I’m linking up this week with The MOB Society: Let’s Hear it for the Boys. What a blessing to get to know other moms of boys!

As parents, we encourage our kids to hang around with people who are positive influences. Is any parent really pleased when a kid makes friends with a trouble-maker? (Provided our kid isn’t the one being a trouble-maker – eeek – but, that’s a post for another day.) Unfortunately, not all of the bad influences are other kids, and not all can be avoided. If you’ve experienced a nasty custody battle, then you understand where I’m going with this scenario … just because someone contributed DNA to a child does not make them a good influence on the kid’s life.

This month marks three years since my nephew-sons officially joined our family unit. There have been challenging times, to be certain, as all of us worked through our own grief at the loss of my brother and adjusted to a new family dynamic. The boys love each other as brothers; in fact, they will correct anyone who refers to them as cousins anymore. I’ve overheard them say on numerous occasions, “Well, we used to be just cousins, but now we’re brothers.”

That layer of my heart that still aches each and every day because I miss my brother so much … it feels warmer, stronger, fuller when the boys reaffirm our family – unprompted! – in that way.

I’ll spare you the details, but an email conversation yesterday sent my blood pressure to a rolling boil and made me want to instinctively protect the boys from the negative influences of people who think they can waltz in and out of their lives on a whim. I wish I could block their ears, guard their hearts and shield their minds. (I can’t, but the Lord can.)

Necklace & bracelets compliments of my personal jewelers — yes, I wore them to work today!

When we got home from kids’ church yesterday evening, the boys surprised me with handmade cards and bracelets (plus one necklace) that they created for Mother’s Day. I don’t know if there is anything more delightful than receiving a handmade gift. The children’s minister called later in the evening and told me that she was impressed with how diligently they all worked on their crafts and cards. It made me feel very special.

Although each of the gifts were wonderful, one of the cards brought tears to my eyes, because it wiped up all the mess that I had had to deal with earlier in the day and reminded me that what really matters is that they feel loved … safe … home.

He wrote: “I’m glad I have you. Because you bles and love me. I love you my wonderful mother.”

Lord, I need wisdom to deal with the unwanted influences in my children’s lives. Please guard their hearts and fix their eyes and ears on you. Shield their minds from poisonous words and poisonous people. Help me know how to raise them to become young men who are radically in love with you and passionately pursue their purpose in life to honor you. Thank you for allowing me to be their Mom.