Oh, The Places You'll Go!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go...

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

How true, isn't it? The other day, I dropped my girls off at school. I was stuck in that seemingly never ending line of cars, and before I drove away onto the next destination I watched them walk up the path towards their classroom. And suddenly they looked so BIG to me.

If you listen to me talk, or read my blogs, or follow me on twitter - you may get bored of me saying this. Parents, we impact every breath of our kids lives. I watch how my kids have developed. Of course they have unique personalities (this is by no means a debate on nature vs. nurture!) but I see the patterns and qualities that have risen out of hours and hours of spending time with Mommy and Daddy. Like the way Madelyn grunts when she is frustrated (yes, I do that). They way that JJ teases his sisters already (that one is all Jason). They have been impacted by us, and watched everything we do. The impact is also evident when Elyse prays, or in how all three kids are super excited for church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

I am continually reminded of what Moses said in Deuteronomy 6 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise..."

Most of your are already doing this, but I want challenge you to be even more committed in your efforts to "...teach them diligently to your children..." as Moses commands. Our kids grow and change seemingly overnight sometimes. There are so many teachable moments in our lives - use them to teach your kids God principles that will become part of their spiritual DNA.

I don't want to drop my girls off at middle school in a few years and regret that I didn't put Deuteronomy 6 in to practice years earlier. Soon my kids will make decisions on their own without the help of Mom and Dad. The impact I make now will determine their choices then.

I'm pretty sure I got honked at while I held up the line watching my two cute girls walk to class. Oh well - it was worth it to remind me of the challenge that lays daily before me.