The Best Kind of Birthday Present

Feeling new life.

My birthday was on Wednesday. I purposely didn't remind anyone of it. Why not? Because I wanted my birthday to be special in its own way. I didn't want people telling me happy birthday because they felt like they had to or to give me anything because they felt like they had to. I really don't want those things. I want something that was given with love. Not because they HAD to. So with that in consideration, I had the best birthday present a girl could have. And it wasn't something that could be wrapped in a box and a bow put on it. It was feeling my little niece or nephew move. It was feeling the little baby kick my hand. It was feeling like inside the mother. It was so special. It was really special because its my brother and sister-in-law's baby and because its the first baby that I've ever felt.

The next best present was from my parents. It was a Bible. For me, it was a slap in the face. I could have used a new Bible, but it was a slap because I had fallen behind on my Bible reading. We had Bible study last night as well and that just went even farther to show that I needed to stop ignoring God. It doesn't work that way. One of the verses that spoke the most to me was I John 4:10, "And this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for out sins." ...Not that we loved God...

...but that He loved us...

...sent His Son...

...to be the propitiation for out sins...

And the next best present. Also not one that you could wrap in a box and put a bow on it. It was an e-mail from a friend who I haven't talked to in ages wishing me a happy birthday. It was indeed a happy birthday.

The Best birthday a girl could have. Well...almost. Only one thing missing, but that's not for this. It was the best birthday I could have. :)