Word Portraits

Yesterday I was reading and journaling during nap time. At 2:30 Tazara grumpily staggered out, climbed onto my lap and then resumed her rest. Watching her sleeping my thoughts and journaling turned from Dallas Willard to Tazara Dawn:

"...Thank you for Tazara, for her joy, her unashamed confidence and sociability. She steals hearts by reflecting her kind intentions unto others and assuming their favor. She marches unawares into situations. Randomly following whatever notion her fancy takes without fear of danger or consequence.
She's affectionate and forgiving, pouring her love freely on those closely knit within her world. Her two and half year old heart and mind has her wanting to do it herself and stubbornly insisting on her own way. She's happy to try something new and she lets her voice be heard if she's not happy. She's got her share of emotion and can use her pout to manipulate if we're not careful. Abba, help us train this child and love her and keep her body, mind and soul safe. Help us feed her truth day by day in bite-size pieces and weed out lies that hurt and confuse her. May she dwell in the dawning light of your glorious presence  and love her place there in your delight. Give her courage and strength and grace to seek you first and find you in every decision, transition, and circumstance. Make her as keen for Your table as she is to empty her plate. Give her spiritual eyes as bright and beautiful as the sparkling blue ones she sees the world through. May she see and know You in her life. Give her ears to hear and a heart to know and love You. Give her a tender, soft and contrite heart. Resilient in life's struggles and protected by Your capably loving care.

Zeke, decisive and determined.  You're eager to please the ones you respect. Cunning and wise - calculating your moves, discerning what can be gotten away with and only pulling stunts when a back is turned. Your tender heart/ego is guarded relentlessly by your anger. Tazara hasn't succeeded in chasing away all of your perfectionism - you don't like trying what you can't master. You're cautious in all the right situations (new sports, new people, new food..) but reckless on occasion too. You love praise but you don't lose your cool/composure.  Animals captivate you. You enthusiastically share your world as you're thrilled by sights, sounds, discoveries and accomplishments. You know what you want and won't take second best. You're passionate about the foods you like when you like them and will patiently bypass a meal that doesn't please you. You listen well and are attentive. You can hide emotions until you don't. Abba, I love this boy to pieces. Grow and nurture his masculine heart after your own. Don't let it go unseen. His questions often astound me. Make him strong in all the right ways - full of love, wisdom and courage. Wise to what is good, innocent to what is evil. Protect and guard him. May he depend on you all the days of his life and never be let down. Teach him honesty and help him use his anger for good - to defend your name, not his own.