Posted in Family on 14. Sep, 2011
My second-born child is 28 years old today. I seriously can’t believe it. Where did the years go? Seriously. I mean, seriously. This can’t be.
My 98 year-old grandmother (Momo) has always called her “Dessie May”. So to honor Momo, I’m calling her Dessie May today. Dessie May is an incredible daughter, mother, wife and sister. She is a giver and a lover. When she knows God is saying something and giving vision, she goes after it with 150% of her being. She keeps my world balanced, and I love her so much.
This is one of my favorite pictures of her. Her face can say a thousand words. She makes me laugh!
And here is her sweet family at a Fourth of July picnic this summer hosted by the American Embassy in Brussels.
I just can’t end this post without showing you this pic, though. Dessie May and her sister, Courtney, are only 23 months apart. I just want to kiss those cheeks!
Happy Birthday, sweetie! Your mother is so proud of you!
Posted in Family on 16. Sep, 2010
I guess no matter how old they get, I’ll still be amazed at the age of my children. I remember when Destiny turned eight years old, and then six weeks later Courtney turned ten. I was truly amazed that my kids were getting so old. They look REALLY old here, huh?! All three of us look so sophisticated and beautiful.
Well, two days ago Destiny turned twenty-seven. My second-born baby is 27 years old?! It can’t be! Just yesterday she was hopping backward down the hallway with the end of the roll of toilet paper in her hand. Just yesterday she was sitting at the dinner table for two hours with a mouthful of vegetables that she refused to eat. Just yesterday she was telling everyone on the stage what to do during her ballet recital. Just yesterday she was telling me that she had committed her entire life and future to a God who loved her with a Love that she would never fully comprehend.
Yes. Des is twenty-seven years old and pouring her life out for this generation here in Brussels, Belgium. I love her more than I could begin to express. She’s the exclamation point in my life.
Also in case you haven’t heard, she is carrying our 8th grandchild! I went with her and Jon to her first doctor appointment which happened to be on her birthday. I had never had the privilege of seeing a sonogram of a twelve-week baby before, and I have to tell you, I was fascinated. I’ve seen quite a few sonograms in my life, but this one was pretty special. At twelve weeks the baby is only 2-3 inches long, so its image fits entirely on the screen. The baby was kicking and moving his/her little arms around. At one point he put his hand to his mouth then all of the sudden flipped over! It was the coolest thing to see! I immediately bonded with that little bundle of preciousness and can’t wait till she is here! (You notice I used “he” AND “she”, cause I don’t have a clue.)
Just think. This baby is at the prime age for abortions. In Europe 50% of all pregnancies end in abortion. This hit me hard while I was watching this baby in that examining room. (more…)
Twenty-six years old…oh my goodness, it seems like just a few minutes ago we were driving to a park in Dallas to get Destiny’s bridal pictures made. What a fun time! God had done such a life-changing transformation in our little girl just a year before at Gateways Beyond in Cyprus. She came home a different person, washed clean, set free and in love with Yeshua. She also met the earthly love of her life in Cyprus. That’s why we were getting bridal pictures made that day!
Since I’m living in Israel, I don’t have access to all my old photos, but you can still get an idea of what a joy Destiny was as a little girl. Her name was definitely prophetic. She is destined for joy. She brings joy wherever she goes. The room lights up when she walks in. She is a fiery prophet who wants to see other young people set free. There’s no gray area with Des. It’s either right or wrong. And if it’s wrong, you shouldn’t be doing it! These kinds of children make life very interesting when you’re trying to raise them!
One year they all wore sailor outfits to church on Resurrection Day. They were the cutest kids, seriously. Everywhere we went people commented on how cute and well-behaved they were.
Destiny is standing beside me.
Here are the girls in our family on our way to a Tacky Party. They were so excited about dressing as ugly as possible!
She always had so much energy! When we took family road trips, we stopped frequently to give the kids time to run and play. She needed it just as much as the boys! All it took was for Dad to start humming the theme to “Man From Snowy River”, and off they went! (That’s kind of random. I don’t know what made me think of that!)
A drama awards night. She was kissing the frog (aka. brother, Austin).
I love my daughter. She is such a blessing to our family. She is the most loyal daughter, sister, and friend in the entire world. She lives to give. She’s always thinking of how she can bless someone. Her heart hurts deeply for orphans. She wants to make life easier for the poor and the hungry. She is such an amazing wife and mother. I’m so proud of the homemaker she has become. Her cooking skills put me to shame! She and Jon have recently sold their house and most of their belongings in order to move to Brussels, Belgium in November. God has made it very plain that He wants a house of prayer/missions base established in Brussels, the capital of the European Union. We are so excited about this, and eventually our whole family will have at least a small part to play in this. I’m grateful for the way she and Jonathan have listened to God’s voice in spite of the obvious sacrifices in making such a move. From the time she was a baby, I knew that her dad and I would be sowing her to the nations. That’s what gives me peace through it all.
The rest of my pictures were all taken two months ago in Israel. This has to be the best, most wonderful surprise of my entire life. I will remember it forever, and it has gotten me through these first six months of being away from the family. I still can’t believe they were here. It seems like a beautiful dream.
This was her first day here. My eyes are still red from crying!
One day we walked to the Old City and had shawermas and falafels for lunch. Destiny has this thing about onions and proceeded to pick her chicken shawerma apart looking for the little rascals.
Here we are in the prayer room one afternoon. I LOVED having my girls worship with us. There's nothing better in the whole world.
One morning we went up on the Temple Mount. This is her sister, Courtney, and friend, Rachel Baker. Women’s shoulders must be covered (Muslim rules), so that’s the reason for the shawls. This was the site of Solomon’s temple and also the second temple rebuilt in Ezra’s day. This is the actual place where Yeshua will set up His headquarters when He returns to Jerusalem! He is returning as King to rule and reign with us! (Sorry…this is Destiny’s birthday, not the time to explain the sites of Jerusalem…I get a little carried away.)
This is the family on the lookout right next to our apartment building. The Old City of Jerusalem is in the background.
My daughter is simply amazing, and life would be so boring without her! Happy Birthday, sweetie!
