Twenty-Six

Well another birthday has come and gone...

One more year down, hopefully, God-willing many more birthdays to go!

This year brought about a whole slew of different emotions for me.  Not the "I am getting closer to 30 faster than I think, let me savor each year I still have left to celebrate my late twenties" kind of emotions.  I am talking gratefulness, being blessed, deep happiness, and overwhelming joy for what God has blessed me with.

See God has allowed me to go down some pretty interesting routes in my life...

Some pretty dark routes. 

Each time the darkness was paved with my tears and hardships, but at the end of each dark route, God's glory has been brighter, bolder, and shining greater in my life that it had before.  That's what He revealed to me this particular birthday weekend-- His Bright Light.

I was surrounded by so many people that love me this week and weekend.  I started the week off early with a birthday lunch with all my co-workers.  Precious people who wanted to make sure that even though the week was full of meetings and deadlines, they wanted to take an hour to celebrate me being born.  Cards and gifts flooded my desk starting early on and then Friday came-- My bestest friend in the whole world and my wonderful husband partnered together to give me a birthday party with my best friends.  Then Saturday, my actual birthday, I was serenaded by the three sweetest men in the world and given magazine-wrapped gifts.  Then I was so blessed to spend the day with my two favorite women in this world-- My Mom and Sister.  Family came in and out all day telling me Happy Birthday with gifts in tow.  I finished my actual day of birth with a wonderful date with Nick.  And then finally, Sunday brought about a lunch birthday party with Nick's wonderful family. Wow...my fingers are tired from typing all that.  See, even though I was surrounded by people who showered their love through gifts, words, cards, cake, etc. the real celebration came from within for me-- God's love.  I felt it more than ever this year.  I loved my new cowboy boots and my new necklace and purse, but where-in years before that would absolutely MAKE my birthday, this year it did not-- It was the love God poured out all over me through the actual gestures of my friends and family. 

It wasn't the stuff. 

It was the thought. 

It was the fact that they loved me enough to say so, to be there, to reach out, and to make sure I knew that I was loved and cared for.  God did that.  God showed me that.  What I realized is that love and outpouring of emotion you feel on your Birthday-- that pee-in-your-pants excitement and euphoric anticipation only a Birthday surprise can bring is EXACTLY how God feels about me everyday. Every. Single. Day.  What an incredible gift that is!

Bottom-line-- A Birthday will get forgotten sometimes.  Someone you love and care for won't know the tug in your heart for their validation of your special day, but God ALWAYS will.  As far as He is concerned, everyday is a huge celebration that you are His. 

Feel His love today.  Know that He loves you and will never forget a birthday.  Your eternal gifts are waiting for you.  Don't you want that-- I can promise you it's the best gift you will ever receive.

Love y'all so much and thanks for doing this life/blog with me....