celebration

Celebrating 54

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It seems lately that the time between birthdays gets shorter and shorter. I feel like I just had a birthday and now I’m having another one? Back in the day, it took forever for my next birthday and now I seem to have one every three months or so.

But honestly, I’m grateful for each one. I know many people, including two uncles and a cousin, who won’t get to celebrate growing old. Aging isn’t a burden that everyone must bear but a privilege that not every one gets to share. I do think that every morning I wake up is a gift from God, so I’m taking my life for granted less and less these days.

This year, I’m officially 54. At one point in my life, that would have seemed really old? Now? Not so much. Now I see people in their 20s and think how they’re super young. I imagine that as a 10 year old even people in their 30s were old to me. It really is about perspective.

Also, birthdays are less about presents and more about presence. It’s not so much the gifts as much as the people sitting around the table. At this point, if all they did was show up and wish me a happy birthday, I think that would be enough. That and a good birthday dessert. But mostly the people.

I love that I get to look forward to my older nephew’s birthday in March, then my younger nephew in April. My sister’s is in June, followed by my niece’s in October. We round off all the birthday shenanigans with my brother-in-law’s in November and my Dad’s in December, not forgetting my Mom’s in January. So basically, I get to look forward to birthdays all throughout the year.

Birthdays are good because birthdays mean that the people you love are still here. And that in and of itself is worth celebrating. Above all, it means we’re celebrating and declaring all over again the goodness of God for giving us people in our lives who love us and are there for us.

I’m certain that I enjoyed my birthday so much that I want to do it all again in 2027, God allowing. Also, thanks to everyone on social media who wished me a happy birthday. I took a short break from my social media fast to read every one of them. I am grateful, and I am blessed.

Awestruck Wonder

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“Filled with wonder
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your name
Jesus, Your name is power
Breath and living water
Such a marvelous mystery” (Jennie Lee Riddle).

I listened to Revelation Song this morning and was struck again by the power and beauty of these words taken almost directly from Revelation 4 and Ezekiel 1. I can almost picture in my head the saints and angels gathered around the throne of God in perpetual worship and praise.

Two words jumped out at me this time: awestruck wonder. It reminds me of a phrase that I learned from my old church. When you have a WOW moment, you’re left WithOut Words. It’s like all the best moments of your life combined and then multiplied by thousands and millions.

Heaven will be one continuous state of awestruck wonder. It will never get old for us or become something that we eventually take for granted. It won’t ever be something we get tired of hearing or singing. It will be like starting a new book where every chapter gets better and better and it never ends, as C. S. Lewis puts it in The Last Battle, the last of the Chronicles of Narnia series.

When life gets difficult and the days seem longer than we can bear down here, it helps to remember that awestruck wonder is coming. We will go from anxiety and suffering to nonstop uncontainable joy. Everything that could possibly cause us to worry or fret or that brings us pain will no longer exist.

I eagerly await that day. Even now, I catch glimpses of the glory that’s coming. I have moments of joy and short seasons of peace and rest that remind me that the toil and heartache won’t last forever but will one day end. There will be no more night or cancer or AIDS or dementia or anything else evil and bad. We will be fully healed and restored and will know fully just as we have been fully known and loved by this God and Jesus that will be in our midst for eternity.

And the Angels Rejoice

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I used to get super excited when my sports teams won. Especially when they won the championship for their league. The only problem with that is that a couple of years later no one can remember who the champs were except for a very small number of people.

Sometimes, I find myself really looking forward to a new book, a new movie, a new album. But then I get it, play it once or twice, and the novelty is gone. It’s still a great book/movie/album, but I can never again match the thrill of hearing/seeing it for the first time.

These days, I get excited whenever I read about someone coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I love reading about how the person used to be a satanist or a porn star or a Muslim but now is a follower of Jesus. I should probably be more discerning because not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” is really a true follower and disciple.

But I also remember that every time one single lost person is found and comes home, the angels rejoice. They throw the party to end all parties. It’s an epic celebration in heaven, and it’s all for one single solitary person.

I think about that prodigal son who came home to a party. He didn’t deserve it. He had done everything to disgrace the family name and dishonor his own father. He hadn’t shown a pattern of changed behavior to show that he wouldn’t run away again. But he came home.

Maybe that’s you. You need to stop making excuses and stop living a lie and come home. The Father is waiting. To come home means doing a 180 from going your own way and doing your own thing to going God’s way and doing things God’s way. It’s called repentance. You confess that your way doesn’t work and that you want God’s way.

Maybe in the grand scheme of things one changed life isn’t a big deal. Maybe one person who turns from sin and self to the Savior isn’t noteworthy or noticeable and will never gain any national headlines. But God knows. Heaven sees. And they throw the most epic celebration ever. Every. Single. Time.

Happy Birth-Month to Me!

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I figured when you get to a certain age, you need to celebrate being alive. Somehow, I don’t think that one day is enough to appreciate the miracle of life, so I decided to take the whole month of February. I know, it’s a short month, even on leap years. But life is hard enough without allowing yourself some room for frivolity and fun.

My actual birthday is on February 28, as I was ever so close to being a leap year baby. If I’d been born only 11 hours later, I’d be celebrating on February 29 and only be 1/4 of my current age. I wish.

But age is nothing to be ashamed of, especially when you know far too many people who didn’t get to grow old. I see my life more and more as a gift, even when I’m starting to get those senior discounts without having to show any actual ID. That hurts a bit, I confess.

But God has been good to me for 53 years. I have way more blessings than I can count (and way more than I deserve if I’m being honest). I know that I’m a sinner saved by grace, and everything else that I get from God is the proverbial icing on the cake.

By the way, I wear size 8 1/2 Lucchese boots and I like my cabins size medium. JK. I figured out a long time ago that people matter more than stuff and memories last way longer than any possessions. Besides, I won’t be taking any of my stuff with me when I shuffle off this mortal coil. I mean have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul? Think about it.

Anyway, I’d like to make it to 100, but I’m thankful for whatever I get. If Jesus comes back before then, I’m definitely not going to complain. That will be the best day ever.

On the Second Day of Christmas

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For some of us, we’re already counting down the days until Christmas 2026. it’s 364 days, FYI.

But for a select few, we’re prepping for those two turtle doves because it’s the second day of Christmas, culminating on the epic finale on January 6, also known as Day of the Epiphany. Also, it’s socially acceptable these days to leave your Christmas decorations up through the month of January.

But for me, my plan is to continue to listen to Christmas records and watch Christmas movies for as long as the spirit allows. I will probably run out of records before the movie stash runs out, so then I may switch over to ye olden CD player for a bit.

I love the idea of stretching Christmas out over 12 days. Back then, people opened one present a day and made the feasting last for almost two weeks. I’m not sure my waistline could handle all that, but I’m willing to try if anyone else is.

Above all, celebrating the arrival of Emmanuel should be delegated to one 24-hour period. It should be a year round event (so I’m really not going to be upset if you leave your outside Christmas lights up all year). That one single event changed the course of human history forever.

Now we have a hope. Now we have a future. Now whoever believes in Jesus doesn’t have to be lost forever but can have everlasting eternal life. And it all began when God so loved the world that He gave.

One day, I’d love to have a house where I have a room dedicated solely to Christmas 24/7/365. I’d push the Christmas tree into my Christmas room with all the other decorations. Whenever I needed a little Christmas fix, I could just go into that room. Or I’d even be happy with a Christmas closet.

But in the meantime, I can rejoice and celebrate that because of Jesus, we can be forgiven and set free. We can know the One who made us and loves us and died for us. We can have the full and abundant life not just in the heavenly hereafter but here and now. Jesus is here.

Christmas Day

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Already, I feel a bit sad that as of 14 minutes ago, Christmas Day is over. I can freely admit that when I was younger, I couldn’t wait to get to Christmas Day, but once it got here and I got all my loot, my usual response that I never spoke out loud but thought in my head was “Ok, what next?” or “What else have you got for me?”

The novelty of new gifts never fails to wear off and the good nostalgic feeling of the holiday doesn’t ever last. I wish I could tell you honestly that I loved and cherished every single gift that I ever received until they all fell apart, but some I quickly tired of and moved on to wanting the next big gadget or game or whatever.

But today, Jesus is here. That’s not something that gets old. That will always be good news that never becomes old news. That’s the gift that I never grow tired of or grow out of. That’s the one gift that the longer I have it, the better and sweeter it grows and the more I come to understand and benefit from it.

Today we celebrate that Jesus came into the world to save sinners — including me. One of my favorite sayings is that Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good but to make dead people alive. And being alive with the hope of heaven and the presence of Jesus is the best gift ever.

I’m learning what it means to celebrate Christmas from the perspective of eternity. I want to be like the saints in the olden days who made Christmas into a feast that lasted for 12 days instead of 24 hours that we relegate it to. I want to be like that old Scrooge who learned how to keep Christmas well and live the lessons of the Spirits not just one day of the year but all 365. I don’t ever want to take grace for granted or forget what Jesus has done for me and is doing in me.

So to one and all, merry Christmas! And to echo the words of that Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone!”

Memorial Day

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For some reason, Memorial Day always sneaks up on me. It’s not like other holidays where I’m counting down the days weeks and months in advance. Even on Memorial Day weekend, I feel like I should be prepped and ready to go to work on Monday.

Lately, Memorial Day has become a kind of National Cookout Day. While I do enjoy a good BBQ as much as the next guy, that’s not really the purpose. It’s about honoring all those who have laid down their lives in service to this country.

As I learned, the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day is that Memorial Day is for all the military members who have passed away either from being killed in the line of duty or who passed away after service. Veterans Day honors all military veterans living or dead.

It’s easy to take for granted the freedoms we have in the United States. It’s equally easy to forget that that freedom was bought with a price. Men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice for us to be able to vote, to participate in the governing process, to speak our minds freely, and to live our lives as we choose.

I remember something about sometimes what we take for granted can be taken from us. When we fail to appreciate the cost of our freedom, it becomes easy to discard or to let slip away through carelessness. But to lose our freedom would be dishonoring and disrespectful to those who died fighting for us.

I’m praying tomorrow that we can all remember those veterans at some point tomorrow. In the midst of all the partying and picnicking, may we all take a moment to pause and reflect and give thanks for those who died so that we could live in freedom.

The Greater Light of the Ancient Flame

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“Give Santa Claus a place at Christmas, so long as it is not the highest place. Sing songs about flying reindeer, but let them fly lower than the angels. Set cookies and milk out on Christmas Eve, but remember that flour and sugar and cream are of lesser value than gold and frankincense and myrrh. String colored lights on every house, hang them from every tree, so long as they are lesser lights, and the greater light of the ancient flame burns brighter still” (Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton, Ryan Whitaker Smith).

As I’m learning, it doesn’t have to be either/or when it comes to Santa Clause or Jesus Christ, the North Pole or Bethlehem. Just as long as you keep the star of Bethlehem that shone over the place where Jesus lay in the manger over the star on your tree, you can celebrate both. At least, that’s my understanding.

What Santa represents is the spirit of giving and generosity which finds its ultimate fulfillment in the gift of Emmanuel, God with us. What the lights and decorations represent is joy, which stands on the final victory of Jesus at the cross. Every Christmas tradition points to the original Christmas story, which always points to Jesus.

And I still think the best way to celebrate Christmas is over 12 days instead of just one. But I won’t hold my breath. I won’t get upset when everybody takes down all the reminders of Christmas by the first of the new year, because I know that the real Christmas is what lives in my heart, and nothing can ever take that away.

Joy Is Coming

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“Joys are always on their way to us. They are always travelling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming” (Amy Carmichael).

That’s the whole point of Advent, I think. It’s to remind us that there was a time before Christ, a world before God broke through into history and humanity and became a baby. There was a time of waiting and anticipation of the prophecies that foretold of a coming joy that would be for all the people.

That’s what Advent is all about. We wait with joy. On this side of the manger, we wait for the second coming when Jesus arrives not in a cradle but as a king, not as a lamb to be slain but as a lion to conquer.

Even in the darkest night, joy is still on the way. Even when hope seems lost and God seems furthest away, joy is getting closer and closer. In the midst of despair and death, joy is practically knocking on the door.

In this hurry up culture, we’ve relegated Christmas to one day out of the calendar year, but in ye olden days they made it into a 12 day celebration where people opened their gifts slowly, one per day, and savored the meaning of the incarnation and Emmanuel, God with us. I wish we could get back to that pace.

But even if all the decorations come down on December 26 or January 1, we can still hold on to the joy that Christmas brings. The hope doesn’t go away with the new year, but gets bigger and stronger and better as time passes. Just as the child born in the manger doesn’t live in our hearts only one day of the year but all the days of the year (from my favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol).

Let’s not lose sight of joy in the midst of buying and wrapping and baking and decorating. The reason is that joy is almost here. God is with us. Jesus is coming soon.

Happy Birthday Adam (Also Known as Birthday Eve Eve)

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As some of you may know, my birthday is Sunday. Two days away. Let the festivities begin.

The place where I work let me go early in celebration. I ended up at McKay’s Used Books, Movies, Music, and More. I’m more sure than ever that it’s Nerd Nirvana. I’m sure heaven will look a lot like McKay’s.

I picked up my usual eclectic assortment of music. I got Johnny Horton, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Santana, Genesis, Ray Lynch, Jeff Buckley, and Brian Wilson. I think that covers it.

I admit that I don’t quite look forward to birthdays in the same way that I used to. Back in the day, birthdays meant milestones– turning 10, 18, 21, and so forth.

Now the only milestones I hit are the decades. Those aren’t quite as rewarding. Mostly, you just get older.

Still, I also admit that I am more grateful for each birthday than I was for the last. I know more and more that life in general (including birthdays) isn’t something to be taken for granted. No one is entitled to live to be 90 years old and to die in a comfortable bed surrounded by loved ones.

Too many of my family and friends won’t get to reach that ripe old age. Some who were younger than I am now are gone. Just about everyday, I read about someone else who died tragically way too young. That’s sobering.

So thank you, God, for year 44. Or if you like, the 9th anniversary of being 35. That sounds less painful.

I’m also all about celebrating for as long as I can, so I will probably still be going strong on Monday. I guess I should be thankful that I wasn’t born on February 29, or I’d be celebrating turning 11.

Oh, and I do accept all forms of currency for presents, including cash, credit cards, traveler’s checks, and coins. FYI.