Today is my dad’s birthday.  He thought he was turning 68, but apparently he lost a year because I know for a fact that he turned 68 last year.  We had a lovely dinner in his honor at one of his favorite restaurants, and we all shared one piece of cherry cheesecake.  Who knew that one piece of cheesecake split four ways could bring such joy?

As I grow older, I have come to learn that small things take on great meaning if I experience them in community.   Breaking bread with others sweetens the taste.  I pray that this weekend you spend some quiet moments sharing a piece of pie, a dance, or sunset with those you love.

Here in no particular order are 10 sweet tidbits that I learned this week:

1.   Walmart and mini-vans are magical and romantic.  Sarah’s post to her husband in honor of her anniversary made me cry — oh the ache of true love!   (As I type this, my husband is peacefully snoring in bed beside me.  I love this man!)

2.  Intimacy is a pearl of great price — hard to find and much more valuable than just having sex.   Tricia Lott Williford is one of my favorite writers.  Her husband passed away unexpectedly a couple of years ago, and now, she is figuring out her new normal as a single mom.  She explains the heart of the matter so well in her post “Do You Miss Having Sex?”

3.  Marriage is a covenant, not a contract.   I love how Justin and Trisha at “Refine Us” explain the difference here.

4.  Rachel at Finding Joy encouraged me to capture simple moments during my week.  I love the printable she provided — great journal prompts that will help me remember the simple and sacred from my week.

5.  Are you familiar with Lisa Leonard’s jewelry?  I own a few of her lovely hand-crafted pieces.  Love her!   Besides running a business and blogging, she is also a hands-on momma to two handsome boys.  In her post “One Wish,” she answers the question: “If you had one wish, would you ask for your youngest son’s disability to go away?”  Her answer is so wise…. oh, her answer!  (You must remember that I am the girl with “The Limp,” so this blessed me beyond measure!)

6.  Julie, The Happy Home Fairy, is full of sparkle and fun.  I love her blog — she has great ideas for celebrating just about everything.  This week, she reminded me that the best thing to do during a storm is to shout God’s praises.   (Love her mama’s heart!)

7.  Michelle reminded me this week that I need to be intentional about unplugging and spending time getting refreshed.  I loved her post “4 Steps to Living a Spacious Life.” 

8.  Abraham Piper shares his prodigal story and provides practical advice for parents in his post for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association entitled “Let Them Come Home.”  — I e-mailed this to several friends who are hurting parents.

9.  Best Scriptural gem discovered this week:

“…the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”

Proverbs 15:15b, ESV

10.  Facebook is a great tool for online Bible study.  Are you familiar with the blog Good Morning Girls?  I am going to lead a Closed Facebook Group through this study this summer:

I would love for you to join me!  Shoot me an e-mail at 3dlessons4life at g mail dot com if you are interested in participating in my group.

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Q4U: What did you learn this week?

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I am joining Jesse and friends this weekend for