Star shaped sugar cookies

Growing up there was never a birthday celebration skipped.  Typically, mama would cook a meal and cake of our choice.  Some years we had the entire extended family to join us for supper, some years an "attempt to stay up all night", squealing girls slumber party was included (which I'm sure my parents are thrilled those are only a distant memory).  Regardless of the way we celebrated my mom always did her best to ensure I enjoyed the special day.  Now that I'm a mama I have the responsibility of planning birthday celebrations for Roxie Kyle.  We weren't sure we were going to be with Roxie on her first birthday so when we found out that she would be home, my mind started spinning. 

The meaning of Roxie is "star; bright; dawn" so it seemed only appropriate that we celebrate with a star theme.  So the planning began.  We would have star shaped sugar cookies, a big number one cake decorated with stars, star suckers, star garland . . .  

One night when I was checking things off of my party to do list I began to think about this little girl we were celebrating.  She truly was a "star" in our lives and had "bright"ened our home so much!  As much as I wanted to celebrate her first year of life, I had to stop for a minute and ask myself what all this work was for.  You see the decorations and food and hoopla is fun, but I've found it's so easy to get wrapped up in all the extras, the things that truly don't matter.  I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with the star garland streaming from every corner of the room or dozens of star shaped sugar cookies.  Who doesn't like a big old sugary piece of cake piled high with ice cream at a birthday party?!  

However, is that overshadowing the true source of our celebration? 

"Through him we have birth and life and every thing and every person in our lives.  So God is the reason we have anything to celebrate.  He is the ultimate source of any of our celebrations."  -Noel Piper

Roxie Kyle is a gift from our Father.  She is made in His image, knit together in her birth mother's womb, planned before the creation of the world to be a part of the Wilson family.  The type of celebration may vary from year to year but what should not vary is that we will strive to demonstrate God's love for her and say to her "we are thankful to God for giving us you!"

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is not variation or shadow due to change.  James 1:17