For nostalgia's sake...
7 years old
6 years old
5 years old
4 years old
3 years old
10 months
9 months
8 months
Dear Victor,
Happy birthday! We're jumping into a new year, just celebrated your birthday, and in many ways, it seems we are bridging into a new season of life.
You're in 6th grade now (middle school!), and it is so cool to see your growth in understanding, maturity, responsibility, and commitment to Christ. You are a definite extrovert, always ready for hosting a game day with friends or any other excuse for a gathering. You are working hard in school, mostly independent and responsible for your own load. This year you added in Latin, and as you told me this morning, you've learned 100 words already!
We are enjoying your growing pianist skills. It is really admirable to hear the progress you're making, and you enjoy the process of practicing and mastering music.
You are also a very patient big brother, especially to a somewhat tumultuous little sister (and younger brothers), and you were a huge help with the Katterson Kitchen preparations and hosting our booth at the Holiday Craft Boutique. You also had a blast serving at the Cedar's Edge Christmas tree farm with your cousin this winter (including the huge wreath you guys made together ... and sold for $250!)
In many ways your capacity and responsibility are growing, and we are so thankful for the ways God is shaping you into an honorable, considerate, and courageous young man.
A verse Dad chose for you this season is 1 John 5:4, "And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."
Sometimes the world seems like a pretty bleak, hard place. Evil is rampant, sin breaks so many things, and we are too easily drawn to pursue the same false and temporary pleasures that people around us do. Today at lunch we were working on our memory verse from Matthew 4:17:
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
That picture of repenting, a great reversal of course, is the entrypoint to Jesus' upside-down kingdom. He doesn't ask us to fix ourselves up; He invites us to halt our insanity of sin and turn to the King who will cover our guilt and enable us from the inside-out to walk in new life. Faith doesn't look big and flashy. But it is the quiet, life-transforming means of victory in God's economy. And I pray that the year ahead will give us both opportunities to grow in trusting God when times are hard and rejoicing that we belong to the King who will one day come to set all things right.
I love you so much!
Momma
Birthday interview:
Victor (1.17.24) 12 years old
What book have you enjoyed reading recently and why?
The
Wingfeather Saga. I like it because
it is exciting and adventurous.
What is a
favorite memory from the last year?
When we went on a roadtrip last summer with the
Lasers and Grammy and Grandad
What have
you been reading in the Bible lately?
Acts, it’s interesting and haven’t really
noticed before when he was in Ephesus, he saw an altar “To the Unknown God,”
and the people didn’t even know who that god was but they made a sacrifice to
him anyway. Paul preached to them.
What is
something you did for the first time last year?
Being in middle school
Is there something you hope to do in the next year?
I’m looking forward to going to the Ark
Encounter over spring break
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