It's My Birthday Too

“You say it’s your birthday  

It's my birthday too, yeah

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy Birthday to you"

-The Beatles                          

“In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.” -1 Timothy 3:11

 “A gracious, generous woman will be honored with a splendid reputation . . . ”

Proverbs 11:16 (TPT)

Today is my grandmother’s 92^nd birthday. It’s also the birthday of my dear friend Gena, whom I often call “Big Sis.” And it’s my birthday too. Through the years it’s been a lot of fun sharing my birthday with these two special ladies. For my tenth birthday I remember my grandmother taking me to my favorite pizza restaurant—just the two of us—even though she didn’t even really care for pizza. Feeling adventurous, she ordered a Hawaiian pizza for herself (mine was cheese only), and then shared with me how she would love to travel to Hawaii someday. She never made it there, but when she was in her 70s, my dad’s intrepid mother went on a mission trip to Guatemala.

Like Grandmother, my friend Gena also has a spirit of adventure as well as a heart for service. One of my favorite birthday memories with her was two years ago when our mutual friend flew from Texas to Florida where Big Sis lives. They surprised me with a phone call asking me to meet them for lunch. I drove over and the three of us had a wonderful day celebrating together.

I have so many memories I treasure of times spent with grandmother and with Gena. But one of the most important aspects of my relationships with each of them is our spiritual connection. They have prayed with me during ordinary times, as well as during crises. They have shared Bible verses with me to encourage and strengthen and guide me. And they have even used scripture to gently rebuke me when I needed it. They consistently cheer me on in all of my endeavors, but most of all, in my walk with the Lord. And I am thankful to share a birthday with two such godly women.   

 

Lessons from Christmas 2021

It’s hard for me to believe as I write this post, another Christmas is over and a new year is beginning. Each year, I eagerly anticipate the Christmas season, and each year I try to place the decorations just so, write personalized cards to friends and family, and buy the perfect gifts for loved ones. I grew up internalizing the idea that Christmas needed to be perfect to be enjoyed. But after I had a colossal meltdown last year—due to the chaos Christmas decorating generated in my home and life—I decided I’d better rethink some things. So, this year I relaxed and aimed for beauty, peace, and joy rather than perfection. In the process, I learned a few things…

Lesson 1: The holidays don’t have to be perfect. (And they won’t be). My house doesn’t have to be Insta-worthy, even in December.

Lesson 2: You can keep decorating up to the last minute. I don’t have to have everything in place by the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In response to this epiphany, I kept decorating until a few days before Christmas. Not because I wanted perfection, but because I wanted beauty and there were some decorations, like the giant wreath on my gate, that had been left behind.

Lesson 3: Jesus really is the reason for the season. All through Advent I continually tried to re-focus on the entire reason we even celebrate Christmas. Focusing on the miracle of Christmas and the amazing Love it signifies, helped re-prioritize my activities and my energy. And brought me the peace and joy the angels proclaimed to the Bethlehem shepherds 2000 years ago.

Ultimately, Christmas 2021 helped me realize the only perfection involved in the holiday is the Christ Himself. And in His light, everything else pales anyway.