said I have been a mom for a decade. Joshua turned ten! He is truly an amazing being. He has taught me so much in the past ten years. Because I am not smarter than a 4th grader here are some lessons I have learned from Joshua within the last year.
• Humbleness - I do not know everything and should wait more often before I speak. Joshua was telling me that when he becomes an adult he wants to be in a band and make lots of money. I took a breathe and was about to give him a lesson on priorities when he added that he would like to help many families afford adoption like someone had done for us
• Integrity and how important it is to stand up for what is right no matter the cost.- My son was told by a group of kids that he wasn't allowed to play with them. The reason they gave him was because he doesn't lie or cheat. He shrugged it off knowing that was ok not to be part of that group.
• Self sacrifice and not always having to keep everything for myself- My son Joshua will often give a portion of his allowance that he has made to his brother so his brother doesn't have to go without(Being happy that is). A few weeks ago at the zoo we bought them each a tee shirt. We told them that was all we were going to buy them. Joshua asked if he could use his allowance to buy something. We said yes. He checked in his wallet and then told his brother how much each of them had to spend.
• Character and standing out from others - He is often recognized for his behavior at school and even received a citizenship award a couple of weeks ago. He shows me how important it is for me as a Christian to stand out and to be different.
• Unconditional Love and how we should see their heart over their actions - He doesn't see me. He sees his love for me. He even loves to hear me sing and if you have heard me sing you would totally understand right now how unconditional that love truly is.
• Gratitude for what we have without forgetting about others - While we are in our warm homes eating our warm dinner Joshua will thank God for it and ask God to watch over the homeless and to give them shelter and food for that night.
• Wisdom and when to seek counsel - If he has heard something or wants to do something and he isn't sure if it is right or worthy of repeating he will seek counsel to help him make a decision. I so need to slow my pace in life and think more!
• Forgiveness and not making a big deal out of the small stuff - I do not do everything right or even close to right but I am still loved as if I do. I forget to pack snacks, sign papers and make birthday plans in time. He smiles, shrugs it off and says it is ok mom
  
  
  I thank God for this kid who teaches me so much. God uses Joshua to challenge me to become a better mom, woman and Christian.