PRIDE

Please if you get a chance, tell me what is "good" pride, if there is such a thing. I know what "bad" pride is, though I have an easier time recognizing it in others than in myself (the old board out of my own eye stuff). But I am feeling very proud of my family today, and I don't know if it is acceptable in the sight of our LORD.

I am proud of my first daughter. Faith is so beautiful, inside and out. God has and is doing marvelous works in her. He has given her so many gifts, and she is using them and learning to use them. She is perseverant, a quality lacking in my own life. She goes and goes and goes, even in the face of disappointment. If she sets a goal, she will achieve it. Never give up, never, never, never give up (thanks, Winston). She is kind and thoughtful and looks for ways to help. I see her note my moods and I can almost see her stop in her tracks, and try and reword or think of something to say to encourage me. She'll jump in to clean the kitchen when my strength is flagging. If others are kinda ragging on me, she will often defend me. These things were not always so; I know it is our Holy Spirit working in her and HER responding to it! I know few people who work as hard as Faith. She is animated and glowing--and PURE. I love to watch her speak of things and people about whom she is excited. She is loyal. She loves her dad, greatly respects him, and honors him. Faith loves God and is fiercely loyal to him. She pursues her friendships, too, with great tenacity. She will do everything in her power so that you will not fall. I could go on and on, perhaps another day...but I need to get to the other 5 I am so proud of.

Sarah is the multi-talented one whom you will never hear saying anything about herself. She, too, is beautiful inside and out. Bright, artistic, brilliant mind, pure, helpful, kind, funny, servant, quiet, very sure about her salvation (resting in it, not presumptuous), CONTENT(another quality with which I struggle), encouraging to others to persevere and press on, looking for ways to help and doing them, loyal to siblings, family, friends, holding our feet to the flame (well, what does God want?!) She is a real gift to her siblings, as well as to ANY younger small persons who flock to her for her attentions. Sarah will help me when no one else will; I have presumed on her good will thousands of times, and she ususally does not complain. She always can make me smile. She is very sweet and listens extremely well. She will never tell your secrets.

I am proud of Anna because she puts up with me. My most crazy and unhinged side seems to always appear around her, the poor girl. Anna is gorgeous outside and beautiful on the inside. I do not presume to fully know her. Part of her appeal is her mystery, which she nurtures. She is great at organizing and cleaning. She, also, like the other two, is an extremely hard worker. Give her a task and it WILL be completed, and probably better than you could ask or imagine.
She is very artistic and creative--check out her scrapbooks, cards, stories, letters.....what a mind she has been given! She loves God and quietly reads His Word and memorizes verses. Quiet is an adjective that comes to mind. And of course, pure. (God, I am so thankful for working this is all THREE of my older girls--may they press on) Anna is a gem: bright, funny, smart, loyal to friends, and all the things mentioned above.

Luke makes me proud because he is a Godly young man. He has always been spiritually sensitive, coming to us when he had done something wrong and asking to pray and for forgiveness. What a blessing! He is one handsome young man, too, and pure. He works hard, too. (This is probably getting repetitious, sorry). He is quick, what a mind, funny, loving, manly, fun to be with, and can be a very hard worker. I respect his research before beginning--like with new lizards and right now, building this beautiful pond in our back yard! I am amazed and proud of how he is working to plan, dig, line, fill, clean, acquire the right plants and fish and clams or snails for it! He reads and remembers everything! These mind-like-steel-traps qualities certainly come from their father. Luke is also so easy going; he goes with whatever is happening and it is OKAY. I am proud of him for instituting TV free week in our home. He gets ideas and will follow them up. He makes me laugh when I am down.

Hope is making me proud lately because she is really trying to please God and her parents. I see how she is stopping to think before blurting out stuff. She is looking for ways to help, and when she does help, she works hard, too. She is saying yes to helping more instead of WHY? She is so pretty. What a dazzling smile. She is extremely loyal to friends and family. She is often defending the "downtrodden" and trying to encourage the hurting or sick. Hope is a giver; she often wants to make something for people, buy something to cheer them up, or send a card. She hangs around me when she knows I am hurting, trying to make me happier. She takes good care of her grandma, too. Hope is growing up and I am proud of her attempts to respond to the Holy Spirit.

And, finally, I am proud of my husband. What a Godly man. He exemplifies the verses in I Thessalonians 4:11-12 and I Timothy 3:2-7 and many other verses. He is so multi-talented I could never name them all. The ability to read or study about ANYTHING and then DO it has always amazed me. Tim is hard working (do I see a family pattern here?), loyal, faithful, wonderful father, leader, husband; funny, stable, long-suffering (he has to be with me!), tenacious (never give up), FULL of grace, honorable and honoring, caring (look how he cares for MY mother, and you should have seen his care for his parents!) (and of course for us, and those in the church...), giving, servant, fun, brilliant mind, dedicated, Holy-Spirit-directed, strong, yes, handsome :>) , steady, full of integrity, honest, and on and on and on.

So, yes, I am "proud" of my family. Wrong kind or "right"? or is there "right" pride? Whatever the answer, I feel proud. And dear family, please do not take offense if I left something out or seemed to say something about another that could be said about you...I know I only scratched the surface, and it is probably boring as it is to others, and I have already been on here too long and am feeling slightly rushed and less creative....so forgive me and concentrate on what IS God-honoring and encouraging and good in here. Have a wonderful day and week, all of my precious friends and family!