My Seventieth Birthday

People say that a woman never tells her age. But since I'm usually guessed to be 15-20 years older than I am, I'm quick to tell my actual age. This past Thursday, October 16, I celebrated my 70th birthday, and a celebration it was!

The day began with a coworker/friend coming into my office carrying a bouquet of flowers, as seen above. I was working alone in the office because Bibles International (BI) was having their BIG, annual dinner that evening. I stayed in the office to answer the phones while everyone else was at the church setting up for the dinner at which BI was hosting about 630 guests. During the morning, I got a phone call from my youngest nephew, from California. He didn't even know it was my birthday, but the Lord did, and arranged the phone call on that very day.

Before the day was over, the wife of another nephew, also living in California, called and we chatted for quite some time. It was good to hear from her, as her mother will soon lose her battle with cancer, but will win the victory of going home to heaven. I've been praying intensely for that family. Her husband called later, but I missed that call because I was at the banquet.

That evening I went to the BI banquet. I've laughingly said that I celebrated my 70th birthday with about 600 of my closest friends. Of course, I didn't know nearly all the people there, but at least I was with a friendly crowd. Because my birthday is the same day as the former BI director and his wife, our birthdays were all recognized.

It was a lovely evening with a delicious meal and a very good presentation of the work we are doing in Myanmar. Actually, one might say that the focus was on what Adoniram Judson began in Burma many years ago. God chose to bless Judson's work, and we are seeing some of the fruits of his labor and suffering even now.

At the banquet, I received several cards and gifts, including another beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers, which I don't have a picture of, unfortunately. Along with the cards and gifts I got there, I received about 140 birthday greetings on Facebook, dozens of cards and letters, and other gifts. God certainly blessed me!

If you were part of making this day a very memorable one, in any way you might have chosen. thank you. After all, one only turns 70 once in one's lifetime!