Happy Birthday to Me!

OK, so maybe it's a little self-indulgent to wish yourself a Happy Birthday. But since I'm the one in my family who gets the most excited about Birthdays, I figured I better go ahead and send myself a birthday wish. :-)

I have a quiz for you today. Here goes:

Joaquin Phoenix, Julia Roberts, Charlie Daniels, Bill Gates.... so what do they all have in common? OK, I've probably made it too easy... they were all born on Oct. 28th. Just like me. :) I had no idea. Until tonight. I got this idea to go looking for famous people that were born and things that happened on my birthday. Here are some other fun facts:

Harvard College was founded on Oct. 28th in 1636.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland in 1886.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO was completed in 1965.

I don't know -- after looking at all of that, I felt just a little more excited about my day tomorrow. ha

But let me add to interesting things about my birthday that happened right in my own family. Most of you may know this story already, but for those who don't, we have some pretty interesting 'coincidences' that have happened on this day in my family. Starting with my Aunt Carolyn who was born on Oct. 28th (a few years before I appeared on the scene). She is my dad's sister and his only girl sibling. Then, on Oct. 28th, 1959, my cousin Sydney was born. She is the oldest daughter of my dad's brother, Jim. Next, I was born, on Oct. 29th, 1963 - the oldest daughter in my family. For years we thought that was a pretty neat trio of birthdays. Then, Sydney's brother Stephen, my cousin, had HIS first daughter. She was due around the 28th, so of course we were hoping.... Well, she couldn't quite wait that long and was born a couple of hours before midnight on... Oct. 27th!! And finally, a few years ago we got the news that my brother's wife was pregnant with their first child, and it was a girl. She was due on, yes, Oct. 28th. Apparently Lena was really, really ready to see the world, though, and came on Oct. 20th.

So there you have it -- the Townsley family birthday trivia and fun facts. :) I think it makes a pretty interesting story. At least it's all written down somewhere for posterity now.

Totally changing gears for a second, I came across a verse that was shared in this Beth Moore Daniel study that I'm doing. I believe that I will adopt it as a verse to really take to heart and build on as I start another year of life... (she encouraged us to 'personalize' this verse, so I've put my name in there):

O [Kay], put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Ps 130:7

Well, if I don't go to bed soon, it really will be my birthday... Thank you, Father, for another year of life and please help me to continue to put my hope in your unfailing love and full redemption in the year to come. :)