Happy 33rd Birthday to Me

Eighteen years old. Rebellious, angry, ungodly, without hope, lost. That would sum me up, 33 years ago. I THOUGHT I was a Christian, but I lived worse than I did when I was "lost." The Lord Jesus so graciously showed me my sin, and showed me Himself. "Draw me, we will run after Thee," it says in Song of Solomon. I ran after Him, and I have been, only by grace, running after Him ever since. He took away EVERYTHING I held dear, and left me only with Himself. And He was ENOUGH. And still is. I am forever grateful. I am so thankful for the things He taught me during this extremely difficult and lonely time. He showed me that He was my portion, and I was able to say, Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. (Psalm 73:25.) It was a glorious time, and that is an understatement. I bless the Lord for His forgiveness, and for making me a new creature. I want to love and serve Him forever.

My life verse is Philippians 3:10: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. We can't know Him and the power of His resurrection without learning the fellowship of His sufferings. This I am still learning, and imagine it will be so until I go to be with the One, whom, having not seen, I love. It is hard, but it is so good, and so good for me. As Peter said (in one of my favorite passages), To whom shall we go? for Thou hast the words of eternal life....

What a glorious God we serve! To Him be all the glory! Thank you, God, for birthing me into the Kingdom of your dear Son!