that day I turned forty

Goodness gracious.  If ever there were a time to LOVE social media and all its various forms, the day of your birth would be the day.  I was made to feel like a rock star all day long yesterday!  For all of you who commented on the blog, or on Facebook or Instagram, or who called me or texted me~THANK YOU!  I thank God for every single one of you, and you're all gifts from Him to me.  Seriously.  I may have gotten teary a time or two yesterday as I read all of your words.

My husband and boys got me the sweetest cards and my new most favorite thing ever.

My very own AWESOME and WONDERFUL bluetooth speaker.  How does it work?  You turn the bluetooth on your phone on, connect to the speaker, go to Spotify account, select the music you want to play (CHRISTMAS, duh) and click shuffle play.

Easy schmeasy.

Here are my current best Christmas songs.



Actually, that's just one, but listen to all of them, you won't regret it, I promise.  The album is These Christmas Lights by Matt Redman, whom I love so much.  These songs make you worship, make you smile and make you cry.  (O Come Let Us Adore Him gets me every single time, y'all.)

After soaking in all the glorious Christmas music yesterday morning, I got dressed up for my date with the DMV.  My driver's license expired and I really wanted (NEEDED, if you've seen my previous license) a new picture.

I was having a good hair day.  I'm so thankful for that little tidbit, on my fortieth birthday.  I texted this picture to my mom-in-love because she bought me the necklace I had on.  I got dressed around the necklace, I love it that much.

It's a charm style necklace from a company called Origami Owl.  You can open the little circle thing and switch out the charms inside.  I love things like this.  Love.  She had one on last week when I saw her and I complimented her on it, and later told me that she wore it on purpose to see if I said anything.  She knows me really well.

My mom bought me the outfit I had on.  I really needed some jeans and pants and she took me shopping one day last week to pick out some things.  I love all that she got for me!  I hate shopping for myself, but I always do best when she's with me...probably because she makes me try on things I normally would not.

Just a little sweet something from the Lord to me yesterday morning...as I was getting dressed yesterday, I was praying and thanking God for the day of my spiritual birthday rather than my physical birthday, because the day I was saved is so much more important.  When I came downstairs for my quiet time early that morning, my Advent plan for that day was titled, "Our Redeemer".

That was such a seemingly small thing, but it was like a little added reassurance to me that He heard my prayer of thanksgiving.  I had no idea that would be that day's title in my Bible reading plan.

This is just ONE LITTLE TINY way in which He is so full of loving kindness.

Pause.



I have this song on repeat right now.  I cannot stop listening to this beautiful worship song by Matt Redman and Natasha Bedingfield.

A smattering of the lovely cards from my family.  My mom's and dad's was not in the mix yet.

I love birthday cards.  LOVE.  They're more important than the gift because I'm a words girl.

After the DMV, Mom and I came back to The Ville and went to my favorite little restaurant on our town square.  The Silver Caboose.  I love our town square!  We went and browsed in my favorite shop right next door, CJ Lilly.  I browsed only, though, and didn't buy anything.

I came home and took my own car to get my nails done (sparkly Christmas red) and then came home and read for a while.  I finished a book so I could have my sister take it to my mom.  Trish bought me this ADORABLE to go coffee mug.  Is it not the cutest thing ever?  It's a tradition that she buys something Christmasy for me on my birthday.  :)  I love it and have already used it, obviously.

It was a wonderful birthday.  As a bonus I spent time with family and friends later on, at church.  We had a music department appreciation dinner that Travis our worship leader gave for us.  I wasn't TOO embarrassed, though, thankfully all that happened there was that they all sang Happy Birthday to me.
And not because yesterday was wonderful and life is perfect (it's not, trust me), but because EVERYDAY I am so thankful to the Lord God Almighty.  He truly has done great things in my life~given me redemption from sin and a glorious inheritance in heaven~and deserves praise and honor and glory.

I am a wreck everyday of my life, but He holds me together.  What He has given me, the redemption from my sin, is the greatest gift of my life.  He is my greatest gift in my life and Jesus is the treasure, the prize, and my everything.

Thank you for reading my blog!  They seem to be a bit redundant these days, but such is the way of my life, for now, at least.  Maybe someday I'll write about something different, but for now, I love the phase of life I'm in.  Wife, mom, homeschooling through my kids' teenage years, daughter, friend, church goer, choir singer, reader, blog writer.

Love to all.