Yesterday, I wrote about our dilemma in choosing a birthday present for our son who will be 10 tomorrow. What did we decide?

After I posted my blog entry yesterday, the hubby read it. It convicted him, just as it convicted me in writing it. So, we decided to let things ride. Our local toy store had a huge clearance sale last week, and had hubby stocked up on a few things to hand out as rewards. Turns out he had quite a cache that will make for an exciting birthday for someone tomorrow!

He got a ton of presents for all of the kids and all of it in double digits! We didn’t break the bank, and we got some neat stuff for our son. Our tradition is that everyone gets a little something on a birthday (not just the birthday person), so the others have a little something, too.

We’re proud of our decision, and stuck to our guns. Because it’s his tenth birthday, we had already committed to a party, so it was even more important to stay within reason considering that expense along with the requisite goodie bags!

I’m making his favorite breakfast for him to start his birthday off with. Then, all three have their swimming class (something they consider a huge treat and would not want to miss). Afterwards, we’re heading up to the Big City to the North to have a special lunch with family. We’ll head back just in time to pick up the pizza for the party.

I have to say, I think that’s enough! I know I would really have suffered with a guilty conscience if we had given into the impulse to get the expensive game system. It feels wonderful to have your conscience pricked by something, and allow it to change you. That “pricking of the conscience” is what caused those who heard the apostles on Pentecost to surrender their lives to Christ, and it’s what causes us to change, now, when we realize we’re wrong about something.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-24)

I'm thankful for God's "mirror," His word, aren't you?

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