Here are the blessings that Bob read to each of our daughters before he handed them their diplomas.......
Natalie, to say that we are proud of you just doesn't seem adequate. There just doesn't seem to be the right words to express the joy that your Mom and I are feeling right now. It's almost unbelievable for us to realize that we are standing here, ready to hand you this diploma. When God blessed us, as parents of not one, but two beautiful little lives, that August day, almost nineteen years ago, and I saw your tiny body, born too early, fighting to survive, your high school graduation day seemed so far away. And yet, it seems, like all we did was blink.....and here we are.
To your Mom and I, this diploma doesn't just represent what you've learned from books. It also represents what you have learned from life. It shows that you have worked hard to learn all that we have taught you. And I just want to say, that you have learned well. you are a beautiful child of God. Your love for Him shines thru in all you do...whether it's helping at home, working at your job, or doing for others. When you work at something you do it with a heart attitude. You put your whole heart into it, giving it all the love and determination you have.
You have a tender heart. To say that you wear your heart on your sleeve is so very true. You feel life's joys and life's pain so deeply. Many are the times your Mom and I have seen you so happy and excited about the little things that life offers. There have been moments too, when we have seen your heart breaking.....a time, when the hurt was so painful, we would have done most anything to take that pain away, to spare you that heartbreak. A time when our family was so grief-stricken, we all needed to walk by faith daily, to make it through. And you did. You made it. You prayed. You read your Bible. You let God carry you through. You've taken that pain and you've grown with it. You have let Him use the joys, the sorrows, the ups and downs of life to help you become the beautiful young lady standing here today. You have grown so much. Your faith has continued to grow thru the years. You trust God and the plans He has for you. You know that you can depend on Him to get you through all things. You have a quiet inner strength that comes from a love of God and all that He has given you.
You are a kind, caring, respectful, and courteous person. You are mature and responsible. Many are the times when others have come up to me and mentioned what a hard worker you are. How commited you are. You never fail to do a job well. You are funny and sweet. You have silly moments. You make me laugh. You are a great big sister. You love your siblings, you set an awesome example for them. You spend time with them. The younger ones think you are the greatest. You play with them, you bake with them, you read stories, you help teach them. Your older, younger siblings consider you a friend. You spend time with them, you talk with them, you are there for them.
You are a hard worker, whether it be schoolwork or going about life. You love learning. You love books. A good book is a true treasure to you. And from the looks of your bookshelves, you have found many treasures. You are one of the few teens I know, who actually enjoy schoolwork...well, except Math, that is.....the reading, the writing...it's fun for you. You love learning new things.....whether it be baking bread, learning the game of tennis, teaching yourself how to knit, how to sew......You are always trying to do something you haven't done before. Always trying to be the best possible person you can be.
You've chosen Jeremiah 29:11 as the verse to be printed on your diploma. "For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Both Mom and I believe this is a very appropiate verse for you to cling to as you continue on life's journey. Even though you may not know the plans He has for you, you can rest assured that our Lord wants only the best for you. That He will always be at your side, caring for you....You can always have hope in Him. He loves you. We love you so very much. So many others love you too. This is a very precious moment for Mom and I. But we want you to know that we are so very proud of you, of who you are......and who you will continue to grow to be. God Bless you today and forever.
Nicole, you are an amazing daughter. Standing here with you, presenting you with this diploma is one of the happiest moments in my life. You truly are a blessing from God. You've worked hard. You've learned well, both from schooling and from life. You are one of those people who puts everything into whatever you the task may be. You are strong, standing up for what you believe in.... for what you know is right. You have always been strong, from the very first day of your life. To think that we almost lost you-- that we almost didn't get to celebrate this joyful day with you, is something that your Mom and I have both thought of often these past few weeks. You were a tiny, precious little one. But you were so strong and you fought so hard....and we prayed.....alot.......and here we are........blessed by God to be standing here, our hearts bursting w/ happiness at the joy you have given us.
Your faith is strong. You love the Lord and it shines through in all you do. You aren't one to question Him or His ways.....aren't one to question the plans He has for your life. You accept what He has planned and you give it your earthly best. You trust Him and rely on Him to get you through life's journey. A journey filled w/ many ups and downs, lots of happy moments and some sad ones too. You see others hurting and all you want to do is make their pain go away, to make them feel better. It doesn't matter, if you are also suffering through pain and sadness as well . You dig your heels in, you find the strength and you continue on......You don't let it break you, but only make you stronger. You are determined.
You play hard. Your love of sports is huge. I'm not sure I really should admit this, but I think you probably know more about some sports than I ever will. Obviously, to anyone who knows you, basketball is the ultimate sport. You have even convinced your little sister that life doesn't get much better than sitting in the recliner, snuggling while watching some Detroit basketball...... Again, you give it all you've got....always doing the best you can. Anything less is unacceptable to you. You strive for excellence. And on those rare occassions, when you fall short of your very high expectations, you are harder on yourself than anyone else could be.
Your love is strong. You love your family whole-heartedly. You give so much to everyone. Your family, your Mom and I, your sisters and brothers. You are always willing to help out., always wanting to lend a hand. You work hard, every day. doing whatever needs to be done, helping anyone who needs it. You love being with your family, doing for them, spending time with them. And we love being with you. You are funny. You have a great sense of humor, always trying to cheer someone up, to make others laugh, to make them happy. You are a very responsible person, very trustworthy and dependable. If you say you will do something, we know we can count on you to get it done.
You are smart. You have applied yourself well and learned much. Both Mom and I know that you will continue to learn, continue to work hard, we know you will always be there for anyone who needs you, anytime. We are confident that you will always live a life of faith. A strong faith. A faith, knowing that God will be with you each step of the way....faith that He will give you the strength you need, to continue to bless those around you, just by being you...as you have already blessed those in your life, including the both of us. One of your favorite bible verses has always been Phillippians 4:13. "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." It is very evident to all of us, that you have taken these words to heart and chosen them as words to live by. Your life has brought us so much joy.....so much happiness....many special moments to treasure always. I love you. Mom loves you. Your sisters and brothers all love you. We are all so proud of you. May God bless you today and every day. You are so very precious to Him and to Us.
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