Another Year to Serve

On the way to my surprise gathering

Thinking of the day of my birth, just really has me reflecting on the things that God has done just for me.  I am so special to Him (you are too), that he was sitting up, individually contemplating how he was going to bring me into the world, who would have the privilege to parent me, what He wanted my nose to look like, who my soul mate would be, and what my life's mission would be.

At my old church, Sheffield Family Life Center, the pastor at the time, Pastor Westlake, would conclude every sermon with something like this, "God loves you more than anything else.  If you had been the only one in the world that needed to be saved, He would have sent His only Son to die on the cross for you."  Although he said this every Sunday as part of his altar call, I still would go completely into LaLa Land trying to wrap my mind around 1) Creating a Son that you know will suffer a horrific death, all to save some sinners and a whole bunch of people who will never accept Him 2) Doing all of that just for me.  Wow!  I still don't have words for it, but I'm thankful for God's master plan.

Surprise

Also, there are things that I strongly believe in my heart that God has His hand all over in my life.  For instance, my mom started making me carry a purse when my "mother nature" started.  Subconsciously, I never liked carrying purses, so I forgot it everywhere, and even still to this day, I'm known to leave my purse behind.  These last 18 years that I've been carrying a purse, I've probably left it somewhere about 25-30 times, and every time, I go back to where I left it or to the lost and found and it is there, still in tact, nothing missing.  Every time!  I'm trusting that that is God.  Another thing that I truly believe God has protected for me is my eyes.

14th Birthday

  I rarely take my contacts out.  I've gone weeks without taking them out, and I still have eye balls.  YEAH!  Never really had any eye problems either.  I'm not bragging about this, because I know I should be taking them out, but I just get so tired and busy.....ok, just got me, I get lazy and I kind of skip that step.

The hubsters planned a surprise dinner gathering with our closest friends here in Rockford.  Although, he says that I've been saying I wanted a surprise party for the last year, I truly was surprised....and thankful, and blessed that he would go through all of that after being in school for eight hours that day and that people would even consider celebrating me.

22nd Birthday (opening a gift certificate to a full day at the spa)

 I am thankful for the life I've been given, and birthdays give me the inspiration to keep moving forward in my purpose (more on that at another time).