Dear Daddy...

I know this is a few days after your birthday but I have not forgotten. They say the relationship between a father and a daughter is unique, special, much like the relationship between a mother and her son. Fathers are the first men to love their daughters, the first men to pursue a relationship with their daughters, the first men to show their daughters they are beautiful. And daughters look to their fathers for love, support, provision, and protection. Fathers are truly the earthly example of our Heavenly Father. So on this day, I celebrate you Daddy.
At first glance, there is no question I am your daughter, from the thick full auburn hair on my head to the thin shape of feet I am my father's daughter. The years I wondered if I was adopted because I looked nothing like my sister and mother I always knew I was at least truly your child. As I grew into adulthood, the similarity in looks took a backseat to personality and character. Like you, I am introverted, reserved, yet personable and once you get to know me, somewhat extroverted. I process and reflect before speaking, I desire justice, I desire truth. I serve humbly behind the scenes. I work hard and do not give up on my desires and dreams. I am strong willed, stubborn, opinionated. But I desire to know the Lord and His Word more than anything else. I am my father's child.
Growing up, I knew no greater man than you through you. You challenged me to pursue my dreams, you knew the hurt and pain that I went through with basketball at Gaston Christian yet you would not let me quit. You challenged me each day to keep playing, keep practicing, and to use my pain and hurt to one day treat other people fairly. And I did, I kept playing, I kept practicing, and the Lord gave me my desires by allowing me to play at Erskine. I saw the pride you had in me when I wore that jersey, I may not have gotten much time on the court, but that did not matter to you. You knew the pain the tears the hurt behind the jersey and you were proud. And I did, the pain the hurt I experienced has propelled me into loving each athlete that walks through my door. No favorites, no treating one better than the other, but treating each of them fairly and listening to each athlete, helping each of them pursue their dreams and desires, knowing that I can make a difference by just taking an interest in their lives. You challenged me in my faith. You were the one who cried when I was leaving for China, you were the one who cried as they laid hands on me and prayed over me. You were the one who to this day I quote to parents as they watch their children leave the home or pursue missions, because you were the one who looked out over the congregation and said "we raise them to send them." You were the one who knew that when you raise a child, you are not just raising them in the admonition of the Lord but you are raising them to pursue the Gospel. You are raising them to send them into the world to share that Gospel. You were my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, my protector when I was hurting because of the unfair ways I was being treated and my provider of all my needs, from my first cars to my first phone to my first computer and everything in between. There was no greater man in my life.
And there still isn't any greater man. The Lord has blessed me with thirty-four years of singleness and I pray that as I have grown and moved through adult hood that you are proud of me. That you see the lessons I learned from you being played out in my decisions and the way I approach life. And while I am not married yet and I have not had to fully leave and cleave to a husband, I have had to grow up and mature. I have had to leave and cleave to the life the Lord has given me at this time, in this season. I have had to make decisions a part from you. I have had to move out and create my own household. Some decisions you have agreed with others you have not. But through it all I just want to make you proud.
Happy 60th Birthday! I am proud to call you my father, I am proud of the hard work and dedication you put into pursuing your dreams and desires. I pray that the Lord will bless you, that He will make His face to shine upon your dreams, your desire, your marriage, your life. I pray that you will know the Lord more in the next chapter of your life than you have in the first 60 years.
I pray above all you know how much you are loved and appreciated and pray over and prayed for.
I love you Daddy...
Jynne

To My Grandparents...

I sit in the living room, my parents, uncle, grandfather, and grandmother surround me. The conversation is minimal, talk of the weather, the farm; the piano bench has been moved from the piano to allow for a wheelchair in its place. I keep glancing at my grandmother. Her eyes have a glossy look to them, her hair unkempt, her mind in another world. Every once in a while, she will catch my eye and a big smile spreads over her face and as quickly as it appears, it disappears, replaced by a blank expression. Having lost two grandparents, I know that these moments are inevitable.

National Grandparents' Day was not too long ago. I always thought growing up, I was the 'norm.' I knew all of my grandparents and all but two of my great-grandparents. As I grew, I realized that so many never have the opportunity to develop relationships with their grandparents.

As I hear my parents talking, my uncle and grandfather working out the week's schedule, I know I am blessed. I am who I am because of my grandparents. My personality, my faith, my looks, my body type, my likes and interests, I can trace back to my grandparents. 

A strong work ethic-my Granddaddy Stowe, my love of others and love of structure and organization-my Grandmother Stowe, my servant's heart-my Granddaddy Thomas, my strong will and ability to stand up for truth-my Grandmother Thomas....my love of sports, the Braves, love of music, playing piano, love of others, love of Jesus, love of the country, love of food and many many more can be traced back to my grandparents.
I know that one day, and one day soon, I will no longer have any grandparents with me. Life goes on and time allows the Lord to take them home to Him, yet I know that inside of me they will always be. They will always live because a part of them is carried in who I am. I pray that I become more like them each day, that I continue to make them proud even as I age. I pray that the Faith of My Fathers will be passed down to those I come in contact with, to my own children Lord willing, to my spiritual children. I pray that when it is time for the Lord to reunite me with my grandparents I will have left a legacy just as they have.

1. Faith of our fathers, living still,
   In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
   Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
   Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!
2. 
   
3. Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
4. We will be true to thee till death.
5. Faith of our fathers, we will strive
   To win all nations unto thee;
   And through the truth that comes from God,
   We all shall then be truly free.
6. Faith of our fathers, we will love
   Both friend and foe in all our strife;
   And preach thee, too, as love knows how
   By kindly words and virtuous life.

Dear Aub...

I apologize for this being published so long after your birthday. I have not forgotten you nor expressing how special you are to me and to so many others. From the outside, many would say our friendship should not be as it is. You are married, have three beautiful children, considerably younger, how can we find something to talk about? How can we find something in common? Yet despite all the "differences" the Lord has taken our friendship and has molded it into where it is today. And I am forever grateful. From deaths to births to trials and joys, I have been blessed to call you friend. I continually stand amazed at your gentle spirit, your strength, your faith, and your transparency. You were one of the first "married with kids" women to embrace me as a friend, you saw past the differences and into the heart. You have opened up your home, your life, and allowed me to see the good and the bad, and have adopted me as family. You have found the differences and embraced them and the similarities and built from them. We can talk about running and movies as comfortably as we talk about life parenting and marriage. And through it all, you have allowed the Lord to be glorified, the Lord to be seen. As a mother, you have shown me how to truly live in the sovereignty of the Lord, how children are a gift from God and therefore belong to Him, how to allow children to be children yet still have structure and discipline. As a wife, you have shown me how to trust your husband, even when things are difficult; how to love unconditionally through all circumstances, how to submit to his authority and leadership in the home even amidst your own doubts and feelings. As a friend, you have shown me how to correct gently, how to love through service, how to be patient through trials and tribulations, and how to be joyful through all things. I feel, no I know, I will one day, Lord willing, be a better mother a better wife, and I am already a better friend, because of you.
So even though it is no longer your birthday, you are celebrated dear friend. You are loved. You are special. And I pray the Lord will keep you, the Lord will bless you and your children, the Lord will bless you and Josh. I pray the Lord will protect you, guide you and give you peace in all that comes your way.
Happy Birthday Aub! Thank you for being "You" to me and to so many others.

Shared From A Sister in Christ (and a former student athlete!): Open Letter Woman to Woman

A former student athlete of mine, Sheliah Williams, shared with me this link to a post she had written on her webpage. I am truly thankful to see young women of faith speaking truth unashamedly and encouraging other women of all generations in the Gospel. We are all Proverbs 31 women, married, parents, single, divorced, widowed, we are ALL Proverbs 31 women! Let us all take the challenge she issued at the bottom of her post, let us encourage other women and let us also seek to find our identity in Christ, let us see our value, our worth, our beauty. What a blessing (simply copy and paste the link below):

http://sheliahwilliams.com/2013/07/25/open-letter-woman-to-woman-2/

Thoughts from "The Verdict"....

My heart is heavy over the way I have seen the church react these last few days. Throughout Facebook I have been appalled by the statuses screaming for death and full of hatred and bigotry for others. What would happen if we, those of us who call ourselves by the "c" word on our profiles, that is Christian, that is the body of Christ actually exemplified Christ? What if we showed the world forgiveness and mercy just as Christ forgave the thief hanging next to Him on the cross, just as Christ uttered "Father forgive them, they know now what they do" as He was murdered for our sins? What if we realized our own propensity to sin and dealt with the sins in our own lives before pointing out the sins in others? What if we demonstrated love not by bashing those who appear different based on race or culture but by loving regardless of what they look like or where they came from? What if we like Christ washed the feet of others in service? What if instead of running to the president in outrage were thankful we live in a land with a president and a democracy instead of a land with a dictator and a dictatorship, do we truly want to live in a land where the government dictates, or do we want to live in a land of the people by the people and for the people? What if instead of taking to the streets with cries of injustice we took to the streets and prayed over the poor, sought out the broken and served our brothers? What if we rallied in our churches between our denominations that all were created in the image of God, male and female we were created, that He knows us our frame, he created our uniqueness in the womb, that we all came from one man and one woman and instead of crying for death, valued life, even in the midst of disagreement and heartbreak? What if we, the church, the body and bride of Christ, every race and Christian denomination, every Protestant, Evangelical, Catholic stood as one and actually believed and pursued the words we all say routinely "our Father, which art in Heaven...thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"? I am a 33 year old single, no children of my own, white, educated, Protestant female raised in the south, I desire a husband and children, I have lived as a minority in Asia, I know that deep down we are all the same, each of us desires to love and be loved, and I believe His kingdom is here His will is being done and I pray each day my life is an example of Him, that He is what shines first when I am met, not the color of my skin or the accent in my voice but the light of Christ going before me and the aroma of Christ lingering behind me. Rise up church, read your profiles and statuses, are you being Christ or being the world?

Dear Christy...

I am sorry this is not being written on your actual birthday, but thankfully I was present with you on your special day! It is so crazy to think you have now turned 30...and what a 30 years the Lord has blessed you with. Usually in life it is the younger sibling looking up to the older sibling, and I know there were those moments growing up that you looked up to me. You followed me into every endeavor from piano to sports. And hopefully I was able to be someone you could look to as an example during those years. But I feel the roles have changed as we have gotten older. The things I have desired and longed for my whole life, you have been blessed with and now I look to you. In you I have found a hero, a role model, and a best friend. You have become a wife, who struggles with how to fill the role of not only a wife but a pastor's wife and a serviceman's wife. You have become a mother, who had to see a child buried long before their time. You have a best friend, who loves you dearly and would do anything in the world for you, including leaving her own family and child to be with you in your need. You are a hero of the faith, you have overcome so much in your 30 years that most of us do not have to experience in a lifetime. The quiet and gentle spirit, the joy, the thankfulness, the love you show others despite the circumstances in your life is truly a testament to the faith that lies within you. You are a role model to follow. You have reached a milestone in life as a wife and mother of 4. While your counters aren't always spotless and Rapunzel runs around the house leaving a trail of feathers from her boa on newly cleaned floors, you exhibit a grace and peace that only comes from Him. Your children and husband should rise and call you blessed and one day they will. They can not help but see the love you have for them, the patience you exhibit to them, and the desire you have for them to grow in their faith. They can not help but one day rise and call you blessed. You are a best friend. You have shown me how to be patient within relationships, how to let the Lord lead even in friendships. You have been someone who cares who listens who cries and who laughs. You truly have shown me how to let things go and let the Lord do the work.
So on this day, I celebrate you. I am thankful for the Lord blessing me with a sister who loves Him, who follows Him, who desires to grow in Him. I am thankful for a sister who trusts me, who allows me  times and moments with my nieces and nephew and does not worry. Who allows me to take them places and love on them as if they were my own and make those memories that will carry through life. I am thankful for a sister who realized early in life the Lord gives and takes away, that He is sovereign over all and that all things come through His hand. I am thankful for a sister who loves me unconditionally, who challenges me, who places the Lord first even in our relationship.
You are truly someone we all can look to. May the Lord continue to bless you, may He continue to shine His face upon you and may He continue to give you peace.
Love you,
Jynne

Dear Mom...

Dear Mom,
Today is your birthday. A day to celebrate you and who you are to so many. I do not think we ever out grow the need of our mothers. There is something about a mother's love that transcends time and generations. There is something about the intimate bond a child has with their mother in the womb that is continued well into the child's life.
Through the years, I remember watching you battle and struggle to provide for Christy and I. I remember you working so that Christy and I could attend a Christian school, play sports, take music lessons and dance lessons. I remember you giving up your time to take us to recitals and games. You never missed a game, competition, concert, or recital, always there, always supporting. I remember you teaching us how to cook, how to sew, how to manage a household, clean, wash clothes. I remember watching you sacrifice so that we could have, watching you serve so that others may have. But above all, I remember you waking up early each morning to spend time in prayer and Scripture reading. I remember you saying you have written in your prayer journal prayer requests for and over Christy and I and that you know the Lord will answer those prayers. To me, you were a prayer warrior. I knew that if no one else was praying, my Mom would be. I knew that if no one else cared, my mom would be up every morning on her knees praying for me.
Life has not been easy. Growing up never is. As time has marched on, you lost your Mother. I can not imagine a life without a Mother. I know one day I will have to face this trial, not having a Mother to call, to be at your side when you are in need, has to be extremely difficult. Losing Grandmother was difficult for all of us, I miss her daily and would do anything to hear her say "You see this girl right here, this is my firstborn granddaughter, this is my special girl." Losing Emeline was a tragedy we did not plan nor expect to happen, yet the Lord had planned and did know it would happen. I never want to see my child suffer like I had to see my Sister suffer. But look at where we were and where we are. And losing your Father, your last parent. If losing one parent is difficult losing them both is tragic. Granddaddy was someone that I admired, someone I knew loved me. I can still imagine my lying on the couch and Granddaddy tickling my toes as he walked to the kitchen. The twinkle in his eyes when he knew something special was on the horizon. But life is not easy. And life will not be easy.
Christy and I admire you, we love you, we look up to you. We know that one day it will just be she and I, like it is not just you Kathy and Janet. But we are blessed because we have been given the gift of faith. We have a faith that has withstood trials and tribulations a faith that because of our Mom, while shaken can not be moved. And we have been given the gift of prayer. We have a Mother who has prayed for us before we were born and every day of our lives. No one else can take the place of a Mother's prayers. And we now pray for our children (my nieces and nephews) with the same faith and prayer we have seen demonstrated each day of our lives.
So happy birthday Mom....may the Lord bless you and keep you. May He draw you closer to Him each day of the coming year. May be restore unto you the joy of your salvation and may He give you peace.
Love in the coming year...
Your Oldest Daughter...