Love And The Unexpected

The week of my birthday always seems to bring an amazing mix of love and the unexpected in my life. This week was definitely no different.

As the school year came to a close on my birthday, Troll Toddler ran me ragged with our exploits in the outdoors around the house, amazing wishes for greatness on my birthday (and for a couple of days before and after it), and, as it often does, coming to a close with Father's Day Weekend.

As I said in yesterday's post, my Saturday was beyond measure and left me ready for more family fun today with a cookout at the in-laws. We started the day at our church with one of the most amazing sermons I have ever heard on the Trinity. The Reverend that we have been blessed with in our lives constantly surprises me with the fact that she always has this power to either say something I needed to hear, or something that makes me think. Today was a little of both.

On to the store to pick out our eats for the cookout and get a travel corn-hole board for the kids to play with at the cookout. We had seen a really great smaller version of the game at the beach and I had found out that it was sold at one of the most prolific stores on the planet...we definitely needed something for those crazy kids to stay away from our boards when we are trying to play, so it was the perfect find! For those of you who don't know what corn-hole is, it's kind of a combination of a beanbag toss and horseshoes. I can't stand horseshoes, but no matter how badly I do at corn-hole, I ALWAYS have fun. The rain came in and kept us from playing today, but the kids had a ton of fun chasing each other and getting absolutely FILTHY after it had cleared out. Top that off with a birthday party for my favorite 2 year old nephew and you have a recipe for an phenomenal afternoon!

Now for the touch of unexpected...I came home to a message from my former step-mother. I've kept in contact with her through the years, though very sporadically, and we've been blessed with social networking allowing us glimpses into the other's life, even when we didn't have the time to really talk. I don't know what I expected when I started putting my thoughts out for the world to see...I guess I really didn't give it much thought at all, but receiving her message today helped me in ways that I never would have imagined.

The words that I read, repeatedly, washed over me, giving me warmth and love in the most unforeseen ways. The peace that I have found when dealing with my biological father was reinforced through her insights on him and kind praise of the woman I am. To see her views put out there and know what she has come to believe through her own thoughtful reasoning, to hear it from a place of healing and light...to have that loving gift from her...it adds to the blessings all around me and makes for an sensational birthday week.