Happy Birthday + 2 days, my Hunter-roo!

I like to be exact because you are so exact and you will not stand for generalities that do not in full and quite detail-edly describe the occasion. For you are nothing, my little Hunter-fella, if not a man of details,  accuracy and veracity to the nth degree.  Witness the fact that I once named you ‘The Little Prince’ and you informed me that you were neither little, nor an actual prince…and that you literally hated that nickname due to its’ utter-invention by an over-gooey-maternal-forebear (me).

The day you were born:

A HUGE surprise and delight!  I was in a meeting headed for another meeting when life was interrupted with “Tara and Dave have been trying to reach you to tell you that the baby was born.”  I did not even believe it. THREE WEEKS EARLY?  Yes, 3 weeks early.  My whole day changed forever.  My whole life changed forever!  Hunter was born!  The sun was shining and the angels were singing and Gavin got a cousin and I got the cutest little guy to love and enjoy the rest of my days.  How sweet it is, Hunter-Magoo!

You are such a good cousin.

I love all the talks we have had, and all the songs you have sung, and all the pictures and crafts you have made for me.  I love the days we have shared and the prayers we have prayed (I have always loved praying for you and now I mostly love getting prayed for by you – pray down the fire, boy!) and how attentive you are to feelings and your unabashed joy at Gilligan and Barney Fife and letting your Poppa share his boyhood joys with you.  I love your laughter, for that does not come cheap and I love your love of the Word (getting to have you read to me recently, I cherish!).

Last week, a tough week for your family by anyone’s standards, when you were hanging at my house for a few days, on the evening of the 3rd day, I know you were missing your parents and life had been a little topsy-turvy.  You and I were at the kitchen counter in the house alone, coloring – with old-fashioned crayons.  And I was thinking how sweet it was for my heart to be able to sit there and color with you and talk, just chat about anything and everything that comes into the mind of an almost-8-year-old-boy.

Your parents called to say that your buddies Sam and Moses were coming to get you and you were so excited!  It was very cute.  But my heart melted when you jumped up and down (never stop doing that, OK???  Never stop expressing the whole of your heart in vivid color and joy!), and you said,

“This has been the best day ever, the BEST day ever!  I got to go with Poppa to the church and shoot guns with him and Uncle Ryan!  I got to go play at Chick-Fil-A, I got to color with my Nonna and now I get to go with Sam and Mose!  It is the best day of my life!”

And yes, I teared up, because coloring with the Nonna made the list!  Seriously?  So sweet!  I love you, Hunter.  I wanted to give you some words from the Word to bless your birthday + 2 days and to bless you your whole life through.

1 Corinthians 2, for my sweet, Hunter-Magoo:

Hunter Powers –  when God sends you out, don’t go with fancy, inspirational words or with cutesy human ways of declaring the testimony of God. Make up your mind not to know anything among the crowds you are growing up among except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In your young life, you have seen it all and your strength (Jesus) is made big in your weaknesses. So let your speech and your preaching not be with persuasive words like typical commentators, but always walk in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power, showing the world that your faith is not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.  You reveal Him, Hunter, ok?!

Because you were born to speak wisdom among those who are mature, not the wisdom of this age, and you are not moved by the of the rulers of this age, who are most assuredly coming to nothing (ay-yi-yi – every election reminds us we are aliens passing through!).  But you, my grandbebe,  speak the wisdom of God – speak out the mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.

This is true, kiddo:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, our hearts have not even understood.  The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  Is that cool or what???

But God has revealed these things to you through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, for sure, the deep things of God.  You will know what you need to know because the Spirit of God will speak to your spirit.  The Spirit of God knows everything you need to know.  And since He knows, He will freely give you everything you need to now, right when you need to know it.  So cool, huh?

So speak and act and live not like the rest of world, but live by the Holy Spirit, Hunter!  He will never lead you astray! Other people or our carnal selves won’t  receive the things of the Spirit of God,  for it seems foolish and we just cannot understand spiritual stuff because it has to be learned and understood with the Holy Spirit’s help. But YOU are a spiritual kid who can judge all things.  For you, holy grandson, have the mind of Christ.

So, Hunter Douglas, Powers:  Happy Birthday + 2 days.  Love Jesus, honor your parents and be who you were created to be.

I love you, bunches, forever and always!  You are a good kid and one of my favorite people ever!  EVER! xxoo Nonna