Happy 13th Birthday, Katie! I can't believe you are a teenager! And what a beautiful, intelligent (most of the time ;-)) and independent young woman you've become. I can still remember when you were two, and I heard that front door open that I had securely locked, and out you went to visit our neighbors just "because you felt like it!" So much of your life since then has had that same intentional flair. You see a door and it must be opened. And you are led not only by curiosity but by a sense of wonder, a desire to learn and an appetite to experience new things.
I pray that your teenage years are marked by spiritual growth with that same sense of wonder, that same desire to learn and an appetite for a relationship with Christ. May you continue to see the good in others, have a heart for the lost and downtrodden and a have a humble heart to serve. Along with that, I hope you never stop teaching me that there is an infinite number of ways to love. It has been an honor, a joy, and pure excitement following you around as your mommy in this life - God has richly blessed me with an amazing daughter.
