I got to spend the entire day with my awesome husband (half of it just the two of us). My parents came over for dinner and my Dad made an incredible Mexican casserole, and he brought his homemade salsa. Dinner was delicious! My sister made a cake and sent it with my parents ~ it was yummy! Emma bought me some great kitchen towels and Tim got me a Panini maker ~ all things I had been asking for. And to top it all off, we were in bed by 7:30 pm and were able to get a good nights sleep.
Here are some pictures from dinner last night. Emma cut the cake for us and had us all laughing. Look at those cake slices!
It was a day truly blessed by God, and I was so acutely aware of His presence from the moment I set foot outside. I am so grateful for His faithfulness ~ even when I waver in doubt and despair and unbelief.
We have just lived through the hardest year of our lives, and we are just now at the edge of the darkness where we are beginning to see how God carried us and walked with us all along the way. We are beginning to see how He orchestrated every single step. We are seeing His plan for deliverance. We are seeing HIM anew.
One day I will be able to share the details of this long year of suffering and how God used it for His glory and our good. But for now I want you to know this past year ~ full of suffering and despair and sorrow ~ has been the year of the Lord's favor!
God led me to Isaiah 61 a year ago ~ and I have to admit that I expected to experience His favor in a much different way ~ but He did not fail us. He bestowed on me a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness." ~ Isaiah 61:10
5 comments:
Oh, it looks like just the most perfect day to me! :o)
Happy Birthday, Cristina! What a wonderful celebration, on so many fronts!
I'd love to see you in person sometime:) I saw you across the parking lot at church this AM-- but we were hurrying to get Maren, and you were headed up the hill;)
Thank you for sharing God's amazing work in your life so transparently!
Happy belated birthday! I hope you are feeling better and that this last month just flies by...
Great pics,looks like it was a good b'day!!!! Great gifts too,so happy for you!
Glad you had a good day. It sounds like a wonderful day and what a blessing to spend it with family!
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