""Before I formed you in the womb I knew [a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."-Jeremiah 1:5
'
Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday
I (Sal) decided to make this website since it's my birthday. I discovered some cool benefits or blessings of having a birthday today. Yesterday at work, a long-time co-worker of mine was able to have us eat homemade pizza for supper, which is a rare opportunity to have our daily scheduled menu change at the group home. Plus, my lovely-caring co-workers of mine put "Happy Birthday Sal" on a homemade chocolate cake made by another lovely-caring coworker! My family of consumers/residents ended the supper by singing "Happy-Birthday!" Wow, I love my job!
Birthday Memories
As I turn 27, I would like to reflect the past "fast" 27 years that has gone by in life. Yes, it has gone so quick! Living in Morris for these past 8-9 years, I've been slowly learning to appreciate life more. The small mid-size rural college town enables one to really take some time to reflect, which is why it's been hard to leave here!
Below are some birthday memories that I want to show my friends how much I'm thankful for how they've been a blessing to me:
-Elementary Years-1987?... I can't exactly remember what grade-Had my first and only birthday party where I was able to invite my classmates too. Thanks for coming: Jarret, Jason, Brady, Ted, and Tom (came late, but better late than never!), etc..
I remember we played behind my backyard of my parents' Bridlewood townhome in St. Paul-football. Then we went to see the movie "Manequin"
-Clayton A. Gay Hall 1997'-my sophomore year as at II-I in my room. Some close friends, ASA members, and residents where in my room to suprise me. Thanks for coming: Cece, Thu, Christy, Dan, Mitch, Poniman, Budi, etc..
-2001: Some ASA members, my brother, and close friends suprised me at my younger brother's rental downstairs apartment. Thanks for coming: Ceo, Tim, Nicole, Nsoozi, Gina, etc...
Overall, I thank everybody that I might have missed that may not have been able to be physically present on my birthdays, but were there spiritually in love. Thanks for your gifts everybody, which you yourself is the present. Lastly, my best gift ever is Jesus-Himeself!
"From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother's womb.
I will ever praise you."-Psalm 71:6
March 18, 2004
Then today, I took one of my consumers-residents out to have breakfast with me a the local Subway. This consumer kept saying "it's his birthday" repeatedly before, during, and after breakfast. For lunch, I went to eat with my former housemate at the local Pizza Ranch. Knowing they had a FREE BUFFET for any customer with a Birthday, I took advantage of it and ate with my former housemate-wow! Well, for future birthdays, I wanted to spread the cool deals...
" 13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139
Recommended Resources
" 2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. "-3 John 1:2
Pizza Hut-free side orders of cinamon sticks with a purchase of a pizza Pizza Ranch-FREE lunch buffet! Subway-Brithday discount card gets you a FREE 6" Sub of your choice!
"MINNEAPOLIS - If you enjoy free stuff then get out a calendar and put a big circle around your birthday.
More businesses than ever are offering bigger and better free birthday deals thanks to online birthday clubs and internet coupons.
Coffee, breakfast and burgers are free at dozens of places, but when you dig a little deeper the discounts and freebies are even greater.
"I think I've topped out at around $200 in total value of freebies I've gotten on my birthday," smiled Michael Hamerlind.
Hamerlind has made it an annual tradition to collect all the free stuff he can. He has signed up for so many birthday clubs he now gets more offers than he can possibly use.
His birthday typically starts off with a free cup of java along with breakfast, but then the celebration really begins.
"One of my favorites is the free car wash," said Hamerlind. "They vacuum the inside, wipe all the surfaces and windows."
The full service wash can be found at the Downtowner in St. Paul and you're given a week to redeem it, the wash retails for $21.99.
Benihana takes things up a notch with a $30 gift card that can be used Monday through Thursday during the entire month of your birthday.
For free golf you can head over to the Shamrock Golf Course in Corcoran. If your birthday lands during the winter, they'll offer you a free round the month that they open.
KARE 11 Facebook fans found a few more deals. Lindy Carlson said you can get a free pair of pearl earrings from Helzberg Diamonds. Shannon Watson's tip is a free eyebrow wax at Ulta and Megan Tredinnick said she gets bath salts with her $25 Aveda gift.
Nearly all of the freebies require you to join a club or give up your email address, which to Hamerlind, is a small price to pay.
"If it's there for the taking, why not sign up for it and see what you can get," smiled Hamerlind.
We'll leave you with one more offer and a links to others, Walmart offers a free portrait valued at $29 on your birthday, you must make your appointment in advance of the big day.
An entire list of birthday freebies can be found at www.freebie-depot.com/birthday-freebie-list.
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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"Christian e-cards with inspirational Bible verses and music. Include an encour...aging note to a friend in a flash animated ecard. Send a free e-card to a friend."
"Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate
and blossom with flowers. Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the LORD our God."-
Isaiah 35:1, 2c
"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."-Psalm 118:24
Happy Spiritual Birthday!
Great ways to celebrate your child’s growing faith
by Sandra Byrd (ChristianityToday.com)
"Like most parents, my husband and I put a lot of thought and effort into planning birthday parties for our children. But in our house, celebrating "spiritual birthdays" has become as important as commemorating the days each of us was born.
For every Christian mom and dad, seeing a child develop a relationship with God is the high point of parenting. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. … You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’ " (John 3:5,7). Once your children make that life-changing decision, why not celebrate?
We wanted to come up with a way to make our children’s spiritual birthdays something special and exciting, yet we didn’t want to trivialize them or turn them into repeats of regular birthday parties. So we came up with the idea of a holy birthday party.
While some elements of a holy birthday party echo regular birthday parties, we’ve tweaked them to create parties that are both kid-friendly and Christ-centered. To keep the day from becoming too hectic, we don’t invite friends, just siblings and other close family members. Here are a few ideas to help you plan your own holy birthday party.
The Date
Sometimes, a child asks specific questions about becoming a Christian and a parent is able to lead the child to Christ right then. But more often the process is slower, and this makes pinpointing a specific date difficult.
That’s how it was with our son. We weren’t exactly sure when he first trusted Jesus, but after talking and praying with him, we were sure he had. So we chose to celebrate his spiritual birthday on a date we could easily remember, his half birthday. Not only was it easy to remember, it was far enough away from his birthday to give it significance. You might choose a date that means something to your family—the anniversary of your child’s dedication or baptism for example. Whatever you decide, be certain to stick with the same date year after year.
The Setup
What would a birthday be without cake? With a little effort you can make a cake that reflects the celebration. Many craft and cooking stores sell cake pans in the shape of a Bible. It’s also easy to make a cross-shaped cake with a common 13-by-9 inch pan. Simply bake the cake as instructed, then cut the cake in half lengthwise. Cut one of the two strips in half. The long strip becomes the vertical plank, and the two shorter strips arranged on either side and anchored with toothpicks become the horizontal plank of the cross. With either cake, add sparkly candles to fire things up!
While most of us want to avoid the materialism increasingly pervading our children’s lives, presents are associated with birthdays. We give our children a new Bible every year on their spiritual birthdays. There are an amazing number of children’s and teen Bibles available. Since a child’s reading comprehension increases significantly from year to year, a new Bible written specifically for his or her age group is a real treat.
We’ve discovered another benefit to yearly Bible replacements. We encourage our kids to jot important dates and questions in their Bibles. This helps them view the Bible as a tool for learning. Your child might mark the dates he learns a verse, or you might record the date a preschooler helps you tell a favorite Bible story. An older child can underline a confusing verse and ask you about it later. Knowing there will be a new Bible next year encourages children to make the most of the one they got this year—maybe even finish reading it before the year is up.
The Event
We like to include a few fun games in the party. One of our family’s favorites is "pop the balloons." We stuff dollar bills into a balloon—one dollar for each year the child has been a Christian. The other balloons are simply filled with rolled-up paper. Even siblings have fun helping the "birthday" child pop the balloons and find the money. If money’s tight, you could stuff the balloon with a scripture passage or a homemade "coupon" for a special afternoon with Mom and Dad.
We also give each person at the party a brown paper lunch bag filled with sweet treats. You can decorate the bags ahead of time or do it as part of the party. We like to write Psalm 119:103 on the bags: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Encourage everyone to offer a quick prayer of thanks each time they unwrap a treat.
After the party is cleaned up and your child is settled down, sit with her as she writes a letter to God. A younger child can dictate the letter to you. Have your child thank Jesus for the gift of salvation and write about how she’s grown spiritually in the last year. Has she started doing her own personal devotions or having a regular prayer time? Did she learn to be kinder to her siblings? Has obeying become easier? Also, write down challenges she’s facing right now. It will be exciting to see some of those challenges overcome throughout the next year. Have your child finish her letter by writing about the ways she’d like to grow closer to God in the coming year.
After your child has signed her name, turn the paper over and write a letter to her from you. You might note the growth you’ve seen, and of course, tell her how much you appreciate her. Mention specifics. This will offer her tremendous reassurance when she re-reads the letter in the future. And this record of her most tender moments will become a permanent legacy of God’s love for both you and your child. Each year, laminate these letters with home laminating sheets (found in craft and general merchandise stores) and keep them in a binder.
If you prefer, videotape these reflections instead of writing them. Record each year’s thoughts sequentially on the same tape. Whether you write or tape, encourage your child to look back at these in times of difficulty, when faith seems hard or when growth is slow. It will be an encouragement to both of you.
Our holy birthday parties are a lot of fun. But more important, they give us a unique way to help our children see that following God is a process, that each year brings them closer to understanding who God is and the plans he has for them. These celebrations help keep all of us focused on the joy God himself must have felt when we committed our lives to him.
Sandra Byrd is the author of the Secret Sisters Series (WaterBrook) for young girls. She lives in Oregon with her husband, Michael, a chaplain, and their two children. "
Thank you for visiting GoodnewsEverybody! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at info@goodnewseverybody.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website.
