
It's right around the corner.
To keep myself from throwing a pity party at my astonishment of the speedily unfolding aging process, I can't think of anything more therapeutic than sharing 63 things I love with you.
Love.
We tend to throw the L word around fairly loosely. Obviously, our love for Christ is far superior than our love for the passing fancies of the day. But I think you hear my heart.
I've combed the achieves and come up with 63 very random quotes from the past five years on the blog ... bits and pieces of gratitude, observations, and affection that come to you completely out of context.
Happy birthday.
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1. Don't you love how God's sacred touch is evidenced as we connect at levels that are deeper than surface chit-chat?
2. I love when God steps in to redeem a season that others would be quick to write off, don't you?
3. I love these little end-of-the-month reviews ... call them whatever you like ... what we've learned or what we're into or what's saving our lives
4. I've always loved being a bit of a matchmaker, a relationship builder
5. I love grabbing the snippers and bringing an armload of nature's treasures indoors
6. I love when God orchestrates our reading lists
7. I love a good year end review, don't you?
8. I'd love if you'd grab a cup of coffee and settle in with me for a quiet time of reflection
9. I love a good page-turner while my feet are tucked into the sand and the sun shines bright
10. I do love a rainy day at home
11. I do love me some Greek yogurt with blueberries or homemade jam and some slivered almonds swirled in
12. Yep, I love reading
13. I love what I do
14. I love you, Daddy ... I guess I just wanted you to know that your legacy is alive and well
15. Love you guys!
16. And I don't want to hand you the links and simply walk away, but instead would love chat back and forth with you after you've read something that catches your eye
17. I love the skylights, the vintage painted furniture, those little quilts on the wall, and the ancient post office cubby filled with little tchochkes that sits atop a three-drawer dresser
18. I've always loved Chutes and Ladders
19. I just love what God has nurtured and grown
20. I'd love to glean from all your blogging tidbits, wisdom, and secrets
21. I just love the women our daughters have become
22. I do love shopping from home in my robe and slippers
23. I'd love to hear what you've done to navigate through difficult holidays
24. I've always loved my birthdays
25. Don't you just love that we can be our authentic selves with our Heavenly Father?
26. Because when she speaks I always listen ... Don't you just love those people in your life?
27. I love doing life with you ... even from afar
28. Don't you just love the word 'free'?
29. I just love what God is doing in the lives of these valiant women
30. I love all things lush and green
31. I usually love writing end-of-the-month newsletters where we chat together about all kinds of fun and interesting happenings
32. I'd love to tell you that all these challenges have been tied up and taken care of ... some have been clearly resolved, others are still a work in progress
33. If I'm not loving what I'm reading after 50 pages, if it's not holding my attention or capturing my heart, I'm done
34. The more in love we are with God, the quicker we'll be able to discern when the Spirit is clearly putting His powerful finger on specific sins in our lives
35. Love that this series is speaking into your life
36. We have work we love that is meaningful and productive
37. I do love a big mug of tea early morning and some mulled cider with a cinnamon stick on some afternoons
38. I love making soup
39. I've embraced what life looks like in the here and now in this sometimes desolate but always beautiful place ... Can I tell you I love it?
40. I love sharing an experience rather than buying alot of stuff that no one really wants or that doesn't fit or breaks in ten minutes
41. I love doing community with you and I value our ongoing dialogue, whether substantial or light
42. How cool to all say at the same time, 'Ohhh, I LOVE this song!'
43. I love that Jesus specializes in inviting us to come to Him as we truly are
44. Don’t you love how God repeatedly opens His arms wide, offering us a gracious welcome home?
45. Love, love, love BOUNDARIES, these Christian psychologists, and their selection of Boundaries books that were authored following this game-changer
46. I love serving THE Editor-in-Chief this way
47. I'd love to sit together and spend a bit of time with you right about now
48. I especially love when something special jumps out of the achieves, takes on new life, and gets a bit of a re-birth as it makes its appearance
49. I love the supportive community that grows one post, one comment at a time, and the connection that knits one kindred spirit to another who truly gets who you are and what you're trying to say
50. We've got a bit of a love / hate relationship going on with this online world we inhabit
51. I love Grisham's wry sense of humor, crisp writing, and oft' quirky characters
52. I love the change of seasons
53. Learn the art of speaking the truth, in love, with respect
54. I love the whole idea of marriage as teamwork
55. And if you love one those link-ups, you might want to step it up a notch by creating a mission statement so that you know why you're investing time there and what the benefits are
56. For $2.99, I love this crisp, clear plastic sheet that lines the toile curtain
57. I do love my vintage ornaments, handed down from my grandma and assorted relatives ... and gleefully gathered from random shops and flea markets over the decades
58. I love that for every 'no, thanks!' you speak, you get to say, 'yes, please!' to another invitation, option, opportunity, or focus
59. I feel Your smile on my labors of love whether they are deeply personal or aimed toward ministry
60. And for those of us who love Christ, we do, in essence, write for the most gracious audience of One
61. I've got to tell you that I'm more in love with Jesus than ever
62. I'm loving lots of white space with plenty of margin and one fabulous photo for a header or as a posts' centerpiece and images in gentle, calming watercolor shades
63. I love doing community with you
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sharing the love with
Happy Early Birthday! I love this idea! Blessed to be your neighbor at Tell His Story today!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm blessed that you took the time to say 'hi!'
DeleteThanks, Tara ...
And we love YOU too, Linda! Have a great 63rd!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet, Lisa ...
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Yes, Linda. We do love you too! Happy Birthday. I hope God fills it with sweet surprises and much joy.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of your "loves" that I loved: "Don't you just love that we can be our authentic selves with our Heavenly Father?" Yes and amen, friend.
Yes, I love that He welcomes us just as we are, Jeanne. What bliss ...
DeleteP.S. And thank you for your email. Makes me smile that you don't give up on me even though outer space sometimes swallows those comments alive, never to be seen again.
;-{
This is a lovely list and a great way to mark your birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day! I love doing community with you too!
ReplyDeleteSending a hug across the Atlantic, friend ...
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That's a lot of loving! :-) Happy birthday! Mine was yesterday. :) I have always loved my birthdays, too. And I enjoy many of the things you have listed.
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy to you, too, Barbara! Let's see what the Lord has for us in the next year ...
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And I love the looks of that cake! C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E!! Happy birthday early but you still have almost 3 years to catch me. 66 in October
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, it was good. My sister always gets the BEST cakes ...
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Happy Birthday, Linda! And here's to number #42...all aboard! the Soul Train, and Carl Carlton singing 'Everlasting Love'; this ticket is my gift to you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT3I14f-l4s
Soul Train, huh? It's been years!
DeleteI've been teaching a grandchild the Rolling Stones line, 'you can't always get what you want' today.
There's a song for every occasion, isn't there ...
Happy 63rd Birthday, Linda! I turned 63 in March, and I, too, wondered "How did I get here?" LOL!
ReplyDeleteSo glad and honored to have met you in the blogosphere, and can now call you friend.
Blessings!
I call you friend. Yes.
DeleteWhat sweet words.
Bless you, Martha ...
Another delightful read from you and a wonderful way to celebrate another year, community style. LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteHands down, nothing beats the richness of community.
DeleteSo grateful our intermingle, Debby ...
This is wonderful, Linda ... how long did it take you to compile this list? I enjoyed reading it and remembering all the writing that went around each one. Happiest of birthdays to you ... your cake looks delicious! (By the way, you've inspired me to make up my own list of "loves" ... not from previous blog posts but just random things. It's been so fun ...)
ReplyDeletemmm ... most of an afternoon? It was a stroll down memory lane, for sure.
DeleteInteresting how our writing morphs over time.
Can't wait to read your list!
;-}
I love that you posted your "snarky" face as you look at the delicious birthday cake on your blog!! Enjoy your special day!!
ReplyDeleteThe cake was fabulous!
DeleteBut ... uh ... NO presents!!
hahaha
When I first read you were gonna write 63 LOVES, I said no way. But you did it and quite expertly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with #6- how cool when God orchestrates our reading list.
Now I am off to writing 70 LOVES - not!!! I may try to see how far I could get number wise.
Of course, I am ever so grateful that God made you!!!!
Well, I certainly am grateful for your presence in my life. What a blessing you've been to me along the way, dear friend.
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I love how Ann Voskamp birthed 1000 gifts ... jotting down each and every good thing God sent her way, far surpassing 1000. Such a beautiful gamechanger with all the mumbling and grumbling that seems to be our default mode.
We have so much to be grateful for, don't we ...
I LOVE the picture! Made me burst out laughing in the library!! Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteMy husband couldn't quite believe I'd post such an unattractive snapshot!
DeleteBut I'm glad it cracked you up, Val. Flattering shots are overrated ... and quite hard for me to come by!
;-}
Your 63 "love notes" made me smile. What a joy to embrace another birthday bu sharing such wonderful words. Happy birthday and love you dearly!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet, Mary. Kind, too ...
DeleteCan it be that you are 63? Wow! You don't look a day over 50, Linda! And I LOVE that you love so many things that I love--especially that "audience of One" declaration! Standing right there with you in love with our Savior, sweet sister!
ReplyDeleteChrist is everything. When all is said and done, everything else will fade away.
DeleteEven our birthdays. Thankfully!
;-}
I'm so sorry I missed your birthday! Happiest of years ahead for you, my friend! Your posts are always a delight, but this one takes the cake!! Seriously. I love the way you thin, write, and share the YOU of you! May all your birthday candle wishes come true!
ReplyDeleteTakes the cake. That's cute, Barbara!
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Thanks for all those kind words, friend ...