This is my birthday month!   I was blessed to have loving parents and many, many happy birthdays growing up.  We could always choose what we wanted for our birthday meal, and since I was born in the hot, dog-days of August, my favorite place to go to celebrate was to Musquash Lake for a cook-out.  It was just two or three miles from our humble little home in Codyville, ME, and getting to swim and splash in the cool lake was ‘the cherry on the (birthday) cake’.  ????

I also remember, too, on nearly every birthday of Mama’s saying – and these were her exact words, “I suffered so the day you were born!!”  “Mamaaaaa”, I would whine, and in that one word express to her my dislike of hearing those words.  I know it was August! – the ‘dog-days’ of August!   I know my birth was in a little hospital in Calais, ME with, of course, no AC in those days.  I felt badly, really badly – but what was I supposed to do?   I mean, really!  Say that ‘I could hunker down in ‘here’ a couple of more days and maybe the weather would cool up a bit’ – or, ‘I hear it’s going to be cooler a few days before the 12^th and kick and scream my way out of ‘here’?’  ????   Well, regardless, I was blessed to be born into a family who loved me more than I deserved, was always there for me, and most importantly who loved the Lord and taughtme His way.

For the past sixteen years, my birthday has occurred while in Romania.  I have three friends in RO who also celebrate their birthdays in August.  It’s a lot of fun.  The celebrating covers at least two weeks.  The past few days, though, I have been thinking what I would like for a birthday gift.  While reading/meditating through the book of Matthew, I for sure would love to have the gifts that Jesus gave to His disciples in 10.1.  I would love for not one child to ever go to bed hungry again – for not one child to ever be abused again.  I would love to have enough money to solve the world’s problems (might as well think-BIG while I’m thinking).  ????  The only problem with that one is I don’t have the wisdom to go along with it.  Guess I would have to ask for that, too.

I would love to live near my grandbabies.  There is a lot I would love to have.  But, the more time I have spent in the Scripture, I know the best gift I could ask for is – to look more like Jesus.  That is not a ‘want’; that is a ‘need’.  I need to look more like Him!  Recently, I was in awe thinking of Jesus’ inviting Peter, James and John to climb up a mountain with Him – just them! –  and spend time alone with Him.  (Matthew 17.1)

I’m surrounded by mountains here in Brasov.  I feel like raising my arm and waving it, and saying, “Here I am.  Here I am!   Would it be possible, Jesus, for you and me – just the two of us – to go climb one of those mountains – for me to fall at Your feet and worship You – and for You to teach me so many things?  Would it be possible?”

Maybe – one day.  But for now, more than anything, this is what I want for my birthday.  Figuratively speaking, to climb closer to Him – to have a mountainous relationship with Him . . .    to look more like Jesus.

Psalm 17.15 –  “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;  I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”