brenda

meet my mom:

[picture taken in Hong Kong when Noah was born]

she's the kind of person every one loves.

her hand can't stay down when someone asks for volunteers.

she thinks she's not brave, but she is.

she may seem a little timid, but don't let that fool you. she's got quite the backbone [thanks to many years of practice from my dad].

when diagnosed with breast cancer, one of her first questions was "i wonder what God wants to teach me through this?"

she's destined for leadership.

people look to her for empathy. someone who could really "get it".

her husband says she's the sweetest person he's ever known.

she has spunky friends. old friends. new friends. young friends.

the gift of hospitality she doesn't claim. but people seem to come right in, take their shoes off and feel right at home.

you know when she's choosing Life because you walk in the door and praise music is on even louder than when dad watches a movie.

mom, i read this last week and thought of you.

it's from Euguene Peterson.

"I am [solely responsible] for reading and writing my story well, for digging deep into the gaps, for finding the desire and passion and themes that God has written into my life. At the same time, I can't write alone. I am in community. For good and for ill, my story spills over to the lives of others."

You've shown the world that He's writing your story.

Thanks for spilling it over on us.

Happy 50th Birthday.

May He call you to write and rewrite many more stories for us to celebrate.