It all began five years ago today … when Renaissance Man became President of Hope Unlimited for Children. I told you HERE about why I started blogging. It’s all connected.
You see, when my husband traded his somewhat predictable job in Christian higher education for one bombarded with mortally at-risk, prostituted, and sex-trafficked children, our comfy, protected world was engulfed daily by the real world … and it was sometimes overwhelming.
It still is.
After 14 months of virtually non-stop travel (including several trips to Brazil), I knew my husband needed a break. His 50th birthday was coming up, and so — for the first time ever in our marriage — I made plans he didn’t know about.
While the get-away was just what we both needed, I still wanted to give him a creative birthday gift that would “keep on giving” all throughout his 50th year. After much thought and prayer, I decided …
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| Click on any pic to enlarge |
For the next 52 weeks, I blessed my husband with a special weekly wish or prayer. The blessings came in various forms: cards, emails, e-cards, even hand-written notes on hotel stationery as we occasionally traveled together.
All the while, I knew I would gather them up (or re-print them) and put them in a simple 8″ x 8″ leather scrapbook to be presented to him on his 51st birthday.
By the way, I’m not like some of you who scrapbook all.the.time. I don’t have the patience for that, but an occasional project like this? I love it!
I should probably do this again because it was a wonderful way to be sure that I paid attention to my husband and what was going on in “his” world.
Some weeks, the encouragement I gave him consisted of just a few words …
Other times, I shared a poem or prayer …
Still other times, my blessing was something I’d seen printed in a church bulletin or magazine …
Of course, there’s no better resource for blessings than the Bible, and I often used Scripture to bless and encourage my husband … even when I wasn’t in my finest form.
Life gets to us all sometimes …
Amazingly, I made it 36 weeks before I forgot to share a beginning-of-the-week blessing … but I didn’t miss the week!
And then Week Final arrived …
… along with birthday #51.
Some of you photographers could instead make a book of photos to go along with your blessings. Of course, even the book is optional. It’s the blessings that count!
Do you know someone with whom you could share a weekly (or even monthly) blessing?
- Husband who travels
- Child away at school
- Little one growing up
- Elderly parent living alone
- Church staff member
- Single parent
- School teacher
- Neighbor
This post is part of a 31-day series. To read previous posts, go HERE.
I’m linking to Inspiration Friday– At the Picket Fence
This is a beautiful idea! I will be doing this for my husband’s next birthday. By the way his name is David, so we are David and Susan too. Have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Your best one EVER!! I love this and am so inspired to do something like this. My problem will be deciding for whom to do it. I could do the husband, but wouldn’t the girls be wonderful as well? Or what about my mom. (Hope she doesn’t read this comment. )
Oh! I just thought of another one:
Wouldn’t this be a great idea for a mother to do for her daughter for the months between an engagement and a wedding?
I kept a journal but I wish I’d thought of this idea instead. Maybe for the next daughter…
That is wonderful. I did one for our 20th Anniversary, recalling our years together, but I haven’t done one just for him…this is great! Now I should get started for his 60th which is less than two years away and it will take me that long.
I do get high school ones done for the kids, but that is about it.
Oh laughing at Debbie above…you think she is suggesting that to me? LOL Now lets see….I only have four months for that one…mother to daughter!