Happy Birthday!

 Another birthday week of fun... I have the sweetest family and friends. Just a few photos of the day...

50 free SwagBucks

Musical e-cards

The Timeline of Your Life / Goals / Investing Your Life

My birthday is this weekend and in pondering my age (almost 56) I remembered an exercise that I did with my children when they were younger.  I rummaged around in some old homeschool files and found this timeline that I drew for them when we were talking about the Lord guiding our steps and directing our paths over a lifetime.   When I first drew this little visual aid I was in my early 40s.

Looking at it now I see I am much farther down the path.  :)

As an exercise in examining your own life, print this out and take a few minutes to highlight some of the major times of your life.  It helps to see where you've been and where you may be headed.    If you are farther up in the timeline (20s-30s), age 70 seems like a LONG way away.  I am amazed that it is only 15 years away for me.

When I think back to my 20's and the things I thought I wanted, so much has changed in my perspective.  I wanted to be a famous pianist and entertain.  I tried playing in nice restaurants and for performances and really did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.  I much prefer teaching piano and playing worship music and for weddings.  :)  I wanted a glamorous job which I had my first year out of college for 12 months.  Although it paid well and was very exciting, it  turned out to be an exposure at a young age to things you read about in the tabloids that I wish now I had not been exposed to.   I thought I wanted to be rich and had a great career with a good income which I gave up to have children.  I did not realize how rich I would become in doing that as my children are the dearest  treasures of my life.   I wanted to travel and see the world.  I did much of that when I was younger, traveling every year to some place exciting.  I realized that it's not where you go or the things you see, it's the people you are with that make life an adventure.

Although I have had a very active life, when I look at this timeline I realize that the most treasured highlights of my life are those where I have invested my time in the lives of others--through being a wife and mother, a homeschool mom, a ministry leader, a piano teacher...  It's not the places where I've been or the things I have that I cherish the most, it's the people I have loved and those who have loved me along the way that matter the most... :)  If I had to pinpoint when my change in perspective occurred, I would have to say it was when I became a Christian in my mid-20s.

Here is my timeline with some of the major events notated.  Each event stirs up so many memories for me and all the people, time and energy related to each...the best of times and the worst of times...all of them have helped shape me into who I am today.

I am thankful that I learned at a fairly young age that people are more important than things and that I am blessed with the treasure of so many sweet relationships.   Consider your priorities and where you are spending your own life.  Where does all your energy go?    Maybe it's time for an adjustment. Ask the Lord for discernment and the ability to change the things that may need to be changed.  Later in life, you will be SO glad that you did and yours will be a life well lived without regrets.

Psalm 90:10 

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years...  [with modern medicine some will live into their 90s]

Psalm 32:8 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 

Happy Birthday to Our 16-year-old

Another birthday in the family.  Today our younger son turns 16.  Our birthdays are one week apart. 

Two years after my older son was born I had an ectopic pregnancy with one fallopian tube removed.  Due to my "advanced maternal age" the doctors did not expect that I would be having any more children.   Daniel was born when I was 39 years old, so he is our "miracle" baby in more ways than one.  :)  He has always been a delight and I love being his mom.   He's so bright and energetic, and warms my heart with that big smile of his.       He loves the Lord for which I am so thankful.

Daniel,


You are a bright gift to our family.  I hope you know that you are truly a beloved son [The Way of the Wild Heart].   Happy Birthday.   

Love, 

Mom :)  

XXOOO

Proverbs 23:25 

Let your father and your mother be glad, 

And let her rejoice who gave birth to you. 

Here are some of my favorite photos of him.

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Disney World / Happy Birthday

My birthday was yesterday with the whole family together last night.  Flowers, sweet cards (I love the mushy ones the best)  :) :) :), gifts, dinner and a fun Scrabble game made my day special.   A friend had taken me to lunch on Wednesday (a little early).

My husband started my birthday early with this beautiful card and lovely flowers waiting for me when I woke up.

Then he brought in a large bag from my favorite clothing store...  I loved everything he picked out!  :)

My friend Virginia brought these  delicious raspberry Bliss chocolates to me before our morning walk.  :)

While on our walk in the neighborhood Virginia and I stopped at a fantastic yard sale where I bought several items for gifts and to resell and this Thomas Kinkade Spring Gate print for us.  I have always wanted one of these since I really enjoy his artwork but they are generally very pricey.  Yard Sale Cost:  $3.00!!!    It was beautifully framed and when I got it home, turned it over to find the Certificate of Authenticity.   It is now hanging in our dining room with a complementary print that I also bought that morning.  :) :)

More cards in the mail plus my sons made me two as well (we always make cards for each other)....

I even got 50 Swagbucks in my email this morning! I didn't even know they did that. :)

We all had dinner together (my kids don't like meal photos as much as I do, so just the table setting is here and a photo from last week together). They did all the dishes for me afterwards and then we talked and  laughed and played Scrabble before my college son drove back to his house.

It was fun and heartwarming to read all the notes on my Facebook wall during the day, too. :)

Today my husband and I spent the day at EPCOT / Walt Disney World with some friends and had lunch in France (Les Chefs de France).   It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Florida.  Hope you don't get tired of Epcot photos because here are some more... hope you enjoy them!  :)

Chef Remy from Ratouille

These two are from Soarin' at The Land.  I just wanted to see how the pictures would turn out.

And if all this weren't enough, on Tuesday my whole family is  taking me to Universal Studios for the day so I can see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter  (another barter). It will be my first time at Universal Studios. AND my younger son is taking me to the premiere of the next Harry Potter movie in a few weeks.  :)   I'm SO excited!

Overall, a birthday filled with lots of love... :)

The Lord decided to bless me once more tonight with a new tenant for our rental house.  The current ones move out Oct. 31 and the new ones move in on November 13 making this an especially Happy Birthday.  :)