On this day, commemorating my 65th year, I rise up to give God thanks for His goodness towards me.

Today is my birthday. I'm not going to give that old saw, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." I'm not going to use it because it's so 'yesterday'. Or the one about how that older people tend to read their Bibles more because they are cramming for their finals. Nope. Wouldn't want to use that one either. We all would be bored if I gave you the one about the fellow who said, "Yeah, it's tough to get old because my memory, it's just not as sharp as it used to be, and another thing, my memory is not as sharp as it used to be." Those are just too lame to share. I think it a wonderful blessing that my sisters, Fran and Jo and I could meet mom and dad for a mini reunion down at the Medicare office now that I have joined the ranks of the eligible. It is Tuesday, August 16, 2011 and given the date on my birth certificate, that makes me a brand new 65 year old. I will tell you that I like the words brand new better than the number 65. Just kidding. I've worked hard to arrive at this number, I've been a lot of places, seen a lot of things, done my fair share of messing things up, but, all in all, let me be clear about how blessed I have been by the Lord God of heaven. Much, much more than I deserve, therefore, on this day, commemorating my 65th year, I rise up to give God thanks for His goodness towards me.

Many outsiders look at our family and think about the many losses we have suffered. That is an appropriate assessment but what is also true is the love, warmth, joy, and connectedness we've had as a family. It was tough losing our dad at an early age but despite this and other obstacles, I had a wonderful upbringing. I have the greatest mom in the world, a great man as my step father, and I was raised in a wonderful hometown environment with legendary grandparents, and it was and is a place that I still remember as home. I call that being blessed. I met and married a great young lady. Lord willing we will be celebrating 47 years of marriage in a few short months. And, it's like she said about a big promotion I got one time at the big company, "Not bad for a Hornbeck boy!" Spoken like a true Anacoco girl. My brothers, my sisters, my in-laws, my aunts, uncles, my cousins, and on and on I could go. Blessings galore. Our three sons. Their wives. Their children. Our grandchildren. My grandchild's child. That's right. Our first great grand! My wife and I have been hanging out together as a couple for nearly 50 years. What do I have to say to her about this: Not bad for an Anacoco girl! Yes. Blessings galore. Have all of these relationships, all of these family connections, have they always been smooth and without any issues? Not hardly. But, bottom line, looking back, looking around, and, of course, looking up, on this day, commemorating my 65th year, I rise up to give God  thanks for His goodness towards me. (Note about the photo: It actually came up when I did an image search on Google when I searched on 'our three sons'. How do you like that? It's one I had used in a previous blog. That is our three sons, our two grandsons, and not pictured is another grandson and 8 granddaughters, one grand son-in-law, and one great granddaughter. Wow!!!)

Finally, I owe the fact that I can sense these as blessings because of me being a born again child of the living God. That was something I could not do for myself. God sent His one and only Son to die for the sins of people and I am a people, therefore, He died for me. Recognizing this at a Saturday evening service where my future father-in-law was preaching, I came forward and gave my life to Christ. That happened in January of 1964. This means I've been in this growing process as a believer for many years. They have not always been fruitful years but that was because of me, not because of my Savior. He has loved me and stood by me. He has interceded on my behalf, and there's little doubt that at times I've kept Him busy doing just that. But He is good at keeping His word and He promised that He would never leave nor forsake me. He has allowed me to serve. He through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit gifted me in the area of teaching and He has allowed me to have a Bible teaching role for some thirty five years now. I've worked with some wonderful Godly people and served in some wonderful ministries. I've been privileged to lead others to Christ. Through it all, He has been faithful. One thing is clear, I could not be who I am today without Him, therefore, one last time, on this day, commemorating my 65th year, I rise up to give God thanks for His goodness towards me. Have a great day and may God bless each one. Amen.             .....More later.

PS: This past Sunday morning a group of folks at our local fellowship put on a breakfast in honor of my birthday. This was an humbling experience for me but one I will always treasure. The gifts and the expressions of love and appreciation make it clear that we who are in Christ are brothers and sisters. While I am thankful for their recognition of me as a teacher, it is my great privilege to serve with such a wonderful group of people. We've known some of these folks for over thirty years. Thanks to all who participated in this wonderful time of fellowship and feasting. May God bless you all!