Birth Order

My first year in college I wrote a research paper about family birth order and how it relates to personality.  It's always been fascinating to me.  I was the oldest in my family and tend to be a leader and.....well....a little bossy! (My younger sister would agree, I'm sure).  After reading and studying about birth order years ago, though, I can see certain characteristics in my own four children that I remember reading about then.  There are certain traits that are considered typical for the first born, middle, and youngest in the family.  Sometimes it's "right on", but sometimes it's not.

Tipton is a small town of less than 900 people, but there are quite a few families with four children.  One family with four we're especially close to. Their mom and I have fun comparing their four sibling personalities and characteristics with our four.  Some of the typical family birth order traits are very evident in each of their lives and it is kind of interesting looking at those traits.

When we become a Christian, we become children of God, but the "order" of our new birth doesn't matter at all to God.  It's just important that we've decided to be born again and become one of His children.  We are a new creation, ready to begin growing and becoming more and more like Jesus.  It is because of Him we can have the hope of eternal life - no matter what our family birth order may be.  Thank you, God, for your wonderful gift!

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. 

John 3:3 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7