My hopes for our gals

Any parent hopes.  Along with love and hugs and exhaustion and fear, comes hope.
I hope she comes quickly.  
I hope she sleeps through the night soon.  
I hope she hurries up and cuts this tooth.  
I hope she's not sick.  
I hope she grows out of this stage quickly.  
I hope she always wants to snuggle.

My baby girl turns one today.  And my sweet husby celebrates his 93rd 33rd birthday this Thursday.  I am not organized, relaxed or timely enough to write two entries to honor them both, so I am killing two blogs with the proverbial stone.  (Or something like that.)

                                     

                                     

As my baby becomes less and less baby-like every day, I have been thinking a lot about what is in store. That always leads me to prayer.  And gratitude.  And hope.

I hope.  I pray.  For my girls.  For our family.  For our future.  For theirs.  My heart longs for the day when Jesus returns.  And in the meantime I hope.

I pray for the day each of them becomes a follower of Christ.

I hope it is early in their lives.  I hope they have a love for His word.  I hope God reveals Himself to each of them often, reminding them of what Scripture (and their Mama) says.  I pray for this all the time.

I pray for their future families.  I hope they meet a man early in adulthood and fall in love.  Not the romantic-comedy type of falling in love; the non-dramatic, low-key, Brad Gowing certainty kind of love.  The content, calm kind of love.  I hope they are patient until that time comes.  Patient and understanding and not consumed with the desire to be with someone, to have that type of relationship.  I hope they each remember to be concerned with the stuff that truly matters, not the stuff that matters in our culture.

I hope they find someone who is willing to tell the hard truths.  Who leads boldly.  Who helps them take themselves less seriously.  Who loves Jesus first and her next.  Who (only every once in a while) has trouble keeping priorities in line because he is so busy caring about people.  Who is satisfied and content.  These are the things that have and do bless my life every day.

I hope they get the joy of being someone's mama.  I hope they discover how different two kids can be from each other at such an early age.  I hope they find a career they love and that meets their needs, even if it may not last as long as they imagine.  That they are open to change and welcome new seasons.

I hope they will be best friends.  Probably not any time soon, but one day.  My sister and best friend had her baby girl Sunday and the only thing that would thrill me more is if I could be there.  I hope my girls will love on each other and protect each other and speak truth and grace and hope into each other's lives for as long as they are here on Earth.

I hope they know every day how much we love them.  I hope their Daddy and I are around for a really long time to be part of them.

I hope they always want to snuggle.

Happiest of days and weeks, to my baby girl.  And to my sweet husby.

How about you?  What do you hope for your family?