"Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." Psalm 84: 5, 12

Today is Malcom's 53rd birthday. This morning I praised the Lord that I opened my eyes to another morning snuggled next to my wonderful husband. This day is a blessing!

In Taiwan we always tried to give special recognition to the birthday people. I usually baked a cake at least once a month for the birthday celebrants. It is interesting how different cultures view this. Americans, for the most part, like to celebrate birthdays, especially for children. As we get older we often let the day go by without mentioning if we can get away with it. If it is celebrated, it's others bringing the greeting to us. Taiwanese don't make a big deal about birthdays except the "big" ones like 60, 70, 80, etc. On the other hand, the Filipinos love marking their birth date and they are the one to put on the party, preparing food and cake for all their friends!

I like our Filipino friend's view of birthdays. They have taught us to bless the Lord for the day. Many times I have heard this type of praise: "I thank God that He has blessed me with another year." Rather than dread growing older, they look forward in anticipation and bless the Lord for His graciousness in adding another year of life.

That is my praise today, especially as I reflect on the last few months and realize that at one point we did not know if Malcom would be able to celebrate this day. Today truly is a blessing. And I am so blessed to have him in my life--a man of God who epitomizes today's verses. His strength, his heart, and his trust are in the Lord.