I was just thinking...

I visited a blog I think I really like:
http://mrsfussypants.com/

My friend Jenifer told me about Miss Fussypants and I think she may be a new hero to me...that being said, she had a wonderful post this morning about things she wants to teach her boys and she has plenty of boys, four to be exact. I thought I would counter with some of what I've learned from Jack, the only boy child in the house. I know I said I would give Jack a talking to after my rather rant-ish post to the girls the other day, but what the heck...it's my blog and the whole right to change my mind thing plays well for me.

So Jack...this is the child I was most panicked about. I was pretty sure we only had the recipe for making girls. After all, we had three of them in a row, so when I saw that sonogram of a hoo-ha sticking up, I was not sure what in the world it could be.
John explained it all when he said, "That's my son."
I've never seen him so proud or so tender, not ever. Oh boy, I thought, here we go!

All the baby stuff being different aside, and it was so different by the way, life got way amazing the older Jack got. Yes, I have discovered that a boy raised in a house filled with items that are Pepto pink is gonna' want some navy blue, dark green and fire engine red. I soon discovered that barbie dolls can be played with by my boy, that is, if they are being tortured by G.I. Joe.

Having been raised myself in a house where I was the black sheep of the family and my brother's nickname was the messiah (am I the only one who thinks it's funny that he is now Jewish? Come on, moms. Be careful what you nickname your kids or they may just take it to heart...Dear Big Brother of mine, even you have to admit that is kind of funny. xoxo just to keep myself out of trouble with you!)
What was I saying, oh yeah, I was desperate not to make Jack the golden child. I didn't want any of that in my house. For the record, my brother was a way better kid then I was but that is another post for another day. I wanted to make sure that Jack knew he was no better then his sisters...equal playing field in my home.

...and an equal playing field it is...well don't ask his sisters about that okay? Jack is the reason our pool is used for playing not beautifying. With a Jack in the pool, someone is going to be dunked! Jack is the reason we go to football games every weekend in the Fall and he is the reason we have no space on the DVR because "The Clone Wars" are important to him.

Teaching Jack to read has been a blast. Jack taught me that being dyslexic is a gift in and of itself. While I may drive my teacher friends crazy because I can't remember "then" vs "than", Jack has taught me that life is way more then grammer or grammar, however you spell it!

I sit amazed that Jack has memorized so much of The Word, so that when he reads it, he already knows it...Jack took very seriously the fact that faith comes by hearing and his hearing is just fine, unless it is "hearing" me telling him to empty the garbage! There is no more wonderful a moment in my day then when Jack asks me to come listen to him read from Genesis...Glory.

And while Jack is not sure if he wants to be an Army~police~paramedic~football~playing~pastor first or if he wants to get married and start his family first, I have no doubt that he will be top notch at all of it.

But there is something that Jack gives me, my girls just can't: The Promise kept.

Jack looks so much like my own dad that is startling. Jack even has the same Elvis dip in the front of his hair that my dad had. But that is only the looks part and actually has nothing to do with the promise part.

My dad didn't have Jesus as a little boy. He didn't have John for a daddy. My dad's, dad was in the bar with no hope and very little ability in his own strength to raise 10 kids during the depression. Dad was left very much to his ownself to figure out how to be a man. The Marine Corp. helped and so did his wife. But how manly can any man be with out Jesus?

You see, Jack is the first male of the thousand generations that God's Word promises us will be called His own. Jack has a mommy who is here to love on him and a daddy who taught him to open a door for a lady, to try and not to fart in public (or at least have the courtesy to blame it on the dog!) and to be man enough to fall on his knees in adoration of our Savior. Over the years I have often stopped and looked at that boy of mine and marveled at the promise kept in him.

Jack came to me on night when I was trying to figure out the next step in my career. I was at the computer (where else would I be? The laundry room? Now that is a LOL!) and he said:
"I think God wants you to per-sev-ere."
"Why do you think that Jack?"
"Because quitting is the easy thing to do and believers are suppose to per-sev-ere in doing good."

Yeah, I have learned buckets and buckets from that little man. Glory. Miss Fussypants reminded me that I have buckets to teach him as well. Again, Glory.