I find it truly amazing how our children are such a wonderful mix of David and myself.
Samantha, our oldest, is a feeler- she wears her emotions on her sleeve. She’s artistic and crafty. She’s got a huge heart and cares for others. She’s wonderful with kids and people.
Nathan, is a thinker- always trying to make sense of the details around him. He likes to build and design things. He’s caring as well, has a quick wit and tries to diffuse conflict whenever he possibly can.
I love them both to pieces. They are similar but different. It just amazes me. Here are some of the qualities that I hope our kids will carry on through their adult lives:
1). I pray that David and I have passed along our faith to Samantha and Nathan.
I don’t want them to simply believe because we do- I want them to question their beliefs and come to terms with making their faith their own, not just believe in something simply because their Mom & Dad do. It’s ok to dig deeper and find meaning and 
clarity, but I pray that they have an intimate relationship with God and see how He cares for them.
2). I hope they develop a strong work ethic, like their Dad.
David is such a hard-working man, he struggles to sit still sometimes. I want our kids to contribute to society and to not give up easily. Whether they are building intricately designed systems or creating a beautiful piece of art, I hope they give 100% to their efforts and don’t do anything halfway. Finish things strong and with confidence.
3). I hope our kids continue to care deeply for others.
David and I love to serve others and to try to find ways to meet the needs of those around us. This can be in big and small ways. I hope that Samantha and Nathan will seek and find ways to bless people. I want them to put others before themselves. I want them to love people well and to love them deeply.
4). I want our kids to remember to laugh.
Life gets tough sometimes and it can be hard to remember to laugh. But humor is a huge part of who David and I are. We’ve found healing in humor. We’ve been able to diffuse some difficult situations in life by allowing ourselves to giggle at times. I hope that our kids don’t take life too seriously and I pray that Samantha and Nathan never forget how to laugh or how to bring joy to others.
5). I want our kids to be dependable.
I pray that other people will be able to rely on Samantha and Nathan for all sorts of things. If they love people and meet the needs of others, then people will see their integrity and they will be known as honest, humble, and dependable adults. This can carry over into so many aspects of their personal lives and their professional lives.
Now it’s your turn! What qualities do you want your children to take from you?
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