I love the end of July because it means birthday time is just around the corner at our house. Brian and I both celebrate our birthdays at the beginning of August. It seems Brian could not care less about his birthday, but not me. I LOVE birthdays! I love the hoopla with family, the balloons, the cake, the bright napkins... I love all of it. In fact, I would institute “birthmonth” if I could, because a day just doesn’t seem enough ;)

One would think that the older a person gets the less likely they are to want to celebrate their many, many years on earth. Not me. I realize I am getting older, but aren’t we all? I know that I no longer bounce when I fall (see last weeks blog), or that my my laugh lines are deeper than they were 20 years ago, and that the reason I wear my hair down is so I can hide my grey. I am okay with it.

Why?

Because birthdays remind me of God’s faithfulness. As I take time to reflect on the year, I am reminded of how God has been there, how God has provided, and how God has comforted. Remembering those things brings me closer to being in the presence of the One who has been with me all these years!

Have you read Psalm 71 lately? The Psalmist talks about God’s presence through his life. He says:

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. (v.6)

Then he says:

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvellous deeds. (v. 17)

And I love this, maybe because I relate to this:

Even when I am old and grey,

The psalmist says:

I [will] declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. (v.18)

The psalmist was blessed with God’s presence and faithfulness throughout his life and that is cause for praise! Notice that he says he will “declare”? God has been so faithful, so powerful and so mighty through the years that he can’t keep it to himself. He needs to tell the next generation!

So let’s celebrate birthdays! Sure, birthdays signify the passage of time but they can also signify another year of God’s boundless love and faithfulness.

You are loved by an amazing God. Embrace, wrestle (Habakkuk) but hang on… cuz' God ain’t done with us yet!

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Since it’s birthday "month" I will be taking a few weeks off to be with family. So if you don’t see a blog in the next couple of weeks it is not your computer. Not to worry, weekly blogs will return in September.

Please join me this Sunday as we welcome back our beloved Knox student, Lydia Kim, as our very special guest preacher. Come and join us.

I look forward to worshipping with you!!!