Happy 22nd Birthday Johnie!

Happy 22nd Birthday to our Sunday son, Johnie Ellison.

It's hard to believe you were born on a Sunday, just like this, 22 years ago- during a thunderstorm!

Well, you know, God knew what He was doing. This son who loves Sundays- going to church, being with the church and being the church.

This son who Jesus said, "Johnie, come unto Me- you are weary and tired of doing it your way. How about resting in Me and allowing me to speak My love into you? I want you to know deeply and intimately my deep and abiding love for you."

Johnie said yes to Jesus- and it's been beautiful to see him being transformed from the inside-out.

I've asked Jesus to allow me to watch my children fall in love with the one they will marry some day. I want to see love grow in them for someone very special- and I want to fall in love with that person that will be joined to mine. He has allowed that with Allison and Ben. I pray He also allows that with Cody and Johnie.

But watching my children fall in love with Jesus- to begin an intimate abiding fellowship and oneness with Him has also been one of the most endearing blessings He has given us. I am thankful He has allowed us to watch them come to know Him, to love Him, to trust Him, to allow Him to transform them and to live in and through them.

I thank You, Father for allowing Nick and me to see with Your eyes and heart our children- to see them become who You created them to be. We have no greater joy than this and continue to pray You are all they could ever need or want.

And I share Johnie's favorite verses- which he shares to whomever he can, whenever he can:

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it has been written:

“For Your sake we face death all the day;

we were regarded as sheep of slaughter.”

But in all these things, we more than conquer through the One having loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 35-39