At my house, you can find dirt-encrusted socks getting bleached in the wash, play rifles and swords strewn around the house, and the perpetual sound of war, space travel, and plans for world domination--one tactical invention at a time. This is the stuff of boyhood....boys who are becoming young men, day by day.
Sometimes I stop and marvel: There are 7 males living in this house. One man and six boys. One humble hero and six rambunctious rookies...and I think about what it means to celebrate manhood. What it is to honor a dad on Father's Day...
While there is so much I desire for my boys to grow up to become: courageous, musical, wise, strong, athletic, well-read, discerning, loyal, sensitive, honorable, entrepreneurial, well-spoken, literary, hard-working, rugged, domestic...to name a few.
...there is NOTHING I desire greater than for Troy and I to raise boys who follow after the heart of God. To long to please the Lord and to do his will because they LOVE him? There is no greater measure of manhood in my book. (Especially since chasing after the heart of God draws you to become like Christ...with all his manly, godly, yet decisively meek attributes.)
When Joshua spoke (Joshua 24:15):
"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
...he lead his family-- all those under his care-- to follow and obey the Lord. It is for us, as it was for the Israelites: When God calls us, he enables us to obey and lead faithfully in all circumstances. He enables us to choose Him.
And, when we find ourselves celebrating the legacy of a godly man, generations of loving children and grandchildren, or families that love and serve the Lord, REJOICE!!
...and let us give glory to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)
So, as I think about Father's Day in a few short weeks, and what we are celebrating as we anticipate honoring the dads in our lives...I think about the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father: instructing, leading, enabling, and providing for the fathers that surrender what they have into the Lord's care.
That's the heart from which these new prints in the shoppe are borne. As I shared last night on Instagram...
While it feels nuts for me to keep up with blogging and shoppe during our race against the real estate clock...I just want to say an honest thank you for all your support and the excitement that has surrounded some of these new prints to come. Your love and promotion of my artwork has answered a heartfelt prayer for provision and assistance in our growing family's need for more space. So, thank you...from all 8 of us.
Yes, indeed. Thank you. Thank you for letting me bless you and your loved ones with what God has blessed me with.
(P.S. I'm always up for doing custom work, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to discuss a special project.)
Because of grace,
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