Mom and Dad

Emily, It is hard to believe that our ”little girl” is turning 30. How fun it is to see you grown upand busy with the demands of your own household. And it is easy to see that you are a wonderful homemaker and mother –naturally gifted at what you do. We are very proud of you!Your birthday, Emily, has always come at a time when we were on the road to CSU, or at CSU, or when friends were on vacation. Sometimes that has made it hard to celebrate as well as we would have liked, but sometimes it has been a plus, allowing for multiple celebrations over a week or two. We remember the day you were born. It was a Saturday, in New Haven, Connecticut. Your mom remembers how much easier the labor and delivery were the second time around, which caused us to change your middle name from “Megan” to “Joy”! What a joy you were then, and have continued to be to us ever since! You have had a sincere, sensitive heart for God since childhood – even if your theology wasn’t quite up to seminary standards. In fact, when you were six-years-old, and Tim was four, your dad was tucking you both into bed one night. We were talking about Jesus and how He diedfor our sins. “Timmy” was quick to add, “But He rose again, He’s still alive!” Not wanting to be out done, Emily, you elaborated on the concept, “Yes, He didn’t stay dead, but rose again.” Andthen as almost an afterthought, you added, “I think He does it every Easter!”Some of our best memories of you in junior and senior high are of your ministry with StudentVenture. Your commitment to walk strong in a secular high school and lead other girls tobecome disciples is a wonderful legacy that we thank God for. Whatever theological gaps may have been there, we thoroughly enjoy watching you as a godly young woman influencing others by your life and words. Then there were your trips to Europe, one with dad, and the other on your own with Candace. Getting lost in Basil, driving around Switzerland, haggling with the hotel clerk for a room in Austria, touring Neuschwanstein and Dachau, … it was a special time. Remember the Germankids you watched during dad’s conference? You thought you were communicating pretty well in German, only to have the German teen working with you (who spoke English) tell you that one of the kids asked her, “Is she speaking Chinese?”The other day, dad came across a copy of the “list” you gave him concerning the qualities youwanted in the man you would marry. And having seen that come to pass, we’re now praying for the growth and well-being of those two beautiful children you have and their future spouses, also. Emily, we love you. You are a wonderful daughter, sister, wife and mother. On this 30th birthday we celebrate who you are and all that God has done in you and through you in the lives of those you touch.
Love,Mom & Dad