Happy 18th Birthday Hilary!

Some of you will find it strange that I am wishing Hilary a Happy Birthday. Her 18th birthday was in March. Recently I received a text message that questioned why I didn't have a blog post on March 18, 2010. It was from Hilary. She noted that on every one of her siblings birthdates, I had mentioned or noted them in some fashion.

I protested that I never promised I would acknowledge birthdays on my blog. With our large family, do you have any idea how many days would be spent recognizing these events? I argued that I did not write about all of her siblings. I browsed through my archives. She was right. In one way or another, I HAD mentioned each of my children's special days. I searched through my unpublished posts and I found her birthday tribute. Unfinished. March had been a busy month. We had out-of-town guests the week prior to her birthday. My birthday. Spring break. Plenty of excuses... So here I am to finish that post.

Dear Hilary,
Before you were born, God planned for you. Before you were conceived, God gave me a personal promise. His promise was that he would bring a special joy into my life. This wasn't merely joy that produces a serene, contented smile. We're talking about such glee that it elicits squeals of delight, break-out with song & dance, jump up & down in celebration, shouting kind of joy that cannot be contained. I wasn't sure what this promise would be, but looked forward to receiving it. The sheer anticipation filled my heart with abundant, overflowing happiness. I named this blessing "Hilary Rose."



Bringing happiness, fun, and laughter to our family isn't your only gift.


God has invested many treasure in you. As I did with your siblings, I sought the Lord on how to specifically "Train up a child in the way she should go, And when she is old she will not depart from it." God had already given me an Esther, David, Ruth, & a Virtuous Woman to raise. Now I had a Deborah.

If you've never read or studied Deborah, she can be found in the book of Judges. Deborah was a prophetess and a judge. What she is better known for is leading an army into a victorious battle & receiving recognition for it. She was an unexpected leader. Women did not go to battle, nor did they lead men on the battlefield. This job belonged to Barak; a man. But he refused to follow God's will for his life, unless Deborah accompanied him. So she was the one honored for her leadership, instead of him.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ( God gave me this verse to pray over you when you were a toddler. It's found in 1 Timothy 4:12)

You are 18, and off to college. It is interesting that you chose engineering as your major, a predominantly male profession. Women comprise only nine percent in this field of study. Wherever God leads you, I believe that like Deborah, you have what it takes to be successful. It doesn't matter if you are the youngest, or that you are female, or anything else that some might perceive as an obstacle to being a great leader. When you follow God with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength, nothing is impossible.


"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

We love you Hilary! You are a blessing to not only our family, but to the world. Walk wisely.