Happy Birthday(s) Steph !!!- From Brian

Many of you know that Steph turned 32 today. It was a good day for her.

She started the day with getting to sleep in. Jada and I woke her up at about 9:00 with purple tulips (Jada's choice) and a Venti upside down caramel mocchiato (her preferred drink from Starbucks in case anyone wants to know).

All she asked for this year was new clothes so when we woke up we went to The Buckle and bought her two new pairs of jeans that she is excited about. She claims she has never had a pair of "really good jeans" (whatever that means) before so now she does and is kind of giddy about it. I must say she looks great in them.

We then met her parents and brother at a great Mexican food restaurant for lunch. After lunch we went over to her parent's house and spent the afternoon with her family. I then brought the girls back home and put them to sleep while she went shopping with her mom and bought more clothes. I think she acquired more new clothes today than at any other point in our marriage and, needless to say, she is pretty happy about that.

When she came home, she spent a couple of hours responding to very sweet messages and emails and talked to her good friend Kari from North Carolina. She is now in our room journaling and spending time with Jesus before we go to bed.


...What some of you don't know today not only marks Steph's 32nd birthday, it also marks her spiritual birthday.

It was twelve years ago, on Good Friday, that Steph was brought face to face with the reality of the Gospel. She was brought from death to life that night, and has been surrendered to Jesus in such a sweet and powerful way since that moment. God has done great things in her these past 12 years and so many kind and loving words from some many different people reflect what great things He has done in her.

I could include many of those thoughts and kind and honoring words in this post, but it would make a long post much, much longer. So I will just include some thoughts that I wrote to her:

Steph,

Happy Birthday my love! So today marks 32 years of God's Faithfulness to you. It is hard to believe that I have known you for 13 of those years....almost half of your life. Is that crazy or what?

I can not say enough how much I love you and how proud I am to be joined with you as one. I am so thankful that God gave me the "desire of my heart" in giving you to me as my wife 8 years ago. I have truly tasted the goodness of God in knowing you and being known by you and I am looking forward to continuing that journey as we grow old together.

This last year has been a really sweet one for you. The dreaded pregnancy after Mia that went so smooth without any issues, the birth of our sweet Kiva and the beginning of God restoring what was taken away, the year that Jada transitioned from being a toddler to becoming "a little girl", the discovery of the great purpose God has created you for and called you to, and beginning to walk in that purpose in a deeper way as God has provided a way through speaking engagements and through Talitha. Yes, your 31st year was really a beautiful one and I am convinced that you accomplished in one year, what many do not get to in a lifetime. I am so, so proud of you, and I am grateful to have had the privilege to be by your side and walk through all of those things with you. Last year was a really beautiful year wasn't it?

I do hope and pray that this year Jesus continues to open doors for you and continues to grow you in wisdom, stature, and favor in the sight of God and man. I am really looking forward to this year with you and with our girls. I rejoice in the life God has given us and am eager to see all the ways He will guide us and bless us this next year.

I love you so much and I am so thankful that I get to share this life with you.


Grateful to be your husband and to be crowned by you,

Brian


SO HAPPY 32nd BIRTHDAY !!!

AND

HAPPY SPIRITUAL BIRTHDAY !!!


You are worthy of honor today.