my precious Gabe

there are so many things i love about being Gs mom. i have never loved someone like i love him. it's the closest i can ever come to understanding the way God loves me. i am writing to my sweet little boy today. but while i'm writing there are other little guys on my heart...big ones too!

so this is to my sweet Gabriel Wyatt Lesley (but also to Vasa, Jack, Weston, John Will, Clayton, Moses, Sills...my other nephews)

you are a child of our "good good Father. and you are loved by Him...it's who you are!" i hope and pray that you will live in that truth, always.

this world is gross. it can be mean. it can hurt. but our God is bigger than all that.

i wish i could go before your every step and make life less painful. i wouldn't take away life's trials because they will bring you to His feet. but i would shield you from some of the awful lies that you will certainly face. 

you are growing up so fast. i am trying so hard to help you grow into a gentle, godly young man. i want you to have His Word in your heart. i want you to look people in the eye, shake their hand and be kind.

i want you to have manners. i want you to respect authority. i want you to feel the joy of winning and the sadness of losing. none of this "everybody wins" business!

i want you to learn how to work hard. not for "man's applause" but because you have good work ethic. i want you to work "as unto the Lord" in all that you do...whether it is school work, soccer, chores, etc.

i also want you to enjoy life! take it slowly. enjoy every stage of life. don't rush through wanting to get to the next thing. it will come when the time is right! every stage can be exciting. enjoy preschool. you get to eat goldfish and play all day!  elementary school is fun too. it's not nearly as stressful as middle and high school. so don't rush it!  enjoy recess!! and making fun friends. be nice. laugh a lot and learn learn learn!

middle school is awkward. everyone is in an awkward stage of life. it's hard to know who you are or who you want to be when you are in middle school. so find a solid mentor, youth pastor, godly coach, your dad...whoever and ask them to help guide you through this strange time in life :)

DO NOT think you have to have a girlfriend. that is silly. you are probably NOT going to find the girl you will marry in middle school. so just enjoy your friends and learn what being a gentle godly young man looks like. 

focus on sports or music or whatever you are interested in. some of my best guy friends in middle and high school were just that......FRIENDS. we LOVED hanging out and enjoying each other without the stress of dating. i wouldn't trade those years and those precious friendships for ANYTHING.

i can't even get into high school & college mess yet. 

but even as a 3 year old i want to instill godly principals into you...

- start memorizing Gods Word NOW. do it. 

- i want you to greet people with a smile and introduce yourself.

- i want you to always, always being obedient and respect authority. always. it's how you will learn to obey God through life. if you can't obey your parents, obeying God is going to be a struggle.

- i want you to respect girls. be kind to them. open doors for them, always let them walk on the inside of the sidewalk (you walk closet to the cars)

- i also want you to be respectful to your guy friends. it's fine to be funny and make jokes. but also encourage them. help them if you see they need help! 

- be honest. 

- i LOVE that Jack & Weston give hugs when they see family. do that G!

- make people laugh

- talk to people. if you feel like you are being left out, you start the conversation. or at least try!

- look for people who are lonely and befriend them. you don't have to be their best friend but you can at least say hello and try to include them.

- check your nose, ears and mouth before you leave the house.

- go ahead, play with toy guns, get dirty, jump in puddles...unless you are dressed to go somewhere nice :) 

- make good choices. drugs are NEVER a good idea. smoking is gross and makes your teeth look like "butter teeth." nobody likes yellow teeth.

- chose friends that will encourage you to make good decisions. being "cool" is overrated and short lived. make choices that you will still be proud of when you have your own kids!!

- when you get married, GO BACK AND GET YOUR MOM after you walking your wife down the isle. 

- when you do start dating...be honest ALWAYS. tell the girl you are interested in exactly what your intentions are. DO NOT leave her wondering or questioning your intentions towards her. this "hanging out" not dating business is ridiculous and not manly. grow up. be honest. and make sure SHE knows what you're thinking.

- don't date a girl that doesn't trust you.

- don't date a girl who tries to control you. 

- ask my opinion when you want to date someone, haha. :) dad's too.

- there will most likely come a time in life when you don't want to tell dad and i all your "secrets" that's fine. just promise me you will share life with uncle Josh or Jack or Wes or Vasa.

- keep the tradition of "3 things you love" about dad & me. 

- keep putting stuff in our love box. and your birthday moms love box.

- respect Angie for making the incredibly hard choice to let you be our son. what an amazing gift YOU ARE and she is to us. love her, honor her, pray for her. 

- look after and take care of Ava, Allie, Addison, Julianna, Hadleigh, Emmy and all your other cousins. don't let guys mistreat them! 

- spend time with mimi, poppy, granddaddy and nana. share life with them always. they adore you. 

i could go on forever. i am sure i will...

but bottom line. i want you to KNOW that you are HIS. 

right now you have the sweetest heart towards Him. you tell me what He is in your heart (and sometimes you say He's in your throat.) my response to that is SHARE Him with people. that's why He's in your throat :)

Just today you talked about how Jesus died for you. He did, Gabe.  there is nothing you can do to take away what He did for you. He loves you with a perfect, unconditional love. I pray that you will embrace that at a young age and never turn from that. 

I love you with every part of me but fall SO incredibly short of the love He has for you. He created YOU. you were His idea!!!! He created your precious smile with those adorable dimples, He gave you that great laugh, that tender heart, your precious obedient spirit...He did that.

He thought of you. He knit you together with a proud smile on His face. His timing was perfect. He thought of everything... we are so very blessed to have you, to know you, to teach you about Him and to hopefully honor Him as we raise you. 

if i fail at everything as a mom, i pray that you will at least know that you are loved. that you are HIS.  and that you can always, always depend on Him. know that sweet boy. Live in that sweet boy. if you LIVE KNOWING you are HIS this life can be abundant. 

i love you G. you are my heart.