Happy Birthday Huckleberry...

It's October 19th. More than a month since my last blog. So, I thought since today marks an important day in our family, I would get online and get busy. .. especially since I have 12 minutes to post this before his birthday is officially over.

Today is Huckleberry's 7th Birthday. Seven? Really? Can that be right? Don't get me wrong, it no longer feels like just yesterday when we brought him home. But it certainly doesn't feel like it's been seven years. Seven wonderful years. Huckleberry is such an awesome kid. Full of energy, a sweet spirit who questions the Lord with a wonderful curiosity, an unbelievable artist with an imagination that surpasses any I know, and aimes to please. My prayer for him this year is that his desire to please would transfer to a deep love and desire to please his Lord.

So last night, Stretch and I made 20 cupcakes for his classroom today, decorated his room, and wrapped a few presents in preparation for this big day. We began decorating their rooms after a suggestion from a speaker at a Moms In Action meeting. Growing up in a wonderful home with absolutely no traditions, Stretch and I have really desired to begin some with our own. It was such a hit that first year and our kids have come to anticipate their rooms being decorated as if it was Christmas morning. We decorate with wonderful signs (courtesy of Stretch, our resident artist), balloons and streamers.

To my surprise, Huckleberry woke up at 5:45 this morning and when I asked him why he woke so early, he said "I couldn't wait to read my scripture - it's a long one Mom, but I've read it twice already".

Each year, I pray that God would give me a scripture for each of my three kids. We write it on posterboard (unless, at 10pm you realize that your sons birthday is tomorrow so you improvise and use several sheets of computer paper taped together) and hang it on their wall... for the entire year.

We had no idea that it would be the hit of their birthday day. We've seen such fruit come from their scripture. Not only are they memorizing scripture, but we are really soaking in it - discussing it before bed each night, and how it specifically applied to our day. And since I have three kids - I'm AT LEAST memorizing three scriptures a year.

God convicted me the very first year that we did it that I was not to make the scripture a short, easy one for Huckleberry. So we started out with a challenging one. His scripture for his fifth birthday was, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man". Proverbs 3:3,4 - and he rose to the challenge.

For his sixth birthday, we did "Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you will be able to stand your ground". Ephesians 6:13 (this wasn't a very long one, but then we went through and discussed the armor of God e.g. Breastplate of Righteousness, Helmet of Salvation, etc.).

Last week he started asking me "what's it gonna be Mom", "just tell me now Mom". So, as I suggested a few that God was stirring in me, he got really excited about this one. Personally, I was leaning towards the 23 Psalm (since I get stuck about half way through it) and I already have the one he picked memorized. But he was so excited that I couldn't tell him no. And so his scripture for his seventh year of life is:

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-13

Happy Birthday Huckleberry! I love you like CrAzYcAkEs.