HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLE!!

Our youngest daughter Danielle is 19 today! I look back over the years that have flown by and remember the day she was born. I remember my husband sitting with me in my hospital room waiting for our third child to enter the world. I was in labor for a few hours and the doctor told us it will be a few more hours and my husband had not eaten anything, so I told him to go get something to eat because we have a lot of time before our baby would be delivered. Jim headed down to the Cafeteria. About 5 minutes passed, I started to feel cramping, so the nurse checked and it seems Danielle was ready to come then. They wheeled me down to delivery and poor Jim was still at the Cafeteria

So it was me alone to see our baby being born. The epurderal had stopped working so I felt the pain I heard so much about but it was quick. Danielle was ready and there was no stopping her! I watched in the mirror as she entered our world and she was so beautiful! They brought her to me and as I held her in my arms, my heart was filled with a love only a parent can feel. A love Our Father feels for us! I laid there looking down into these big beautful eyes and fell in love with tiny little babe. As I was holding her a doctor, so It seemed, came over beside me and bent down and had his face so close to mine I had to back up wondering what is he up to?? Here it was Jim behind the mask, we both laughed. I presented him his daughter, he did not know the sex of the baby, but I did. He was so thrilled.

Over the next 19 years we have watched our daughter grow and mature into a lovely young lady who loves the Lord.
She is the one child in our family that was, and is full of energy, yes and head strong at times. The Lord has been good through her 19 years. Danielle has always had to keep busy doing something, and the Lord has kept her busy with things in church, being involved in Youth for Christ Ministry, working with street kids. In High School you had to put in 25 volunteer hours, Danielle put in over 500 hours from working at the school, Youth for Christ, working in the Malls at Christmas time ringing the bells for donations, working in Summer camps etc etc etc. She has always been busy.

One thing about our daughter which has made us proud is that she was never afraid of proclaiming Christ to all around her. She's had people at school call her a bible thumper and other cruel names but that never stopped her. She would just smile and continue proclaiming Christ. Her friends knew were she stood and most respected her for it. The Lord was good in her later years and found her a church were she met some of her closest friends. The one friend that shares her love for serving Christ is Leigh-anne. When Danielle was 16 her and other teens traveled San Paulos for 3 weeks on a short term missions trip. This was a time she will never ever forget.

Also, when Danielle was 16 she met a lovely young man, Rick. They fell in love. Rick went to bible college to become a pastor. Rick and Danielle had plans to marry after college but sadly the Lord took Rick home at the young age of 19. So at 17 years old, Daneille had to deal witha great loss and I know Lord helped her through this time with her friend Leigh-ann and family and other friends helps also. Danielle is now finally dating a young man that Jim and I both like very much. Greg is a kind hearted, loving young man. He has grown to love our Danielle very much and she has grown to love him back.

I just want to tell you my Dani-Girl, we love you so much and we are so proud of you. You have come a long way in these past 19 years and you have a life time ahead of you! Here is a verse to think on my darling. This is a goal for a christian women to reach for....

Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." (KJV)

We love you Dani-girl!!

Love Mom

The right manner of growth is to grow less in one's own eyes.
—Thomas Watson