December 15, 2010 ~ Joshua's 13th Birthday/Rite of Passage...

Our Joshua turned 13 on December 15th. I'm not sure where the time has gone but each and every day is a blessing with him. He is truly a joy to us!

The Trust, Blessings, Banqueting Table & Feast...

I'll not give every detail of this blessed evening, in order to keep some things sacred, but I will say that God has blessed Bruce and Josh with Godly men as friends and mentors.

On this special night, Josh was asked to TRUST Bruce as he was taken to a bus stop here in Lubbock, TX. After they parked, got out of the truck and walked towards the bus stop, Josh began to feel anxious. Rightfully so. Bruce talked with him a bit about trust and his love for him. He then said, "When the next bus arrives, I want you to get on it. Alone. You can trust me." Josh did as he was told and at the next bus stop (very few minutes later), Uncle Paul (Bruce's brother) joined Josh on the bus. He lives in Austin, TX so the surprise was well received and brought great relief. At each bus stop after that different men in Josh's life got on the bus and spoke to him. These are the areas they spoke of:

Paul Menefee - Reject Passivity

Jaime Pujol - Accept Responsibility

Todd Horchner - Leading Courageously

Michael Goen - Expect a Greater Reward from God

Rance Bland - Jesus is True Manhood

Rance joined Josh and the men at the final stop which was the bus station downtown. He spoke to Josh on their way to our "banquet" location which was a few blocks away. A few of Josh's friends, Bruce's friends and myself, stood around the fire waiting for Josh and these men. When Josh circled the corner and saw all of us waiting for him, he smiled and I cried. He walked directly to me, which I loved! I felt so honored to be the only woman present!! I wanted to hold him in my arms and never let him go but you'll be glad to know...I resisted the temptation. I don't fully recall what words were spoken while outdoors as I was enthralled in God's goodness to give us Joshua Martin Menefee.

We circled the fire and Ron Weller (the leader of the pack), along with Bruce, called Josh into manhood. The short ceremony was intimate and important to Josh. We went from there into a small building that is normally used as a storage area. Not on this night! As you can see from the pictures, the table was set for a king! It was completely candle-lit and led by men! The men prepared the room, prepared the food, served us and blessed us! (I was pleasantly surprised that MEN could pull this off, all on their own. It was truly beautiful!)

Josh sat on one end of the table while Bruce and I faced him on the opposite end. The feast consisted of roast, cornish hen, a medley of vegetables, brown rice, large rolls and delicious chocolate cake for dessert! Josh was the only one who was served his own large plate of grilled salmon, his favorite! Special thanks to Byron Waters who catered this event with great purpose and love!!!

After dinner, words of love, encouragement and blessings were given to our Josh. It was an evening we will remember for a lifetime.