O To Be 12!

Tomorrow is AJ's birthday--he will be 12. AJ is a GREAT kid! He is the most versatile guy in the world. In his short 12 years on earth he has done things that range from chess club (as a First Grader!) to quarterback on his little league football team to acting in our Kid's Club at church to academic bowl to wrestling (resist this at all costs moms!) to playing the guitar to airsoft gun wars (not a fan of this either) to raising money for orphans to duck hunting--whew! He deserves a gold medal really for putting up with a household of girls. He has been known to let out a few grunts at the girls, but for the most part he just raises his eyebrows and rolls his eyes. He is an absolute joy and his dad made over (except for the blonde hair).
It really has been awesome to see God working in AJ's life. A month ago at our 1 Rally for our teenagers at church I looked up front on the second row and there is AJ with his hands in the air worshipping his God. I nearly bawled, well okay I did! You know AJ used to worship my God and over the last few years and more intensely the last few months I have seen Him become AJ's God. AJ asked Jesus in his heart when he was 6--a priceless moment. But AJ's faith and intimacy with the Father has realllllyyyy grown the past few months. Partial credit to a godly heritage, partly to an INCREDIBLE youth ministry at the Church at BattleCreek but mostly because God has His hand on AJ's life and AJ has chosen to respond with a Yes. Love love love the fact that my 12 year old is seeking God, and for the most part EveryDay.
My task for the night is to decorate his door. I am not really sure how--why--or even when this little tradition got started--somewhere around Andersen's 2nd or 3rd birthday I think--but now it is a Lopez birthday must. My kids love to wake up to a decorated door celebrating their big day. With 4 children over 13 years I have had to get pretty creative! I think I am going to do AJ's door like a Hawk Nelson t-shirt--come on don't tell me you don't know who Hawk Nelson is--get with it. Anyway, AJ loves their music. So tonight when I discovered that the face on the t-shirt has 12 teeth I thought "that's the door". So I must post and go create a door.