{"id":28690,"date":"2021-09-05T22:14:32","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T02:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=28690"},"modified":"2021-09-05T22:14:32","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T02:14:32","slug":"sunday-blessing-a-sons-birthday-and-a-charge-a-quote-a-poem-and-a-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=28690","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Blessing – a Son’s Birthday and a Charge, a Quote, a Poem, and a Prayer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Adapted from the Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This son of ours is 32 today. We won’t be seeing him but we will be celebrating him. Today and every day of his life.<\/p>\n

Here’s to you, Nathan.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday, Son. Over the years, you have single-handedly taken me to my knees more often than you realize \u2013 praying to be the parent God would have me be for you; praying for you to come to faith at an early age; appealing to God for all the moves (overseas and stateside) to not be too hard for you; asking for comfort when situations were sometimes hard anyway, and thanking Him for all He’s done for you \u2013 the friendships, the opportunities, and His relationship with you from forever.<\/p>\n

So many memories. \"IMG_0034<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s\u00a0go kill buffalo!\u201d was your call at your Native American-themed third birthday party. Following your sister around for play ideas. Grandparent visits. Family vacations at the Chesapeake Bay. Move to Africa. Carpool buddies. Gameboy. Drawing cartoons.\"IMG_8751\"<\/a>Computer games. Getaways to the Red Sea. Dreamcast. Becoming a Christ-follower. Baptism back home in Tennessee. \"IMG_8749\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Roadtrips to the Sahara Desert. Soccer. Cousins. Airports. Naps whenever and wherever. Basketball.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"2007<\/a>Grumpy when hungry \u2013 feed the boy. High School Rock Band. Great friendships. Game Nights. Sleep-Overs. PlayStation. Laughter. Working out. Classical Guitar. \"2006<\/a><\/p>\n

Virginia Commonwealth University. Honors College. Aletheia Praise Band. Guitar Professor Patykula. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sharing a house with your brother, sister, and then friend Duy.\"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Met and married\u00a0beautiful Bekkah.\u00a0\"Nathan<\/a><\/p>\n

Grad school at East Carolina. Then back to Virginia, teaching guitar, playing beautiful music,\u00a0and\u00a0making a home\u2026grown.\u00a0\"Nathan<\/a><\/p>\n

With being grown, comes adult friendships, some nurtured since childhood, some within the family, others without. Siblings. Cousins. With being grown, comes new work challenges, fulfilling life aspirations, and deepening your faith in God. With being grown, comes new family designations \u2013 becoming uncle to your nieces and nephew.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then that crazy day the summer of 2016 that you wildly trended on social media through a posting of one of your krue.tv live streams<\/a>. [Krue doesn’t exist anymore but it was a springboard for your social media presence as a classical guitarist.]<\/p>\n

Best of all\u2026the day Titus was born\u2026and you became a dad.\"Nathan,<\/a>\"IMG_8050\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Helen Phillips<\/a>, <\/a>Bekkah Mills<\/a>\"Nathan<\/a>Takes after his daddy \u2013 Titus (l) & Nathan (r)<\/p>\n

And then sweet Emma.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nathan, you are settled for now in the U.S. after so many stamps in your passport. Settled in\u00a0our hearts forever. You make us laugh, and you make us think. Your grown-up heart is so worth the childhood\/teen year battles. And your music<\/a>\u2026what a gift to us. Whether you\u2019re on electric, acoustic, or classical guitar. Your music goes right to the heart. Thank you for honing the gift God gave you. \u2013 that heart of yours first, and that music flowing out of it.\"Nathan<\/a>Photo Credit: Duy Nguyen<\/a><\/p>\n

As you settle into your early 30s, I leave you with a charge from God\u2019s word to Joshua, Oswald Sanders<\/a>\u2019 quote to leaders, a poem often quoted by our friend Tom Elliff<\/a>, and a prayer credited to General Douglas MacArthur<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Happy birthday, Son. I\u2019ll love you forever<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Joshua 1:9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a person is really marked out for leadership, God will see that that person receives the necessary disciplines for effective service.\u201d \u2013 J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When God wants to drill a man,
\nAnd thrill a man,
\nAnd skill a man.
\nWhen God wants to mold a man
\nTo play the noblest part;
\nWhen He yearns with all His heart
\nTo create so great and bold a man
\nThat all the world shall praise \u2013
\nWatch His method, watch His ways!
\nHow He ruthlessly perfects
\nWhom He royally elects;
\nHow He hammers him and hurts him,
\nAnd with mighty blows converts him
\nInto trial shapes of clay which only God understands
\nWhile his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands!
\nHow He bends, but never breaks,
\nWhen his good He undertakes. . . .
\nHow He uses whom He chooses
\nAnd with every purpose fuses him,
\nBy every art induces him
\nTo try his splendor out \u2013
\nGod knows what He\u2019s about.<\/em> \u2013 Anon. \u2013 often quoted by Tom Elliff<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Build<\/a>Photo Credit: Pinterest<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_8616\"<\/a>Nathan & his Dad<\/p>\n