Happy Golden 25th Birthday - Nick

 

 

Today we celebrate my oldest son’s birthday…

               my giving son is 25. 

                         25 on the 25th… his golden birthday

                  25 golden years of being this boys mama…

I share about how he changed our life forever here:

             Celebrating our Oldest

As I re-read this post, I am reminded of his consistency as a friend, a brother and a son…

          A man that is steadfast and faithful…       Encouraging and giving…             creative and gentle…

My giving son has started his own blog…   here was his entry on his turning 25…

25 Years Young

Since I started a blog I feel as if I should have some sort of an introduction; an “about the author” if you will. Since I’ll be turning 25 years-young on the 25^th of this month, I figure a list of 25 facts about myself might be a good place to start. Some of these you may know already, others maybe not. I may even use some of these “facts” as topics for my blog in the future. (Hmm…) So here we go!

1) I was born on Saturday, February 25^th 1989; child 1 of 8 to David and Kathey.

My dad and I.

2) I have a stuffed panda bear named “Duh.” When he was given to me I couldn’t pronounce the two syllable word “panda”, I could just say the second half of the word, “Da.” That’s how he got his name. Duh currently resides in my sock drawer with his best friend, Patch the stuffed Dalmatian.

Me, My dog, Prairie Dawn, Duh, and “Fake Duh.”(more on him later.)

3) My favorite book as a child was “Goodnight Moon.” To this day it is still one of my favorites; along with “Where the Wild Things Are”, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”, and “The Sneetches.” (Yes, I know those are all kids’ books.)

4) My favorite movie as a child was “Fievel Goes West”, the sequel to “An American Tail.” I also had a Fievel Mousekewitz stuffed toy.

5) The 5 people I look up to the most are Jesus Christ, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., C.S. Lewis, Bono, and my sister Brittaney.

Brittaney and I.

6) As a child my dream job was to be a lawyer. I thought people who wore glasses, and carried around briefcases were cool.

7) Barney the Dinosaur came to my 4th birthday party. Here’s proof!

Barney, Me, Mum, and Brittaney.

8) When I was Middle-School I was really into skateboarding and “rap-core.” (Remember P.O.D., Pax217, and early Linkin Park?)

9) I’ve never had a girlfriend.

10) My favorite genre of fiction is fantasy. My favorite characters are Reepicheep the Mouse (The Chronicles of Narnia), Gandalf the Grey (The Lord of The Rings) and Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire).

11) My favorite TV show as a child was “Darkwing Duck.” It was a spin-off of Disney’s “Duck Tales.” One Halloween my mom made me a Darkwing Duck costume.

Brittaney and I… I mean DARKWING DUCK!

12) My favorite comic-book superhero is V. from “V for Vendetta.”

13) I’ve always loved the Beatles.

14) Paul is my favorite Beatle.

15) I share a birthday with George Harrison.

16) Despite popular opinion, I believe it was actually John who broke up The Beatles.

17) I started collecting vinyl when I was 15; before it was cool. (Kidding, it’s always been cool; hipsters just weren’t around yet.)

18) My favorite album is U2’s “Joshua Tree” and I currently have two copies of it on vinyl. (If you submit me a one paragraph explanation on why I should give it to you, I just might.)

19) I didn’t start drinking coffee till I was 19, and I haven’t stopped since. What can I say, I like coffee. (And coffee mugs!)

20) I was homeschooled since 2^nd grade.

21) My youngest brother, Jonathan is autistic. He has inadvertently taught me so much about tolerance, acceptance, and love.

22) My favorite movie of all time is “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.” (And I will quote it if the opportunity arises.)

23) I’m currently on staff as an intern at Antioch Church on the Rock.

24) I am currently carrying a Nerf gun in the trunk of my car. It is to protect myself from the other interns, who also carry Nerf guns in the trunks of their cars.

25) Finally, I love reading. I firmly believe that if you don’t enjoy reading it is because you haven’t found what you like reading yet.

Me, Myself, and I. #Nofilter

You can check out my giving sons blog at:

@nickchellsen

Happy Golden Birthday Nick~

 

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Jonathan Speaks

So often the Lord has spoken to me through this special guy…
It has been on my heart for some time to start a blog that shares these messages. 
So I introduce -  Jonathan speaks~

The eyes are the window to the soul - This saying stems from a passage in the Bible, Matthew 6:22-23. “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar.” This blog is an attempt to speak through the eyes of Jonathan, an autistic boy, who does not speak with words, but through a life that is lived fully with eyes wide open in wonder.
Check out the introduction page:

 About Jonathan

and our first entry:
     Fullness of Joy
This really is a labor of love and growth as we continue to learn more about autism and our Heavenly Father.
Always humbled by His grace and love~ Pin It

My Funny Valentine

The other day, the hubs and I went into town (now that we live out in a rural area, we have to go “into town” to do our shopping – love that!!!), to have my contacts on my old phone put onto my new one. We decided to make it a Valentines Date.  Over the years we have not gone out “on” valentine's day because of the chaos and because having “many” children did not make it an easy task, we have chosen to celebrate as a family.  But, he does sweet little – and sometimes bigger things to let me know he celebrates our love.  He is a romantic at heart.


We had such a wonderful night, we went to Chipolte to eat, went shopping for a new camera for me – my valentines present from him. It was a wonderful night, spontaneous (like he is) – just spending time together was wonderful, (did I say wonderful enough). What stood out the most to me from the evening, was how much we laughed.  As I pondered this, I thought about how 28 + years ago, this man met and fell in love with this girl, a young girl who took herself way too seriously.
     
Through the years he has taught me the importance of finding the humor in life, with his quick wit and his love to laugh.  As I was reflecting on this, I remember an old song called “My Funny Valentine.”


"My Funny Valentine"

My funny valentine
Sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet you’re my favorite work of art


Is your figure less than greek
Is your mouth a little weak
When you open it to speak
Are you smart?


But don’t change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine stay
Each day is valentines day

so in honor of “my funny valentine” – I dedicate this song (with some changes) to you,

My funny valentine –
      You are my sweet comic relief from life’s harder days,
             Your love makes my heart smile.
                   Your looks and quick wit continue to make me laugh,


You’re more handsome today than the day we met,
      The image of your gaze is etched deeply in my heart,
                You are my favorite work of art…


Even though the years have molded our figures into a different shape,
     and you do not always have the words to speak,
            you are still the most handsome, smartest man I know – you are my Daveipedia.


I love you just the way you are,
     your love and grace, for me, bring me joy,
            You’re always by my side -
and each day is Valentines Day with you


I want you to know “my funny valentine” that my love for you has grown longer, wider, deeper and higher with each passing year and your love for me has strengthened me and made we the person I am today –because of you, this girl has developed a sense of humor, learned to lighten up a little more and learned to laugh at life a whole lot more…  I haven’t totally arrived in that area (still take myself too seriously), but I look forward to many more funny valentine days with you.




When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God—some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth— that out of his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you the mighty inner strengthening of his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love;  and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.      Ephesians 3:14-19



Happy Valentine’s Day~

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