My Birthday…I’m 43 today.
43 could feel like a ‘nothing’ age. If I didn’t know how much I’m worth in God’s eyes, and how much I’m loved by family and friends, 43 could be the depressing age. I’ve been thinking…43 means your well over forty and yet not ‘half’ way to 50- which seems to me to be the important mile stone in any person’s life. 43 dosen't have a nice ring to it, ‘I’m 50’ is quite groovy! I can’t wait to say that, God wiling. But 43…well, it’s just ok. If I scored 43 in a cricket match I’d be kicking myself all the way around the field- just 7 runs off a half century! If I got 43 in my exam, my mum would kick my butt all the way around the house! If I made 43 US dollars a week, my family would starve to death. If I drove 43 kms an hour down any main road I’d get honked off the road! See, 43 isn’t really a very good age. So I’m just glad that my God, my family and my friends still love me at 43!
So on my big day, the kids and wife woke me up and sang happy birthday. They made wonderful cards and I got three new guitar picks and a guitar tuner- I dropped my last one. Cc made me a ‘lime’ cake…and we had bacon, eggs and coffee- 2 cups for me day!
I spent some time worshipping the Lord and giving thanks. Ps 92 ‘it is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High God, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the 10 string git….
I then felt led to work on a sermon I’ gotta preach on the 9th of Sept in the evening church. It’s titled ‘The Left Hand of God’ comes from Prov 21:1 ‘The King’s heart is in the Lord’s hand; he directs it like a stream wherever he pleases’. The idea is about how God moves the heart of non-believing political leaders. God’s in control, not the King. We need to keep that very clear before us as we live here. We often think and pray for God’s right hand to move and protect those who believe, but we probably need to pray more for God’s left hand to move and open doors and move hearts of those who don’t yet believe.
I’m not teaching today. I teach Mon, Wed and Thursday. I’ve Friday’s off to catch up on language learning and preparation. My Lao teacher comes at 2pm.
Birthday thanksgiving:
Even though I’m only 43, I could have been taken off the face of the earth several times. So I give thanks that I’ve made it this far. I also give thanks for those years that I walked with out God in my life. During those lonely years, I believe my mum’s prayers had a great impact on keeping me ‘relatively’ safe and out of jail. So now I’m walking with the Lord, I especially give thanks for these years- the last 18. They’ve been the best years. And during these years, I found the best wife. Cecilia is my ‘noble wife’ out of proverbs.
‘A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good not harm, all the days of his life (31:10-12).
And during these years, in my opinion, we conceived the best kids on planet earth!
Sons’ are a heritage from the Lord; children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man who’s quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate (Ps 127).
Birthday prayers:
During my 43rd year on planet earth…
I will enjoy God’s perfect love and goodness at all times
I will spread the love of God with zeal
I will love Cecilia like Jesus loves His Church
I will father my children like my Heavenly Father Father’s me
I will serve the Lord wholeheartedly and ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’ (prov 31:8-9).
I will grow in an increasing measure in: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (2 Pete 1:5-8).
43 could feel like a ‘nothing’ age. If I didn’t know how much I’m worth in God’s eyes, and how much I’m loved by family and friends, 43 could be the depressing age. I’ve been thinking…43 means your well over forty and yet not ‘half’ way to 50- which seems to me to be the important mile stone in any person’s life. 43 dosen't have a nice ring to it, ‘I’m 50’ is quite groovy! I can’t wait to say that, God wiling. But 43…well, it’s just ok. If I scored 43 in a cricket match I’d be kicking myself all the way around the field- just 7 runs off a half century! If I got 43 in my exam, my mum would kick my butt all the way around the house! If I made 43 US dollars a week, my family would starve to death. If I drove 43 kms an hour down any main road I’d get honked off the road! See, 43 isn’t really a very good age. So I’m just glad that my God, my family and my friends still love me at 43!
So on my big day, the kids and wife woke me up and sang happy birthday. They made wonderful cards and I got three new guitar picks and a guitar tuner- I dropped my last one. Cc made me a ‘lime’ cake…and we had bacon, eggs and coffee- 2 cups for me day!
I spent some time worshipping the Lord and giving thanks. Ps 92 ‘it is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High God, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the 10 string git….
I then felt led to work on a sermon I’ gotta preach on the 9th of Sept in the evening church. It’s titled ‘The Left Hand of God’ comes from Prov 21:1 ‘The King’s heart is in the Lord’s hand; he directs it like a stream wherever he pleases’. The idea is about how God moves the heart of non-believing political leaders. God’s in control, not the King. We need to keep that very clear before us as we live here. We often think and pray for God’s right hand to move and protect those who believe, but we probably need to pray more for God’s left hand to move and open doors and move hearts of those who don’t yet believe.
I’m not teaching today. I teach Mon, Wed and Thursday. I’ve Friday’s off to catch up on language learning and preparation. My Lao teacher comes at 2pm.
Birthday thanksgiving:
Even though I’m only 43, I could have been taken off the face of the earth several times. So I give thanks that I’ve made it this far. I also give thanks for those years that I walked with out God in my life. During those lonely years, I believe my mum’s prayers had a great impact on keeping me ‘relatively’ safe and out of jail. So now I’m walking with the Lord, I especially give thanks for these years- the last 18. They’ve been the best years. And during these years, I found the best wife. Cecilia is my ‘noble wife’ out of proverbs.
‘A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good not harm, all the days of his life (31:10-12).
And during these years, in my opinion, we conceived the best kids on planet earth!
Sons’ are a heritage from the Lord; children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man who’s quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate (Ps 127).
Birthday prayers:
During my 43rd year on planet earth…
I will enjoy God’s perfect love and goodness at all times
I will spread the love of God with zeal
I will love Cecilia like Jesus loves His Church
I will father my children like my Heavenly Father Father’s me
I will serve the Lord wholeheartedly and ‘speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy’ (prov 31:8-9).
I will grow in an increasing measure in: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (2 Pete 1:5-8).
