My Gifts

God has blessed me with the most gorgeous autumn day for my birthday!

The celebration began last night when my husband surprised me with a cd he'd compiled that features some of our most favorite romantic love songs...including "The Way You Look Tonight" and "What a Wonderful World." My heart is so overwhelmed by the love, protection, and leadership of my husband. With each year that passes, I'm discovering anew what a delight it is to love him. He is my greatest gift.

Although my husband took the day off, he did have an early morning breakfast meeting this morning...but even then I wasn't far from his thoughts. He brought home one of my favorite treats...a chai latte! Soon the boys were showering me with their handmade birthday cards...cards filled with loving words that came from deep within their hearts. They excitedly gave me the gifts that they'd purchased with their dad and spoiled me with their heartfelt generosity! Oh, the gifts were all so nice, but as my eyes scanned the faces of our three precious sons, I was reminded of the incomparable gifts God has given me in them.

It wasn't even 9AM yet, and already I'd been so blessed! I enjoyed breakfast in a charming little coffee house surrounded by the only sisters I've ever had; sisters, not by birth, but by heart. I was in the company of my kindred spirits, my sisterchicks, my dearest friends in the world.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't the best company today. My husband and I are three days away from leaving the country for 12 days, and we were still waiting on our airline tickets to arrive in the mail. That, coupled with the fact that we've had to have some difficult, emotional conversations with our boys prior to departing on our trip has all but drained me. Yet with my friends I don't need to pretend. I can be real. Seeing their warm, familiar faces and hearing their words of encouragement gives me strength. And bowing our heads together and bringing our hearts before our Father God fills me with His hope and perspective. How I praise God for these 4 women who have invested so much of their lives in me and in our friendship. These gifts are priceless.

This afternoon, my husband and boys and I drove out to the country, into the beautiful rolling hills which are splashed so dramatically with all the colors of autumn. We climbed the tall lookout tower to take in the most excellent views of God's creation! Then we hiked 3 1/2 miles through the woods, crunching through the fallen leaves. Oh, what a pleasure to enjoy these simple pleasures with our family! What an undeserved gift!

Prior to going to dinner at a favorite restaurant, we stopped at home to see if our airline tickets had arrived. Imagine my immense stress and frustration when I learned...once again...that they weren't here! However, we were soon overjoyed to learn that they had been delivered to my husband's office instead! So God quickly aleved some of the mounting pressure of these last weeks and met our needs with His perfect timing and faithfulness. Oh, His love for me is amazing. He is the exact gift I've been wanting and needing. The Perfect Gift.