This morning...

My oldest is in 11th grade & will be 17 in Jan. (arg! I can't believe it myself! boohoo...wahwah! lol)  He has been prayed over, blessed & received many prophetic words, this past year and a half especially. They have a tendency to focus on his gift of wisdom, in comparison to his age. I have no doubt God has great plans for his life, as He does for each of us, but many children are never told or encouraged in that way.

Well this morning at church, he was spoken over and blessed in a different way.  We had guest worshipers. The women leading is from the Chumash tribe of Native Americans and the rest of her team is Native American as well.  First a man came in dancing and his native dress was like that of a bird, an eagle I think. He had feathers, like wings along his arms. I immediately felt moved to tears watching him. I can't really say why.

After more music and dancing the leader, Ruth, called up Pastor David to offer him gifts and some prophetic words. Then she felt led to call up a *youth*.  Pastor David chose Ernie, my oldest. She and her team offered him gifts as well and spoke prophetic and encouraging words to him individually and in general as a representative of the next generation.

It was so amazing to watch this all happen.  I felt so humbled and so blessed.

They gave the pastor a blanket and also my son a blanket. It had a picture of wolves on it. Ruth shared that she felt the wolves were like the youth. Wolves tend to have a bad reputation in the wilderness but they are respected animals by the Native Americans. They said that it has been said that when little Native American children would wander away from the village, wolves would lead them home.

One of their team, another pastor, said even when E goes out into the world, he will always be able to find his way home & he will always have a home to return to. Another woman gave him one of her hand crafted instruments.  It was a stick, a thick branch really, that was split half way down the middle to make a clapping sound.  She had engraved: Joy of the Lord, on it. She told him that she cared about the youth.

They also asked him what he was sensing or feeling and he said that he feels sometimes that people look at him and think: you're 'just' a kid, but that he *does* have something to offer.  They agreed with him and spoke more encouraging words to him about being a leader of the future, that maybe they would be listening to him leading one day, that they want to learn from him...

It was so neat & such a blessing to watch this unfold. This verse came to mind...as my heart was moved.

Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

Later he gave her a piece of prophetic art he did during the service and she understood it immediately. S gave her one too. He showed it to me first but all I saw in it was colored scribble scrabble and musical notes. When she showed it to me I could then see the scribble scrabble was actually giant hearts on the page.  Even I knew exactly what it meant for her and she did too. She was very touched and blessed by the pictures she received and our children.

I am so consistently amazed and blessed by my children. I want to be such a better mother to them.