The Happy Graduate

What a great night for the Reformation Covenant Church Graduating Class of 2010!

Peter, Nick, Ken, Kaitlyn, Charity, Grace and Ana

Grace had the opportunity to give a speech at her graduation, and did a wonderful job!

I’m so proud of her!!!

Grace's Inspiring Speech

The parents of graduating students of Reformation Covenant Church typically say a few words of encouragement and praise. Here is the video on my comments to Grace:

My dear Grace – Amy and I are so proud of you and so joyful that we have come to this point in your life. I mean that not merely in the sense that every one of us parents will say it today – I mean it in the sense that I am deeply, passionately and compulsively pleased with you. You are everything at I would wish for in a daughter, and can safely say that my prayers for you and about you have been answered by the Lord more abundantly and beautifully than I would have guessed possible.

The occasion of your graduation is a marvelous time to recognize and celebrate your educational and academic accomplishments – which I consider to be significant.

I encourage everyone to stop by Grace’s table downstairs and take a look at some of the wonderful things she has accomplished – and I’m telling you, the research paper on Conjoined Twins is not to be missed. She has read dozens of excellent books, completed a full series of mathematics and science (including Anatomy and Physiology this year), she is an excellent writer (especially her humorous writing), seriously studied various areas of biblical theology, and memorized several whole books of the Bible. Let it never be said that home schoolers cannot get a good education.

I want to pause to thank Amy for the tremendous job she has done – you are a marvel.

Now as impressive as all of this is, Grace, what brings me even more joy and satisfaction is the fact that you are a young woman of great character and strength and compassion.

You are someone that has long understood that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. From your earliest days it was clear to me that you are a unique – a special and exceptional child of God. It’s not just that you were compliant and needed little discipline (which is all true) – it was and remains that you have always been eager to please your parents, serve other people (even your demanding brothers) and love and fear the Lord Jesus.

It is no less true today. You have been growing and developing marvelously and you have made a wonderful beginning of life. But today is just the end of the beginning. You are now ready to move on – taking all that you have learned, and taking all that you have done to prepare yourself, and begin to explore how you will best serve our dear savior as a mature adult.

You are indeed a beautiful, intelligent, funny, resourceful, teachable, and marvelously servant oriented young woman. As you, over the next few years, move into adulthood – my hope and prayer is that you will not just drift along with the current of life, but you will go forth from this night with confidence and conviction that God wants to use you in this world to His glory and for the betterment of humanity.

Proverbs poses the rhetorical question: Who can find a woman of noble character, a woman of moral worth, a virtuous woman, a mighty woman of valor? Such a one is hard to find in this world because she is so valuable, so rare, so worthy of honor and praise that she can only be compared to rubies.

My dear, You are such a one! You are a special treasure to me and to everyone who knows you.

You are one of the greatest joys in our lives – we love you more than life itself. Congratulations and well done, my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased!

Commencment Address by Pastor Chris Wilson

Tags: Chris Wilson, Grace, Gradution

I got the real pictures today that were only teasingly presented to us earlier in the week by Peter Mahar.

Waiting for Her Train to Come In

Colorful and Dramatic - As usual!

"Speak Lord, for your servant heareth!"

"Hi Dad, I'm Home! Thanks for picking me up!"

"Im Just So Happy!"

Life is Good

Pews at the Train Station - Who Knew?

Tags: Grace, Graduation, Pictures, Portland Train Station

Peter Mahar took Grace’s graduation pictures.

Tags: Grace, Graduation

Since Grace was born I looked forward to giving her a “Hope Chest.”  It seems like something dads should do. But more than that, it is something that I have wanted to do to tell her how proud I am of her as a person, and young woman and someone that I know will be a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She has diligently prepared herself for her future as a homemaker, and I have every expectation that she will be a woman of greatness.

Amy suggested that I write a poem for this gift giving event.  What you see below is not so much of a poem as poetic thoughts. I love you grace!

My Treasure

Great as all creation,
Are the treasures of God your Father,
With humanity the crowning glory.
We, His Covenant People, are His special Treasure.
Has He not promised to give us His best?
To open before us His good treasures – This is His pleasure.
Rain from the heavens, blessing on all the works of our hands,
To make us the head of the nations,
Giving us whole salvation and joy,
In love, to judge our sins, and vindicating us before our enemies.
All of these and more are laid up in store for us.
Unsealed are His treasures for those whom He has called sons and daughters.

Let us treasure up the Words of His mouth,
Greater than all other things necessary or desirable.
Let us rejoice at His utterances, His commands and promises,
As those who have found hidden treasures.
By the voice of Him who loves us,
We gain the greatest treasure of all,
God our Father!

Of all the treasures given to me by God your Father,
You, my daughter, are among the greatest!
Of course I treasure many things:
Some are contained only in my heart,
Others live in my home, While others are born to my children.
Some treasures could be put in wooden chests,
Hung on my walls, or worn as badges of pride in my reputation.
But you, my daughter,
Are a treasure so rare and wonderful,
I have nothing that compares to you.
You are a singular treasure,
Exceptional and unique in the world.
Who among the beautiful daughters of proud fathers,
Has such a desire to please with guileless trust,
Displaying rowdy joy and depth of empathy and concern?
You love with loyalty, you stand with truth,
You bring light and joy to me and all!
You, my daughter, are a treasure given by God my Father.

It is time, my dear daughter,
To fill your treasure chest,
With good gifts from God your Father.
To bless those in your world,
In anticipation and hope of the good future,
That is laid out before you by God your Father.
The day will come,
When you will become the greatest of all treasures,
To the one who will be the father of your greatest legacies and treasures.
In anticipation, I call upon you to make preparation,
To make yourself an even greater treasure than you are today!

“Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure” Isaiah 33:6

Christmas Tide, 2009

Tags: Grace, poem