Happy Birthday/Happy Heart

Last Monday was my birthday.  Funny thing about birthdays...you never know what to expect or how you might feel.  That's how it is with me anyway.  For whatever reason, this birthday I  felt very emotional.  I  had my mom, who is with the Lord, on my mind so much.  I was missing her as well as Stephanie, in Honduras and Joshua in Ft. Riley.  I began to ask the Lord to give me a happy heart. 

The morning of my birthday I was greeted with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Jim. He headed out to Starbucks to buy us a coffee while I made scrambled eggs and put a coffee cake in the oven.  Shortly, Colette arrived, and I told her that today was my birthday and along with our coffees Mr. Jim had bought her a hot chocolate.  Instead of her sitting down to drink it she went to work setting the table with Elmo placemats, fancy napkins and asked where the candles were.  All the while I was to not look.  Then I heard her whispering to Jim.  I hurried and got my camera!  I loved my birthday breakfast.  My heart was happy.  I felt loved by this 5 yr. old that wanted to make my day special!

Stacy called on her way to work to tell me happy birthday and asked about my lunch plans. We met for lunch and she surprised me and had my friend Marilyn join us.  We had a fun, fun lunch.

I received messages and phone calls from family and friends throughout the day.

That night Jim took me to a favorite restauant, Cheesecake Factory and we had a great time together.  I smiled as I opened his card and heard singing: When a Man Loves a Woman. How blessed I am to have Jim as my husband. 
In the days that followed there were other sweet happenings...like the pretty apron I received in the mail from a close friend, the vase of flowers left at my front door from another friend. The candles I received from a friend .  I have a pretty night light in the shape of a tea pot that another friend gave me because she knows I love tea.  A card from a friend was left at my door one day.  Another friend knows I love white chocolate and gave me a piece of Dove white chocolate.  I received a new devotional in the mail yesterday and I had been praying about getting one.  This friend did not know that.  Then  yesterday I went to a tea party given by Colette's mommy.  We all had such a fun time.  She had scones, lemon curd and jellies, cucumber sandwiches, iced sugar cookies and tea. 

I have had a week of birthday blessings.  The gifts were wonderful, but what they represented, the love  from my family and friends ... and from God,  filled my heart with thankfulness.  He did indeed give me a happy heart my birthday week.