"Grow up!" were the words that slipped from my friend Angela's mouth as our two 12 year old sons joked and jumped up and down together in the church foyer after the evening service. I was thinking the same words she said but I also knew she really didn't mean them as she walked away hugging her big son. We had just talked this morning before church how we tell them to grow up sometimes out of frustration. But in actuality we realize their childhood is fading away as they stretch to new heights and require larger clothing sizes.

I've even figured it out percentage wise. Most people live to be about 75. Your childhood probably ends around the age of 15. According to those numbers your childhood is only about 20% of your life. That would mean two things to me as a parent. First, I need to keep an attitude to enjoy them at each age in their childhood and second, I need to stuff their little innocent brains with the purest truth I can offer so they will have a good foundation for their grown up life. A person living to the age of 75 will be a grown up for about 60 years! Oh yeah, and their is a third critical thing I just now remembered, that is prayer. I've got to pray for my four children everyday! This too will help them to have a good adult life.

The passage of time has taken away the opportunity to cuddle my sweet babies but even so that's the way it goes. And like Mary, the mother of Jesus I too, will not forget precious memories. I will determine to remember their cute innocent actions. As much as possible I can take pictures, write things down and from time to time when I'm just thinkin' I'll ponder their memories to keep them fresh in my mind.

So let it be known, like most moms when I'm annoyed and say, "Grow Up!" that doesn't mean to act really serious and responsible like a grown up. It just means act the maturity level you should have for your age and give me a big hug so I'll know you still love me like you did when you were small.