Today is my birthday, and at first I thought I would not say anything at all. I usually keep things to myself, but I told myself that even if I do not post on Instagram, I would still mark the day here on my blog. Today matters to me. I was born on this day, and that is not something I take lightly. It is a reminder that my life has meaning and that I am grateful to be here.
I have lived through disappointment and moments when things did not go as planned. I have also experienced victories, growth, and quiet achievements that shaped who I am becoming. Looking back, every part of my journey has led me to this day, and for that I am sincerely thankful to God and to everyone who has played a role in my life, whether near or far.
Today I am off work, and I am choosing rest, reflection, and peace. A birthday, to me, is about slowing down, appreciating messages from those who remember, and sharing a little of my day as it unfolds. I will also be sharing another post about my birthday moments, and I would be glad to hear your guesses about how I might spend the day, alongside your kind wishes.
My heart feels calm and full. I am alive, I am well, and I have the strength and energy to keep moving forward. That alone is a privilege I do not take for granted. I am grateful for life and for the quiet grace that has carried me through.
I pray for continued growth in my life, for wisdom, for kindness, and for a steady spirit that remains rooted in gratitude. I have a long and healthy life, one filled with purpose, peace, and generational blessings that can be seen and remembered by those who come after me. I pray for ease in my days, strength in my body, and health that sustains me for many years ahead. My life is good, and I am thankful for where I am today. Happy birthday to me, and to anyone else celebrating in June, may your day be filled with warmth and peace as well. I am glad to share this moment here, and I look forward to enjoying the rest of my day in gratitude and quiet joy.
To 54,750,000 more years. Cheers. 🍷
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”
— Psalm 118:17
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
— Psalm 126:3
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
— Psalm 90:12
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord… plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
Amen
That's terrific to celebrate yourself and your birthday. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteTen un lindo día. Feliz cumpleaños. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteMelody querida, que tengas un FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS, que Dios te colme de bendiciones y brindo por esos 150 años que te esperan, eres bella por fuera y mas por dentro, que se cumplan todos tus deseos.
ReplyDeleteQue tengas un hermoso y feliz día, tuve que cerrar temporalmente 2 blog porque no puedo dedicarle tiempo.
👄🌹Besitos y te dejo todo mi cariño bella amiga🌹👄
Amen. Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. Cheers to 54,750,000 years!
DeleteOlá, querida Melody que bom que vim visitar você e no dia
ReplyDeletedo seu aniversário! 😅👏
Desejo a você muitas felicidades, muita saúde e paz!
Adorei essa sua postagem!
Beijinhos, querida! 💐💚🙏🙋♀️🎂🎈😅🎁
Thank you for your kind birthday wishes. May God grant you health, peace, and lasting joy throughout your days.
DeleteDear Melody, Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteWith joy, love, peace and many, many smiles!!
May you be healthy and creative for many, many more years!
Thank you so much for the beautiful wishes, Katerina! May God bless you abundantly with the same joy, peace, and endless creativity you bring to others. ❤️
DeleteHappiest Birthday to u!!! may all ur wishes come true! stay cool and gorgeous always!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! May God bless you and grant the desires of your heart, and may your life always be filled with joy and happiness! ✨❤️
DeleteHappy Birthday to you! Wish you all the best ♥
ReplyDeleteHave a nice birthday day🌸
Angelika
Thank you so much, Angela! May God bless you with all the best in life and surround you with His love and peace today and always.
DeleteFeliz cumpleaños ¡
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tot.
Delete¡¡felicitaciones!! que pases un bonito cumpleaños con toda la gente que te quiere y te estima alrededor.
ReplyDeleteun abrazo.
Thank you so much, Draco! May God richly bless you and always surround you with love, warmth, and the support of wonderful people.
DeleteHappy birthday, Melody.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kirk.
DeleteHappy Birthday Melody 🌸💕🎈
ReplyDeleteThank you, I appreciate your wishes.
DeleteA very happy birthday Melody! May the year ahead bring you strength, success, and countless reasons to smile.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Thank you so much, Shiju.
DeleteHappy birthday... greetings.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you with a wonderful day and fill your life with happiness and peace.
Deletehappy birthday, melody!! what a beautiful post, it has cheered me up.
ReplyDeletei've sending you a little drawing through instagram.
lots of hugs and goood wishes for you! :*
Thank you so much, Chema! I'm so glad the post cheered you up. Thank you again for the drawing you sent me on instagram. May God bless you, lift your spirits always, and fill your days with joy and inspiration. Sending lots of hugs back! 🤗✨
DeleteHappy Birthday Melody <3 All the best :-D
ReplyDeleteYou asked about the nail polish blogs...well I work in a kitchen now so cannot do my nails during the week. I am off for a month or so in the summer so will try to blog then. I have a few in the folders waiting to be posted. I will get to them soon. Thanks so much for asking about those 2 blogs <3
Hi Ananka, this is such encouraging news. Glad your leg is doing fine now. May God bless you with strength in your kitchen work and a wonderful, restful summer break. I can't wait to see your nail polish posts when you're ready. Thank you for the wishes.
DeleteBoa tarde minha querida irmã Melody. Feliz Aniversário, que O Senhor Jesus abençoe sua vida e família, derramando muitas bênçãos. Uma excelente tarde de quarta-feira e um grande abraço do seu irmão carioca. Aproveite bastante o seu aniversário.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, my dear brother Luiz! May the Lord Jesus bless you and your family abundantly in Rio, and fill your life with His peace and grace. Sending a big hug back! 🙏
DeleteHappy Birthday, Melody - have a wonderful day and best wishes to you for all time.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Margaret! May God bless you always and fill your life with continuous peace, joy, and wonderful blessings. ✨❤️
DeleteHappy Birthday Melody! I hope your day is filled with unexpected blessings, peace, joy and something yummy to eat :) I pray this is your best year yet!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Debbie! Your sweet words mean a lot. May God bless you unexpectedly today too, and fill your life with His abundant peace, joy, and sweetness!
DeleteHappy Birthday Melody!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the birthday wishes! May God bless you abundantly and fill your day with joy, peace, and happiness.
DeleteEnjoy your birthday very much! I hope you have a special day!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Javier!
DeleteParabéns e muitas felicidades!
ReplyDeleteSeja teu novo ano pleno de amor, saúde e alegrias!
beijos, chica
Amen. Thank you so much, Chica.
DeleteI’d also like to send you my very best wishes on your special day; above all, I wish you the best of health for the year ahead, because that’s what matters most! A healthy body is the foundation of a happy life; everything else will fall into place.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you spend the day with loved ones and a nice slice of cake! The day should be a little different from a “normal” one—you deserve to treat yourself and be celebrated!
With that in mind: a big toast to Melody from Switzerland! ♥️🥂🎂🎁
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Thank you so much, I really appreciate.
DeleteMelody
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful birthday!
I wish you the ability to always find time for yourself in the daily grind. Be kind to yourself, appreciate your small successes, and surround yourself with people who give you wings. True strength lies within. May happiness be with you💐🎂🥂🍾
Thank you so much! Wow, I absolutely love this advice, finding time for myself and being kind to myself is exactly what I need to remember. I pray that God blesses you with that same inner peace, shields you from the daily grind, and surrounds you with amazing people who lift you up and give you wings, too! Thank you for such a beautiful wish.
DeleteThank you so much! You're a sweetheart!
DeleteHave a wonderful birthday filled with blessings of health and joy!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Bella.
DeleteSo glad that you decided not to ignore your birthday on your blog! Not only do we get to join in the celebration to wish you a happy healthy birthday, but your thoughts are inspiring and an inspiration to all of us to take time to reflect and feel gratitude and our own birthdays too. Wishing you all the best!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Judee! I'm really glad I decided to share it too, and it means so much to me that my reflections connected with you like that. I pray that God blesses you with an abundance of health and happiness and that your own next birthday is filled with that exact same beautiful sense of peace and gratitude. Thanks for being so sweet.
DeleteA very Happy Birthday to you Melody!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the birthday wishes.
DeleteBelated greetings for your birthday. Hope you had a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteI had a lovely day. Thank you, Juliet.
DeleteHappy Birthday sweet Baby Girl! So beautiful and a wonderful life ahead of you!! Make good choices!
ReplyDeletehugs
Donna
Aw, thank you so much, Donna! This made me smile. I pray that God blesses you with a beautiful week, fills your heart with joy, and keeps watching over you always. Sending you the biggest hugs back.
DeleteThis actually feels like one of the more grounded birthday reflections I’ve read in a while, even if it’s clearly written with a lot of emotion behind it. I get the gratitude part and slowing down for a day like this — but I’m curious, do you think we sometimes put a bit too much “life meaning pressure” on birthdays instead of just letting them be simple. Happy Birthday to you
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Honestly, you hit the nail on the head with that question.
DeleteI totally agree that we can accidentally bury ourselves in "life meaning pressure" on birthdays, turning what should be a fun day into a heavy existential audit! There's definitely a beautiful middle ground between deep gratitude and just eating a slice of cake in your sweatpants without overthinking it. Today has been so calm for me. I pray that God blesses you with that exact kind of balance in your own life, plenty of moments of deep, grounded peace, but also lots of light, simple days where you can just relax and enjoy the ride. Thanks for such a thoughtful message.
Happy, happy birthday, Melody, and many more to come.
ReplyDeleteMany more beautiful things and moments. Thank you.
DeleteHappy birthday, Melody! I'm glad you got time off to slow down and enjoy your special day.
ReplyDeleteI literally spent the whole day hanging out at home. I haven't gotten anything done yet apart from reading blogs, but as you know, I’m planning to write a follow-up blog post about it later on. Still deciding what the evening will look like.
DeleteThank you for the birthday wishes.
DeleteMelody, I wish you a joyful birthday!!! I wish you health (health is the most important!), happiness, joy, fulfillment of dreams, good people, and God's blessing!!!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Anna. Thank you so much for saying that; I really appreciate it.
Delete
ReplyDeleteThis is such a lovely post, you wrote it beautifully.
Best birthday wishes to you, may your life be a celebration every day.
Amen
Amen. Thank you so much.
DeleteGrato es comprobar cómo la felicitación parte de uno mismo de manera tan clara, realista y sincera, Melody, quizás por el gozo de sentirte un ser vivo que le da gracias a la vida. Muchísimas felicidades. Días atrás fue el mío también e insistí, a través de una obra de arte, en lo mismo: en darle gracias a la vida y, si eres creyente, al mismo Dios.
ReplyDeleteGracias, amiga, por el comentario tan completo que dejaste en mi pequeño blog.
Un abrazo grande.
Happy belated birthday to you too, Teo! Thank you so much for such a beautiful, heartfelt message. I love that we both share that same gratitude for life. I pray that God blesses you with endless inspiration for your art and fills your days with so much joy and peace. I am a believer of God.
DeleteHappy birthday, dear Melody. 🌷🌷🌷
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteClaro¡ que su vida tiene sentido. El cumpleaños se memora, se celebra, para sentir que vinimos a la vida a realizar actividades relevantes y necesarias. NO se existe por existir. Felicidades. Un abrazo. Carlos
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Carlos! Your words really touched my heart and reminded me of what matters. I pray that God blesses you always and keeps guiding you to do amazing, meaningful things in this world. Sending you a huge hug back.
DeleteWszystkiego co najlepsze dla Ciebie Melody. Sto lat!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteSo, Happy Birthday! May you have the best birthday ever, and may many more years follow.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Thank you so much! Sending you the biggest hugs back. I pray that God showers you with so much happiness and that your week is just as awesome as your message.
DeleteHappy Birthday!-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteHappy Birthday Melody! You are a wonderful person and deserve nothing but the best. Not just today, but every single day!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for such kind and beautiful words! May God bless you just as wonderfully and fill every single one of your days with His absolute best, joy, and peace.
DeleteAunque ya te felicite en el anterior articulo solo decirte que espero que sean muchos años mas los que nos sigas dejando esos artículos tan tuyos.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
Aw, thanks again, Thomas! Honestly, that means the world to me. I pray that God blesses you right back and keeps giving you reasons to smile. Cheers to many more years of sharing stories together!
DeleteHappy birthday to you, you sweet lady! Just reading a few of your comments here, you must be so happy feeling the love! Bless you! x
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you so much, Kay! You're so right, reading through all these sweet messages has honestly made my heart so full. I pray that God blesses you right back with that exact same warmth and love today, and fills your week with nothing but happy moments. Thanks for being so incredibly kind. ❤️
ReplyDeleteMelody, I sincerely congratulate you on this wonderful day! Be happy! May your dreams come true and your plans be realized! And may good luck accompany you in all your endeavors!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! That is such a sweet and uplifting message. I pray that God blesses you right back with an amazing week, and that good luck and success follow you in everything you do, too! Thanks for making my day brighter.
DeleteHappy birthday, dear Melody! Many happy returns. I wish you all the best. Many blessings! You deserve all the good things in your life.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading how grateful you are. I agree that it is important to be grateful! Only through gratitude we can grow!
Thank you so much, Ivana! Your words mean a lot to me. I totally agree; gratitude really is the secret to growing and keeping our hearts in the right place. I pray that God blesses you abundantly and fills your week with so many reasons to smile and feel grateful, too! Thank you for being so sweet.
DeleteFeliz cumpleaños, espero que la pases increíble, un beso!
ReplyDeleteI had a truly restful birthday and really enjoyed my day. Thank you so much for the kind wishes!
DeleteMelody Rā whānau ki a koe as the Maori say; Happy birthday to you and it suits you to shine Have a wonderful day ❤️🌹🎉🎊
ReplyDeleteAww, Berry, thank you so much! "Rā whānau ki a koe" is such a beautiful way to say it. I absolutely love that! 🥺❤️ I pray that God blesses you abundantly for your kindness and fills your own week with so much light, joy, and reasons to shine right back. Sending you a huge hug.
DeleteIt is a beautiful post. Thank you for opening your heart in such a sincere way; there is a wonderful sense of peace in your words. I truly hope God hears every one of your prayers and that this year brings you strong health, lasting happiness, and many joyful moments.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day off to the fullest and the peace and quiet that you so richly deserve.
A big hug!
P.S. For some reason, your posts are not showing up in my reading list at the moment. I know this is a fairly common Blogger issue that seems to come and go, but I will keep a closer eye on your blog so I don't miss your new publications.
Angelo, thank you so much for such a beautiful, heartfelt message! Your kind wishes for my health and happiness mean so much to me, and your words brought me such peace this evening.
DeleteThank you as well for letting me know about the Blogger reading list glitch! It is so frustrating when that happens, but I really appreciate you taking the extra time to check in manually so we can stay connected. I pray that God blesses you abundantly right back, wraps you in good health, and fills your week with peace and joyful moments. Sending you a very big hug!
Happy birthday.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Philip.
DeleteAmiga Melody, boa noite de paz!
ReplyDeleteFeliz aniversário, seja muito abençoada e feliz!
Tenha dias de paz e alegrias doravante!
Beijinhos fraternos e festivos
Amen, thank you so much, Roselia.
DeleteHappyBirthday, Melody! May it mark the beginning of a very blessed year.
ReplyDeleteAmen, thank you so much. God bless you.
DeleteHappy Birthday, enjoy all the years.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Dora. God bless you.
DeleteHappy birthday and may all your dreams come true, dear Melody!
ReplyDeleteAmen, thank you so much.
DeleteHappy Birthday!!! I hope you had a great day. You sound like a girl who is wise beyond her years. May God grant you a long and happy life.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Marigold. I truly appreciate your kind words. I will continue to grow in wisdom and in the love of Christ as I move forward. Amen.
DeleteFeliz cumpleaños Melody! Sigue cumpliendo sueños y compartiendo, que seas muy feliz. BSS
ReplyDeleteAmen. Thank you so much.
DeleteMelody Jacob...Happy Birthday...Hug &kiss, Andreja from Slovenija!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the birthday wishes.
DeleteHappy birthday! 🎂 Have a great day and stay blessed 🥳🙌
ReplyDeleteI am blessed. Thank you.
Deletehappy happy birthday dear melody!!
ReplyDeleteand thank you for sharing it with us and celebrating with a wonderful post here and that super cool photo <3
sending all my best wishes!
xxx
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes.
DeleteDou-lhe os meus parabéns pelo seu aniversário e espero que continue a usufruir de uma vida plena de saúde, alegria e felicidades.
ReplyDeleteTudo de bom.
Terno abraço.
Juvenal Nunes
Amen, I will always continue to enjoy life. Thank you so much.
DeleteA day late, but happy birthday anyway.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Irma
Thank you so much; I appreciate it.
DeleteHappy Birthday, have a lovely birthday week and lots of lovely presents.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words. Yesterday was truly restful, peaceful, and filled with so much love.
DeleteFeliz cumpleaños y que cumplas muchos muchos muchos muchos más.
ReplyDeleteHa sido un enorme placer leerte.
✨️❤️✨️❤️✨️❤️✨️🙏
Thank you so much for the birthday wishes.
DeleteMiles de gracias por tu huella. ✨️🙏✨️
ReplyDeleteYou are always more than welcome, Marina.
DeleteOmg, congrats!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a beautiful day. And yes, it's a day to celebrate. :)
Kisses
I had a wonderful day. Thank you so much.
DeleteMuchas Felicidades!!!
ReplyDeleteEspero que hayas disfrutado mucho de tu día.
Un abrazo ♥
I enjoyed my birthday, thank you.
DeleteHappy birthday Melody. Birthday are always exciting, aren't they? I hope your quiet peaceful day works out and stays that way (isn't life tricky sometimes the way it surprises us?) because it is your big day and it should be exactly what you want. Have a great day. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Erika. My birthday was just the way I wanted it.
DeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELODY !!
ReplyDeleteKisses.
Thank you, God bless you.
DeleteAwww...Melody, a belated Happy Birthday wish goes to you with the sincerest of thoughts and prayers from me to you. It will be easy for me to remember your birthday from now on because it is the same day as one of my brothers!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about everything you have experienced up to this point has made you the person you are today. The trials and disappointments help us grow closer to the Lord and the good times help us appreciate even more all that He has done for us. xx
Thank you so much for your birthday wishes! Awww, it’s so nice to know that your brother and I share the same birthday. God has been so good to me, and I am feeling truly grateful for another wonderful year.
DeleteQue data maravilhosa Melody, você merece toda a felicidade do mundo, pois é uma jovem linda, muito consciente do seu papel na sociedade. Sempre com palavras perfeitas para seus amigos, meiga, de uma educação exemplar e sempre compartilhando matérias de qualidade e utilidade pública.
ReplyDeleteComemore muito, é uma data especial, e será repleta de amor!!!
Receba o meu carinho e a minha admiração querida!!!
Beijos aqui do Brasil e FELIZ ANIVERSÁRIO!!! :)))))
I genuinely believe I deserve to be happy and I am happy. Thank you so much for taking the time to appreciate and celebrate me; it means a lot to be recognized in this way. Its weekend already. I am so happy.
DeleteDear Melody, I wish you a happy birthday from the bottom of my heart! I wish you good health, peace of mind, wisdom, family warmth, and everything you desire. May your wishes come true and your dreams come true. Always remain as beautiful, charming, young, soulful, sincere, talented, and understanding. You are a wonderful friend and a real person! And may even the smallest joys of this day be remembered for a long time.
ReplyDeleteOh my dear Irina, you have been such a supportive person towards my blogs over the years, and I thank you so much for taking the time to wish me a beautiful birthday. Thank you so much for this heartfelt message; I truly appreciate every word, and I say Amen to your kind wishes.
DeleteParabéns, Melody! Desejo tudo de bom para você! Temos muitas decepções, mas também temos coisas maravilhosas na vida! Um abraço e beijos nas bochechas! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteHappy Birthday dear Melody, I hope it's full of joy and wonderment.
ReplyDeleteIt is a month of love and calm for me. Thank you for the wishes.
DeleteO God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we
ReplyDeletepray, on your servant Melody, as she begins another year. Grant
that she may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen her
trust in your goodness all the days of her life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Happy Birthday, Melody!
Thank you so much for the kind words regarding Rev. Arnoldo; it has been such a true delight getting to know you and reading your insightful blog posts. I am so grateful for your prayers, and I join you in saying a heartfelt Amen to that—the goodness of the Lord shall never depart from me, and I will continue to shine in wisdom and grow in even more wisdom. Amen.
DeleteHappy Birthday😊
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteMuitos parabéns, amiga!
ReplyDeleteQue Deus lhe conceda muitos e bons anos de vida, com saúde e alegrias.
Beijinhos.
Amen, and may God bless you right back for those kind birthday wishes; it truly means a lot to hear from you and have you thinking of me on my special day.
DeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Melody! May you celebrate you always!
ReplyDeleteAmen. I will always celebrate and be celebrated. Thank you very much.
DeleteA very happy birthday to you, Melody! You have a beautiful and uplifting philosophy of life. I hope all of your wishes and dreams for the year and beyond come true!
ReplyDeleteLife is great for me because I have made a conscious choice to refuse to focus on the negatives; my life truly is wonderful. I want to thank you so much for the birthday wishes!
DeleteHappy birthday! I hope you had the most wonderful day <3
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the birthday wishes. My birthday was good. Now, I am busy preparing to enjoy my weekend, starting off with a wonderful movie.
DeleteI love this! I agree that we should always celebrate our birthdays and ourselves! A very happy birthday to you, Melody! I hope you had the best day ever and a wonderful year ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Haze; I had the best birthday calm and lovely.
Delete...you are young enough to look forward to another birthday, I hope that you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed my birthday celebration and thank you so much for the kind wishes!
DeleteHappy Birthday Wishes Melody.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thank you so much.
DeleteI hope you had a lovely birthday, Melody!
ReplyDeleteI had a beautiful birthday.
DeleteI send you belated birthday greetings and wishes for a wonderful new year! I'm so glad that you took the day off and are continuing the celebration all month. I believe in celebrating as long as anyone will celebrate with you -- and that includes yourself!
ReplyDeleteI am celebrating all month long, and I want to say thank you so much for the lovely birthday wishes, Jeanie! I truly appreciate you thinking of me. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Sunday as well.
DeleteHappy Birthday, Melody. May all your wishes, hopes and dreams come true and that your next year will be full of joy!
ReplyDeleteAmen. Thank you so much.
DeleteI'm late but my wishes for you are not confined by a day....Happiest birthday wishes to you. I hope you were celebrated for the beautiful person you are.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, and I really appreciate you taking the time to wish me a happy birthday!
Delete