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         (Dad:) Happy birthday! With every new year it's nice to keep books with your soul, so you can not only see where you're coming from, but where you want to go; to be able to learn from some of the things over the past year to help you in the year to come.
         Out of all the things that happened in the last year, what was the thing that you enjoyed the most? What was the thing that gave you the greatest trial? What was the happiest event? What was the saddest? Of everything you did last year, what did you feel the most fulfilled in? What's the thing that you like to do the least? What area do you think you need to grow in the most, and what area in your personal life do you think you made the most progress in?
         If you could get the answer from the Lord on any question that you have, what would the question be? Would you like to room with someone and be married to them? Would you like to go to a different Home, or go to another field?--Or have another ministry--working in childcare or outreach or provisioning, or meeting new people and new young people? Or teaching classes?
         You may wonder why I'm asking all these questions. Well, for your birthday present I'd just like you to be happy! One of the greatest gifts a person can receive is to feel fulfilled, challenged and happy. That is what I'd like to give to you! And in order to do that and to fulfill that, then others have to know the things on your heart, the things that you have a burden for, the things that you feel led to do or called to be.
         So if you wouldn't mind telling your shepherds the answers to these questions, that would help in knowing if there's anything they can do for you. Tell them if you feel you need more variety and more change or new scenery, whatever is on your heart. You could pray about these things, because you're old enough to pray and seek the Lord about decisions of this sort.
         Every birthday is a time to rededicate your life. Maybe you could pray a dedication prayer to the Lord, asking Him what He would like you to do; dedicating and pledging your loyalty and your service to Him. Your birthday is always a good time to rededicate yourself to the Lord, asking Him to take you as you are, to help you, to keep you, to continue to use you in the way He would like to.



Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family