I have been cleaning out my old "journals" (if you can call random bits of paper stuck into books, folders, and notebooks, "journals!") and came across this gem!
Last Christmas, Kathy (visiting from East Africa) and I found an Application to Court My Daughter on the internet. As we were laughing out loud at the notion, my then-6-year-old son began to answer the questions out loud, causing fits of laughter!
And after thinking on it, I realized that we do want to raise our boys to be of the caliber that can stand up to a gal's daddy asking such questions of him! I think I'll ask some of these questions once every year or so and keep note of how the boys (hopefully!) mature.
We only asked him a portion the age-appropriate questions...his answers are in italics below.
APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO COURT
Would you say you love God? Why?
Yes! Because, actually, He made me!
If you love God, how would you say your love manifests itself?
If someone heard me singing a God-Song, they would know I love Him.
If you were by yourself and were being assaulted for your faith in Christ, how would you respond?
I wouldn't hurt him. I would say, "God, can you hit him in the head and stop him from hurting me?"
If you were asked by someone how they could be saved, what would you tell them?
If they fell off a mountain and stopped in the middle of the air, they would be "saved." You can be saved from hell by No. 1: By asking God in your heart, and No. 2: By going to church. Oh, wait, you really don't have to go to church.
If you died and faced Christ, and he asked you why he should let you into heaven, what would you say?
God should let me into heaven because I asked Jesus in my heart -- and because I'm dead.
Next to the Bible, what are your favorite books?
The Bible is my favorite God-Book. Geronimo Stilton is my favorite other book!
Who are your favorite teachers and why?
My mom! She is my favorite because she homeschools me.
What role does psychology have in relationship with the Bible?
What's that?
Do you want to have children? How many are you hoping for?
I really wish for a big number of kids, but that's not going to happen. I'd like 12.
If you enjoyed a certain kind of music, and discovered that it was a stumbling block to your wife, what would you do?
I would make her leave the room so I could listen to it.
What types of entertainment do you watch? ie: TV, movies, videos, etc.
I like to play Super Monkey Ball II, Star Wars, Mario Party 5.
How do you determine what entertainment is acceptable for you as a Christian and what is not?
I know if God wants me to watch it...like if its a bad song, I'll quit it. Or if it has bad words, it's bad.
How do you express anger, and what sets you off?
When Micah messed up our game, I was mad. I didn't throw a fit. I said, "I'm mad."
What would you do if your wife became upset and began beating on your chest?
I would... (thoughtful pause) push her back and kick her off of me.
How does your pride manifest itself?
When Micah buys my favorite toy that I really want to keep, my pride shows. If he says, "No, you can't play with it," I say, "I'm gonna take it from you."
Where would you like to live? ie: city, state, topical region, etc.
I want to live in Singapore because they have lots of math books.
What dream for yourself would you like to be fulfilled 20 years from now?
By age 26? Get married? That's not a dream, it's a nightmare. Ha! Ha! Ha! When I'm 26 I would like to own a store named, Wal Toys.
What is your most outrageous dream for the future?
I would like to sky-glide!
Friday, July 08, 2005
Friday, July 01, 2005
Song of Micah
------
Micah.
Our strong-willed child.
Our Independent Thinker.
While our first-born was so eager to learn about Jesus, memorize scripture, and beg Jesus to come into his heart so he "wouldn't be a bad guy anymore," our second-born has been a little less enthusiastic. In fact, at age 3, he looked me square-in-the-eye and declared, “I don’t like God and I don’t need Jesus.” He began to refuse to pray during family prayer times. He often disconnected from us in spiritual matters.
Over the past few years I struggled through theological questions regarding Calvinism v. Arminianism and Everything-In-Between. How much of our salvation is based upon our choosing God v. God choosing us? In other words, as a mommy, where did my striving need to be focused: in convincing Micah to choose the Lord, or in begging the Lord to choose my son? Well, of course, we haven’t backed off of the overall goal of Romancing Our Child’s Heart for the Lord but we have commenced a serious campaign of begging the King to save our little boy’s soul!
More than once the prayer heavy on my heart at my women’s prayer group or homeschooling support group has been for Micah’s heart. Some folks have told me not to worry, after all, he is so young! These folks have not seen the resolve in my son’s eyes :). Other sweet friends and grandparents have sensed that there may be something to our intuition and joined my husband and I in praying for God to keep Micah for himself. My childhood best friend (now a missionary in East Africa) vowed to pray often for little Micah (she sees in him a intricate, complex soul much like her own).
Wow, does God answer prayers! I know full well that Micah's walk with the Lord will face many years of ups and downs -- from dark stormy days to days of flourishing Spring, but I cannot help proclaiming what the Lord has done ALREADY in my young man’s heart! I am so stirred that He hears the prayers of my heart – who am I that He should touch me with His Grace?
Over the past year, Micah has shown a new-found interest in Things of God. It started with an Easter movie about the death and resurrection of Christ – his little heart was broken in two that Jesus had to die on the cross! He cried for an hour, leaving two belwildered parents wondering how to lead him to the Throne of Grace! He now swings on his swing and revels in songs of praise to the Lord with the wind brushing against his face as he connects with the Almighty! Several times we have overheard him composing songs of his own to celebrate his Lord, and even during our bedtime prayer will often ask if he can sing his prayer. It seems that nature and things of beauty and grandeur speak right to his heart of the Glory of God.
A few weekends ago our family went camping with several other Believers and had the opportunity to have “church” in the mountains together on Sunday morning. I was struck to the heart to see my little boy with his eyes closed and hands lifted up to the sky, singing to the Lord Most High with love all over his face! The Cherry-on-the-Sundae of this Blessing from Above was the song Micah spontaneously broke into on the drive home from the camping trip:
God is The Powerful One
God is the Powerful One
Most powerful in the world
He’s so nice to me
He takes care of me
He loves me a lot
Oh, He loves me a lot!
He’s so nice
He’s so very nice
I like Him
I like Him because He is most powerful in the world…
And so nice to me!
I will die, but I will stay Alive
I really want to see Him
God is the Powerful One
God is the Strongest One
Who is so nice to me.
God is the one who is so strong
God is so very strong
Even if I die, I will still stay alive
He is my Powerful One
He saved me lots of times
He loves me – even though he knows me,
He likes me a lot!
I furiously jotted down the words as fast as I could, and I know I left out a phrase or two (in fact, he told me the other day I must have left out the words “He is stronger than a worm and a monkey,” but I just can't see where that should be inserted into the song). We are eager to see what the Lord continues to do in Micah’s heart. We will do what we can and what the Lord leads to ensure that Micah is discipled into a Man after God’s Own Heart, equipped to become a strong, godly, masculine leader. We are now convinced that we also need to be coming before the Lord on behalf of all of our sons. Would you join us and say a prayer for their souls?
Micah.
Our strong-willed child.
Our Independent Thinker.
While our first-born was so eager to learn about Jesus, memorize scripture, and beg Jesus to come into his heart so he "wouldn't be a bad guy anymore," our second-born has been a little less enthusiastic. In fact, at age 3, he looked me square-in-the-eye and declared, “I don’t like God and I don’t need Jesus.” He began to refuse to pray during family prayer times. He often disconnected from us in spiritual matters.
Over the past few years I struggled through theological questions regarding Calvinism v. Arminianism and Everything-In-Between. How much of our salvation is based upon our choosing God v. God choosing us? In other words, as a mommy, where did my striving need to be focused: in convincing Micah to choose the Lord, or in begging the Lord to choose my son? Well, of course, we haven’t backed off of the overall goal of Romancing Our Child’s Heart for the Lord but we have commenced a serious campaign of begging the King to save our little boy’s soul!
More than once the prayer heavy on my heart at my women’s prayer group or homeschooling support group has been for Micah’s heart. Some folks have told me not to worry, after all, he is so young! These folks have not seen the resolve in my son’s eyes :). Other sweet friends and grandparents have sensed that there may be something to our intuition and joined my husband and I in praying for God to keep Micah for himself. My childhood best friend (now a missionary in East Africa) vowed to pray often for little Micah (she sees in him a intricate, complex soul much like her own).
Wow, does God answer prayers! I know full well that Micah's walk with the Lord will face many years of ups and downs -- from dark stormy days to days of flourishing Spring, but I cannot help proclaiming what the Lord has done ALREADY in my young man’s heart! I am so stirred that He hears the prayers of my heart – who am I that He should touch me with His Grace?
Over the past year, Micah has shown a new-found interest in Things of God. It started with an Easter movie about the death and resurrection of Christ – his little heart was broken in two that Jesus had to die on the cross! He cried for an hour, leaving two belwildered parents wondering how to lead him to the Throne of Grace! He now swings on his swing and revels in songs of praise to the Lord with the wind brushing against his face as he connects with the Almighty! Several times we have overheard him composing songs of his own to celebrate his Lord, and even during our bedtime prayer will often ask if he can sing his prayer. It seems that nature and things of beauty and grandeur speak right to his heart of the Glory of God.
A few weekends ago our family went camping with several other Believers and had the opportunity to have “church” in the mountains together on Sunday morning. I was struck to the heart to see my little boy with his eyes closed and hands lifted up to the sky, singing to the Lord Most High with love all over his face! The Cherry-on-the-Sundae of this Blessing from Above was the song Micah spontaneously broke into on the drive home from the camping trip:
God is The Powerful One
God is the Powerful One
Most powerful in the world
He’s so nice to me
He takes care of me
He loves me a lot
Oh, He loves me a lot!
He’s so nice
He’s so very nice
I like Him
I like Him because He is most powerful in the world…
And so nice to me!
I will die, but I will stay Alive
I really want to see Him
God is the Powerful One
God is the Strongest One
Who is so nice to me.
God is the one who is so strong
God is so very strong
Even if I die, I will still stay alive
He is my Powerful One
He saved me lots of times
He loves me – even though he knows me,
He likes me a lot!
I furiously jotted down the words as fast as I could, and I know I left out a phrase or two (in fact, he told me the other day I must have left out the words “He is stronger than a worm and a monkey,” but I just can't see where that should be inserted into the song). We are eager to see what the Lord continues to do in Micah’s heart. We will do what we can and what the Lord leads to ensure that Micah is discipled into a Man after God’s Own Heart, equipped to become a strong, godly, masculine leader. We are now convinced that we also need to be coming before the Lord on behalf of all of our sons. Would you join us and say a prayer for their souls?
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