My oldest girls

I was amazed and so incredibly blessed this morning! While trying really hard to stay on task and encourage the children to do the same, I walked into my older girls' room to wake them up thinking they would still be sleeping. Instead I opened the door to find them reading their Bibles! I was so blessed. I had told them we were going to start to get back into a more strict routine, but they took it upon themselves to add that habit to their personal routine. I was so thankful. I have always encouraged them to read the Bible on a regular basis, but struggled with the fine line of making them do it and having them want to do it on their own. To have them freely choose to read gave me such joy it filled my entire day with gladness. 

To top it all off, as I was leaving I noticed a list on my oldest daughter, Emily's, desk. (This is her holding our newest little one, Eliana) It was a list titled something like "The most important things I want in a husband." On the list she had things like "someone who absolutely is against divorce," "a man who loves the Lord," "a man who reads the Bible every day," etc. I can't wait to read her whole list. She says she isn't finished. She told me she got the idea from a book she had asked me to buy her a few months ago. It's from Vision Forum and it's titled Before You Meet Prince Charming It's a wonderful book and it's changing who she is by challenging her to think deeper in her faith. I can't believe the level of maturity I am seeing from her at only 14! 

She recently has felt convicted to not wear pants. This is a girl who LOVES her blue jeans and is very fashion conscious. But, she loves the Lord and wants to please him before herself so she has only been wearing skirts and more modest shirts since Christmas. She has also encouraged her sisters to do the same so all of my girls are now wearing more modest clothes and skirts/dresses only with little or no influence from me. It is all the Lord. In fact, they have influenced me and I have been wearing skirts only too. We are all loving being more feminine. I am so thankful for who she is becoming and can't wait to see how the Lord is going to use her! Being a parent is so exciting!