Girls are so different! Both older boys think girls are yuck!! God forbid my husband steals a kiss in their presence. "Yuck", "Why do ya'll kiss so much", "I'm never getting married", "That's disgusting" "I hope God calls me to be like Paul and be single forever" (Can we get that in writing) ...

Oh, but not the girl. With a twinkle in her eye, she's singing a different tune. "I can't wait to get married", "Husbands aren't yuck", "I want to be a wife", "I want to name my husband Sam". Hmmm. Don't know if he'll agree to that one.

Though we extol the virtue of biblical womanhood and the blessing of being a wife and mother, we are careful to caution her that it is a calling; and not all are called. How do we say this to a 5-year-old? "God may want you to be a wife and/or a mommy when you grow up, and he may want you all to himself to serve him in a special way".

So while my sphere of influence over her is still very great, I want to be very intentional about the messages that she receives. These messages will shape her life. Twice I've encountered a principle that is convicting me to the core. I first encountered it in "Every Young Man's Battle" (book review soon to follow). "There is no line that you step over from the teen years to the adult years. God knows that; it's why He sees you as a man right now. You must begin to see yourself this way too because the person you become as a young man is the person you'll drag into adulthood. Your likes and dislikes-from food to music to movies-will follow you. More importantly, your character will be formed..."

And again in Thoughts for Young Men. The third reason young men(and women) need exhorting is because "what young men will be, in all probability depends on what they are now, and they seem to forget this". Obviously, this principle is applicable to boys and girls alike. But as a parent, these words stir me. Reading these truths frightens me, inspires me, and humbles me. I am responsible for molding the very character of people; and the truth is, the cast that I mold has an eternal effect! Now unlike a piece of clay that I can mold, my children have wills. They will freely choose to serve God or not.


So I'm in the process of making CD's for her to listen to during naptime, bedtime, and/ or quiet snuggling times with mommy. I read the book Beautiful Girlhood a few years ago and thought I might read it with my daughter at about 8 or 9. But recently I decided I would like to record it, and let it play for her at bedtime. I looked on the internet to see if there was already an audio version, and to my great delight, there is a Beautiful Girlhood audiobook. So what is my intention? My intention is to familiarize her in the virtues of Godly character