Do you have a birthday this week? I know so many friends (and my husband) with birthdays this week! So, my question for you is have you ever surprised someone for their birthday!?
Isn’t it fun to have a birthday? Maybe when you are a kid or a teen it is a lot of fun. If you are in your twenties… the party can be a blast!
…but when you get to be my age or anyone who is over thirty, it just doesn’t seem as fun anymore. Okay maybe for the person getting a brand-new sports car or a new home as a present, “Happy Birthday to you!” That’s one gigantic present that person will never forget!
…But for down to earth kind of people like my husband and I who love living a minimalistic kind of lifestyle, we like things simple. We don’t mind presents but we are happiest spending our time with friends and family; those we love. Maybe a dinner at sunset or a drive around looking at old buildings.
(We are easily entertained is more like it!)
Well, I mention this because my husband’s birthday is tomorrow! HAPPY BITHDAY BABE!!!
…and so, I am sitting here contemplating how to make it a special day for him. Any suggestions?
It seems like the older we get and the more birthdays, holidays, and special occasions that we celebrate together… that the days, months, and years just pass us by.
I want his birthday to be memorable. Any ideas you might have for us to do. Something fun here in Texas? Let me know! I have a wonderful handmade "something" that's been in the works for months. I know he will love it. We usually don't do gifts, but I really wanted to do this for him. I am excited to see what he thinks!!!
I have a fun birthday story to share with you. Once I wanted to surprise my mom for her birthday. I am her only child and I lived in Hawaii for too many years to count! My mom lived in Minnesota, and so we missed each other every day being so far from each other!
So, one day I was standing in front of my mom’s house with my wonderful new husband. We had just been married two weeks before. I moved from Hawaii to Minnesota to be with him, and here I was about to reveal to my mom (who also lived in Minnesota) that I was a married woman.
Lonnie had me wait by the car while he went around the house to the front door. He knocked on the door, and when my mom opened it, he told her he had a surprise from Becka for her birthday. She smiled and excitedly asked, “What is it?” Lonnie replied, “I will get the gift; it is in my car.” Then Lonnie walked toward the car to get me. He came walking around the corner with me in hand, and I said, “Surprise! Happy birthday, Mom!” She was so happy to see me and bolted out the front door to give me a great big hug. She asked, “You came here for my birthday? You are so sweet.” I had just visited her months before for Mother’s Day, so this was a huge surprise. Of course, she had no idea the bomb shell I was about to drop on her!
I told her, “We have another surprise for you.” Lonnie and I walked into her house, and my mom and her husband Sebastian sat down so we could tell them the big news. I said, “Well, I just moved back to Minnesota.” She replied, “Are you kidding me?” She knew how much I didn’t like the freezing cold temperatures in the winter months. I had told her years before I would never live in Minnesota again, but God had bigger plans for me. I answered, “Yes, I really live here. I shipped my cats and everything!” Mom was so happy, finally her one and only child was home! I said, “There is more! Lonnie and I are married!!” She gasped excitedly, “WHAT!!??” As the blood drained from her face, mom looked as white as a sheet. She loved Lonnie. Lonnie and I had been dating a little while, and she always said good things about him. I went on, “Yep, we are married, and we only live twenty minutes away, so I can see you anytime I want.” She was ecstatic and hugged me tightly. Then she gave Lonnie a great big hug and smiled at him as she said, “Thank you for bringing my daughter home. I am so happy for you two!” I knew it was the best birthday present I could have ever brought my mom. I don’t think I could ever top that one!
The picture was taken after my mom realized she was not dreaming and that I really was there! So fun! What kind of surprises have you done for family members that are memorable?
God has matched my husband and I so perfectly. I want to share with you a poem I wrote years before I even met him!
In 2003 I wrote this poem when I prayed God find my perfect “match” for me. (I met Lonnie in Dec 2009)
Dear Lord,
I come before You as a withered flower with all my imperfections humbled and inspired by You, Lord. I can do no wrong when You fill my soul with peace and song. I pray You bring someone special into my life who is thoughtful, warm, funny and a delight someone who is sensitive and kind a cuddly best friend I can count on and someone who has a deep love for You, God. I pray he knows at our first meet we are to be together forever God, You plant the seed. Lord, I pray for the one I marry that he has a strong structure for family that he is on fire for You, God and believes family time is more important than material goods and making money. I pray You bless my future honey abundantly and ask You to keep him safe for me through any travels he may be doing. Until then, fill his heart with joy and laughter and mold him into someone whom I can look after In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
What a testimony to me that God is in everything!
Poem was written in 2003 I met my husband in 2010!!!! He is my soul mate! Lonnie fits the poem’s description perfectly because God is a great matchmaker!
I can honestly say Lonnie and I are happily married. We have been married for eight years and growing stronger every day. I have learned key points to a healthy, strong marriage:
1. Always forgive, always
2. Communicate about everything
3. Respect one another
4. Be slow to anger
5. Don’t hide sin; confess it to your spouse
6. When you disagree about something, always say you are sorry, even if you are right
7. Don’t ever go to bed angry with one another. Talk it out before your head hits the pillow
8. You are both individuals with different background. You can agree to disagree and still be okay
*Years before I met Lonnie online, I had a signature on my email that read:
‘I want to be so close to God that when the man of my dreams walks into my life, he has to go through God to get to me.’
In Lonnie’s words:
“I saw the quote and took that challenge. I prayed and asked God how do I win this woman over. God replied, ‘With love and patience.’ I won her heart and asked her to marry me, and I am so glad I did.”
Dear single reader: I share this from my heart: Anyone who has a close relationship with God who wants to marry, know that God is the best matchmaker and that in His timing, He will find the right match for you. Don’t be discouraged. God has the right person for you.
This chapter in the Bible inspired us. We make sure we tell each other “I LOVE YOU” every single day and more than once a day. It’s important we share our love for each other in many different ways. God poured His heart out in this love chapter:
LOVE:
Love is patient
Love is kind
It does not envy
It does not boast
It is not proud
It is not rude
It is not self-seeking
It is not easily angered
It keeps no record of wrongs
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth
It always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
*I will be writing a book about love and marriage in the future.
I hope you enjoyed that I shared a little about my life story. Check out my website for more stories www.BeckaLJonesAuthor.com
