For Mom and Dad

Robbie, Shauna, Debbie, and Rex

Mom and Dad celebrated 31 years together on Jan. 30th! Congrats! Love you!!

This pic was taken at my send-off party before I left for Moldova.

It's really hard to put into words what I want to say, but hopefully this will be a small tribute to my parents and a huge THANKS and PRAISE to the Lord for being who He is in our lives.

For 31 years, my parents have loved and served each other. They have experienced many trials and many joys. Their love still remains strong after all these years. The Lord gave them two miracle babies and now their newest joy, Montanah (Robbie's daughter).

I praise God for who my parents are and for the privilege of being their daughter. I am so blessed to see them live out their faith for Christ. No matter the struggle, hardship, or circumstance their faith has not wavered.

My parents are two of the most fun people I know. They make me laugh.:) I think my parent's ability to laugh is so important to their happy marriage. Another key reason my parents have a strong relationship is that their marriage is based on love and in that they accept each other unconditionally.

What I love about my dad: My dad is honestly hands-down the hardest working man I know. Very rarely do I hear my dad complain. My dad is a huge people-person. He has such a love for people and a big heart. He would go an extra mile and then some for a complete stranger. My dad has a huge laugh! I am so blessed to have an earthly expression of Fatherly love from God the Father. I have a taste of the Father's love for me in the way that my dad loves and cares for me.

What I love about my mom: My mom is the toughest person I know. She takes care of so many things(i.e. cooking, cleaning, shopping etc.) so that the rest of us can have life a little easier. She does so much for us despite her many health problems over the years. She struggles with quite a bit of pain in her day to day life, but I very rarely hear her complain. She is very caring and encouraging. She loves to talk with people. I am blessed to see Christ at work in her LIFE. This is evidenced in the way that my mom has joy (is found in Christ, not based on circumstances) despite her pain. It is very apparent that God is always at work. She's a trooper!

My parents live out a great example for my brother and I through their actions, faith, and words. They have always shared openly with my brother and I about their life experiences and mistakes. We learned a lot from them, including some really funny stories!

God bless you, mom and dad! Don't ever forget what God has done in and through your life. If you were to look back over your marriage and life together, you could never count all the blessings. He has been faithful. Prayer changes things. May you have many more years together. I love you.

Shauna