The Mom of a Preacher Man

Happy 29th Birthday Matt! My goodness how time flies! Just yesterday you were that 3 1/2 weeks overdue baby we were waiting for! That's right - all 9 lbs. 10 oz, and 23 inches long of you!! Naturally, when a child is born, the parents wonder what their baby will grow up to be. With the difficulties at birth, we worried about your development, being told that you could have learning disabilities from your lack of oxygen at birth. So, nervously, we noted every skill and milestone, carefully monitoring them for signs of problems. As you began to grow and develop, we very quickly figured out that not only were you not learning disabled, but you were just the opposite! You knew your ABC's and their phonetic sounds before you were 2 yrs. old! You did everything much earlier than most kids your age. It's sad when your child quickly becomes smarter than you are. Of course, you are finding that out for yourself with Natalie... hehe.

Of all the things you could be or do with your life, we were somewhat puzzled by your lack of direction as you entered college. So, you can imagine our surprise and delight during your Sr. year when you finally surrendered to God's calling - to go into the ministry! Wow! Rev. Matthew Christian Millsap! So off you and Susan headed to Fort Worth, TX to attend Southwestern Seminary. You have worked very long and hard. So, how long have you been in school now...20+ years of non-stop studying?????? Whew!

And now you are nearing the end of working on your Ph. D. I hope you know how proud we are. Wherever God leads you, and whatever He leads you to do, we know you will do it with excellence and obedience! Once again, you find yourself at a crossroad of direction - is God calling me to pastor a church? Does He want me to teach at a seminary? Is He calling me into the mission field? (Hmmm....your mother says no, you can't go to Africa) :-)

Your Dad and I are at peace - knowing that you will diligently seek His will and do exactly what He has called you to do. Thank you for being such a joy in our lives! And as I told you the other day - I am so thankful that we have such a great mother/son relationship! I can talk to you about anything, any subject, any disagreement, or especially discussions on LOST, FRINGE or SURVIVOR, and love every minute of it! Thank you for not being embarrassed to hang with your mom...even when you were in high school, whether it was going to the movies, going to dinner, or going to New York, we have always had a great time together! You know, it's Grammie's warped and wicked sense of humor that has infiltrated our lives so that you, Sarah and I connect the way we do! Not that you don't connect with your Dad too, but you know what I mean. There has to be some balance of "normalcy" in the family! ROFL!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT