"We Don't Say Booty and We Don't Shake it in the Air."

Look deeply into the eyes of this precious little boy and you will see a young man who has a heart for obedience and a heart to please Jesus. I wish I could say it has always been that way, but at the age of 3 Joshua really changed and he decided the consequences of disobedience were not worth the temporal gratification. He began to obey and it has just gotten better and better. Yesterday Matt and I picked him up early from school. We had a full afternoon and I was going to be at a Ladies Retreat all weekend, so we checked him out and went to lunch with the 2 little boys. We were talking about his day at school and he began to sing a song for me. The lyrics said something about "shaking your booty in the air and turning around." "Mommy, I did sing the song, but I did not shake my booty because I did not think you would allow that and I did not think it would bring honor to God so I did not do it. I just stood very still." What a proud mommy moment that was. Joshua has been listening to the convictions of our home. We have never actually said, "Do not shake your booty in the air." But we have instructed our boys to honor God with their bodies and conduct themselves in such a way that it would represent their Jesus. Be above reproach. Step out and be different. We have talked about all of these things, but never the specifics of shaking your booty in the air. Joshua had a moment of personal conviction in his classroom. For some reason he did not have a peace about shaking his booty so he decided to be separate. He wanted to honor God and he wanted to honor and obey his parents and he thought this was something we would not approve of. "Mommy at our house we don't say booty and we don't shake it in the air." I love that my 5 year old is developing conviction in his own life. The standards and the convictions of belief that we as a family have recognized for our family through the counsel of scripture are becoming not merely Hawkins' home standards, but they are taking up root and growing within the hearts of our children. That is the goal. We teach our children the standards from God's word and then we pray that they will become deeply planted in their hearts so that as they grow up in Him they might bear fruits of righteousness and conviction. I know it was an innocent kindergarten song where the whole class shakes their booty in the air. Harmless right? Joshua felt a check in his spirit and he obeyed that check. No, I would not have been upset if he had participated, but oh how my heart leaps for joy that he is becoming a young man of personal conviction and he takes a stand when he does not feel it is right. I pray that the word of God would be so deeply grounded in our lives that we to would live as people of conviction moment by moment, day by day.

John 14:23-24 "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."