Happy Birthday to ME!

Pss. 118: 17  “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.”

Happy Birthday to Me...I am Special

I had a dream last night with my brother-in-law, M, and sister-in-law, B, in it; they crept into my dream to point out that I am special. In the dream, he said I couldn’t go to the store he goes to because I wouldn’t be allowed to register. M went on to say that I was above that store, meaning I was too good to shop in the store. At first, I was offended but my S-I-L was saying that he meant it in a good way. He said that I was special in my thinking and very rare and that the people wouldn’t allow the likes of ‘my kind’ in their store. Geez, I never even got to see what kind of store I was too good for, but since he is an avid member of agriculture and all things Monsanto, it might have been a feed store, in my mind anyway.

I have to admit, I am kind of special. I came into this world on my Mother’s twenty-ninth birthday, the last of six kids. Every year on our birthday my mother gives each of us kids our birthday story and of course, my day was special for different reasons than theirs. Besides the special day, the thing that stood out to me the most was her doctor had told her she had plenty of time before delivery and to relax. He left the room and within minutes I popped out! As the nurse called the doctor back into the room, I was already in her hands, covered in ooze for the doctor to clean up. 

Ironically, in my twenty-ninth year, I gave birth also. It wasn’t on my mother’s birthday instead it was three days before my dad’s birthday, both right after Christmas! And my doctor did the same exact thing, he said I wasn’t ready to deliver; I was hours away from delivering. I said to him, “Stay close because that is exactly what my mother’s doctor said when I was born and made a hasty arrival.” The doc left the room chuckling and bam! I was so ready to push! He wasn’t minutes out the door, he didn’t even have time to put his scrubs on, hurrying back to the scene and there my son was, arriving in a hurry, my after Christmas special surprise.

Then there is the fact that I’m the baby of the family. My mother always treated me special and my siblings made sure I knew that she treated me more special than them. 

Then there’s God. I woke this morning to gusty winds and clinging cloudy skies. I sighed. But it’s my birthday, I’m special remember I uttered softly to the morning. As I continued on in the quiet of the morning reading my scripture I could see light outside the window meaning morning was near. I opened the curtain a little because I love looking out at the sunrise. It sure didn’t look like I’d get one today with all of the clouds.

Then it happened, the clouds parted just enough for me to see a glimmer of sun streaking its rays out of the clouds. There it was, God said to me, “You ARE special!” I hurriedly snapped a picture. Then I sat down and the sun burst momentarily through the clouds so bright I had to close the curtains a little! I looked at the weather for the day: windy, clouds and chance of storms later. 

3 23 18 Sunrise

Yes, I am special! A thunderstorm this evening will be icing on my cake! No, I didn’t have cake, I don’t miss it either! I had a glutenfree pizza! That’s my Friday treat. It’s been five days without the use of my cane. I went shopping yesterday on a sunny 65-degree day and am almost (not 100%) myself again! I’m special!

I have wonderful friends who all took time out of their day to wish ME a Happy Birthday! I thank them from the bottom of my heart! My sister called, my husband was home as was my son, my mother-in-law gave me a beautiful card and an enormous fruit tray! And to finish off the day… A thunderstorm! It is well…with my soul! 

God Bless you ALL! 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well with my soul,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

One of my favorite songs!

Valentine's Day, really?

Gen. 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Valentine’s Day, Really?

Most who know me, know that I’m different, different beyond belief. Valentine’s day is one of those days my true colors come shining through. Why? Well let me tell you. I don’t celebrate just one day of love, especially that of a martyred Saint.

Yes I’m human. I see all the hearts and V-day stuff appear as soon as the Christmas stuff goes down in stores. I see the way the material world and the commercialized world  scatters their brains and revolves around money. It’s all about money! Right after V-day we’ll be hit with Easter bunnies! Sure I have wants but in no way do I want jewelry, roses, rings and things, I want LOVE!

When Steven and I first met, our first V-day was online so he sent me lyrics to love songs. Yeah the man wooed me via music, but not just that, he knew my heart and soul, the lyrics he chose was a mirror of me. I fell hard!

Our second V-day, we were together, he brought me a puppy two or three weeks BEFORE V-day and said, this is your Valentine’s present. He was serious. He doesn’t celebrate V-day or anniversaries and it kind of threw me, but you know what, he knew me. He knows my heart and my soul!

Holy days were tainted as a child growing up. I was raised Catholic and the nuns from first grade taught us to give these cute little V-day cards to our classmates. I was so excited when my mother would take me down the five-and-dime to buy a box of cards. The day would arrive and as I handed out say 26-30 I never received many back and I watched with great sadness as other ‘popular’ girls left with handfuls of cards.

We would also make our mother’s a card, hence the very reason I’ve never BOUGHT my mother a card, I was a poet even then. My dad would have me go down to the Hallmark store and pick up a card for him to give my mother and she never knew for years it was my sister and I making the purchase.

Then I grew up, converted to Christianity and started seeing holidays for what they really were, commercialism.

I got married and still Valentine’s day was marred by ‘expectation’. Not from me, but from my ex. He’d buy me something on V-day and ‘expect’ something in return, if you know what I mean.

I have a friend who works at a Hallmark store, and she had commented on loving seeing men pick out a special card for their ‘special’ someone and how that was ‘true’ love. Me, I immediately thought, “Yeah, their next trip is to Fredrick’s of Hollywood to get another ‘special’ something.” Why? Because they ‘expected’ something. Marred and tainted.

Now I’m with a man who expects nothing from me. He buys me stuff when there is no commercial holiday dangling over his head, so why would he buy me something on Valentine’s Day? Maybe his V-days were marred too.

For Christmas he bought me a screwdriver, this week a much needed lawn mower AND he took my car to the shop. Shocking as this may seem, THAT is what I ‘expect’; a man who knows my heart and soul and fills every need imaginable in my life.

So why do people wait for one day a year to express their true love? It makes singles feel unloved, it makes daters expect something and when not received, they hurt. It totally makes people feel the opposite of its intended Cupid target. Face it, it is a day of great expectations that fall short.

I’m all for love YEAR ROUND!!! This one day a year crap is totally bogus. I think the holiday is sacrilegious just like all the other Holy Days they tainted. I don’t even think St. Valentine himself would be happy that they’ve done this.

Gives you something to think about, eh?

Happy LOVE Day to you!

John 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

John 15: 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love