Happy Birthday Brennan!

Today, October 3rd, is Brennan's 14th birthday! (I know the date on the post says the 2nd, but that's because I wrote this late at night, because today, the 3rd, I knew would be a busy day! LOL)



Wow -- 14 years ago today, we welcomed our first child into this world. We had him at home and he was a healthy boy, weighing in at 8lbs. 7oz. Although not originally 'planned' by us, God's timing was perfect and He brought us this bundle of energy and full of life, little boy, who would forever change our lives.

The past 14 years with Bren have been amazing. Some days it's hard for me when I realize we only have 4 short years before he'll be off, on his own. I cannot believe how fast these years have flown by!

So, who is Brennan? What is he like? Let me tell you a bit about our son...

Brennan is a teenager full of passion. He is a born 'leader' and has a trillion ideas and dreams exploding out of his heart. He is always sharing his heart of wanting to do this or that. And, what he is passionate about, he dives into with all his heart. Although sometimes it drives me crazy, because quite honestly -- that's ALL he talks about and it totally consumes him, and he will literally follow me everywhere talking only about that one particular thing on his mind/heart. Nothing else matters to him in those moments. He has a single-track mind. Therefore we're sometimes like "earth to Brennan", your chores or homework still need to be done. LOL And, yet -- it's really what I love about him! I love listening to his dreams and giving him a place to simply share his heart.

As most of you probably know, if you've read here for any length of time -- Brennan loves, loves, loves skateboarding! That has not been a fleeting passion. Quite honestly, I don't get into it and don't understand why anyone would want to ride on a concrete slab, on top of a board with 4 wheels, while doing tricks and falling down repeatedly. LOL But, then again -- I am a woman and I also don't understand the thrill of finally landing a trick that you've tried and failed at time and time again. :) But, recently he came to us with a new dream that God is birthing in his heart....

The skating scene can be rough, at times. That culture, in and of itself, is characterized by some not-so-good things. There are so many teenagers hanging out at the skatepark who are lonely, depressed, don't have a good family life, are into drugs and alcohol. It's a dark and rough scene for many. However, there are 'good', wholesome kids like Brennan, who love it just as much. So, as parents, we've had to be diligent in knowing who he's with and in guarding the times he's there to when we know it's the 'safest'.

But, what's been fun is to encourage him in this passion and to see it as not just a teenage thing, but truly something that God seems to have birthed in his heart. Recently, Brennan began sharing with us about a place in Oregon called "Skatechurch". We'd heard about this through a recent christian skateboarding DVD called, "LivinIt". Anyway, he began to do some research about it. It's a church in Oregon that has an indoor skatepark, but also has a church there, reaching out to specifically skateboarders. What we've read about it, we've been so impressed. Anyway, recently, Brennan began to share his heart with us about a desire God is birthing in his heart for a skatechurch here in Kansas City! He has such a heart for the other teenagers at the skatepark. It's been so fun and amazing to see his heart come ablaze with God's love for others, through his passion. But, the fun, quirky side of Brennan in all this, is that he wants to live in a room UNDER the skatepark -- like a 'secret hideaway'! LOL He's so not into 'materialism' and I totally see him living a simple life, just enjoying life and living it fully.

Now, whether or not this is exactly what God has for his life, I don't know -- he is only 14, and I know I dreamt of some pretty crazy stuff at 14 (like being a marine biologist! NOT!). But, that doesn't matter -- what's I love is that he's begun to go to this whole new place in God this past year, where he's dreaming big dreams and growing in God and it's fun to sit back and watch God converge his passion with his relationship with God. It's not time to figure it all out right now, but it's just been a time of giving his heart a safe place to dream. It's a beautiful thing to watch as God pursues our son's heart! He is discipling him in an amazing way and I love watching it!

One of the things that I also love about Brennan, too, is his purity of heart. He is constantly amazing us by his desire for purity and His desire to follow God wholeheartedly. We will often receive notes, tucked away, for us to read only, with him sharing his heart, his struggles, his weaknesses. He is so vulnerable and open with us. Not only does he share his dreams, but he shares his weaknesses, his struggles -- he tells us everything. I treasure that relationship with him, because I want him to know that he can tell us anything and we'll love him. I want him to know that it's ok to struggle and wrestle with the flesh and the temptations and desires of the world......but in the struggle, run to those you trust and run to Jesus, the ultimate lover of your soul! I am so honored by the trust he places in us in sharing the deep places of his heart. I treasure those talk times. I know that quite often teenagers 'shut down' and I am daily grateful for the completely open communication we have with him!

This past year, as we've weathered a move and new location and friends and everything -- we've grown even closer as a family. We were close before, but with no one else to talk to for awhile, we had to talk to each other! LOL But, I look back now and I especially treasure our relationship with our boys, but for the sake of this birthday post, I specifically treasure our relationship with Brennan. My sole desire since he was born was that a)he would learn to walk with God at a young age and b)that God would knit our hearts together as he grows. I am seeing those things become solidified in his life. He has grown so much in his relationship with God this past year, that his life often challenges me and presses me, personally, deeper into the things of God. I love that! I want him to surpass me and go further into God's heart than I ever have. I want the 'ceiling of my life' to be his floor! And, I love it that, especially this past year, God has really knit our hearts together. I love it that Brennan feels the freedom to tell us anything. I love it that he trusts us with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the amazing things in his heart. I treasure the 'friendship' we are building now and I love watching him grow up!

So, that's some of my pride today, as I look at the young man this 14 year old is becoming. I am truly honored to be his mother. He brings such joy to my heart with all his giftings and abilities and yet his 'quirkiness' and the way he makes me laugh. My love for him continues to deepen, but it's also beginning to add a new level of respect as I watch him grow up. I am beginning to respect him as the young man he is truly becoming, not just the little boy we've known for so long. We are so blessed to call him our son, and today I wish him a very happy birthday!

I love you Bren! :)