It was a happy birthday!

Actually, yesterday turned out a very nice day.

It started with a gift from Sarita. As I wrote on one of the Sonlighters Club forums:

I have everything I want and more. So as Sarita asked me about what I'd like for my birthday, I suggested something I have never suggested before: that, instead of giving something to me, I'd like my gift to be in the form of a donation to Mission India and the Sonlight Rice Bag Project.

So . . . with trepidation (this was not something that struck her as particularly . . . ummm . . . exciting/pleasurable/????) . . . she handed me a birthday card this morning along with an only very partially filled-out check made out to Mission India and with "For John's Birthday" in the Memo Line.

She then asked me how much I wanted it made out for!

I had no idea. It was supposed to be her gift to me/in my behalf!

But she wasn't going to say anything. So I mentioned a number. (Let's call it x.) I figured that would be a normal birthday present figure.

"Oh, I was thinking 10x!" she said. "But I thought maybe you'd like to go higher. Maybe 50x."

Oh, boy! That put me on the spot! Normally, we have found, when we're asked to donate somewhere, I'll say a number and Sarita will say she was thinking about half of that. (Or vice versa: she'll say something and I'll say I was thinking about twice that.)

But this morning I said, "I think, for a birthday, 10x is already way high. I would never expect you to give me a birthday present like that."

So we settled on 10x.

And we ignored the check and made a donation online.

After church (where the pastor preached "the first half" of the most fascinating presentation of Luke 15--with special attention to "the story of two sons" (more commonly known as the story of The Prodigal Son), but, due to the context of verse 1, with most especial attention to the older son), we enjoyed a nice meal at Ali Baba's Middle Eastern restaurant with our two middle kids, their spouses, and 11-week-old Natalia.

I broke my diet by eating the better part of a piece of absolutely delicious baklava (yummm!) . . . and, even more, by eating a slice of cheesecake.

And then I read [a portion of] a book called The Certainty Trap by Bill Musk).

Sarita and I then spent the evening with Jonelle, Dave and Natalia watching Ironman.

Fun!

. . . Oh. And I shouldn't forget the two-hour practical/philosophical/theological discussion I enjoyed with Justin! I always enjoy those kinds of discussions.