PRAISES TO GOD ON THE OCCASION OF MY 33rd BIRTHDAY

There are many things for which to be thankful - family, friends, and the innumerable daily blessings of His mercy and grace that I so often take for granted. The psalmist says it well --

"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob;
Whose hope is in the Lord his God..."

Psalm 146:1-5

I praise God that 33 years ago I was born to two wonderful parents who stayed together through some tough times and just celebrated 40 years of marriage. I praise Him that they provided the means and the support for me to be able to pursue a career in music which led me to Northwestern University in 1990. I was a very egotistical, ambitious young woman and yet in love He sought me. He led me to people who knew Him and prayed for me while I flaunted my sin in front of them. In His gracious sovereignty, He took one particular person out of my life to leave me alone, in my need for acceptance and unconditional love. In my foolishness and sin, I continued to search for these things in the wrong places and yet...He pursued me. Then, in the fulness of time, He opened my eyes to my sin- to the pain it had caused me and even more so, His Son. A change took place; one that was wrought by His sovereign mercy and grace. That day was December 28, 1991 - my second birthday. So even though today is the 33rd anniversary of my physical birth, I can't help but remember the day my Lord and Savior made me a new creation, that I would even be able, by His Spirit, to praise Him this day. Here's a song and a quote to emphasize the point. The song is by Annie Herring from her Wonder CD.

Wonder

Oh the joy that filled my soul
the moment I was made whole
God of wonder God of might
Reached His hand into the dark night
And found my soul

Ever grateful I will be
To the Lamb who died for me
God of wonder God of might
Reached His hand into the dark night
And found my soul

God of wonder God of might God of wonder
Reached His hand across the night
And pulled my soul into the light

Look inside this soul of mine
I was lost and completely blind
God of wonder God of might
Reached His hand into the dark night
And found my soul

God of wonder God of might God of wonder
Reached His hand across the night
And pulled my soul into the light
He reached His hand across the night
And pulled my soul into the light

I love that song because it so completely expresses the beauty of the doctrines of grace. I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon too because it expresses the realization that his conversion was completely dependent on the sovereign grace of God. John Piper quotes Charles Spurgeon's autobiography in his book The Pleasures of God --

"When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths [the doctrine of election] in my own soul-when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron, and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown on a sudden from a babe into a man-that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, that clue to the truth of God.
One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, 'How did you come to be a Christian?' I sought the Lord. 'But how did you come to seek the Lord?' The truth flashed across my mind in a moment-I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, 'I ascribe my change wholly to God.'"

I also thank God for the little pleasures He gave me tonight. My dear husband cleaned up the kitchen and put the little ones to bed as I enjoyed myself shopping. I got some great deals. Here's a list of the books I got on sale-

Let Go by Fenelon
The Key to Holiness by Charles Spurgeon
Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray
Waiting on God by Andrew Murray
Humility by Andrew Murray
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

The first five books I got really cheap at my local Christian bookstore. Priceless treasures for $2.99-3.99! I've read Waiting on God but gave it to my mother. I've also read The Discipline of Grace but it was borrowed from the church library. I also purchased Cry for the Desert by Twila Paris. That was one of the very first Christian CDs I bought after I was saved. I hadn't listened to it in many years and couldn't find it today when I went looking for it. Then I realized I probably had sold it or given it away. Foolish woman! What a gift God has given her.

I had fun shopping and sipping my Mocha Frappucino even though the pollen knocked me out earlier after a whole day at the zoo with my neighbor and our kids. It was a good day.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

(P.S. The cherry on top, so to speak, is a sweeet win by the Braves, 2-1, over the Marlins in 13 innings.)