Happy Birthday, Mary!

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26 ESV).

Birthdays are a wonderful experience, especially for loved ones. They are a glorious moment in which we celebrate the anniversary of our birth and give thanks for another year of life! They're also an opportunity to give our love to family and friends by sharing heartfelt gifts and words of appreciation. As you know if you have been following Morning Devotionals for any time at all, it has been my practice to celebrate the birthdays of my immediate family with Scripture and some teachable moments. Today is Mary’s birthday! You may know, or simply surmise that Mary is my wife (almost fifty years now), and my friend, confidant, and partner in life. I do wish that I had the space to detail all of the memories we have made together over these five decades of life together. Some of them surround the events of our children and grandchildren; some of them are centered in the incredible places we have visited all over the world; and, still others are at the heart of the ministry we have been called to over the years. I would like to be able to share all the incredible things of these years, however, space cannot be given to the incredible life I have been blessed with as she has been beside me. These times were not always free of challenge. We have had health challenges, and seen the hand of God in each; we had experienced financial challenges, and God has always provided us with all we could need. Through each experience I have come to treasure each moment... there never seems to be enough time fir each! It is not by coincidence that the one song that resonates most in my memory is the one performed by Jim Croce, just a few years after we were married. It is titled, “Time in a Bottle.” You may listen to it at the following address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1rMeYnOmM. The first of the lyrics are: If I could save time in a bottle The first thing that I'd like to do Is to save every day 'Til eternity passes away Just to spend them with you. Happy Birthday, Mary! I pray for many more decades together!