Birthdays Really Matter

I’m heading back home today after several days of celebrating my son’s birthday. I brought Payton and Alexia (my daughter’s two) with me to Austin and yesterday Larry and Staci drove down after having just returned from a missions trip to Mexico the night before. Our family is BIG on birthdays, and while it may sound child-like to make such a big deal about birthdays, it really shouldn’t, because birthdays mean we made it through another year, and we're still here for a reason. That should be a BIG DEAL to us!

Yesterday I heard a lady say “I’m not having any more birthdays. In fact, I don’t even know how old I am anymore.” And I quickly replied, “Goodness gracious, I'm thrilled to celebrate my birthday. It means I made it through another year." I heard Christine Caine's remarks about birthdays. She said, "The older we get, we downplay having another birthday. We don't want any 'big deals' or ANY attention given to us having another birthday. How silly it is to throw a gigantic, blow-out of a birthday for a one-year old. What has a one year old done to deserve that birthday? Those who have been here for half a century and more are the ones to be celebrated. For goodness sakes, every year that we're still here, we deserve fireworks, celebrations, recognition and tributes..... because we EARNED this birthday and every other birthday! We made it another year."

Let’s be clear – it’s not as much about the presents, as it is of the PRESENCE of those who love us and make us feel…..”I am special”.
Here’s the real crux of the matter: You may not have had the ideal family life or have the perfect body OR be the “sharpest tool in the shed”, but you always were and always will be a treasure, and on your birthday, you get to rock that truth.

Birthdays say, “You’re special!” That’s what we do with the red “special plate” where we go around and share why “the birthday boy or girl or man or woman” is special to us. Birthdays say, “Hey, you, you’re great! I’m so glad you’re in my life.” And that’s why birthdays are a big deal – because birthdays represent our God-given mission and destiny and every year that we’re here, we get to celebrate our journey.

And with each year.....we have the opportunity to celebrate -- not for just THE day, but EACH day that God gives us. Celebrating it with a merry heart, a glad heart, a thankful heart, a forgiving heart, a heart open to the abundance of God's love and bringing forth fruit, being vigorous and flourishing.

I have a dear friend who doesn't wait for someone to throw her a party. She throws a birthday bash for herself, and she invites us all to join her for her BIG DAY. I love that. She knows she is special to us AND God, so, of course, we celebrate her.

So, today, whether you or 6 or 60 or 96.....you are to be celebrated. You're still bearing fruit. You're still here....you're not done!

Making Big Deals Out of Little Deals

Day 27 of Photo Inspirations --
Goodness -- I love these four cuties.  Yesterday was so very special.  That is my godson, Owen, on the left. He's my little cuddle boy. We sit together at church every Sunday and I get so many hugs and cuddles that I love so much. Burnedette, their sweet Mom, invited me over for a Mexican food lunch.  She didn't realize how much I love Mexican food, and, oh my, she knocked it out of the park -- everything was so YUMMY.  But, as most know, I celebrate moments like this day, because I always see them as "orchestrated" -- straight from heaven.

When a group of us were on a missions trip to Mexico back in October, I took lots of photos. That's because I wanted to cherish every moment I could.  And, also, while I was there, I saw a vendor making name bracelets.  I had him make one for my godson and his three siblings.  How perfect!  I get invited over for Mexican food and I get to go there bearing gifts and a computer slide show.  Before I gave them the bracelets, I showed them the photos from Mexico -- letting them see the precious kids there who had so little, but who had been given hope for their future because of loving and caring people that consistently pour into them that anything is possible.   And I wanted these four kiddos to know just how blessed they are.   At the conclusion of my little slide show, I gave them their bracelets.  Their Mom said, "See how much Miss Donna thinks about you -- even when she's in Mexico?"   And that's so true.  My own kids are in Washington and Texas, so having these kids in my life here in Tulsa is another gift from heaven.

Yes, I make big deals out of so many of the little deals that take place in my world.  I do that because I have only one life to live, and if I live it with appreciation, enthusiasm, passion, and making making moments special -- then my greatest reward will be knowing I may have left an imprint on someone's life.  It is absolutely worth the time and effort to make our day count for what matters most.  We'll never pass this way again.  Why not leave some crumbs along the way.....that just might cause others to know that those crumbs may point them in the right direction to go.