Our oldest daughter turned 12 on September 27th and it seems we have been celebrating for the entire past month. We like to celebrate birthdays at home in a small family setting with the dinner of the child's choice and their cake of choice. I was certain that Serena would choose tacos, because that has been her favorite food since coming home to the United States. Tacos, by the way, are not a typical Colombian food. She surprised us all and chose corn dogs, something we rarely ever have, but something I would gladly buy and make for the birthday girl! Of course, we also found time on the weekends surrounding her birthday to get together with the grandparents to celebrate.
Serena even celebrated a few weeks later by having her first sleep-over. It was a wonderfully normal feeling to have the house filled up with five pre-teen girls giggling over sweet and innocent things. Together, Serena, Aliah, and I have been doing a study on Becoming Beautiful to God through Loving the Lord Ministries. It has been a blessing to study with my oldest daughters important Biblical concepts regarding how God sees us and what others see in us, as well as how to choose friends wisely. It was amazing to me to watch my Serena grow in this area and see such sweetness in the friendships that she has chosen.
Serena's life is a beautiful testimony to the grace and work of Jesus who is renewing her heart and mind. She is a precious gift and we are thankful for the opportunity to be her parents. Each day with her is a treasure that we can spend sharing God's Word with her, teaching her, loving her, and enjoying her.
1 comment:
I so love Serena! She is a sweet thing to my kids, and I'm so thrilled for you that she is a blessing!
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