My #1 Birthday Wish In Haiti (I’m turning 45)

I wanted to make a statement (to myself) that turning 45 years old was just the beginning of a new era. I wanted to prove, that 45 was the new 35, but then I realized that I wanted 45 to be the new 45. I don’t want to be the person I was at 35, because God has done so much for me since that time. So, as my birthday present to me, I decided to spend it doing what I love the most …. a mission trip! I’m getting on an airplane [today] and flying with 16 crazy people to celebrate what life is really all about … simply loving one another.

My hubby challenged me to write about what I’ve learned the most over the past decade. I think the heart of the challenge, what has God changed the most in my life. I recently told one of my good friends … “I don’t think you would have liked me much 10 years ago!” They looked at me with a surprised look and responded, “Why?” It’s humbling to look back at how selfish I was with the blessings God gave me. I really lived a life that was all about me. I can’t believe that God has so much planned for me, but my stubbornness and immaturity held me back from the true blessings. I had no clue what it meant to live-dead or absolutely no interest in sacrificing my comfort, ambition, and purpose. The single most life-changing moment in my life was when we adopted Zoie. Adoption radically changed my life. I’m grateful today that He never gave up on me … patiently directing me as I tumbled all over the place until I fixed my eyes on His plan.

I’m definitely a work in progress, but God has changed the way I want to spend my time, how I spend my money, and my focus on what’s really important to Him. The past 10 years, I’ve grown up as a mom, and a wife, and a friend, but most importantly, I feel like I finally tapped into what God created me to do. I’ve stopped asking God to give me the desires of my heart, but ask Him to give me the desires of HIS heart. I make mistakes every day, but I’m learning how to have the freedom to learn from my mistakes and stop beating myself up for making them. I want to allow myself permission to have the freedom to be different, to make mistakes, to be vulnerable, and to keep my candor about the craziness of life.

My biggest challenge I’m tackling right now in my life, is not taking the time to self care. I have a tendency to take care of everyone around me with intense compassion, but I often forget to take care of me. I hate to admit this on my blog, but let’s keep it real … I’ve gained 23 pounds and stopped exercising. I joke about being a little “fluffy” but, I know I need to really take care of my physical body, too. I’ve committed this year, to get in shape and learn how to eat to live, instead of living to eat. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis last year and have kinda been in denial about the disease in my colon. I need to be gluten-free, but haven’t taken the time to make this life change in my eating. I’ve made a lot of mistakes the past year and I want to have the courage to self care. I want to continue to have an abundance of energy for my 3 kids and hubby to enjoy all the amazing adventures to come in my life.

Tomorrow, I turn 45 years old. I can’t wait to wake up in Port-au-Prince and head to the orphanage we’re serving for two days and hold a child in my arms – simply loving. My #1 birthday wish I to have the opportunity to love big on children who may have never heard about Jesus or the words … I love you! I want the day to be absolutely nothing about me, but about what God has planned for the day. I’m asking Him to pour His love and spirit through our team, so that every single person we come into contact feels His love through us. What a gift to give fully our time, energy, and love. I’m asking God to send a special child in my path that I can give the gift of the blessing.

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. 1 Cor. 13:13

Would you please pray for the “Simply Love Haiti” Visiting Orphans team for the next 7 days as we serve in PAP and Pignon. We’ll have the opportunity to work for 2 days with a tent-orphanage and then up in the mountains in a tiny village. We’ll get to live in an orphanage and spend the day working at a clinic and loving the community. The people are deeply affected by their Haitian religion practices, Voodoo. It is the dominant religion of Haiti. Please pray for our protection and the salvation of the people we minister to.

Next week, please stop by here every day and read the amazing guest posts from a variety of readers …. moms, adoption stories, and mission-hearted stories!! Please, please, please leave your comments after you read their stories!!! It’s the best way to encourage more people to open up and share their life, too. I want to especially thank YOU for being a part of my life. I love you- readers who have made a difference in my life every day right here on my blog.

If you have enjoyed or learned something from this post … please share.