I could easily say that the best part of my weekend was eating two sets of delicious cupcakes. Both sets were vegan and gluten-free, chocolate, and extremely moist. One set had purple frosting, with butterflies, glitter, and sprinkles on top. The other set was divided in two, half with vanilla buttercream and the other with chocolate buttercream. Both sets were made by phenomenal bakers who specialize in bringing joy to the hearts of many through their tasty baked goods.

Or maybe it was sneaking away for the weekend by myself to relax and unwind a bit. On Friday afternoon when the clock struck 2:45pm, I hopped in my car and journeyed to my home to grab my luggage for my weekend getaway. I made a quick pit stop at a local restaurant to chat with some colleagues before hopping on the highway and heading south. I made one more stop to get food at one of my favorite eateries in Arlington, before arriving at the hotel in Alexandria. After I ate to my heart’s content, I showered and then hopped in the very welcoming bed. Traveling alone is not new to me but this type of experience was. I had literally booked a room just to be alone for the weekend- no tourist-y events, no spa sessions- just a weekend in a soft bed other than my own. I don’t care how weird that sounds, my soul needed the reprieve and my body was happy to oblige.

Maybe still, it was the nap that I took in my Love’s arms yesterday afternoon. His body still reflects the years of football that he played in his youth, his years of service to this country, and his years of playing flag football as an adult. He has strong, full arms that hold one tightly and securely, while offering a reassuring comfort that cannot be captured in my humble words. After we had set up the laptop to record our content for tonight (click HERE to watch it at 7pm tonight), we ate cupcakes and then laid on the couch to catch a much-needed nap before actually recording the content. We rested for about 45 minutes and in that time, he had his loving arm wrapped tightly around me. He probably wouldn’t agree, but it was so simple, yet so romantic. I felt seen, valued, and loved in his arms and I’m grateful for moments like that.

Yet the truth is, the best part of my weekend was living to see my 37th birthday.

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Thirty-seven is a very big deal to me.

My sweet cousin did not live to see 30 years on this earth.
I watched as a friend buried her toddler daughter.
Several of my high school classmates barely made 35 trips around the sun.

So, thirty-seven is a very big deal to me.

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My weekend, though relaxed and without much fanfare, was exactly what my soul needed to reset itself back to homeostasis. Saturday I laid in bed for about 16 hours, just watching tv on my iPad and liking posts that people made on my pages for my birthday. I drifted in and out of sleep and enjoyed every minute of the nothingness that I engaged in. Eventually, I did get up and go for a walk outside as I waited for both my food to be delivered and for my Love to arrive with that first set of cupcakes. We ate food from PLNT Burger and gorged ourselves with conversations about one thing or another. On my weekend alone, I spent some hours with my Love and it was a wonderful experience.

I’m not going to lie, normally hanging out with my Love is the greatest part of my day, but this time, it was just the icing on my vegan cupcakes. Truly, the best part was waking up and realizing that God had allowed me to see another day.

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Sweet friend, you and I are soul siblings, connected by our love for growth in every area of our lives. If you haven’t done this yet, all today to be the day that you truly see the beauty of the day and allow it to push you deeper in God next for you.

I invite you to join me in my various ministry opportunities and pray that something is said or done to strengthen your heart in Christ.

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I love you, Beloved.
Be blessed.