Happy Birthday to Me (yesterday)!!!!

Thank you God for 31 years (11,315 days) of being a live. I had an awesome time celebrating with family. I thank God for being with me all of these days and continuing to be with me forever. He knows me more than anyone one...Scriputure says He knows my thoughts before I think them. He knows all about me...and yet...He loves me and is still with me, never to leave me or forsake me.

I thank Him for my family and for good health and for much much more....



Thank you, also, to family and friends who called, sent cards and gifts, and sent e-mail and facebook messages. I love you all.

God bless!!!

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening....

Hello fellow bloggers and friends,

I have had a day to reflect on. My God and Savior lives and reigns and He is taking me through the wringer, for He chastens those He loves!!! It hurts and its hard but He does it for the purpose of love...He really cares and wants me to be healed, whole, and freed from the bondage of sin in my life....

So on Sunday I heard a powerful message from our pastor. It was a message I truly needed to hear at this season in my walk with the Lord. It was about the Holy Spirit. He gave several examples of the Spirit working in the lives of David and Samuel in the OT. For example, Samuel was being trained by Eli the prophet as a young boy, and God called Samuel. Not knowing it was God, Samuel thought it was Eli speaking to him one night. Then Eli realized it was the Spirit of the Lord calling Samuel and he told him to say to the Lord, "Speak, for your servant is listening." And He spoke to Samuel that night...

So our pastor challenged us to ask the HS 10-15 times a day, What are you saying to me? What are you doing? When I focus my questions to the HS all day long I am to expect Him to answer me....and He does!!

He has talked to me about my impatience with my daughter, my unbelief and trust in Him, and my anxiousness to want to get things done my way...and to do it when I want it done. I have been out of God's will in those areas of my life and the Holy Spirit is here to teach me, to guide me, to encourage me, and to lead me closer in my walk with the Lord. I have often forgotten that His presence is with me at all times, even when I sleep. Yet I haven't really reached out to Him to truly do the job that God has established for Him to do in my life.

I continually have that phrase from Scripture in my head...speak, Lord, for your servant is listening...even though what He says may cause me to have to humble myself and ask forgiveness from my daughter (like today!), to swallow...really rid myself...of pride and allow the workings of the Holy Spirit to cleanse me and to heal me and to break the chains of sin, and bring me closer and closer into His glorious light!!!

I praise God He is not done with me. He has more to give if I am willing to receive...if I am willing to be quiet and say...speak, Lord, for your servant Mary Kay is listening.

Pics of the Birthday Girl!!!

Here's the Birthday Girl:

Blow out your candles:
Chuck E. himself made an appearance to hug the birthday girl and friends : Eating ice cream with Anaya's birthday friends and moms:

My lil' baby's birthday celebration!!!

It's Anaya's birthday today!!!! We celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese's and Anaya had a great time. She did not quite understand what a birthday was before we arrived but I think she knows now that it involves a lot of special treatment just for her and she loved it (of course!!) I even have pictures to prove it...but my friend has them on her camera so....sorry blog friends. I can't post any pics today but hopefully soon....

My lil baby is 2 and I can't believe it!!!! She was my longest labor/delivery at 20 hr+ of focusing on breathing and allowing my contractions to come, and 1 1/2 hrs.+ of pushing... well, let me just say that it is still fresh in my mind of the long, strenuous, and tiring labor. I am praisin the Lord just like I did that day for her grand entrance into this world, and it was worth every labor pain...(I can say that now!!)

I prayed today that I am looking forward to celebrating not just many more yearly birthdays, but her spiritual birthday. I thank God that he created her and made her in his image and each day I know is such a gift to have her in my life. But I know what she needs the most. It is not the presents, candy, and all the cake she can eat that we typically have at every birthday that will satisfy her soul. What she needs is the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse her soul and renew her spirit and make her whole. I loved celebrating her birthday but I look forward to the day that she has trusted in Christ Jesus to be the Lord of her life, where she will become not only my daughter but my sister in Christ, guaranteed to have a place with her momma in heaven.

Love,
a blessed daughter of the king