In Which I Am Surprised

This weekend was full of surprises, to say the least.

Let me first start off with saying I am blessed, blessed, blessed. I wish there was another way to word that, to form that expression. I feel like I say it all of the time, so the impact isn't there the way I want it to be.

You know the last couple of years have been hard in so many ways and many days I never thought I would be able to find and appreciate the blessings in my life again (but that's another post altogether).

This weekend included the following, in list form:

-An unexpected trip to Amarillo Thursday with the hubs (including Tacos Garcia and a trip to Goodwill to drop off clothes and shoes that had been piling up in the guest closet).

-Cards from friends and family

-Lots of Facebook wishes

-A Happy Birthday announcement over the intercom at school.

-A Happy Birthday song sung by the famous Coach Rhodes and several classes in my room.

-A Happy Birthday song being sung by my sweet, 4 year-old nephew, Drew on the phone.

-Flowers and a cute cross from my sweet friend, Sarah.

-A Happy Birthday song sun by my parents in two-part harmony (beautifully, by the way) over the phone.

-Happy Birthday comments on my blog.

-Gifts including: coffee mug, Barnes & Noble gift certificate, candle, flowers, key chain, very cute necklace from Sharon, Ballyhoo gift certificate from Kelly and Nancy, Seed Bin gift certificate from the in-laws, two beautiful red geraniums from Ronnie and Dawn, a cute notepad from Faith, and there may be more, but I can't recall right now.

-An amazing hand-made cake with from-scratch icing that formed beautiful flowers all over and adorned with 30 individual candles!

-A SURPRISE PARTY put together by my sweet, sweet hubby and my dear friend, Paige and Donna who helped when Paige had to go home unexpectedly for her grandmother's funeral.


-And a BEAUTIFUL diamond-studded band I was not expecting, AT ALL from McHotterson! We had just looked maybe once and one time I bought a $7 fake on just to wear for funsies to bling up what I already had. And that man-'o-mine remembered, went back and bought this beautiful thing just because he loves me and because he says, "A girl only turns 30 once!" See what I mean about blessed? Beyond measure. Beyond comprehension. Beyond what I deserve.

-Because yesterday was the end of the Lenten season, I am drinking diet sodas again. A true sacrifice that was, but totally worth it. I'm surprised because I thought the craving would go away after a couple of weeks; it didn't. February 25-April 12. And, part of me feels proud of making it; the other part realizes it was NOTHING compared to His sacrifice. And that pride I am tempted to feel is actually completely ironic because it goes against the whole point of the practice which is humility. I'll keep working on it.

-Saturday night we watched The Passion of the Christ. It was my first time. I was nervous. It was amazing. To be Mary. To be Peter. To be JUDAS. My goodness, I can't imagine it, and yet they were people just like I am. I wonder which one of them I would have been? That's a very scary thought. I would hope to be like Mary or Mary Magdalene, but even they had doubts. When they heard Jesus's body was gone, they immediately thought it had been stolen, even though they knew the prophecy, that He would rise from the dead and be resurrected. Not until they saw the stone rolled back and his body was gone, did they know and truly believe what had happened. That's amazing to me and in some ways a bit of a relief. Even they were weak in faith at times.


-But most of all, I was surprised by something that isn't a surprise at all. I have known the Easter story for 30 years and I'm still surprised every year, and all year long, that a man who felt all pain, just as I do, died for ME! To save ME! To make me sinless. Why me? I do not deserve it, but He gave it, knowing I would continue to sin, knowing I would not appreciate the sacrifice near as much as I should. Knowing I would fall again and again, but willing to suffer in agony. Angie over at Bring the Rain says it best when she explains that He could have saved Himself with one simple word. He could have easily climbed down from that cross, but He CHOSE not to. And as thankful as I am, I wish I could be more so. I wish I was more in love with Him than I am, because I know there is room to be.