celebrating creation.

i admit i used to be one of those who (sadly) subscribed to the idea that birthdays are just another reminder that you're approaching your death. but thankfully, that idea has taken a 180-degree spin, and now i know birthdays are worth celebrating!

birthdays are worth celebrating not entirely because of the birthday person, but rather, i take them as a reminder that God has graciously given us life. and every day i get to breathe is itself a great blessing from above!

plus, celebrating my birthday means i'm one year closer to spending eternity with God. isn't that a wonderful thought as well?

psalm 150 says "let everything that has breath praise the Lord", and praise Him i will, because i know that each day i get to breath and live is a gift from Him. and the greatest gift i could get is the gift of getting to spend eternity with Him, the gift of God's love.

this year i had a (relatively) small party to celebrate my birthday with my friends. partly driven by the fact that i really enjoy attention and partly because there is no better excuse to gather everyone in one room and share the joy! i also enjoyed a night out with some of my friends for a very early celebration.

and in the end, i do appreciate every single one of the gifts and the cards. but what i'm struck by more is how much i am loved...both by God and by my friends. and that seriously means a lot to me. so while i do like all the presents (and who does not like presents?), i'm really thankful to have met good friends in each phase of my life! and that is another cause for celebration!

with so many things to celebrate, how can i not go back to the source of all life, of all joy, the reason i should celebrate in the first place?

so on this, my 21st birthday, i give thanks to the Maker of all things, this wonderful, perfect creator, the giver of all good and perfect gifts. i give thanks to God because i know He is my source of life, my source of joy, of light and of love. and without Him in my life, i know this wouldn't be worth living.