Just a word...

I love birthdays. Let me clarify: I love Birth-weeks!

Getting older ROCKS!! Yeah, our bodies are failing because of age, but what a joy to celebrate being alive. The thing that makes our birthdays so much more significant than any other day, pending the obvious traditional celebrations, is that it's a benchmark. It's a stake in this short time on Earth where we get to reflect on our God-given ability to breathe, to love, to worship.

We are held together by God's design to allow us to live. Because God is willing me to live, I live. Just a word from his lips and I can be removed from this Earth.

Just as I celebrated my life on Sunday, this day also marked the passing of a dear, family friend. While playing doubles-tennis with my Dad, he had a fatal heart-attack in my Dad's arms.

I heard the news immediately while talking to my mom on the phone after she had beeped over from call-waiting. I then immediately wrote this man's children, friends who are my age, and scripted a prayer to them.

The oldest son, who was a year ahead of me in school, is a very good friend. He wrote me a response back a day later saying, in part, "Remember that beauty comes from ashes". I was floored! This was one of the studliest responses I have ever heard in my life to any life situation, more or less, your father passing away.

I pray that my response would be the same if this were to happen to me. Be praying for my friend's mom and sisters.