This is 25!

It is mind-boggling to me, but Daniel turned 25 yesterday! What? How can that be? Wasn't it just yesterday that he was a baby who was chewing on his toy drumstick instead of skillfully playing and teaching drum lessons?

I am obviously aware of the passing of time and have enjoyed having a front-row seat to watching this baby grow into a man. Being Daniel's mom has been the number one favorite role in my life and I'm thankful every day that God allowed me this joy and grace.

At Daniel's baby dedication at Nashville First Baptist Church, and as we intentionally raised him in the faith, we chose some verses for him, as a prayer:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12, NIV

As I contemplated Daniel's birthday this year, I thought about those verses that we prayed for his life. We asked God to "fill him with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives," and we joyfully experienced that happening as Daniel received Jesus as his Savior and was baptized as a boy.

We prayed that Daniel would "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might," and we have watched Daniel grow in his faith and relationship with the Lord through his middle and high school years and in college and beyond. Daniel loves to serve on worship teams and doing discipleship, either one-on-one as a friend, or with youth in various settings.

We prayed that Daniel would "have great endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to the Father," and those are three characteristics that I see in Daniel as he lives his life as a man. I see the fruit of the Spirit in Daniel's life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, NLT).

I am so thankful to God for the man that Daniel has become and look forward to our relationship as mother and son as we continue through 2020 and for years to come.