This past Sunday, July 9, 2006 was my second son Noel’s 21st Birthday. On that day, he was traveling home from Pennsylvania, with the rest of my family, from a Dourte Family Reunion in Lancaster County. The Dourte’s are his family heritage on his Grandmother Grace Wolgemuth’s side of the family.

And since on Sunday I was just one day back home from Oxford, England, we have not yet had a chance to celebrate this milestone in his life as a family. We are doing that tonight at our oldest son Taylor and his wife Laura’s apartment in Glen Ellyn. I believe this will also be the fist time Taylor and Laura have hosted the family for an official family event! I’m really looking forward to it.

I have to say that I am very proud of all our boys (Taylor, Noel and Marshall) as well as our daughter Kathryn. But, in a special way today I want to brag on Noel.

Noel will be a senior this fall at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, as a business major.

Noel is a very good musician. The photo shows him performing in a dorm at TU last year with some buddies. He was in the Taylor Chorale his first year at Taylor, and has lead worship there as well as helped out with a worship band in some neighboring town churches as well.

He started studying classical piano at age 6 and has stuck with it to this day. His teacher was/is an excellent teacher – W. Perry Johnson – who has become a great family friend. Noel picked up and taught himself the bass guitar and guitar (much to my joy) during high school, and has continued that into college. He helped out with his high school youth group worship band and helped Deb and I a number of times as we lead worship at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park. This summer since he has been home, he lead worship in our Upper Room service, along with his two brothers and a few other band members. It has been a joy to see Noel, and each of our children seeking and finding ways to serve the Body of Christ using the gifts He has given to them.

Tonight, Deb I and our family will give Noel a gift that is musically related. It is our privilege and joy to do so.

Most most of all, my sense of father’s pride comes from watching this young man grow up to love the Lord, and to be seeking to serve His and others with his life. There is a deep blessing here that as a parent I find hard to express in words. There is nothing that I would trade for the deep joy I experience in knowing that Noel, and all my children love the Lord and are walking in his steps.

We have a framed “agreement” on our living room wall that we all signed some years ago during an event called the “Life on the Edge” conference, sponsored by Focus on the Family. Essentially the agreement we made is that we will all walk with the Lord, and no matter who goes to heaven first, we will all wait for the rest of the family there. It may not be entirely accurate, but it is a good imaginary image that a family can share, that can help inspire and keep our priorities straight – no matter what happens.

Noel also gave me a present one time, and I have it framed on my desk in my office. It reads: PRIORITIES — “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

Happy 21st Birthday Noel! I love you deeply! I am so very proud of you!

Dad