Happy Birthday to me :-)

Dear Family,

            In past years I have cried on my Birthday because life was hard.  I would evaluate my situation and find it bad.  Since then I have approached my Birthday with a little fear.  I do not always have control over what emotions will wash over me.

When I turned 40 I was happy to be alive and well.  I am glad to say ever since then I have had fabulous Birthdays and this weekend was another one of them.  Yay!  Bobby and I went out together Friday night, my parents came down and we went out with the whole family (and Adriel’s boyfriend).  I enjoyed a fabulous walk with Bobby and friends.  I felt pampered and enjoyed the weekend immensely.  It helps that school takes a day or two off EVERY YEAR for my Birthday.  It is so sweet of them to do that.

Tuesday at youth group I enjoyed the Middle school kids saying, “come to my school!” to Bobby.  They all want Bobby to visit their school! I loved hearing that.

Homegroup was enjoyable and I love singing!

Seth mowed the lawn!  Yay!!  Seth also did Easy worship for the second service.  I so enjoy seeing him up there.  They asked him to do the first service as well but he was just waking up.  I volunteered and had fun doing something new.  Later when I told Seth I did the first service he sighed and said, “Well If I knew they had nobody, I would have done it.”  Notice what he called me!

Thank you all for your good wishes, cards and even some amazing gifts!  From the bottom of my heart J Thank you!

I have been pruning a lot and it makes me think of life.  I chopped every branch off my volunteer apple tree.  It is a stick again and that is how I want it.  Also, I’m going to prune my big apple down to 6 feet.  The tree may hurt, cry and not know why.  But it grew the wrong way and I can’t let it stay.  Sometimes we reach, stretch and grow.  We are pruned and wonder what went wrong.  God is shaping us.  That is all.  It may hurt and it may leave a large scar but God is in control and we can grow again – just the way He wants us to. 

May you enjoy the weather God is providing (wherever you are).  May you know that pruning is OK.  And may you grow towards God in all things.  Hugs, Cristy