Happy birthday to me! {and a giveaway} - winner announced!

{Giveaway closed -- winner announced at end of post!}

My birthday is really not a big deal to me. I'm perfectly happy with a quiet little celebration with my family, and I'm happy that my girly is becoming quite the baker, as that will probably work to my advantage on my birthday.

So this year, new location, new friends, new season... and a birthday of epic proportions!

I'm happy to be celebrating my 27th birthday... yet again. So, in celebration, here are 27+ things I'm thankful for:

1. Jesus Christ, for saving me at a young age and preserving me even now. The gift of salvation is the most gracious gift ever given.

2. My parents, Jim and Anna, for raising me in the Lord but not being afraid to have some fun along the way.

3. My husband, Jeff, for always loving me, always encouraging me, and always making me laugh.

4. My siblings -- Brenda, Keith, and Carol -- who always kept things interesting. We can still have a pretty good time when we get together (along with their terrific spouses).

5. My wonderful parents-in-law, Steve and Pat, who treat me just like one of their own.

6. My children, Christopher, AnnaKate, and Jared, each with his or her own unique personality, gifts, and quirks, who have enriched my life far beyond what I imagined.

7. My sweet friend, Linda, who married my father and added so much joy to his last years. (I have a hard time calling her my stepmother... it reminds me of Cinderella's and she's far too kind for that!)

8. Jeff's siblings and their spouses, who have always made me feel part of the family (including taking and giving my share of ribbing).

9. The freedom to homeschool my children for the past 15 years. What a gift.

10. The hairiest member of our family, Bella.

11. Faithful friends, both old and new. The Lord has always been so good to encourage me through friends, wherever I am.

12.  The lovely home that God has provided for us at this time.

13.  The ministry opportunity that lies before us right now. It's huge, it's daunting, and it's wonderful. More on this soon! 

14.  Coffee. (And my personal barista.)

15.  Springtime. I'm especially looking forward to that this year.

16.  The creativity that God has given to me, and the fun of watching my kids be creative, too.

17.  Birds. They just make me happy, and the remind me of God's provision.

18.  The power of God's Word proclaimed as truth; it's both life-giving and life-changing.

19.  The hope of heaven. I can't wait.

20.  The amazing, incredible, gift of human life.

21.  Chocolate and other comfort foods.

22. Books. What worlds have been opened to me through books!

23. A sense of humor, especially at the most unexpected (and needed) times

24. Being a woman (and learning to be content in the role that God has given me)

25.  The local church. We're looking forward to plugging in.

26.  Technology. Not only does it enable me share this blog, and to talk with my husband on a recent overseas trip (he went; I stayed home), but it also saved a life.

27. You, for reading my blog (or at least this post!)

Because I'm thankful for those who drop by my little blog, I'm having a giveaway for my birthday! I'd love to send one of you the book, What is the Gospel by Greg Gilbert (also available for Kindle).






Entering is easy -- just leave me a comment below telling me something you are thankful for. And be sure I have your email address to let you know if you're the winner!

After that, you can earn extra entries for sharing this post on Facebook, Pinterest, or your own blog. Just leave me a comment telling me where you shared.

I'll choose a winner on February 18 once I'm recovered from celebrating!

And finally -- we have a winner! Congratulations, Mary, our highly technical randomizer picked you to win the book. I'll get that sent off to you this week!