24th Birthday Dinner = Sushi Feast!

Tonight was a wonderful night fellowshipping with great friends over a birthday dinner at my favorite Sushi place Sushi Asahi. It was packed, and we had almost 20 people! After the delicious sushi and tasty rolls along with the one and only green tea ice cream (yum-o!), we all left to come over to my house to have cake, cookies, and ice cream. Melissa also made some homemade Chai Tea, which is heavenly!  We all played one of my favorite games called "Imagine-iff" where players guess which description bet fits the person who is selected each round. It is so much fun and the imagine-iff questions are funny.

I have to tip my hat to my lovely future bride Melissa. She made me an all-star cake! It was like one of those cakes you see on the Food Network show Ace of Cakes, lol. She used fonda and make a shamrock cake for my 24th birthday. The flavor was my all time favorite called "Funfetti." Also, Melly made these wonderful "green cookies" that melt in your mouth. I do not know what is exactly in them, but they rock. They will go good with a ice cold glass of nectar (i.e. "milk") lol. My mom was another one who baked away and made me some of her family favorite persimmon cookies. The spices and the natural persimmon make those cookies one of my favorites, hands down! Thanks for all the calorie stacking goodies on my birthday! I sure will be spending time to burn them off.

At the end of the day, I reflect back on the Scriptures. Psalm 71, some coined it the "birthday psalm" because of its references to the psalmist's day of birth, pens a great picture of how we are to be thankful to God and glorify him for giving us life and life more abundantly.

Psalm 71:5-8, "For you are my hope, O Lord GOD; you are my trust from my youth. By you I have been upheld from birth; you are he who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of you. I have become as a wonder to many, but you are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your glory all the day."

May that be my birthday wish to you King Jesus! O Lord, may I only be filled with your praise and your glory all day long, radiating your magnificent new creation and regeneration you created in me, by giving me a new birth through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone, to the praise of the glory of the grace of God.