The Best Birthday Gifts

What are the best gifts in life?

For me it is family.  The people sitting in this room are tremendous gifts from the Lord. 

My birthday is tomorrow, and this photo says it all for today.  Having all of us in the same room visiting and sharing smiles and food was one of the best birthday presents this year.  When you don't know what the future holds due to life's circumstances and medical issues,  I must keep thankfulness in the forefront of my mind.  


I still have my family together this year.  All of us.  We are courageous through diabetes and memory impairment, and victorious through cancers of the past.  Life is still a daily struggle with some of these issues, but we are walking together and loving each other along the way.  There are days I didn't think we'd make it this far, but the Lord is faithful, generous, and forever good.  He is the source of all of our gifts.  The true gift giver Himself is also the best gift of all.  Without Him, where would all of these gifts come from?  Where would family ever begin?


James 2:17
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

"This is My Favorite Fall Day Ever"

"This is my favorite fall day ever!"  Those were my oldest son's repeated words today.  It started when Philip wanted to rake leaves. There is nothing like a Carolina fall day when it's November and you can rake leaves in flip flops because it is 72 degrees outside.  

Then Joseph joined in and a big pile of leaves became a GIANT pile of leaves.  Joseph was so proud of their leaf pile that he asked me questions like, "Is this the biggest leaf pile in our neighborhood??  In our city?  In the world?"  A bit of enthusiastic exaggeration, but he was so proud that he'd made a pile bigger than he'd ever made one before.  He likes those "firsts" of accomplishment.  It takes a lot of Willow Oak leaves to make a pile as big as they did.

I remember when he was 4 in those Willow Oak leaves of November..... 

He's growing up.

And so is his little brother.

They spent a great hour in the backyard jumping in their leaf pile from various places.

From the swing set slide.

Running from one end of the yard and diving in the pile.

I at one point decided to sit in the leaves myself.  Ahhhh.... those leaves were so soft and comfy. OK, let's take some pictures.  Famous last words.....  I asked Joseph to take pictures of Philip and I, but Philip decided instead of posing to bombard me with leaves.

Oh the laughing that ensued.....

I've never seen my sons laugh so much at their mother.

I'm glad we laughed today.

I'm happy they made a Willow Oak leaf pile bigger than they ever had before.

When they realized it was going to rain tomorrow, Joseph said, "Well it's a good thing we did this today because we won't be able to enjoy it tomorrow."

He is so right.

I told him that is making the most of each moment.  Savoring each moment.

And we did.  I'm so glad I stopped the house cleaning I was doing to step outside and enjoy them enjoying their leaf creation.  They had come in and out of the back door a few times, reminding me of what they were doing. "You've got to see this!  Do you want to help us make it bigger?"

And I took too many pictures as usual.  However, I'm still glad I did.

It takes a lot of Willow Oak leaves to make a pile as big as they had it.  There are still a LOT of leaves left to drop in the next week or so.

I envision them back at the business of leaf pile making before too long.  I plan on joining them again.

Life is a gift.  It's important to savor life.  Make those memories.  You'll be glad you did.  You never get this time back with your children.

Go make a leaf pile.  Make it BIG!  And laugh some more.  It feels good to laugh.  It feels good to be alive!

The Gift of Autumn

How would you describe a perfect autumn day?   For us here in this part of the Carolinas, the first week of November is always the time of full fall color.  McDowell Nature Preserve on Lake Wylie has been a favorite place of ours to hike for some time.  Saturday we went to enjoy the season of color by the water's edge.  We enjoy walking the familiar trails and I've finally come to know where I can find specific spots of color on our walks.  As I walk around this park I see a place of beauty but more than that, I always see our heavenly Father's hand in all that He has made for us.  Yes, all that He has made for you and me.  

It's more than that too. 

Those thousands of shades of colorful leaves point to the Creator Himself.  I don't know about you, but when I see the beauty He creates each season, I really do feel like it's another "I love you too" moment. 

God  first loved us, as 1 John 4:19 so beautifully tells us,  "We love because he first loved us."  I am not to say, "I love you Lord, but I love you too." I can't truly say those words and mean them unless His love resides in me first.  This love is a gift.

Fantastic

Magnificent

Glorious

Heavenly Creator

I am His and He is mine.

What a gift He has given us in His creation.

When I ask my sons what their favorite colored trees are they usually cannot come up with one answer.  It is usually "all of them".  God makes it really hard to choose a favorite color.

Enjoying the journey of the day...

And this guy was not far from the lake, on a big rotting tree branch.

I love you too, Lord.  I love you too.