Birthdays.... and other days....

 

First, this cake is AWESOME!!Now.....

In my "old" age I feel that God is giving me more and more wisdom in regards to attacks from the enemy. Let me begin with this... God please help me to have a wonderful Birthday, to help me understand that forgiveness is one thing, but forgetting is entirely different and hardest to do, and that Satan will always be looking for times in my life that he feels I am the most vulnerable for his gain. Help me to see those times approaching, so that I can be strong in you Lord, and full of your peace and grace so that I can respond to his attacks with love, compassion and grace, no matter how I am feeling as a human. I am who you say I am and no matter what anyone else may say, they can't ever change who you made me to be. I can be strong in you Lord, I don't need to cast doubt on any day that that you let me be a part of, and you can use me for your works no matter what!! 

I am not going to go into much about last year, other than it was a very lovely day minus one particular thing.... a mail box full of attacks by a person being used by the enemy. That day allowed me to have doubt as a person, and as a friend but not long after, God restored to me my hope and grace. That He made me who I am, and that no matter how others on this world respond to me as a person, as long as I am trying my best to walk in his path for me, I am protected. No one has the right to judge me, and though I usually cave and let doubt creep in when someone demonstrates judgment towards me, I am learning a life long lesson in endurance in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look back on my life so far, and the choices that I have made, even the ones that last year were highly questioned and condemned, and know that my peace is in my Lord and that only he can judge me. Fellow friends and family here on earth can cast doubt, judge, and hate me for who I am, but I know the truth, deep in side of me, that as long as I follow His lead I can never be wrong. I also know that when I look ahead to the place where I want to be, and see my own faults and lack of faith, I find myself casting self judgment and falling into the trap of guilt and self condemnation. If that happens in my mind, I know it must happen elsewhere, I am not that unique!! So, perhaps that is what happened on my last Birthday. Someone actually looked at my life and saw what they wanted to see, right or wrong, and allowed guilt to creep into their heart. Whether that was from God or Satan, I am not going to attempt to call that one! I remain humbly in Christ here.... safe.... and hope that God continues to use me to bless others. And if others are able to use those blessings in a negative way, I can only pray that their hearts are filled with Christ completely. That only God's judgment is on their hearts; as the parent, he has the right to place those on our hearts.....

That being said, my memorial to the worst Birthday I will ever have (I'm an optimist,) today is going to be great! I am going to have 20 1st and 2nd graders give me a Birthday Hug!! Jason gave me a big hug this morning and told me Happy Birthday, my Church family already made me a cake and sang to me, and God is going to be working on lots of hearts today as we finish up our annual VBS program. What better day to get to celebrate being born and being used by GOD!! I feel so loved and God Rocks!!

Our God is an AWESOME GOD,
who REIGNS from Heaven on Earth,
With Wisdom, Power and LOVE,
Our God is an AWESOME GOD!!!

May God Bless this Day with Love, Grace and Peace in the hearts of the Children we are sharing with. May he shelter the seeds that he has been planting from harms way, may He bless the water and sunshine that we are sprinkling on those precious seeds. May he allow those seeds to have fallen on good soil and not on a rocky path to be trampled. Please Lord, let these precious children feel your love and peace in their hearts. And help them to seek refuge in your grace and to always remember to fall into your lap when they are knocked down by life. I pray that you will keep working in their hearts and the hearts of others around them, that you will ultimately win their hearts for your kingdom. That these seeds will someday be aloud to come to a full bloom in you!! My God, you are an Awesome God and I know that nothing is beyond your grasp. That your will is always done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Bless this day, and your children, Father.... Amen.