Birthdays...

There is no other day that one can feel quite as SPECIAL as on their birthday. Or at least for me, because I had like 100 million birthday wishes from every one under the sun via fb yesterday. Which was really nice... hearing my Android email ding every few minutes. Everyone... family, close friends, old friends from high school, aquaintances from college, friends of my parents... even people I haven't seen in years... each took a second out of their day to wish me a happy birthday!

What? Do you think I am easily amused? Well, you are wrong. That is special. That so many people recognize birthdays as important. SOMEONE'S day. No one else's; just theirs. To celebrate their life, their number of years, and all of the memories and experiences that have made this person exaclty who they are at this very year. Who they are, at... well in my case, 23. Not the same person who celebrated her 21st two years ago. See what I am saying? The Whitney who celebrated her 16th birthday is not the same Whitney who celebrated her 23rd. Isn't that crazy? Same person, but not. Because life experiences, change, growth, etc... has shaped you from even last year to this year.

That is why I believe birthdays are special.

As I take time to reflect on all of my past birthdays, I have to say this year, my 23rd birthday, is one of my favorites. No I didn't have a surprise party or a trip planned. I didn't get anything BIG or EXPENSIVE or something I have WANTED forever.

What I did get was:

                               A nice totaled car on Monday... the first day of my birthday week! That was a bummer.

 BUT just hours later I was riding in an amazing 2010 Volvo S40 to drive for three weeks while my insurance company is getting my check together for my totaled car.

 Tuesday night my brother Jesse treated me and two friends to Dave Matthews tickets for my birthday! Yes, he bought all of us tickets! Isn't he sweet?! This is me and my best friend, Lindsay... we met in college and she is who made this week the best birthday week ever!

          Me and the best brother in the world!

And me and my lefty, Aja. We've been friends since middle school!

Wednesday Linds and I rented my two favorite holiday movies:

AND



I'm sorry, I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but I am in the Christmas spirit. The explanation will come in just a second!

So yesterday, Thursday, was my actual birthday and Lindsay cooked me dinner (I mean, I think she deserves the best friend award. She put up with my birthday festivities all week. 5 days, including tonight.) She cooked my favorite... grilled salmon ceaser salad. And since she knows me so well, and because we like the exact same things, basically... we had yummy sushi for appetizers! Sorry, I didn't take a picture of our food... haha.

But I did take a picture of this:

 The flowers my step dad gave me for my birthday! How fallish and beautiful are they?!

And my mommy got me the SATC 2 movie! I haven't seen it, and I have only heard bad things about it... from my best friends who are also obsessed... but I love my SATC girls. So I will watch any way.

AND today will end my birthday festivities... I'm sure you're thinking... finally... good Lord.. BUT I didn't plan all of these things.... wait, this is leading to the same point as why this is one of the best birthdays and why I am in the holiday spirit.... almost there.

But before.... TONIGHT.... I am :

Having dinner with friends at noche.... it is a tapas place. I've never been but heard it is yummy!

SO... here we go.... WHY this is one of my favorite birthdays:

First of all, I have never felt so loved in my entire life as I do right now. Love from my family, friends, and even people I have just met. Feeling loved and appreciated is really a wonderful thing. Friends like Lindsay who made this whole week about me. Not because I asked or anything. Because she is a great friend. Friends like Megan Clark... who hasn't missed a single birthday since I was 16 years old. And she is making a point to not only come to ATL tonight... but make ber boyfriend tag along, too. Thanks Brett!

Secondly, I have never felt more content and KNOW that I AM exactly where I am supposed to be as I do every night when I drive home from work on 85 South and see this:

My ATL skyline. My city.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY:

 That God led me here...

...to Buckhead Church.

Where I now have a personal relationship with him. We talk daily. Multiple times a day. He watches out for me. He loves me. He wants the best for me. He has a plan for me. He is the reason WHY I am where I am supposed to be. Why I have such loving friends and family. Why I am so content and happy. Why I have been in the Christmas spirit since October... because when you Lord God and see how wonderful he is... how could you NOT want to celebrate the birth of his son and the meaning of Christmas all year long? He is why when I had my car accident I did not worry, I put my faith in him that he would take care of everything. And he has. And he will. And he will always love me. No matter when bad words slips out of my mouth or I have more than one or two glasses of wine. Or when I judge, or when I complain, or when I don't trust him.

His love is like no other. Like no human being. Not even a mother's love can compare to God's love. (And I have a one of a kind mother.)Not even a brother, sister, father, friend, husband, or wife's love can compare to Jesus. That is what I realized just yesterday when I was thanking him for his love, mercy, and grace... all the things and all people in my life.

And that he has put every single one of you in my life for a reason. Thank you, from the 23 year old Whitney, for encouraging me with my blog, the awesome comments, the love, the prayer, for making this birthday so special, and for the ones who have always believed in me, and the ones who do now.

This has been such a special experience. To birthdays! Woo hoo!