Happy Birthday to Sharine!

Happy 60th Birthday, dear friend

I love you!

There are very few people that make my heart smile and fill with gratitude for the eternal impact that they have made in my life. 

God connected us in university via your sister Solange and I felt an instant connection to you. Over the years, I have seen how much we have in common, including being introverts who shrink from the limelight, and always fearful that Solange will bring us into it! Hahaha.

There is so much I am grateful for as I think back about you.

You are beautiful!

You are a woman clothed with dignity and grace.

You have the most amazing sense of humour and I am so glad we share that! We can exchange looks from afar and just crack up.

You have an inner strength that carries you through life's curves.

You have an enduring faith that inspires.

You are disciplined and very courageous. I can't imagine raising foster children with problems I cannot understand, yet you have done that and made an investment in so many. Wow!

You are an extraordinary mother and wife! I mean, just look at all your amazing men! Neil, Joshua, Jordan and Jared! All extraordinary!

You possess wisdom that comes from deep reflection. I love to share thoughts with you, knowing you understand. 

You share a kindred spirit with me!

You have deep and enduring relationships with your family and friends and work colleagues.

You always have something positive to say about me, even when I have felt my worst and looked so! 

There is not one time we have connected that you have not encouraged or inspired me or made me smile and most importantly, made me feel loved and valued. You are truly saturated with His aroma.

In fact, my dear, you are one of the most lovable people I know on this earth and I am so grateful and in awe that you call me 'friend' and 'sister'.

So I would like to bless you with these verses in this milestone year from Ephesians 1 (AMP) My words are in brackets in green:

15 For this reason, because I have heard (know) of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, (Sharine), remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. 18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

May this song remind you that you are CHOSEN, NOT FORSAKEN and you are who HE says you are:

Prayer:

Father, thank you so much for this precious child You created and formed with such great care and love. She has shown me so much of You. Indeed she is Your Child. Thank You for your faithfulness to her over the years. Thank You for bringing her to this milestone. Like so many others, this year with this pandemic has wrought havoc on our physical and mental health, and I pray that You would sustain Sharine and her family and equip her with all she needs to thrive. Bend down your ear to listen to her heart's cries and concerns. Give her a divine encounter that deeply impacts. Draw her husband and sons closer to Your heart with that firm foundation she has passed on to them from her own mother. Let her see You daily in her walks, in her talks and in the routines of life. I ask You now to cover her with a blanket of Your reassuring Hope for a future blessed with Your Presence. I commit her to Your tender, loving care.

In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

💗💜💝💞