BIRTHDAY GIFT

I turned 63 the moment the clock struck 12:00 last midnight.

But unlike in Walt Disney's animated movie Cinderella—where a fairy godmother poof-poofed a "salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" magic—no spooky moment transpired.

I was just wide awake—probably ingested too much caffeine the day before, so old acid reflux started to pester.  

Too, I could not shake off this new book concept. It started to brew weeks back when, with my friend Grace, a storyline started to emerge. It percolated loudly last night, with characters and plots and subplots taking shape as I typed away into the wee hours. 

Voila, my fifth book was born! 

I've done just a few measly pages, but I'm putting my faith on the line, believing Jesus will be faithful to stitch it all together as I heed His wisdom while I write.

Thank you Lord. What a way to start my special day. With only a few hours left to sleep—to get up at 5:30 am because today is my usual teaching day—I prayed, "Make me sleep, Lord. Make it so good I'd have supernatural strength to last me the entire day."

Yey, it really felt like I snoozed a hundred years when the alarm went off. New strength, new grace, new blessings. New morning! God indeed is faithful. This inspite of my once in a while catatonic faith and self-doubts. 

Psalm 45, my marked Psalm for today. Verse 1: "My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." 

A voice inside popped, "That's my birthday gift for you." 

Wham! It hit me like a thundercloud. What more affirmation did I need? He alone enables. It too was a rebuke. From the very start of my writing gigs, I've always nursed this seeming inadequacy—"I am not good enough."

But now I see it! It is His noble theme—His Word alone—which moved my heart to dream and share His Word to a generation that's more motivated by a gimme-gimme attitude and a lust for carnal and short-lived pleasures. It has never been about my skills. 

That's the reason I started writing in 2008. A fiery theme continued to burn in my heart. "Tell these young people I have a purpose for their lives." So I penned my first book to let my students know God's great plan to prosper them.

So is this 63 year old grandma slowing down? Well, not in the words department; especially since verse 2 of Psalm 45 reads: "You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever." In the same way the Father anointed Jesus, so am I anointed to write with grace; and in excellence. 

Jesus has my back covered, even when I'm 63, and forever.