Birthday :)

This morning as I was deciding what I wanted to study in the Word, I began to pray. This day isn't really about me at all. My gracious God chose to give me life 31 years ago. Yippee! :) As I was praying, I wanted to commit this year to Him...I want to know Him more. I want to serve Him more effectively. I want to glorify Him in my thoughts, words, and actions. I want to see the His fruit bear forth in my life. Because I am called by His name, I want to bring His name good, not harm.

Because as much as I love celebrating my birthday, it's not about me!

Here are some of the Scriptures I wandered through today:
Isaiah 33:6: He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."

There is so much in Isaiah that I love. Chapter 40 and 43. I love how often Israel is called God's chosen one. That through these passages I know that God has created me and called me by name. He watches over me and will not forsake me. He calls me precious and tells me He loves me. He is called my Redeemer, my Holy One, Creator, King. It says that He has blotted out my sins for my sake!

Psalm 139:13-14: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother''s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

I thank God for the family He placed me in. I have two parents who love me and have given me everything it was in their power to give. I was given three siblings who I love dearly. I love being a little sister, knowing that as much as my brother and I had normal sibling fights, he would do anything to protect me. I remember a time, after my brother had graduated from high school, that I was having some problems on the bus. My brother told me that if he needed to, he would drive to the school, park his car, and ride the bus home with me to make sure that the problems did not continue! That was after he outgrew the phase of pinning me down to spit in my mouth, of course :). I also love being a big sister, even if Josh is about to outgrow me too! Being a big sister brings with it the challenges of being a good example, a person I want Daynah and Josh to follow. And I thank God that, even through the yuckiness of divorce, He gave me an amazing person to love through my Dad's second wife (notice, Amy, that I didn't call you me stepmom :)!) And through my brother's marriage, I have been blessed with an amazing sister-in-law, who just because I ask, even though she really doesn't want to, will make me an apple pie :). And who tamed my brother (no more burping at the table and a lot less beating me up!). And both Chris and Ann have given me the cutest nephew in the world :)

Like I said, I love my family and thank God that they are mine! He knew what He was doing when He knit me in my mother's womb!

Anyway, off to relax and enjoy my birthday! I'm eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast even as I type this!