We've moved!

Thank you for taking time to visit my blog. I have moved to a new location and I hope you will me follow me to my new home.

http://debralallen.com


Come on over with me!

She Caught the Bouquet

Tonight Nicole caught the bouquet at one of her best friends weddings. Good thing she has been reading Bride Magazine. She has a head start on some things.

The wedding was earlier today in Michigan and she sent me pictures of the bride.

I cried at how beautiful she was. Nicole asked, If you are crying now, looking at her friend Sam, what was I going go do when she gets married? ( probably next year)

I changed the subject.

Actually, I look forward to that day with as much excitement as she does. I'm sure it's a different kind of excitement, but I am going to enjoy every moment of the preparation with her. She's been dating a wonderful guy for a while, and they have a great future together.

As parents, we are enjoying every momentous occasion, every milestone in her young adult life, and we plan to celebrate every minute of this adventure called love. -- her adventure.

Today she caught the bouquet ... During this next year, we will look at hundreds of pictures of other bouquets.

One of them will be hers to toss.

Uh oh, I think I'm crying again.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

IT IS A BIG DEAL!

Our daughter graduated from college this past weekend. We will continue to celebrate her excellent four-year tour at Oral Roberts University. She finished with Honors, Summa Cum Laude from the best elementary education program in the country. As you know, from following tweets or Facebook, we are very proud and so pleased for her. She worked hard. Very hard.

Nicole has exemplified these verses in Proverbs (23:22-25): “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old “ (I’m sure she won’t when I am). "Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy!”

Every part of this graduation has been full of joy . . . probably more for her than anyone! But I can say that in this transition in her life, we have no regrets, no tears, no looking back. She is completing everything the Lord has for her . . . right on time, step after step. It is fun to watch, actually.

In some ways, we are amazed at how quickly these four years have come and zipped by. But so thankful for the depth of the experiences.

Parents, encourage your kids to keep moving toward the goal . . . to keep on learning, pushing, dreaming. This generation sees and knows things we have not been programmed to see the same way. They have answers for their generation (and some for ours too).

We are raising some smart, intuitive, discerning kids. They have been empowered to change some things. You are doing a good job if they think they can.

And they really can.

Congratulations to our son who is now a College Sophomore – and again to Nicole. She’s a great elementary school teacher – and we are all looking forward to meeting her first students!

Israel - Truly a trip of a lifetime

I have been in Israel almost a week now and have not written a blog for several reasons. The first being that the pace of this tour has kept us hopping from early morning to the night. We see so many things in one day, it feels like days have passed from breakfast to dinner. The second reason, and really the biggest is that I have not really been able to put into words what I am seeing and experiencing. I think I must have my mouth hanging open in awe most of the time.

I am thrilled. Humbled. Amazed. Thankful. Smarter. Thinking.

God loves Israel. I do too.

Details will come. Stay tuned

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad