Twenty-Seven

Twenty-seven years ago today...

The Voyager 2 launched for a fly-by of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
Vietnam & Djibouti asked for membership in the UN...
"Estrada" opened at the Majestic Theater, NYC for 7 performances...
"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb spent its 9th week at #1 on many radio charts...

AND

...I was born in Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Funny, I don't really feel 27. The Lord has been so good to me. So good. So, Lord, here are 27 things I thank You for today, this first day of the 27th year of my life on earth:

1) Your love, transforming and unending, which reaches across every threshold, known and unknown
2) The dreams You have given my heart
3) Your faithfulness to fulfill these dreams in Your time and in Your ways
4) The unfailing power of Your Word, my daily bread--both as a meal and a snack-stop
5) Your provision in my life, day by day...I am never without because I am never alone
6) You, Holy Spirit, my dear friend and counselor...I can never go wrong as long as I listen to You
7) The relationship You have with Your children, who never ever could deserve someone like You but whom You still pursue endlessley
8) The way You pursued me even when I was hiding in the darkest, loneliest places...You never gave up on me
9) The opportunity to find rest in You, again and again, no matter how busy the world is...to rest beside Your peaceful streams and lie in Your green meadows
10) The transparence that comes upon those who spend time with You, a transparence which casts out all lies and superficiality, all fake walls come crumbling down
11) Music--the ability to create, play, sing, and listen to it--and how You connect us to Yourself so often with it
12) Cultural diversity--the way all peoples are different, speak different languages, live different ways, and thus make Your world an exciting place to live
13) Your constant steadfastness--which remains stable regardless of changing human cultures--which speaks across cultures and into hearts
14) Eternity--the fact that those who believe in You, Jesus, will spend eternity worshiping the only God truly worth worshiping
15) The way You use us to accomplish Your will
16) The wonderful, amazing gifts You give us, Holy Spirit, to use for the advancement of the Kingdom of God
17) Food and the awesome pleasure of eating
18) The way You defeated death and erased all of the bad things I'd ever done or thought or said--or ever will--so that I could know You
19) The beauty of nature--the mountains, the ocean, the forests, the desert--and how we see Your creativity and splendor in all of this
20) The ability to laugh and play jokes on people
21) The joy that never leaves those who have chosen to follow You--no matter what goes down
22) The way You hear our prayers and move mountains to answer them when we trust in You and believe
23) The gift of mentorship and discipleship and the way You use people to grow us and sharpen us...and how You use us to grow and sharpen others
24) The gift of technology, which allows us to communicate with people from anywhere to anywhere
25) Renewing the strength and youth of those who follow You (which is why I don't feel 27)
26) The wonderful family You have so faithfully given me, and the way You use us to challenge, encourage, and simply love each other
27) Friends, friends, and more friends...Lord, Jesus, You have given me such an abundance of these in places all over the world...please show me how to be a blessing to them

Lord, I have so much to be thankful for. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Pauls says to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Please teach me to do this every day and not just on special occasions such as my birthday or Thanksgiving. Thank You, thank You, thank You! You have given me all these things.

I know it's not the norm to give away things on your own birthday, but......I want to give my life to You once again, Jesus. That's my birthday present.

I love You.