Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and deliver you. ~Isaiah 46:4
This past Sunday, March 1st, marks my 71st birthday! This simply doesn't seem possible. Memories of past celebrations come flooding back like a rain-swollen creek, inundating my mind with events of yesteryear that feel disarmingly present as a breath in the moment. How did all that water of my life flow under the bridge without my realization of how swiftly it would flow?
I seriously doubt I'm the only one from the Baby Boomer era who feels the same way. It reminds me of the scene in It's a Wonderful Life when an older gentleman sitting on his porch witnesses George and Mary conversing in a teasingly romantic way. He becomes indignant at the banter and boldly advises George to go ahead and kiss her already! George takes umbrage, telling the man to stick around if he wants to see some real kissing. The old man waves him off in frustration with this classic rejoinder: Youth is wasted on the wrong people!
Honestly, If I knew at age 25 what I know now, there are so many things I would have done differently. But that's not God's plan. He wants us to grow in His grace and wisdom over time. He is infinitely patient with His beloved children. As Pastor Jared so aptly states in his latest sermon, "God doesn't simply want us to know about Him, He wants us to know Him through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
When I reflect upon where I am now compared to that lost, lonely soul I once was, I can see how my life's journey has been abundantly and richly blessed. I'll take this new year on with dignified expectation, confident that my Father who has brought me through the past will guide me in whatever years the future holds for me. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that is is He who will carry and deliver me.
And He will do the same for you.
Amen!
I will close by sharing some special birthday moments with you. Enjoy!
Danny and I enjoy lunch at Appalachian Grill. I order shrimp and he chooses haddock.
I wonder what's in the bag?
Of course! The two books I asked Danny for. Thanks, honey!
And then, there are this gorgeous bouquet of flowers sent by my daughter, son-in-law and the grands.
And for my birthday dinner Sunday night? Here's the photo for the plate made just for me.
Thanks so very much, dear friends, for visiting here with me today and celebrating together!
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Happy happy birthday!! I too wish I had known way back then what I do now. But I guess it is that way for all of us. Looks delicious, maybe fish of some kind? The flowers are beautiful, and even the bag is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Ginny! I truly had such a special day. Fish is a good guess, but it isn't. I'll tell y'all in my next post what that mystery meat is. And yes, the flowers look just as lovely as they did when they arrived.
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I can't even fathom that you've reached that age, my friend. You are one of those "timeless" people. Happy Birthday, all the same, Ms. Martha Jane. Have been trying to keep up with you, Mr. Danny, and the grands this past year. Blessed and grateful for the many prayers you've offered up. Hope to be writing again soon. God's blessings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy it is to hear from you, J. D.! You are too sweet in calling me "timeless" and I'm honored that you've been following my blog all this time. Please know that I pray for you every day and I look forward to seeing your blog back in action, too. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Happy birthday, Martha! (I remember 71. I think.)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Glynn! Yes, I hear you about the whole remembering thing. Guess we just have to stay young at heart.
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71! A mere 71? I'm 73 and Jo is 75. Now that is ancient! :) (Don't tell her I said that). A belated congrats on your birthday Martha. It is good to see you still enjoying life. And the mystery meat is truly a mystery meat. There is nothing there so I'm going to guess liver. (And my reaction would be the same as Danny's except I will not cook it. Jo doesn't like it either)
ReplyDeleteOh, my, goodness, Bill, you guessed it! Yes, I'm an odd person out, but I do love chicken livers. Danny won't even try them, but I'm so thankful he'll fry them! And I won't mention your ages - LOL!
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Happy Birthday Martha!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Christine!
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Happy Birthday Martha.... You both look so good in the pictures...and of course, so happy!! What a very special husband and family you have to pour out such sweet blessings upon you. You are certainly worth it. My guess would be grilled oysters? Oysters are something you love or simply will not try. I suppose Oysters is a meat. My second guess is liver and onions. Leaving you a sprinkle of joy to go along with your Birthday week..
ReplyDeleteYour second guess is spot on, Shug! As I mentioned to Bill above, I know I'm the odd person out for most of you, but I love chicken livers. Thanks, too, for your kind comments regarding our photos. Yes, I confess, they've been "doctored" somewhat. That does help in the looks department.
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I do not see the photo of the special dinner that you said was there. I tried to click on the paragraph to see if there was a link, but I'm not finding one. Anyway, I looks like you had a wonderful birthday! The flowers are gorgeous! Happy 71st birthday!!! I bet those books are really good!!
ReplyDeleteI've fixed it, Pamela, as Danny caught my mistake. The photo is there now if you want to take a second look. Thanks for the birthday wishes, too!
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Thank you, Martha! Now I see it! I am guessing fried chicken livers now that I see the photo! I was seeing other people guessing liver and onions, but they must've been looking at the fried fish above. I do like beef liver and onions, but I've never had a desire to eat chicken livers. LOL. I'm glad your Danny is such a sweet fella and goes the extra mile to do something really special for you on your birthday!! He's a keeper!! :)
DeleteOnce again, thanks a million for catching this, Pamela! Yes, these are chicken livers! That's an acquired taste, I know, and certainly doesn't appeal to everyone, but I learned to like them as an adult. Danny's are the best because they don't have that fried aftertaste that restaurant livers often have. He is a sweet guy, indeed, for fixing me these for my birthday dinner.
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Martha, So many March birthdays in in Blogland and around me. Seems most of my closest friends are March birthdays, especially the first week! Mine was yesterday, the 2nd. I'm now 72 so I feel exactly as you. I love that Scripture in Isaiah. You certainly hold your 71 years gracefully. I'm always excited for my birthday and really don't mind at all, getting older. I just wish I didn't have to hurt! 😏
ReplyDeleteOh but it's just the natural order, isn't it?
"Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:6-7
Amazing, Debby, that we are one year apart almost to the day! Yes, many of my blogging friends share March birthdays, too. Like you, I don't mind getting older, but the infirmities that creep up on us aren't fun in the least. And I adore the Scripture from Ecclesiastes that you included here. So fitting!
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Belated Happy Birthday and many blessings for the year ahead! The food looks wonderful and the flowers are beautiful! Yes, don't we wish for the wisdom of age when we were younger, but it's not to be. God is good . . . all the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the birthday wishes, Vickie! You are absolutely correct when you state that God is good, all the time. He created this circle of life for His reasons, ones we can't always understand and were not meant to.
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A very Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 to you, dear Martha. Your meals look scrumptious. 😋 You and Danny both look fantastic, dear friend. So lovely to see your beautiful smiles. Beautiful gifts 🎁 and a wonderful time. God bless you 🙏 ❤️ Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Linda! I thought that I'd responded to you earlier, but when I checked back, I realized that I must have failed to push the "publish" button. Thanks for your sweet comments about our photos and smiles. I did enjoy a wonderful birthday, indeed.
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Happy Birthday, Martha! May God bless you with lots more filled with His love and strength! 💕
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Trudy! I'm hoping that God has beautiful days in store for both Danny and me. One day at a time!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY (belated) dear Martha! I'm 5 years your senior (later this month) and like you, wonder how I got this far, already?? But as you indicated, we have grown through the years and it's good, very good, in fact. As for the "mystery meat", my philosophy is that just about anything that is breaded and deep-fried tastes pretty good. I'll guess that the mystery is gizzards from a chicken or turkey. I don't like liver or gizzards, and would not want to try them breaded and fried. But that's my guess.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Barbara! Actually, these are chicken livers; Danny won't even try them, but he loves me enough to fry them for me. What more could I ask for? Don't worry a bit about the belated part of wishing me a happy birthday. Coming on March 1st like it does, and February being so short, a lot of people get caught off guard. That's fine with me. Happy Early Birthday to you!
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Happy Birthday, Martha. What a wonderful day and great presents to celebrate. Today (it's 3 March here) I celebrate with you and wish you many happy returns filled with joy, hope, good health and whatever you desire. May you be always happy.
ReplyDeletePraying for you dear friend. God bless always.
Thank you so much, Victor, and know that your prayers mean so much more than any physical gift I could ever receive! My birthday was a wonderful day and I will continue to celebrate being able to serve the Lord with each breath I take.
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Happy Birthday to you! Looks like you had a nice celebration. Beautiful flowers and looks like a delicious dinner.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was, Debby a wonderful birthday with two different meals to enjoy. Thanks for your birthday wishes!
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Glad you were able to enjoy another(!) memorable birthday, Martha! Happy #71! Those books look very familiar--we have them here too. Steve has read them; they're still on my TBR list. (Too many good books, not nearly enough time to read them!)
ReplyDeleteI heartily agree, Nancy. So many books and so little time! I started on Sen. Kennedy's book the other day while Danny was at a doctor's appointment and couldn't stop chuckling with every turn of the page. I so love his down home humor and perception of human nature in general. Doesn't hurt to know he is a Christian and a believer. Thanks for the birthday wishes!
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Welll, of course we have to begin with yet another HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Martha. Diane and I are feeling the love and joy that you wove into your invitation to join in the party with you guys. And indeed, as you so clearly pointed out, the water flowing under the bridge has moved a lot more rapidly and carried a lot more content than I realized. But isn't it fun sometimes to just reflect on how the world has changed in our lifetiime. I often look at our "grands" as you call them, and think how absollutely foreign the world we would seem that surrounded us at their age. Buit among the wonderful things we know about our loving Father is that He never changes. Diane and I aren't seafood eaters. I'm alergic to some of it and she just doesn't like the taste of most of it, so we'll just insert some special dish of our own and enjoy the party with you. I'm glad the Lord decided to bless our world and His Kingdom with you and Danny and that He brought all of us into His family forever. So, may the joy of your celebration continue to bless you for days to come and thanks again for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you most sincerely, Ron, for the birthday wishes from both you and Diane! Though we've never met in person, I feel that with every exchange of comments of blogs, the beauty of friendship blossoms and comes to fruition. I am so blessed by you both and all of those who care enough to write comments here. Yes, our lifetimes have seen their fair share of change and innovations, wars and peace, hate and love. Haven't all generations seen the same? But in His infinite wisdom, God has given us our personal slate upon which to write our story. May we always glorify Him with it.
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Happy birthday a few days late, Martha! I am glad to see you were celebrated so well!! I have no idea what the meat is, but look forward to hearing the answer! I will hit the big 75 this year, and it is already starting to bug me just a little. Praise God, though!! You are so right that time goes much too fast! I enjoyed this post and the photos!! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks for the happy birthday wishes, Terri, and never worry about being late! With February being the shortest month of the year, it's easy to understand that most of us don't see the first of March on the horizon. The meat of choice is chicken livers! Before you say 'yuk,' which is understandable, I really love them and am so grateful that Danny cooks them for me when he won't even try them himself. If that doesn't define love, I don't know what does. Yes, time goes by too fast, but at least we know the happy ending.
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71 is a good age, I hope you have many more years ahead of you
ReplyDeleteI do, too, Jo-Anne, as I feel there is so much more that the Lord is calling me to do for His kingdom. But I will take it one day at a time and enjoy each moment as it comes, remembering that loving Him and loving others is the best legacy I could leave.
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Happy "New Year" blessings, Martha! Now, Danny cheerfully(?) preparing your favorite chicken livers is True Love. (Can't say I'd be so selfless, lol). That John Kennedy book looks like something I'd enjoy reading, myself. Love him!
ReplyDeleteI love that you say "New Year" blessings instead of Happy Birthday, Myra, as that's truly what it is. How original! Danny is a keeper, right? I don't think I'd be that selfless, either, but I sure enjoyed them. And Kennedy's book? Every page contains a smile, a chuckle or a laugh out loud. Don't we all need to see the humor in life while we can? God threw away the mold when He made John.
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I love It’s a Wonderful Life. You made a great connection with it, Martha. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate your kind compliment here, Diana. That's one of my all-time favorite films. I can't begin to count all the times I've watched it and taken the message to heart.
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❤¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☺ ♫HaPpY BiRtHdAy to You
ReplyDelete❤¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☺ ♫HaPpY BiRtHdAy to You
❤¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☺ ♪ HaPpY BiRtHdAy dear MarTHa
❤¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☺ Happy Birthday to You
❤¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ ☺ aanndd mannyy morree………………….
You looked like you had a fantastic birthday. I am so glad.
Thank you so very much, Sandie! I love how you wrote out the Happy Birthday song here - so clever.
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It's a beautiful journey, eh? One day at a time. I journal every day and it's fun to look back (and cringe) and see the kind of person I was before. Half the joy in life is becoming.
ReplyDeleteI've kept journals in the past, Crystal, but I'm not so sure I want to go back and look at those entries quite yet. I will have to soon, though, as I'm determined to do more work on deciding what to keep and what to discard going forward. I love what you said about half the joy in life is becoming. Yes!
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This is such a beautiful, inspiring message about the passage of our time and how blessed we are! Happy birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mrs. White, for your kind message and the birthday wishes.
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Happiest of birthdays, Martha! When the Lord created you, He said, "Ta-da!" Love your words here and the photos. It's true God's plan is to carry and deliver us as we journey along in life and grow in knowing Him more.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have no doubt, Karen, that God danced on the day you were born! I love that we can rest assured in His "Ta-da" when He created us both. Your journey, especially in light of what Mike and you have been through, is a powerful witness to how our Lord will ever carry and deliver us from evil and allow His light to shine brightly for His glory. May His peace ever surround and comfort you.
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Happy Birthday Martha. Your birthday is the same as my sister's. She just turned 71 too. Best wishes for a fantastic and happy year.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet is that, Bill? We share the same birthday and the same age. Remarkable! My maternal uncle who, sadly, was disabled by epilepsy, had the same birthday as I, and never ceased to be thrilled by that. Please wish your sister a very happy birthday from me when you can. I know she must be proud of your photography, too!
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Happy 71 to you, Martha! "You're not getting older," you're getting better," says an old TV commercial. You remember that ad? Lovely pics of you and Danny at the celebration. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI do recall that ad, Debra, and right now, I'm clinging to that promise. Even if I don't always identify with the sentiment, I know that God's intention is to always make us better in order to draw closer to Him. Thanks for the birthday wishes, my friend, and for your kind comments!
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Happy 71st Martha. The years do seem to fly by. I turn 84 this year. Never expected to make it past 50. Amazing!!!! The Lord blesses abundantly. Thank you for the special comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteHugs and abundant blessings
No way you are turning 84, Jim!!! I suppose when you didn't think you would make it to 50, God had other plans for you. I've certainly been enriched by getting to know you out here in the Blogosphere. I do enjoy your blog immensely! It's always inspiring and uplifting.
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