Today I celebrate 31 years of life.

These 31 years have been FULL. I have experienced so much, learned so much, loved and laughed and wept and lived so much.

I am looking forward to seeing all that God reveals in the years to come.

My hopes and prayers for this year (and the years to come):

• That Jesus would be enough. No matter the circumstance, that He would be all I need.
• That my love, trust, and knowledge of Him would grow to new depths.
• That my love for my husband and children would grow; that I would know them deeply.
• That I would lovingly and sacrificially serve my husband, my children, my friends, family and neighbors.
• That I would be full of joy.
• That I would laugh. Big, deep belly laughs. Often.
• That I would rest.
• That I would see the good and the beauty in all situations. That I would see Jesus in all situations.
• That I would pursue a heart of contentment and gratitude.
• That I would grow in my creativity, for His glory.
• That I would ask Him to direct me and to trust where He is leading me.
• That I would love others and truly see their needs as more valuable than my own.
• That I would desire Jesus more than anything, more than followers, fame, or possessions.
• That I would sacrificially give to those in need with my time, talent and treasures.
• That I would trust my business to Him and that it would exist to bring Him glory and be a blessing to my family.
• That I would find my identity in Him, not my success or failures.
• That I would love the Lord with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength.
• That I would live and love fully; dive into the moment and not wish it away.
• And that Jesus would be glorified in and through me.

There are so many days that I feel so far from Jesus, so far from perfect; lots of days that I feel like a failure and a crazy, nasty sinner. And yet the Bible tells me that those are the days when Jesus wants to be near me the most. Those are the days He died for.

I pray this year I would trust the good work He is doing in me; that I would recognize that the point is not obtaining perfection but the point is Him.

So while I pray for those things above and I desire those things above, I know that there will be lots of days when I miss that standard. And that’s ok. Because I know One who fully met the standard on my behalf.

Now, that is Good News and the best present on my birthday.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.8