I am so proud of you.

As I watched you play soccer

tonight I realized once again what a blessing you've
always been to me and our family. You have such a
pass10n for life, such concentration and drive. Youare
so determined at whatever you set out to do, and you
almost never do things half-way. When you are playing
soccer, your good plays are very good and when you do
something wrong, its a major goof-up. But that's OK
because your mistakes are getting fewer and farther
between. Above all else, John, you fascinate me.
There is nothing boring about your personality. Thank
you for always being a light shining on a dark day for
me.
I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for you in
the future. I believe He will use you in ways we
haven't even thought of yet. Keep purposing to do
God's will, John, and keep putting to death a selfish
will that has the potential to aestroy. Stay on the alert
for those who would find your weak areas and bring
you down, rendering you useless for the work of the
Kingdom. There are those lurking about in the least
suspected places. It will take real spiritual discernment
that comes from God to be able to keep your feet from
following after those who would cause you to fall away
from your commitment to Christ and His church.
With God's blessing, your ability to stick to
commitments will be a valuable tool in your calling
someday, even as it is now. I have watched you with a
great deal of admiration as you have kept up your lawn-
mowing business, even with a cast on your foot,
because you had promised to get a yard done on a
certain day. You are a boy who can be depended on to
get the job done. But you are not entirely grit and
gravel. You are a tender and compassionate friend, a
lover of nature and all the beauty of God's creation.
You remind me a lot of your Dad in your ability to be
"rough and ready" one minute and then be transfixed bl
a beautiful sunset or the flash of a hummingbirds
jewelled wing.
There is always a danger for those who are blessed with
strong personalities to rely on their own strength rather
than the Lord's. Beware of this deadly tendency, John.
No one has the strength outside of that which Jesus
gives us to fight the enemy and survive, much less to
bring glory to God in the process. Remember always
that Christ in you is mightier than the strongest army of
evil that may come up against o u You must have the
holy boldness that David had when facing Goliath. His
strength came from a life of purity of character and true
devotion to God and His glory. Remember not to do
battle unprepared. Goo has given us explicit
instructions on how to prepare to do battle with His
enemies. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells you how to be
"strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."
You must put on truth, righteousness, the preparation of
the gospel of peace, salvation in Christ alone, and in
your hands take up the sword of the Spirit, God's
word, and the shield of faith. A mighty warrior in the
hands of God, John Calvin Morecraft,l.ou can and will
be if you continue in following His wor .
Always fight to win, for God promises victory to His
faithful people. Someday the whole earth will resound
the praises of our God. Believe that with all your heart,
no matter what you see around you. Keep godly goals
as you fight--not winning for its own sake, but the
spreading of God's glorious Kingdom to the ends of the
earth.
You have a lot to thank your brother Joey for. He was
such a sweet babr that we wanted another one and you
were born only 8 months later. You are both great
boys, though very different in the way you approach
and react to life. I pray that you will always be best
friends and combine your various gifts and abilities to
become a strong unit for Christ's kingdom.
You are so special to me , John. I loved you so much
that I asked God to let you be born!!! And here you
are, almost a teenager, and an even greater blessing than
I ci>uld have dreamed of. As much as I love and admire
you now, John Calvin, I can hardly wait to see the man
of God you are becoming. I love you, special son . .n
The Counsel of Chalcedon December 1990 Page 13