Three Men and a Lady

I want you boys to succeed in life..which I'm sure almost all parents do. But I'm not talking about financial success or career accomplishments. I want you to be able to be contributing members of society, and a functioning member of the Body of Christ. I want you to be able to enjoy relationships with other people, and I want you to know the fullness of joy that a life with Christ offers.

But the key to all of this "success" is knowing how to overcome adversity in your life with Christ. I've seen family structures where parents shelter their children from trials, so that they never learn how to handle disappointment or stress. If I'm not careful, I can see my good intentions of protecting you, becoming crippling to your life. I want to be like my parents were. They didn't glue my wings to the nest and build an atrium over me to protect me from things, or to prevent me from flying away. Instead, they worked to strengthen my wings, so that when it was time for me to leave the nest, I'd know how to fly and survive.

I want you to be able to get up after you've fallen down. I want you to be able to try after you've failed. I want you to stare opposition in the face, and with total determination, overcome the barriers. But learning how to handle disappointment takes practice, and I have to allow you to face that instead of sheltering you from it. Life is not perfect. I really want to find the balance of protecting you and preparing you for your future.

That's my goal.