Happy 18th Birthday, Matthew!!!

I know it becomes kind of a a cliche, something that every parent of older children says, but I don't know where the years have gone!  Today 18 years ago I gave birth to my first son.  He was my hardest pregnancy and one of my hardest deliveries, but he has been nothing but easy to raise.  I can honestly say that the teen years have been a breeze with him.  Sure, there are times I would like to "knock a knot on him" when he forgets to take the trash out or I go to his bedroom and it looks like a tornado has struck. But when it comes to the stuff that matters he has been such a joy to raise.

We recently had a "manhood" ceremony for him. (I will post more about that later.)  As I was going into the church taking the food into the fellowship hall I got a little weepy.  It was a cold, rainy day just like the day that he was born.  I thought about how fast these eighteen years have gone by.  When you are in the thick of raising children you sometimes lose sight of how little time you have to invest in their lives.  The memories of babyhood, first steps, teething, little league baseball games, home schooling, the day he was saved, his baptism, all of the days that stand out when you think back over the years.... and they are over.  Now we are talking jobs, college classes, career paths, vehicles, finding a Godly wife (not now, but one day!)  I am so thankful that the Lord gave him to us to experience all of these things with.  I pray that he will always look to the Lord for wisdom and that he will never stray from His truths.

 ^"He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Psalm 24:5