Letter to My Birthday Boy: 17 Years Old

My dearest Reid, 

You are tough, strong-willed, and a protector...you're a leader and have become so confident in the man God created you to be. You're a seeker of justice and a problem-solver...and it's really difficult to argue with you because all of the points you make are usually valid and make a lot of sense 😂

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You're a lover of nature and music, and you appreciate poetry and good lyrics. You're decisive and it's really hard to sway your opinion. I love your manners and how good you are at making conversation with others. You're the life of the party and are always making us all laugh. You love the Lord and have the most sensitive heart for others. You're mature and responsible, and you have grown up way too fast on me. 

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Jennie Allen, Christian speaker and author, once did a post about her teenage son saying that the "boys with little punk attitudes" might just be listening and changing, and soaking it all in, and that one day they might become the kindest and most thoughtful humans...that one day your little punk might just become your joy. 

And that's the best way to describe you over the past year... our little punk attitude teenager has become our joy. 

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Things Reid loves:

-football 

-fishing 

-music (Southall, Treaty Oak, classic country, red dirt)

-his truck 

-his bass boat 

-hanging out with CJ, Fisher, Memphis, & Tyson 

-going to the lake/wake surfing 

-lemonade & protein drinks 

-lasagna 

-cowboy jeans and shirts 

-working out/speed & agility training 

-Pastor Jeff's sermons 

I pray this verse over you in your 17th year...

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about these things." 

Phillipians 4:8

I pray you know truth, that you do what's right, that you have a desire to be pure, that you appreciate what's lovely, and strive to be admirable...that you honor the Lord with your words and deeds. 

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Reid, you are growing into you an incredible young man. I am proud of who you are right now and who you are aspiring to be. You are handsome and strong, and most importantly your faith is rooted in Christ and you know you are His. I love that you're learning and growing in your walk, and I love that you fear the Lord. 

I'm so thankful that God allowed me to be your mom... you have challenged me, changed me, and charmed me. 

You have big days ahead, Reido... and I'll always be right here cheering you on! I hope you have the very best birthday 💙

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Letter to My Birthday Boy: 16 Years Old

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SIXTEEN! I cannot believe we're here! You have grown and matured, and have really become such a wonderful young man! You're a great conversation starter, respectful of others, mannerly, and helpful. You're also still stubborn, headstrong, decisive, and a little impatient...however, you're more in control of your emotions and you're really starting to become confident in who God made you to be!

This has been your freshman year at North Rock Creek, and although it started off a little rocky with football, honors classes, and adjusting to a new school, you are thriving this semester and have really found your place! 

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Your favorite things are fishing, football, and music. You love being outdoors in nature, and you love all genres of music, especially if the lyrics are good! You seem to really connect to the words of songs, and I've noticed that music is a way that you express yourself. You had a great season on the JV football team, and you've joined the very first NRC fishing team! And even placed 3rd out of almost 100 boats in your first tournament at Grand Lake! 

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Basketball went well and you're still great at shooting those 3's! Your grade has an extremely talented basketball team, and I think if you'd stick with it, you'd be on a state championship team one day! 

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Reid, you're turning into such an incredible young man, and I'm so thankful I get to be your mom. All of the things that used to be a challenge for me to parent - your competitiveness, stubbornness, intensity, independence, not being easily persuaded - have indeed proved to serve you well. With the Lord's guidance, you've learned how to channel these traits in a positive direction, and it's been so amazing to watch you grow and mature. 

You're well-mannered, empathetic, intelligent, and loyal. You love nature, being outdoors, and beautiful scenery, which makes my mama heart so happy. 

I adore the way you study music and think hard about the lyrics...you've got some killer playlists and you always find the best songs (you get that from your dad). 

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I see the Lord in the way you love and protect others, and how intentional you are about your relationships. My prayer for you this year is that your relationship with the Lord will grow and flourish...that you'll look to Him for strength and live a life completely for His glory...that you'll not only be a fisherman, but a fisher of men. 

Happy 16th Birthday! You'll always be my greatest catch 🎣 💙

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Verse that I've chosen for your 16th birthday...

"And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people". 

Samuel 2:26

My prayer for you is that you'll continue to grow in stature... and in discord with the Lord and with people. 

I love you so much! 

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Letter to My Birthday Baby Boy: 10 Years Old

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My precious Rush, 

You are such a dream. You are kind, cautious, quiet, and you just go with the flow. You never ask for anything, you are always content, and you never want to be a bother. 

You're athletic and love all sports, and when it comes to anything competitive...football, basketball, wrestling, or boxing, you're super tough, aggressive, and intense. You have the cutest little grin and you are definitely your daddy's mini me...not only in how you look, but also in how you act and think! I used to love when you were a baby and before you started school, because I said I felt like I had a little clone of Jeb riding around with me all day! 

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You are also super intelligent. You're in third grade and reading on a 7.5 grade level, and you're doing 6th grade math. You're so responsible, and I've never had to tell you to do your homework. In the evenings, you get out your work, you sit down at our island, and you meticulously do your assignments all on your own. You always takes care of business and I love that about you! 

Reid is our music lover, but you are our movie buff! You love watching the classics or any iconic, memorable movie that we mention. 

Your all time favorite is The Lion King. 🦁 

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We all think it's funny that you sleep in a different room every night. We say that Rush plays "musical beds." We never know where you're going to wake up in the morning because you sleep somewhere different every night, lol! 

We call you "sportscenter" because you know a crazy amount of NBA stats, even about players way before your time. 

If you're not outside playing football or basketball, we'll catch you playing XBOX or collecting basketball cards. You love Jesus, and have always been our kid who asks a lot of theological questions and has shown a lot of curiosity in learning about the Bible. 

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Rush loves:

•watching movies 

•XBOX

•football, basketball, and wrestling

•whistling 

•crêpes 

•Chick-Fil-A

•root beer

•Titan, Fisher, and Tate

•taking baths 

•anything about the NBA; especially the Thunder

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Rushton Jeb, I dreamed about you and knew exactly what you were going to look like before you were even born. You've been ours for a decade, but I feel like I've known you forever. 

Bible verse I've chosen for you this year...

In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence. 

Proverbs 14:26

I pray that you will be confident in yourself because of who the Lord is in you. Your identity is found in Him, and he gives you confidence and strength. 

Trust the Lord and His guidance, and have confidence in yourself...

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. 

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Happy 10th Birthday to Rush! 💙🧡

I adore you and thank the Lord for you single day. 

Always and forever, 

Mom