Birthdays are a Big Deal.

In our house, birthdays are a big deal – a really big deal!

We celebrate with sweet and special traditions that make the family member feel cherished, treasured, and valued. With us, that starts with birthday banners!

Each year, I decorate in the days leading up to each child’s birthday with banners and decorations that speak to their passions that particular year. With two kids under the age of 10, their passions range from Power Rangers and Batman to foxes and the color blue. I love incorporating their favorite things into the decor because I know every time they look at the decoration they feel my love for them. They are aware of how I know them, celebrate them, and feel they are worth honoring.

Even in Covid-times, we have found special ways to celebrate birthdays. In 2020, I made a video for each child that was a compilation of birthday wishes from friends, family, and teachers near and far. It took creativity and extra work but I was determined to celebrate the blessing of their lives!

Birthdays Matter

Sometimes I wonder if we forget about the magic of birthdays because year after year they become a rhythm and routine of living. We keep waking up, putting one foot in front of the other, and before we know it, we’ve made another trip around the sun. But to me, it is so much more than that. A birthday is a blessing of life, a promise of potential, and a great reason to pause with gratitude. A birthday is a reflection point to remember the ups and downs, challenges and successes. It is an opportunity to get misty-eyed “remembering when” and dreaming about what will be. Birthdays are beautiful.

I also love how birthdays prompt the telling of stories. My kids love to hear what it was like when they were born – the time of day, how long I labored, the moment I realized their birthday was going to be that day, what it was like to meet them for the first time. Harper loves to hear about how I cried so hard when she was finally born that the staff thought I was in pain — eeek! Peyton loves to hear that the first time I saw his face he had a sad little pouty expression but was made so happy when we got to snuggle.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Birthdays are also a reason to remember who you are and whose you are. Psalm 139 makes it very clear that each person was lovingly knit together by our God who is both good and great. I want to raise children who have an unshakeable sense of their worth, that is rooted in Psalm 139 truth. They are fearfully and wonderfully made, known by the God of our universe, who felt the world needed a person just like them.

Your Birthday Matters

Like my kids, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. Your birthday – your existence – matters. You were planned and knit together, by a God who is both good and great. He felt the world needed a person just like you! I hope you can grab hold of that truth with both arms, and embrace the beautiful reality that your birthday is a big deal – you are a big deal.

Our impact on this world will be more powerful when we fully embrace childlike wonder and faith that we were made with purpose and for a purpose. Because when we have an accurate self-assessment of our worth, we start to believe what God says about who we are. And friends, the world needs more people with an identity rooted in His truth – ready to shine bright in a world that so desperately needs it!