It is Taylor's 26th birthday!

So....

At her wedding celebration in 2016! 

 

 

 

She is a homeowner now!

 

As the rest of the family continues to watch the football game, I have been praying and asking God about a blog for my baby -- my first born.  I admit, "first - born" was not a term of endearment that I used for my little one.  I called her "pudge",  "pumpkin",  and  "Tay" but never really "first -born" until I heard Beth Moore refer to her oldest as she spoke at a conference she  gushed and gushed about her and I felt like I needed to gush and gush, so I just changed Taylor's contact info on my phone....to "Taylor - first born".   Back then, I tried to mimic Beth Moore.... In a good sense cause I wanted to be like her!!  So when Siri  would speak it, you would hear "want to call Taylor born?".  LOL.   Taylor got a kick out of it.  

Enjoying our time in Colorado! 

But seriously -- tonight, is the eve of her birth.  26 years ago, I was on my way home from the hospital after an unsuccessful day of trying to educe labor and I was to come back on the 6th and there would be a baby.  She was 42 weeks ready!   If you know my 'baby girl' - she came into this world ready.  She has always been more mature for her age,  a beauty, and a complete joy.  She only gave me ONE temper fit that day in Wal-Mart back in 1993 and other than getting slapped across the face a few times -- she was a 'relatively  easy kid'.  She is a joy.  So, in praying and asking God about a blog for her -- I felt He brought me to some scripture -- a prayer of blessing over her -- as in the past  year, since her 25th birthday, she has encountered a new role.  Now she is not only our daughter, she is a daughter in love,  as well as a grand- daughter but now she is also a bonus mom.  I have watched and witnessed this season from its beginning and I am so pleased and impressed with HOW she is allowing God to use her.  So with that -- I must share a few photos.  

Taylor with her Aunties -- the 'first' kids I got to practice my diaper skills on!

And  the TWO she loves behind Jesus! 

 

Ephesians 4The Message (MSG)

To Be Mature

4 ^1-3   Taylor, In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master,  TAYLOR -- I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.  Taylor, as your mother and the first one to see how much LOVE you have for Jesus, I see you running -- you are not holding back and you have chosen to stand in the gap for a little girl that you love like your own.  I am so very proud of you.  

Taylor, as your mother, I SEE this in you -- I see you following Paul's advice in Ephesians --

^4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
^7-13 But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same.   Taylor, I see this in YOU -- this may not be the 'fairy tale' that we watched on the Disney Channel, but I have seen you place one foot in front of the other and I have seen you be obedient to God's voice and He has placed you RIGHT where you are and with the ONE, HE knew , you would pray for and believe in.  I am so proud of God in your husband as well as he continues to place Jesus first!   And now, HE has given you a bonus daughter -- one that I would die for.  I never felt or thought I could be or feel that same way about a child who was not my flesh and blood.  Please forgive me -- I admit -- until the LORD places  or allows you to be used -- one has NO CLUE!   But I love it here -- in HIS will and I LOVE and am so proud of you that YOU are being obedient and loving in this new season!  Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.   You my precious child, have gifts that  -- gifts that I am amazed by and gifts that HE will use in HIS time....don't hesitate...  The text for this is,

He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.

Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

^14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything.   Taylor, I see this -- as you walk and minister to the students in your class, as you walk in faith  and testify of God's goodness and grace with other young women and ladies... indeed you have grown up and your dad and I are so proud of you.  We will continue to pray for your ministry and how God will use you -- in Ava's life...in our lives... in the lives of your future children -- as  the Lord tarries, we look forward to seeing this fruit --  or we will enjoy the goodness of eternity together!  We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.  Lord, I pray each of my children adopt this and live by this --

^17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.  Lord, I pray that both Taylor and Jake will heed this -- and seek Your Word and know -- that they are Your witnesses among their generation -- may YOU be gloried! 

^20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.  Taylor and Jake - we see this in you both and pray you will continue -- to live a life worthy of your calling -- 

Lord, I thank you for this sweet pudge that graced our operating room at 9:06 on February 6th, 1991.  She was an auburn curly headed pudge of a girl that weighed in at 9.13 .....and has since brought us such tremendous  joy.  Lord, in this next year, as she continues to walk in faith in her marriage, in her job, and as a bonus mom -- I pray that every need be met, every worry be eased, and that each and every day they - as a couple seek you.  But most importantly -- I pray that my first born will SEEK you for every need and every emotional desire -- as You will fill it Lord, so that she can be the help meet to her husband and not rely that her worth  or affirmation is to  come from man or -- from him.    But  ...also....That YOU would continue to speak to her and talk with her - and show her what she is to do next.  I Pray she will be willing to be USED by YOU Lord, but I also ask that you would  continue to bless her with that  husband that is  YOUR  physical touch of You here on earth.  Lord, that together as they walk in this year of 2017....a year that in the world seems very uncertain, that YOU would be their certainty!!   

Lord, the rest of Ephesians 4 has more good advice and a warning to use as believers as to HOW to walk in this life -- but, I will save that for another time.  As I believe -- there is much goodness in this blog and may this prayer of blessing intermixed with Your Word be an encouragement to their eyes and ears --

<sup>Thank you Lord, -- In Jesus name, Amen.  

Happy birthday sweet girl  - I love you -- "ma".</sup>