Today I turn 35, which means I am closer to 40 than I was a year ago. It also means my kids are starting to refer to me as "my old man." It also means I will start to do old people things which I am not sure what that means.
This morning, I thanked God for giving me another year to live for his glory while on this earth considering what I went through almost 5 years ago when I had cancer. Throughout today, I was thinking about how God has given me grace and mercy during the course of my life here on earth. So I am going to take time to reflect on what God has done in my life:
1. God gave me wondering, not perfect, parents that taught me Jesus was the true and better Master of the Universe. If you were into He-Man, you will understand.
2. God gave me a brother who is devoted Christian who loves Jesus and taught me a lot after I was saved who I can call a brother in Christ and fellow pastor. He was also the best man of my wedding as I was to his wedding.
3. God in his grace and foreknowledge saved me despite how screwed up I truly was.
4. God in his mercy allowed me to attend on the largest churches in Houston, Tx where I got saved and began my walk with him even though there were times I was going for the wrong reasons.
5. God allowed me to attend East Texas Baptist University so I would get out of my comfort zone and eventually meet the woman of my dreams.
6. God in his grace allowed me to marry my wife which has been a wonderful, not perfect, marriage. I got married two hours after graduating college. I have nearly 200 witnesses to prove it.
7. God has graciously gave me two wonderful children who are both miracles. I love them dearly and they call me the best daddy in the world.
8. God called me into the ministry, which I would not have called myself to. It has been a rough ride in ministry where God has allowed me to never give up on that dream and calling.
9. In 2007, I was dianogized with cancer which God showed his mercy on me by allowing me to go through 6 months of Chemo and no radiation. God did more than just healed me from cancer, he healed from my religion.
10. For the past five years, I have learned more about the character of God, what Jesus truly did on the cross, and embraced a more reformed theology. I also made the switch to the English Standard Version, which is truly the best translation around.
11. God has given more of a passion for the city, the gospel, and the lost than I ever had. I pray that God will open doors of opportunity to preach the gospel.
I thank God for my 35th birthday and pray I get to live another 35 or more before he allows me to enter into his heaven or when the time comes when Jesus returns.
No comments:
Post a Comment