Obligatory First Blog

Okay, so thus begins the Kids of Character ministry. Let's just get that out of the way right from the start. No matter who you are, character effects and defines you. Raising up the next generation to be aware of the kind of character they are espousing is important, even urgent. This is my calling. I can't put it any other way. I might say it's my passion, but it was not born out of any experience. It's a truly God-given purpose to my life.

I'm raising kids of character. My husband and I have five children. Their ages range from 2 to 10. They are awesome kids. We are so blessed to be a part of their lives and family. I think the first moment I realized this calling to train them in character was when I realized I was not put on this earth to control them. My youngest son is strong-willed. He is finally reaching a point where he is controlling his own emotions and reactions, but that certainly is very recent. It occurred to me at one terrible, desperate moment that I may never be able to make him "good." Could I still love him if I didn't really "like" how he was turning out? What if he decided to do everything wrong/bad? Could I love him anyway? I'm not talking about approving of bad behavior. I'm saying can I accept HIM ... good or bad. Whoo. That was tough. I had some images of how I wanted my kids to turn out. We all do. The revelation at that moment was that I was raising my kids to reflect ME. I was raising them with the intention of making ME look good. I decided to love Andrew no matter what. I would still train him, guide him, discipline him, and expect certain behaviors out of him, but fail or succeed, I would love AND accept him. That set him FREE!!! His little 4 year old heart, at the time, didn't know what happened, but I saw it. The pressure to perform was gone. Now it was just learning time.

I found that building character in a person does not require controlling that person or even moulding that person. That's God's job. I'm raising kids of character by growing into an example myself and letting them in on the process - Helping them build GOOD thought lifes, speak to create the life they want, build habits that are beneficial to them, and finally see the results of a life of character.